A Second Chance at a First Year in Residence

When I moved from Kindersley, Saskatchewan to Edmonton in Fall 2020 to start my undergrad degree at U of A, I eagerly anticipated moving into Lister Residence. Although it wasn’t exactly what I expected because of ongoing pandemic restrictions, it definitely didn’t disappoint! As an out-of-province student, the majority of my high school friends did not end up at the University of Alberta, and this led to the first major benefit of living in residence: making new friends! Throughout BaseCamp orientation week (and beyond), I was given the opportunity to (safely) meet so many new and interesting people! Getting to make new friends, form bonds and connections, and learn from people with varying backgrounds and knowledge is something that I can’t wait to do once again next year!

Another benefit of my residence experience was forming bonds with people in the same faculty and classes as myself. This goes a long way in making stressful study days a lot easier, as knowing that help is only a few doors or floors away is a relieving feeling. This collaboration can always pay off down the line when it comes to forming groups for group projects! As a faculty transfer, I am excited to meet first-year kinesiology students to collaborate with!

Floor and tower-wide programs are an exciting part of every month as a Lister resident. During these events, you have the chance to meet and get to know the members of your floor and tower, while also getting to do fun things like dressing up to go out for dinner during Floormal, showing off your artistic ability (or lack thereof) at Bob Ross Paint Night, playing volleyball and spikeball on Lister Field, or whatever else your RA, FC, or tower VP comes up with!

Finally, a super fun and exciting part of every Lister year are the tower-events! Although I can’t go into too much detail because incoming first-years may read this blog, just know that tower-events are such a fun time and allow you to grow even closer to your floor! If you’re a first-year reading this: Valhalla approaches, Skulk and Ivanhoe are coming, and Pantheon is rising.

Despite having such an amazing first-year, there are a few new things I look forward to for the 2021-2022 year as a Lister resident. I was unable to participate in dodgeball this past year, but anyone that’s ever lived in Lister will tell you that dodgeball is everything to everyone. Having that shared bond with an entire residence community is a super cool experience I hope to gain next year. The return of in-person tower-events is an exciting aspect of returning to Lister next year, and I intend to maintain my 100% tower-event win ratio (4 Schaff 2021 Valhalla Champs!). Finally, I hope that next year brings a packed Dukes Diner on Fridays, loosened room occupancy restrictions, and in-person programs so that I, and everyone else calling Lister home, can make even more epic memories and lifelong friends!

Whether you are a first-year student ready to make your first memories after high school, or an upper-year student still looking to branch out, I highly encourage you to consider Lister (or another University of Alberta residence) as your home for the 2021-2022 academic year. I will be returning as a Lister Residence Assistant (RA) and I look forward to welcoming you. With so much to look forward to, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that life in residence next year will be an unforgettable experience!

About Ryker

Ryker is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Alberta. His hometown is Kindersley, Saskatchewan, where he grew up with his parents, sister, dog (Marlee), and cat (Mischief). Although Ryker started his university career as a General Science student, he looks forward to beginning to work towards a degree in Kinesiology starting in Fall 2021. He loves most sports and playing volleyball, hockey, badminton, curling, soccer, and basketball alongside being a gym enthusiast. Looking back, it’s pretty obvious that Ryker's true calling is within the Faculty of Kinesiology.