October Long Weekend Nest Hours

UBC ams
No more punitive fees. No more punitive interest.

No more punitive fees. No more punitive interest.

This week four students share how far they go to get their degree. If you have a story to share you can submit it anonymously.

Name: Guy

Going to UBC on a tight budget means I have to decide between…

  • This question doesn’t get what’s going on. The whole point is that I CAN’T choose. You choose UBC, that’s it. That choice leaves you with bus for transportation only, ramen as food mostly, regrets after spending on a night out. It sucks, its a garbage lifestyle.

Finances affects my education by…

  • I go hungry days before a paycheck. Difficult to study or focus when hungry. Before you ask, yes I go to the food bank. Its shameful UBC is content with food bank as a solution. Its been YEARS. Fix the problem.

The most desperate thing I’ve done at UBC because of money…

  • Prostitution. I’m still doing it, safely of course, and I’m good at it. You’d think its desperate, probably. I’m used to it by now, its my normal.

What would really help me is…

  • No more punitive fees. No more punitive interest. How are those fees justified? How is that money used? That is money forced out of students hurting financially. Shameful. Extremely shameful.

Name: Lorelai

Going to UBC on a tight budget means I have to decide between…

  • Experiencing “student life” then immediately crippling debt, or a commuter’s version of “student life” then leaving with mild debt.

Finances affects my education by…

  • adding additional pressure in my life. School is tough on its own, and life finds way to toy with you- adding finances as yet another burden in your life takes away any means of pleasure while being a student. Any spare time slot in your timetable you try to incorporate work into. Whatever remaining time I have is left for my 3 hour commute and studying. There is no doubt that if I didn’t need my jobs or had been financially supported during my studies that I would have phenomenal grades.

The most desperate thing I’ve done at UBC because of money…

  • Plan my days around events that give out free food so that I don’t have to pay for a lunch or save time in the mornings from not making something. As well, a positive from my frugal behaviour has been discovering places on campus where I can snatch some free coffee. I’ve also cried on countless occasions to my ESP and the poor guy nearly cried with me. All fond memories.

What would really help me is…

  • if there were scholarships that truly extended to all kinds of students. I have no particular hollywood sob story that scholarships tend to look for. It truly gets under my skin when UBC prizes itself on how diverse and inclusive they are but yet I am not eligible for anything. There are no scholarships for my ethnicity/background, there are no scholarships for my city (unless if I were Chinese- I wish I was joking), there are no scholarships for my particular degree (not to mention the fact that my bc student loans emailed me halfway through a semester because they realized that they weren’t supposed to give my particular degree some of the bursary money (only 2 degrees out of all of the Arts degrees are in their badbooks apparently). After trying to get me to return $600 of my bursary money which they had already given, I had to reject my degree to keep the money). All in all, UBC you are like one expensive girlfriend who asks way too much from me and I’m at that point where I don’t think I can be the person you need to keep you happy. It’s not me, it’s you baby girl. And for that reason, I’m afraid we may have to part ways. You will always remain a chapter in my life that “shaped” my character.

Name:Janson

Going to UBC on a tight budget means I have to decide between…

  • Paying my tuition or seeing my family over reading week

Finances affects my education by…

  • Limiting what schools I could apply for.

The most desperate thing I’ve done at UBC because of money…

  • Is getting a sugar daddy to help pay for my living costs

What would really help me is…

  • Cheaper residence options. It’s absolutely absurd how much I pay for my room in place vanier.

Name: Z

Going to UBC on a tight budget means I have to decide between…

  • Going into debt or not being able to graduate.

Finances affects my education by…

  • constant stress, sleepless nights, increased anxiety, focus that could and should be directed to schoolwork

The most desperate thing I’ve done at UBC because of money…

  • considered and am still considering selling my eggs post graduation to pay off my student loans before i take out more for my masters

What would really help me is…

  • less unavoidable student fees which don’t benefit me in anyway: cheaper tuition or cheaper materials by moving entirely online: removal of the government interest on loans

Have finances interfered with your ability to focus on school? Share your story with us anonymously. Stories are a powerful way to shine more light on a subject that affects so many students and will help the AMS advocate for a more affordable education.

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