A Day At SFU

Since last week’s article was focused on UBC, I decided to direct this one toward another prominent university in the area; Simon Fraser University.  SFU may not have been around for as long as UBC, but since the university was established in 1965, it has become one of the most reputable institutions in the area.  With campuses in Vancouver, Burnaby, and Surrey, SFU can be reached from multiple places in the Lower Mainland, making the high ranked university easily accessible.  Receiving fourth place in Sciences and Engineering in a 2012 study by the Higher Education Strategy Associates assessing Canadian universities, SFU ranks highly in Canada.  It also achieved ninth place in Social Sciences and Humanities, still a high ranking out of the 61 universities included in the study.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mraneri/2015/04/09/getting-ready-for-the-ipo-lite-5-things-to-know-about-sec-reg-a-plus/

But besides the details of SFU’s quality of education, it’s important to note that a celebrity visited SFU on October 8th to receive an honorary doctorate of science.  Yes, this celebrity was none other than celebrated educator Bill Nye the Science Guy.

http://viewmixed.com/throwback-to-the-greatest-scientist-and-teacher-of-the-90s-bill-nye-the-science-guy/13843 

Yes, Bill Nye visited SFU to get this honorary doctorate, with the important parting words of “Change the world,” directed to SFU students.

Besides this celebrity endorsement, SFU boasts impressive architecture, especially at the Burnaby campus.  The pond and greenery are often surrounded by students at any given time.

http://www.sfu.ca/~jtmulhol/

It is also necessary to mention the Trottier Observatory and Science Courtyard, opened in April, a major part of SFU’s science outreach program, as well as being used by astronomy students.  To see the latest images from the observatory, this website posts them along with descriptions from Dr. Howard Trottier, the founder of the observatory.  Approaching nights when various astronomical events are occurring, people who follow their events page can be notified of “Star Parties” in which guests can go to the Burnaby campus and set up their own telescopes.  Of course, those without telescopes can go as well to use other peoples’.

Simon Fraser University holds the promise of a high quality education, multiple campuses for easy access, and a flourishing sciences program.  If all this, along with smaller, more manageable class sizes, sounds appealing to you, SFU might be the place for you!

A Day At UBC

Well, grade twelves, we’re reaching the end of the line.  Yes, the great big world waits for us, and for those who are interested in post-secondary, admissions are starting up.  Now, there are many great post-secondary institutions in the lower mainland, but I feel the need to talk about one in particular, since the application is lengthy, and completing it sooner rather than later would be highly advised.  For the benefit of those considering attending the University of British Columbia in the next few years, this article will detail a few highlights of the campus, as well as provide a general overview of the university.

The University of British Columbia, located approximately an hour away from Sulli, boasts an impressive campus, with a focus on doctoral programs as well as containing extensive research facilities.  McClean’s well-known university rating program puts UBC in second place in the “Medical/Doctoral” Universities, after McGill, in their 2014/2015 season.  The Higher Education Strategy Associates did a study in 2012 assessing Canadian Universities, and placed UBC first in both Science/Engineering and Social Sciences/Humanities.

UBC happens to contain the headquarters of TRIUMF, originally based off the term “TRI University Meson Facility”, which is Canada’s leading subatomic particle research centre, working in nuclear physics.  It was initiated by the UBC, SFU, and UVIC, but has now been expanded to contain nineteen different universities.  It also has a particle accelerator, which is very cool.

TRIUMF’s Particle Accelerator.

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-scientists-use-large-particle-accelerator-to-visualize-properties-of-nanoscale-electronic-materials

For the more botanically inclined, UBC happens to feature two excellent attractions that one can spend hours roaming.  The UBC Botanical Gardens are a massive tract of land, featuring examples of almost every type of vegetation in the area, as well as many from elsewhere, with neat little labels and information plaques.  The gardens also have something called the Canopy Walkway, providing an excellent view of the forest, while a long ways off the forest floor.

The afore-mentioned canopy walkway.

https://tourismvancouver.app.box.com/s/nmz8cn3t3rltsk4pouju9mcichsi20sx

The campus also contains the recently established Beaty Biodiversity Museum, containing ridiculous numbers of specimens organized in rows upon rows of cases.  The museum also holds "Way Cool" talks, during which various scientists come in and become incredibly excited about things, while also teaching you about them.  Also, the main entry of the museum contains a whole blue whale skeleton.

It’s also the whale’s first birthday.

Now, I’m in no way saying that the University of British Columbia is the best option for post-secondary for students currently attending Sulli, but if you want lots of nice green spaces, a top rated education, and if you also like skeletons of large aquatic mammals to greet you as you walk in the door, then this is just the place for you.

*The UBC Botanical Gardens and Beaty Biodiversity Museum websites are currently down for maintenance, but should be up within the week.