I wrote my first article for The Ubyssey at the beginning of second semester of my first year at UBC. Immediately after emailing back to the pitch list, I wanted to send another email saying, “Wait, I actually have too many papers to write and already have a midterm next week so please give the piece to the next student!” This was a lie because it was literally the second week of January and I had no work yet.
But a sporadic wave of bravery made me cease to do so.
After interviewing the sources that the news editors provided for me, I was at the next barrier of writing my first article for The Ubyssey and being scared shitless — having many questions that could only be answered in person by the editors. This meant I had to go into the Ubyssey headquarters on the second floor of the Nest.
I’m not kidding when I say that I had to take a friend with me because I was so terrified and felt so awkward. Long story short, the editors were helpful and they might make you feel sort of like you belong!
Now, final exams are over and our grades are up. Since my first article, I have written multiple articles for almost every section of The Ubyssey, become a staff writer and run for the position of opinions and blog editor. I did not win the position, but something even better happened. In between the first article and the leap of bravery in running for an editor position, I felt myself becoming a part of the social aspect of The Ubyssey.
It’s kind of crazy to think that the very people that I was afraid of and looked up to so much also maybe sort of wanted to be my friend. I still look up to them, but in less of a, “Wow, I am afraid to talk to you,” kind of way. It was even crazier to hear how similar their stories were to mine in how they too found it intimidating when they walked into the Ubyssey office for the first time.
Through this, I have learned two distinct things:
1. New shit is scary.
2. Ubyssey editors work so hard to make the paper great and they work even harder to make new writers feel welcome because they understand the important role this plays in improving our university’s paper.
So the next time you find yourself chickening out of replying to a really neat-sounding article topic, remember that is probably also where many of the current editors started.
But beyond that, try to remember that university is where we are continuously losing ourselves in order to find our better selves and stepping out of our comfort zone — whether or not it be writing for The Ubyssey or some other endeavor that you’ve been putting off — can be very much well worth your while.
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