Winter O Welcome

Welcoming new and returning students to a new year on campus!

Get to know the people, places, activities, and resources available to you at UBCO. This year’s programming includes a series of events taking place over several weeks, such as a board game and hot chocolate night, skating downtown at Stuart Park, or crafting socials. Pick and choose what events work for you!

Not a new student? That’s okay! All students are welcome to sign up for Winter O Welcome sessions to continue to get connected and find your community on campus.

Browse the events

Get involved in 2025: Explore clubs and associations at Winter Expo!

The SUO Winter Expo is the perfect place to explore all the student clubs, services, and associations you can get involved with on campus this term.  

Want a sneak peek? Start browsing the Student Associations Directory. 

Save the date

Move more this year with Free Fitness Week!

Happening next week (January 13 to 19)! Attend a group fitness class or make your own workout in the Hangar Fitness Centre. Unlimited access, all for free! 

See the class schedule 💪

Refresh your budget for the new year

Did you set a budgeting goal for 2025? We’ve got a course for that! 

Check out the Spend, Save, Borrow, Plan Canvas course to manage your money more confidently this year. 

💻‬100% online and self-paced via Canvas 
🕛Get started anytime 

Enrol now

How to: wake up for your 8 ams in 2025 without crying 😭

Have too many 8 am classes this term? We've got you covered. Tigist, a fellow UBCO student, has created a guide to waking up for morning classes without crying. Tigist became a morning person in 2024 and is sharing all her tips so you can do the same.

Read the blog

Jan. 13: Join us at the Co-op Work Experience Showcase

We are excited to invite you to our Co-op Work Experience Showcase, where students will share their Winter Term 1 co-op journeys in a dynamic lightning talk format. This event is a wonderful opportunity to hear firsthand about the skills, insights, and achievements our students have gained during their co-op work terms.  Additionally, the 2024 Interdisciplinary Co-op Student of the Year will be announced and presented with their award.

Learn more & register

Jan. 14: Recovery Conversations

Are you wanting to reduce or eliminate your substance usage? Every other Tuesday, a support group holds space for individuals exploring their alcohol and substance use. Join a small group of peers on a similar journey, and come ready to discover what recovery could look like for you.

No registration is required. Please drop in.

Learn more

Jan. 15: Sex positivity cafe

Drop by the Sawchuk Family Theatre between 10 am and 2 pm, grab yourself a warm drink of hot chocolate or coffee, and celebrate sex positivity. Spin the wheel to answer a sex education trivia question and win delicious specialty cupcakes!

Learn more

Jan. 17: Pride Night with the UBCO Heat 

Show your pride and join the student cheering section to celebrate inclusivity in sport.

Join us for a pre-game banner painting event with the Pride Programmers! We'll have cardboard and paint for students to make their own signs to cheer on the Heat. Meet us in the Global Collegium (EME 0252) at 3 pm and then we'll head over to the gym together. 🫶 

The first game starts at 5 pm in the Furnace. See you there! ⚽️ 

See the game schedule

Jan. 22: Life Raft Debate

Don’t miss one of UBCO’s most engaging, most dramatic, and most iconic events: the Life Raft Debate! Mark your calendars for Wednesday, January 22 and watch as professors from different faculties debate against each other to prove that their discipline is superior to all others.

Debaters in this year’s Life Raft Debate must imagine that an evil scientist has vaporized much of the planet. Which of the debaters will prove to be indispensable? The audience will decide.

The Life Raft Debate is free to watch, but registering in advance gives you a chance to win a UBC hoodie. 

RSVP!

More upcoming events

Other events you may be interested in checking out:

This Friday: Heat Home Games | Cheer on the Heat volleyball teams as we take on UBCV! 🔥 

Jan. 22: Idea Fest | Bias in Generative AI: The Faculty of Management invites you to attend Idea Fest to hear from Dr. Mi Zhou from the UBC Sauder School of Business on the Bias of Generative AI
 

Browse all upcoming events for UBCO students

Feeling a trip to Mexico this summer? Apply now for a three-week Global Seminar ✈️ 

Applications are now open for a three-week trip to Mexico in August of 2025 where to students can earn 3 credits abroad. The trip will cover topics on Mayan language and culture such as worldview, architecture, and food.

Learn more & apply

Apply now for Move UBC Grant funding! 

Do you have an idea to get the UBC community moving, but need some funds to make it happen? Grants of up to $1,500 are now available for UBC students and clubs planning projects or initiatives that support the wellbeing of our community by moving more. 

Get creative and plan an event this term that gets people moving!

Apply for funding 💰

Share your feedback: External review of the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Students are invited to attend a session or provide written feedback to share their voices, experiences and ideas to help define Faculty’s future priorities. 
    
An external review is when experts from outside UBC assess teaching and research activities, academic programs and service, leadership and administration of a Faculty to provide advice on its future direction.

Share your feedback by January 10

Got a new phone over the holidays? Don't forget to set up MFA!

If you’ve upgraded your phone recently, remember to set up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on your new device to ensure continued access to UBC’s systems and services.MFA is an essential security measure that protects your accounts, and switching devices requires a quick reconfiguration in the Duo Mobile app.

Follow our step-by-step guide to set up MFA on your new phone

Follow UBCO Student Life on Instagram 

@ubcostudents is the number one source for tips, opportunities, stories, and events to help you shape your student experience at UBC Okanagan. DM us or tag us in your best student life photos for the chance to be featured. 📸

Follow @ubcostudents