teenage insurance

"E.R." > wrote in message
...
> Not being familiar with the scene down there, and therefore just
> guessing, this *may* be true in the US. In Canada, you'll likely
> have no life unless you're *mobile* (i.e. driving - about three
> quarters of BC residents are licensed). Even if you do live in a
> university residence.

In NS this isn't necessarily true. All you need is to know someone with a
car <g>.

But really, the two main universities are downtown, so you can walk to the
bars in 15mins -1/2 hour. There is a third university a bit more out of the
way, but it is a quick bus ride downtown. All of them are a quick bus ride
to major shopping areas.

Myself, I don't have my own car, I occasionally use the family vehicle. I
may drive downtown with my family in the morning and bus back in the
afternoon. If I'm leaving later in the morning, I'll bus both ways. I
suppose it helps that I live on a route that takes me directly to school,
and the bus comes every 1/2 hour. The $110/year bus pass included with my
tuition also helps.

I know many people with similar arrangements. They live at home, take
transit to school, and have some use of the family car for evenings and
weekends.

I also know people that live either on campus, or in an apartment, and use
transit for their main transportation, and bum rides on weekends.

> But I'm speaking from having lived on
> campus for about five months at the University of British
> Columbia in Vancouver, and it seems that much of the rest of the
> country isn't exactly the same, and other universities may not
> be identical. Fwiw, the chance of me reënrolling at U.B.C. or
> remaining long term in Vancouver is marginal to nil, now, I'd
> say. $250 000 might change my mind...

Be sure to tell me if you move out east.

> :you eat your meals in the cafeteria in your dorm; you walk to
> :classes, frat parties, and bars. That's how it was when I was in
> :college, and that's how it is today. The college my son attends
> :doesn't even allow freshmen to have a car on campus - there is neither
> :need nor space.
>
> I think U.B.C. wanted to move in this direction, but too many
> students resisted/revolted. But that is very much a "commuter
> school", and there isn't really very much of an on campus
> "scene", imo. The campus institutions exist primarily for
> "utilitarian" purposes rather than "social" or "community" ones.
> "America run by the Swiss" at its finest!

Our two downtown institutions have somewhat of a social life, usually
because they are walking distance to the bars. The other school isn't that
big in the first place. I don't know much of the on campus life, living off
campus.

> :I would rather spend that $4500/year on tuition at a better school
> :than waste it on car insurance for kids who don't need to drive.
>
> Fair enough... though better schools aren't always more
> expensive, as I'm beginning to find out. :} At $16k/year for
> most undergraduate courses, U.B.C. is (I believe) the most
> expensive university in Canada. There are nicer and (slightly)
> cheaper ones out there that I have now discovered.

I've found it very economical, where possible, to live at home while going
to school. Cuts costs in half. The available institutions score alright, and
the degrees from them can be used to get a job.