Lesson #1 – Show up, even when you don’t feel like it 

Studio courses are a very large part of BDCI as these courses are where the bulk of our time goes. In our studios, we use a wide variety of digital software (including video games!) while also developing our analog skills through sketching and physical model-making. Our projects integrate many of these mediums, ensuring that our skillsets are well-rounded. Not only have studio courses taught me so much about design and the processes behind it, but they have also allowed me to experience and be a part of the studio culture. If I were to describe what studio culture is to me, I would say it’s like a big family! You build strong bonds with others so quickly in BDCI, and this creates a very supportive environment within studio. With large projects, studio can be demanding at times, but this is also what makes it so rewarding! Showing up has always been rewarding and it is definitely one of the greatest lessons studio courses have taught me so far! 

Lesson #3 – You don’t have to have it figured out to move forward 

Like anything, my experience so far in BDCI has not come without its challenges. Something I struggled with in my first year was the feeling of not being good enough in my work. I constantly doubted myself and what I made, leaving me feeling unmotivated and hesitant to show my work. I went on like this for a while, until a large deadline crept up on me and I certainly was not on track. This was a huge realization for me, and I learned that not everything I make must be perfect. I don’t have to have it figured out to move forward, and I grow the most when I move forward regardless! 

As I look into my future at UCalgary, I’m excited for what comes next. I’ll be taking these three lessons, showing up, finding home, and trusting the process, with me into this school year, and I hope that as you look toward your own future at UCalgary, you’ll carry them with you too! 

Lesson #2 – Home can be more than one place 

As a big homebody, I was initially quite nervous to make the move to Calgary. I was from Saskatchewan, and I would be living in residence on campus. This fear did not stick with me for very long, as this transition was made so easy by the warm and welcoming environment along with all the support UCalgary provides. From the Dining Centre to Dinos games and all the on-campus support, it didn’t take very long until UCalgary felt like my second home, and the activities going on around campus, as well as different clubs, made it easy to be a part of the community here. I never thought that I could love a place that wasn’t my home, but what my experience living on campus at UCalgary taught me is that home can be more than one place, and it’s the people and their support that make a place feel like home!