University: UBC
Program: Commerce
Age: 19

I enjoy being in leadership positions and I think a business degree can set me up for success. I chose UBC’s Sauder School of Business because it’s well regarded. It’s also the perfect distance from my family: I’m from Victoria, so I can go home easily, but I also get the adventure of living on campus in Vancouver. 

My parents are covering my tuition and living costs for four years of university, which I’m grateful for. The summer before first year, I worked as a babysitter for $20 an hour to earn some spending money. I made about $1,000. Next year, I’m hoping to become a residence advisor to earn an income and have on-campus housing. The guaranteed room will be good because housing in Vancouver is expensive and hard to come by.

Housing: $1,150

I live in a single room in residence. There are communal shared bathrooms. Sometimes there are issues with cleanliness, but I don’t mind since mine is cheaper than some of the other residence buildings. It’s been nice to make connections with people on my floor. My closest friends are the girls across the hall.

Food: $956.26

I’m on a meal plan that costs $3,625 per four-month term. It’s an all-you-can-eat style—you scan your card to get into the dining hall, and then you can eat whatever you want while you’re there. There are multiple stations with rotating menus. One of my favourite things to eat is a rice bowl with meat and roasted vegetables. My plan also includes flex dollars of about $290 per term—I can spend that elsewhere on campus, like at Starbucks or Booster Juice. I also have a mini fridge in my room for snacks and breakfast supplies—I sometimes like to eat in the morning without going outside first. There isn’t a lot of fruit in the dining hall, so I buy lots of berries, plus milk, juice, cheese, granola bars, nuts and popcorn. I spend about $50 a month on groceries.

Eating out: $20

I mostly eat on campus, but once every other month, a friend from home visits and we go out for dinner. There’s an Italian place I love; they serve huge plates of pasta for $30 that we can split. If we don’t get drinks or dessert, then my half of the bill comes to about $20 after tax and tip.

Transportation: $130

I drive a 2006 Subaru Forester. First, it was my grandma’s, then my uncle’s, then my sister’s, and now it’s mine. I use it to get groceries, take my friends to the airport and visit my parents. I pay $100 a month to park in an indoor parkade on campus plus about $30 a month in gas. A bus pass is included in my tuition, so I use local transportation if I’m going out.

Textbooks: $200

I had to buy two textbooks this term: one for an economics class and another for my math class. The textbooks have additional practice problems, which are helpful when I’m studying for finals.

Entertainment: $0

My friends and I usually take part in cheap forms of entertainment, like going for hikes and watching Netflix (I’m on a family account that my parents pay for). I’ve been watching Lost, and I also really like Gilmore Girls and How I Met Your Mother.  There are also free events through my residence. We recently had a “paint and plant” night where we each painted a vase and then planted some flowers in it.

Gym membership: $12.50

I’m really into weightlifting. I usually go to the gym on campus three to five times a week and work out for one to two hours.

Recent Splurges

$62.95 for a Capilano Suspension Bridge annual pass

I really love the Capilano Suspension Bridge. I go about once a month. It’s in the forest, and they have seasonal light shows. I find it so calming. As a B.C. resident, I get an annual pass for the cost of one regular admission.

$25 for a second-hand Snoopy crew-neck sweatshirt

My friends and I take the bus downtown to go thrifting. I recently found a Snoopy sweatshirt that I really liked. I was once in a Charlie Brown Christmas production, so I feel an attachment to Snoopy.

Total monthly spend: $2556.71

This story appears in the 2025 edition of the Ultimate Guide to Canadian Universities. You can buy the issue for $19.99 here or on newsstands.