One of the reasons I chose Stenberg to be my school is they have Hospital Support Specialist evening classes which really fits into my schedule. Taking an evening class is actually quite a different experience from a morning class. In the morning class when you wake up, you get ready for school and when class is done you can do your chores and errands. In the evening class, I always start my day by doing my chores and errands and end my day at school. I finish my class at 9:30 pm so when I get home I put my kids to bed then go to sleep. Sometimes if there is a deadline or an exam the next day, I force myself to study late before going to sleep.
In terms of facilities in the school for evening classes, I’m happy that we have all access to everything in the school including computers, and printers. Even our computer technicians are still available until 7pm which is good in case there is a problem with one of the computers. Also, we still have a chance to talk to the front office and sort out any issues before they go home at 5 pm.
Normally, I pack some dinner for myself and use the kitchen area to store my food, and yes of course, we have everything including a fridge, a microwave and a kettle. I usually make teas, and use the vending machine for snacks. I feel quite at home when I’m having dinner at school. Once in a while for a change, I will go to the mall food court instead of packing dinner. Although the mall time varies, we still get a chance to go to food court area before it closes.
One of my favorite areas at my school is the 7th floor lounge area facing the mountains where you can sit and study while enjoying the view outside. I really love that view. Also beside it, are computers that I use to practice my typing or to do some research.
Exploring the area around Stenberg is one of the things I really like to do. The school location is very interesting. It’s located above the Central City mall that is in the middle of everything including two skytrain stations, a bus loop, a recreation centre, banks, restaurants and the new library.
I always borrow books at the library especially when I’m doing my projects. In terms of convenience, I think this school is close to everything. With the skytrain station, it is just minutes from New Westminster, Coquitlam, Burnaby and Vancouver. In fact, most of my classmates do not live in Surrey and some of them use the skytrain to get to class.
Another thing that I like in the area especially during summer, when my family was waiting for me to finish my classes, my kids were having a good time exploring Holland Park just beside the mall where my school was located. I’m happy because I don’t feel bad for them waiting for me because I know that they were enjoying themselves exploring the park and playing in the playground.
I also like the fact that school is over the mall. There are lots of stores to check it out. Parking is also convenient. I normally park outside but I can choose to park inside on rainy days. One advantage of being near different stores is if you need something you don’t need to go too far.
One day, I was on my way to school when I realized I forgot my headset and I was thinking that if I go back home to get it, I will be late at school. Although we can borrow headsets from the school, I prefer to use my own headset. Since, my school was inside the mall I got a chance to buy a headset on my way to my Hospital Support Specialist class. It’s really convenient because everything is just a short distance away.
Another experience I had was when the school distributed our books which were very heavy and bulky. I decided to go down to the mall to buy my luggage and was able to wheel all my books home with me in my new luggage. Imagine how convenient it was, that whenever you need something it is just steps away. Also another advantage of being inside the mall is that my husband is able to buy groceries at T&T while he is waiting for me. There is only one disadvantage of your school being above a mall and that is you need to control yourself from buying stuff all the time especially if you see a lot of good sales.
