Short commute vs late-night bars: Pros and cons of living on campus for UBC students
The University of British Columbia has a beautiful campus in Vancouver that can be a great place to live for students.
Choosing whether to live on or off-campus is a major decision for students that can affect their day-to-day lives, so it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons of it.
We’ve rounded up the best and worst parts of living on campus at UBC to help make the housing decision a little easier.
UBC’s Brock Commons North (left) and the Arts Student Centre and Brock Commons South (right), as of August 12, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Pros
Cheaper rent
Vancouver is the most expensive city for rental housing across Canada, and UBC’s student housing can be a small relief.
It isn’t cheap per se, but it can save students hundreds of dollars every month by staying on campus. Plus, the rooms at UBC are pretty decent. Most come furnished, too — an extra money-saving bonus.
On-campus housing can cost anywhere from $500 for a shared dorm to $1,500 for apartment style, but that’s still less than sharing an off-campus apartment. Typical asking rents for a two-bedroom apartment hit $2,976 in Vancouver last month, meaning you’d be looking at paying at least $1,488 per month sharing with one roommate.
Less time commuting
Spending ages on a crowded bus twice a day is never going to be fun. Living on campus can be the perfect solution.
Rolling out of bed five minutes before a 9 am class is one of the best perks of being a student on campus. It saves tons of time in your day and lets you brush off that midweek hangover.
Living on campus also means you can attend those last-minute events without worrying about travelling miles to get there on time.
Margarita Young/Shutterstock
Great nature
With Wreck Beach and Pacific Spirit Park at the doorstep of UBC’s Vancouver, on-campus housing provides some killer scenery.
There are plenty of great nature spots across the city, and living at UBC means students don’t always have to travel far to see it.
Students living on campus can watch the sunset every day at Wreck Beach and can always get in their daily exercise with the many, many stairs there.
Meeting other students
Living in shared dorms is one of the easiest ways to make friends.
Moving to university can be a nerve-wracking time when you don’t know anyone, but student dorms can make the experience so much simpler.
You’re naturally with a group of people going through the exact same thing, and the bonding that comes with sharing a dorm is unmatched.
Cons
Everything shuts down in the evening
Considering it’s a student area, the nightlife at UBC is pretty poor. The Pit is open on Wednesdays for a full club-style night out, but that’s about it.
A couple of student pubs are open daily, but each closes around 11 pm at the latest.
If you want the typical nightlife that comes with being a student, you’ll have to be prepared to travel outside of UBC to have the full experience.
Shawn.ccf/Shutterstock
Expensive parking
Despite the public transit in Vancouver being pretty good, having a car does make life a lot easier.
If you have a car and choose to live on campus, you’ll have to factor in the added cost of parking.
Parking permits for undergraduates living on campus cost $90 per month. Yikes.
Travelling for any non-school related things
The UBC campus is massive and has a lot to offer for those living there. However, those offerings don’t include things that aren’t school-related.
From groceries to clothes to car services, if you need something that isn’t required for your courses, there’s a good chance you’ll have to travel outside of UBC.
It’s not impossible to find those non-school-related items on campus, but the price will usually be hiked up if you get them there.
Becoming trapped in a school bubble
Being surrounded by other students having the same experiences as you is a great thing. But, after a while, you might feel yourself wanting something different.
When you’re only surrounded by students, a large part of day-to-day life will be about school, including conversations.
You won’t get the same mix of people and experiences of Vancouver if you live at UBC, so you might not get the full experience of the city.
How have you found living on campus? Let us know in the comments below.
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