University of British Columbia
UBC Second Semester (Jan – April), 2016
LLB/BA (Philosophy)
Introduction
I ultimately chose to go to UBC because it was going to be like a ‘home away from home’ –
not so different that I needed to know another language, but different enough that it made
for a whole lot of new experiences. You meet an amazing amount of people from an
amazing amount of places and it really is a great opportunity to meet like-minded people
from all around the world. I had read a lot about UBC and Vancouver and it certainly
exceeded all expectations (even how much it was going to rain).
Accommodation
After doing much research and ‘uhming and ahhing’ I decided to put Walter Gage Towers as my first
choice (note there are also Walter Gage apartments which are basically single person motel rooms,
kitchen included). I decided on the towers as I had not had a college hall experience for 4 years, and
was keen for a bit of a throwback to my Carrington days. On reflection, Walter Gage is by far the
best location on the whole of campus, largely because it is right outside the main university bus
loop, but also within a 2-10 minute walk of the rec centre, nest and most lecture theatres. Walter
Gage has a cool new common area on the ground floor, with TV’s, couches, study rooms, pool, table
tennis tables and a piano. My only disappointment with the Towers was how old they are compared
to the rest of the accommodation, and that they aren’t very well designed for 6 people – only one
toilet and a one person kitchen, so you have to plan cooking times accordingly. Other than that, it
was a great place to be. If I had to choose again, I would very strongly consider Marine Drive which
are 4-6 person flats and very modern, but a bit further away from everything. I went with a small
group on the first day down to IKEA to get bedding and kitchen appliances etc. – it is a very long way
to go but saves you a lot.
Transport
Included in UBC’s fees is the Compass Card which gives you access to all busses and trains in the
Vancouver region. Once you have registered your card and as long as you renew it on the website
each month, you can travel anywhere on bus or train for free – it’s pretty incredible. Buses run from
the uni and every 3 – 10 mins depending on whether it’s a weekend or weekday and in the city it’s
the same. If you ever miss a stop don’t worry, chances are you’re only a couple hundred meters
away from the last stop. They stop a ridiculous amount of times! The sky trains also run every 5-10
minutes. The only downer is that if you find clubs in town that are open past 1-2am (yes they close
early) buses don’t run back to the uni after 3am, so you would just have to split a taxi. A bus from
UBC to downtown takes about 40 minutes depending which bus you get.
Activities
Because it was Vancouver winter I didn’t get to
take advantage of Vancouver’s incredible Hike’s
and other summer outdoor activities – but I was
okay with that as I’m not a big hiker. If this is your
thing and you go in their summer semester it would
be heaven. I did go up to the Rockies which was
absolutely incredible, and I also made it to Whistler
for a weekend which was definitely worth the
money. Also do the grouse grind if your there when
it’s open, its good fun! The campus provides a
massive array of activities, sports etc. which are
easy to get involved in. It’s just about finding what
you want to do and signing up for it. I played a
couple of nights of social volleyball and also played
futsal every Wednesday with my room mates. If
you’re a skier, definitely get the early bird pass for
Whistler, its incredible value. If you go in their
second semester which is winter, you just have to
be prepared for the rain – it literally rained for 95% of the first 3 months I was there (or very close).
Money Matters
Two things I can’t stress enough; bank account and taxes and tipping. I went over with a Travelex
Cash Passport (which you may or may not have heard of). This was mainly because I already had it
from previous times overseas and I could have $CAD and $USD on it for if I wanted to do weekend
trips to America, and for my trip to America at the end of the semester. However if I went again the
first thing I would do is set up a bank account. My friends said it was incredibly easy and I lost count
of how many times I was unable to buy UBC event tickets or concert tickets online because it
wouldn’t accept my card, and this meant borrowing my roommate’s cards as they had set up bank
accounts. There are several different banks on campus in the village, which is only a short walk from
most accommodations.
The second thing is taxes and tipping. I’m sure I speak on behalf of most kiwis when I say taxes and
tipping absolutely kills you. You go out anywhere to eat, order something off a menu for $15 and
next minute you’re paying around $20 because tax and tip is not included. So be very wary of this
when budgeting and get used to it!
University Life
I can’t say I’ve been to many University campuses in my life but UBC Vancouver campus is something
else. I reckon the campus is the size of Dunedin City (i.e. Botanical Gardens – Octagon). It’s truly
incredible. It has everything you can imagine, an aquatic centre (soon to be two aquatic centres), rec
centre, gyms, an optional nudist beach, golf course, multiple museums, student villages with food
shops, stationary shops, banks etc. a hospital, bars, clubs and much more. It really is its own city. The
student culture in UBC is also something to be rivalled. You have to see it to believe it, and when you
do you won’t regret it
Summary
An exchange brings with it an incredible amount of opportunities. During the term I met a whole lot
of people on exchange from Mexico. I found out it was their summer after the term finished and as I
had nothing to do I organised to be shown around central Mexico on an 11 day road trip with them.
This is just one example of the countless number of opportunities that an exchange brings – I
certainly couldn’t have done that trip without them!
There is only so much that can be said of an exchange semester at UBC. What can’t be said is how
much fun you will have. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better way to finish my double degree.