Just last May, I, like so many other Business students, made a gruelling decision. One that would fill the preceding few months with stress, anxiety, and exhaustion. I decided to take summer courses.
With the arrival of the warmth and the flourish of nature, students yearned longingly for the outside. I saw it in my peers and felt it myself. Studying business offers little opportunity to be outdoors and focuses heavily on stagnant computer work. But the more time I spent at Interurban, the more I came to realize how spoiled we are here.
While an urban campus may offer more amenities and convenience, it doesn’t have the same lush scenery or fresh air. And it’s not just the beauty—immersion in nature is well-known to have therapeutic benefits. I’ve found eating my lunches outdoors below the trees to have a calming effect that helps me relax before a presentation. The plaza outside the Interurban library can be found filled with students in the summer months, chatting with friends and classmates while lapping up some much-needed vitamin D.
Camosun’s two campuses, which include Lansdowne as well, offer many opportunities to further immerse yourself in nature. The library at Interurban provides walking kits with plant identification books and maps to explore nearby trails. Lansdowne boasts a Native Plant Garden, where students can experience the unique biodiversity in the area. The same campus is situated on a vast Garry oak ecosystem. More opportunities are available on the campuses themselves and the Camosun website.
As someone who lives their life to a soundtrack of sirens, car engines, and idling busses in the heart of downtown, peace is precious. And although the commute up to Interurban is long, being able to look out of the window in class and be greeted by a sea of trees is amazing. Spending the day up at a park or lake takes planning, time, and energy. We can’t forget the benefits that having a campus surrounded by Garry oaks and diverse flora and fauna presents.
As Business students delve ever deeper into the world of the digital, we tend to forget our surroundings. Sitting at our computers for hours on end, studying in the library, and working on the side are common aspects of life for us. It’s no surprise many of us want to escape to the natural world in the few perfect summer months.
The schoolwork is rigorous as well. In marketing, for example, the heavy emphasis on group projects means that planning to be out of touch during free time isn’t always possible. Business admin in general includes countless hours of computer work, whether that be working on Excel, researching statistics, or preparing presentations, among other things. While achieving a credential in business admin can be rewarding, it can be very mentally taxing and it’s important to remember to recharge your batteries.
With so much of our time and energy consumed, students can’t or simply don’t feel like making the effort to go out and experience nature. I myself would much rather do something low effort, admittedly, staying in to watch TV shows when I get the chance. Lansdowne and Interurban present great, everyday opportunities to immerse yourself in the natural world and enjoy the sunshine before fall inevitably rolls in. So the next time you need to decompress and reconnect with the earth, try doing it where you already are.