My University journey started three years ago when I decided it was time to finish high school and officially receive my Adult Dogwood.
I was homeschooled all the way from pre-school until I attended my graduation ceremony in 2012. I loved being homeschooled but there was always a part of me that wanted to experience going to school. I loved learning, but in grade nine when things started getting hard and just about everything was done online, I started to get discouraged.
I gave up on school altogether and never made it through grades ten, eleven, or twelve. This was very embarrassing for me and I was ashamed to tell people that I had never graduated high school, and for the next two years to come I avoided any talk about high school or university.
Fast forward to 2014, when I decided to apply for admission with the Upgrading and University Prep department here at UFV. One of the next steps was to go for the assessment to see what course levels I should sign up for. It took me six months before I finally worked up the courage to book an assessment, but once I did I convinced myself that I would fail and I ended up cancelling the assessment.
I got an encouraging email back that gently reminded me that it wasn’t a test, merely an assessment and would steer me in the right direction of what course level I should sign up for and it was not something that you could fail. Another six months later I finally booked an assessment and followed through with the appointment. It was not nearly as scary as I had made it up to be in my head! It was very relaxed and the lady who was supervising the assessment was so nice and encouraging.
In fall 2015, I started my first semester of university and my first high school course experience. I was so worried going into my courses for the fear that because I never took any courses in grades ten, eleven, and twelve that I would be very behind in my skill level and unable to keep up with the rest of the class. This was not the case, for any of my courses. The teachers were so supportive and helpful and gave me the confidence to succeed. I have had a wonderful university experience so far, and although my upgrading journey is in the final semester I am excited, confident, and prepared for whatever future courses I may decide to take.
Upgrading through UFV was absolutely the right decision for me. I could get my foot in the door at a wonderful university, and despite having not yet completed high school, I feel like a real university student! The upgrading courses are fun and have a relaxed environment — allowing you to thrive and flourish academically. There are countless resources available to students and the staff are amazing. I cannot say enough good things about how UFV and everybody there have positively impacted my life. I am no longer scared of school or shy away from anybody who asks me about university. I am now confident in my abilities thanks to the UUP teachers and programs and look forward to my academic future!