After two years of online ceremonies due to the pandemic, UBC held in-person spring graduation for graduating students this year.
Since May 25, students and their family and friends have gathered at and around the Chan Centre to celebrate this big milestone. The university also held in-person graduation ceremonies in November 2021.
Charlie Cai, who completed a combined major in computer science and microbiology immunology, said he was “really excited” to graduate in person.
“It’s been a long four years and this is really the culmination of a lot of years of work and under very special circumstances that many other people haven’t gone through,” he said. "[It’s] not only a graduation, but … a celebration of how the pandemic is finally winding down and things are coming back to normal.”
He also shared a life lesson he learned from the pandemic: “You can … take [whatever] happens in a positive light or negative light. It’s really up to you how you choose your future actions no matter what pitfalls life throws at you.”
As a student speaker for the graduation ceremony, Cai used recorded lectures as an example of something positive that comes out of something negative. "That’s been a luxury many other people [in] the previous graduating years never had that we could utilize. Definitely a lot of new opportunities opened up while some closed. It’s up to us to pursue them.”
Xinyu Liu, who majored in computer science, said graduating in person felt great. "Better than virtual.”
She added that she plans to complete a full master's in computer engineering.
When asked for tips for other students, she said, “Study hard. Networking is very important … [and] pay attention [for] a lot of opportunities. If you don’t grab it, you [could] regret it.”
Like Liu, Sina Saleh, who completed his master's in mathematics, said he planned to pursue another a degree: a PhD in the United States.
On his experience with the pandemic, he said, “I really liked virtual classes, but still, it was really difficult to be distanced from my friends during the lockdown. There were some good things … some bad things. It’s good to get familiar with these kinds of situations in your life.”
As he bids UBC goodbye, he advised students “to always talk.”
“That was one of my mistakes. It’s good to talk with your classmates, especially the ones that are older … It’s good to see what they have to say about your choices and that’s something I never did when I was doing my undergrad. It’s good to ask!”
Graduation ceremonies end today, June 2.
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