We Just Won the Lottery!

So I don’t know how much I talked about the housing lottery last year…I suppose I could go check my archives but it is late and I am tired so, meh. I will try to make a long story short:

– The Housing Lottery Opens (as in, everyone currently living in residence is invited to pay 50 bucks and fill out a form about where they would like to live next year, all those forms are gathered and picked at random by a computer, those that are picked are offered housing for next year, those that are not are put on a really long waiting list, in hopes that some that are picked will turn down the offer and a spot will open up)
– Max gets in, Sam does not.
– Max turns down his offer so that Sam and Max can live off campus together next year because they are in love.
– Sam is placed on the waiting list. (This part is important.)
– Sam starts looking for off campus housing.
– Sam is DESTROYED by the search. Everything is too expensive or too far away or too picky. Sam is very sad.
– Summer passes and Sam and Max start to lose hope.
– Sam’s position on the waiting list comes up. Sam is offered a place in Marine Drive.
– Sam accepts. Sam and Max start making plans to live in a studio.
– Sam and Max realize they can’t move in until 2 weeks after school starts.
– Sam freaks out, but, with a little help, finds out about a one bedroom in Fairview that is available sooner.
– Sam and Max change their plans. There is much rejoicing.

…and here we are. So I guess that is still kind of long. Anyway, this year was much different as, magically, Sam and Max were both offered housing which means two things:

1. Sam and Max will be living on campus next year.
2. Sam and Max get the privilege of giving one of their spots to someone on the waiting list.

…we are excited, and we think we are staying in Fairview.

Now, for the advice portion of our story.

If you did not make it into the housing lottery, there are a few things you should do:

Do not freak out. Do not lose hope. Just take a deep breath and consider your options. Some of them are:

1. Off Campus Housing (start looking now, when you find the right place, take it as quickly as you can)
2. Year Round Housing (apply now…and if it has been less than 2 weeks since you paid the 50 bucks for the lottery, a year round application is covered under the same 50 dollars, so DO IT NOW)
3. Wait Out the Waiting List (it CAN happen, it happened for me…don’t rule it out as an option)

Start opening up your mind to other options. I had a lot of high hopes for off campus housing last year that got dashed away, but everything ended up working out all right. A lot of students go through this each year, and they all find their place. You will too. Just don’t procrastinate, and don’t assume that things will just work out magically, get in there and handle it.

If you DID get into the lottery, congratulations. If you are local, as in you have family that lives in the Vancouver area, please consider living off campus next year. Housing is hard to come by, and it can be quite scary for someone who has no connections to this area to try and find their bearings and a place to live. There is a world of comfort you can bring to someone by simply living at home, believe me. And it is way cheaper, if you care about that kind of thing. Just consider it.

One thing I have learned is that UBC Housing and Conferences is one of the most compassionate departments of the UBC community. They understand that there is not enough housing to fill the demand and they try to do everything they can to solve the issues that come from that.  Their job is a lot harder than you think, and they are doing what they can to create more housing solutions in the future, these things just take time. Please do not get too upset with them.

I can say that I am very happy to be living in residence again next year. I have really come to see this place as my home.