## [Build a well-balanced life as a UBC Engineering student](/spotlight/why-engineering/build-well-balanced-life-ubc-engineering-student)
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There’s a lot more to being a UBC Engineering student than meeting the requirements of your degree! Although we do have to say that pursuing a [professional degree ](https://engineering.ubc.ca/spotlight/why-engineering/learning-to-be-professional)at [one of the Canada’s top-ranked universities](https://engineering.ubc.ca/spotlight/why-engineering/one-of-canadas-best-engineering-programs), being taught by internationally respected professors, working with your fellow students on [real-world projects](https://engineering.ubc.ca/spotlight/why-engineering/learning-doing) in your very first engineering design course, or having access to [incredible co-op job opportunities](https://engineering.ubc.ca/spotlight/why-engineering/ubc-engineering-co-op-experience-counts) and all the support you need to succeed all add up to something pretty special.
> What makes UBC Engineering stand out – in addition to our unmatched learning environment – are all the opportunities that come from being part of the broader UBC community for a well-rounded undergraduate university experience
[incredible co-op job opportunities](https://engineering.ubc.ca/spotlight/why-engineering/ubc-engineering-co-op-experience-counts)
[professional degree](https://engineering.ubc.ca/spotlight/why-engineering/learning-to-be-professional)
[ 
](https://engineering.ubc.ca/spotlight/why-engineering/one-of-canadas-best-engineering-programs)
Your coursework is important – after all, you’re here to gain the [knowledge, skills and experience you need to succeed as an engineer](https://engineering.ubc.ca/spotlight/why-engineering/skills-you-need-to-succeed-engineer). But how you choose to spend your time outside of class is equally important in building a well-balanced life. That’s the time you spend hanging out with friends, pursuing your hobbies and discovering new passions, exploring the world beyond campus or getting out of the city for outdoor adventure.
There’s good reason to take the advice of Civil Engineering alum [Rebecca Howes](https://apsc.ubc.ca/spotlight/student/advancing-in-her-career-site-inspections-to-project-management) when she was asked if she had any tips for new students:
> “Do all the school things you can: [storm the wall](https://recreation.ubc.ca/intramurals/events/storm-the-wall/), join a club or go to a party. Take advantage of the opportunities that are there. You don’t want to graduate and feel like you spent all your time working hard rather than hanging out with other people and doing fun things.”
Let’s dive in and take a quick look at how UBC offers all the opportunities you could want to have an incredible undergrad experience.
## Be active
Both UBC campuses have on-site fitness facilities for working out, strength training, or participating in intramural sports, group fitness, yoga or dance classes. Love team sports? Why not join an intramural league?
[UBC Okanagan intramural sports and clubs](https://recreation.ok.ubc.ca/sports/)
[UBC Vancouver Recreation](https://recreation.ubc.ca/intramurals/)
At UBC Vancouver, you’re steps from [Pacific Spirit Park](https://visit.ubc.ca/see-and-do/gardens-and-nature/pacific-spirit-park/), which surrounds the campus and is home to 75 kilometres of trails for walking, running or biking. Or head down the 500 steps to (clothing optional) [Wreck Beach](https://visit.ubc.ca/see-and-do/gardens-and-nature/wreck-beach/) for amazing sunsets.
At UBC Okanagan, you have easy access to walking and [biking trails](https://www.tourismkelowna.com/experiences/active-outdoors/biking/) that connect to nearby natural spaces – and take full advantage of beaches and watersports on Okanagan Lake.
## Cheer on your team!
Love to watch sports? It’s easy to catch an on-campus game. If you’re at UBC Vancouver, you’re cheering for the [Thunderbirds](https://gothunderbirds.ca/)! At UBC Okanagan, you’re cheering for the [Heat](https://goheat.ca/)!
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## Hang out with other engineering students
You might already know about UBC’s many student engineering design teams (check out the options at [UBC Vancouver](https://engineering.ubc.ca/engineering-design-teams-list)and [UBC Okanagan](https://experience.apsc.ubc.ca/okanagan/student-groups/design-teams-clubs-and-associations)). We can’t say enough about how meaningful and memorable these experiences are for many of our students, have the time of their lives as they work with fellow students on various projects (and often travel internationally to participate in competitions).
The [Engineering Undergraduate Society](https://ubcengineers.ca/elections) at UBC Vancouver and the [Engineering Society](https://www.suo.ca/student-association-directory/) at UBC Okanagan organize activities and events throughout the year.
> Meet your new best friends at E-Week, hang out with your peers at game nights and barbecues, or network with local industry leaders at workshops and events.
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## Pursue your hobbies and interests
Whatever your interests, there will be others at UBC who share them. There are clubs spanning everything from politics and art to social justice and music. Both campuses have welcome week events where you can check out what’s available and meet club representatives.
[UBC Okanagan Student Associations](https://www.suo.ca/student-association-directory/) [UBC Vancouver Club Directory](https://amsclubs.ca/)
## Explore beyond campus
How many universities are located within hours of Canada’s largest ski resorts? Both of our campuses are within three hours of the most epic mountains for boarding and skiing in the winter and for hiking and mountain-biking in the other seasons.
[ 
](https://engineering.ubc.ca/spotlight/student/balancing-outdoor-adventure-and-engineering)
> “One of the best things, and a reason I came to Vancouver, is because it’s in such close proximity to all my favourite outdoor hobbies!,” says Civil Engineering student [Marcus Athans](https://engineering.ubc.ca/spotlight/student/balancing-outdoor-adventure-and-engineering), a former member of the BC Ski team. “
"If you’re studying at UBC Vancouver, you’ve at least got to ski at [Whistle](https://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/)r and hike the [Chief](https://bcparks.ca/stawamus-chief-park/). There’s so many things to do, and now’s the time to do it!”
Mechanical Engineering student [Baptise Bonturi](https://engineering.ubc.ca/spotlight/student/technical-background-in-mechanical-engineering-has-propelled-baptistes-career) has equally enthusiastic things to say about studying at UBC Okanagan.
> “I loved being at UBC Okanagan for all the nature and outdoor activities that are right there – fly-fishing, mountain biking, hiking, you name it. I’d love to go back. Being at UBC was the best five years of my life.”
## Be part of a great city
We’re biased, but it’s hard to beat Vancouver (home of UBC Vancouver) or Kelowna (home of UBC Okanagan) as great places to live. The two cities are different in terms of population and weather (Vancouver has a more temperate climate compared to Kelowna, which has four distinct seasons). But they are both fun, vibrant cities with cool neighbourhoods to explore, interesting shops and trendy venues – and there’s always something going on, from cultural experiences to big-name sport event
[ 
](https://engineering.ubc.ca/spotlight/why-engineering/ubc-vancouver-and-ubc-okanagan)
[ 
](https://engineering.ubc.ca/spotlight/why-engineering/one-degree-two-campuses-your-choice)
## Find your feet early on
We encourage you to sign up for Jump Start – a multi-day orientation program held the week before the start of classes. You’ll meet other first-year students, learn all about the services available to you at UBC, and take part in social events from trivia nights and sport competitions to dance tutorials and games. It’s a great way to start your journey as an engineering student at UBC..
Read all about [Jump Start at UBC Okanagan](https://students.ok.ubc.ca/new-to-ubc/orientations/jump-start/) and [Jump Start at UBC Vancouver](https://you.ubc.ca/jump-start-vancouver/).
## The well-rounded campus experience you won’t find anywhere but UBC
As a university student, you’re in charge of building a life that satisfies your intellectual, physical, emotional and mental needs. At UBC, you have all the opportunities you could ever want to have a memorable undergraduate experience that is uniquely your own and that sets you up for personal and professional happiness and success.
As Manufacturing Engineering student [Heanan Bird](https://apsc.ubc.ca/spotlight/student/come-to-ubc-and-do-it-all) says:
> “If there’s something you are even slightly interested in – whether studying abroad, co-op, clubs, a campus job, a class – just do it. You will grow and learn from all these experiences. And in the end, it will make you a better person and maybe even a better engineer.”
[ 
](https://apsc.ubc.ca/spotlight/student/come-to-ubc-and-do-it-all)
Choose UBC for your engineering degree – not just for the top-ranked educational experience, but for all the other elements that make life meaningful. Years from now, when you look back at your time at UBC, you can be confident that your highlight reel will be amazing.
- [Why Engineering?](/spotlight-type/why-engineering "Why Engineering?")
- [Engineering](/topics/engineering "Engineering")
- [Student Experience](/topics/student-experience "Student Experience")