I generally have very few complaints about this university - yeah, there's construction, yeah, some of the buildings are ugly, yeah, dealing with the administration blows, but this is widely true of universities everywhere, up to and including MIT (well, I can't speak about admin).

The one thing that really, truly drives me up the wall here, though, is UBC Athletics. UBC, unlike most universities in North America, is incapable of providing faculties for student use. Each student here pays about $200 in student fees, and the only facilities we get for free are a couple hours a day of use of the pool and Aquatics Centre gym (which isn't terrible, but it's not great either). Everything else? Pay extra. A full 4-month membership to the Aquatics Centre is $94. One for the good gym is $136. Tennis courts are $12 an hour for a student to book. Comparatively, a 4-month membership to all UVic facilities for a non-UVic uni student (ie, someone like me) is $102 - UVic students pay nothing other than their Athletic fees.

Fucking great, UBC Athletics. If they do end up closing the Aquatics Centre gym, there is no way in hell I'm shelling out for a membership. I'd rather get a membership to the YMCA or JCC or something which disgusts me less. And would probably be cheaper.