As of: February 14, 2024, 3:21 p.m
By: Andreas Knobloch
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Students don't usually have a lot of money, and a young man is forced to commute by plane - because of the rent prices.
VANCOUVER - When others heard about Tim Chen's idea, their mouths dropped open.
The young man regularly commutes 687 kilometers from his home to his university and, according to his own statements, saves a lot of money in the process.
The reason for this is the rental prices near the college.
Chen even calculates what this means for him.
Tenants also became more expensive in Kassel, as the evaluation of a platform shows.
“Something is wrong with the country,” or “what happened to the economy here?” some people commented on a report from the TV station CTV News from Vancouver, British Columbia.
The news channel filmed a report about student Tim Chen, who is enrolled at the University of British Columbia, and posted an excerpt from it on YouTube.
Chen is no ordinary student; he regularly commutes from Calgary to Vancouver.
Calgary is 687 kilometers away and a flight takes approximately one hour.
College student Tim Chen regularly travels 687 kilometers to the university
Rent prices in Vancouver continue to skyrocket.
What Germans also know in metropolitan areas such as Munich, Berlin or Cologne is no different in Canada.
The standard for students seems to be extremely high.
“I would have to pay 2,500 for the rent, I can't do that,” he tells the TV station, which then shows what the young man spends on the flights: 1,200 dollars a month.
He makes the trip eight times in four weeks.
According to the station, a one-bedroom apartment would cost $2,100 a month.
“Why not stay in Calgary and take a one-hour flight?” asks Chen.
Apparently he lives in Calgary, just 20 minutes from the airport.
Chen had previously lived in Vancouver, moved away and wanted to come back.
But after the three-year break, he saw the unusually high prices.
The good thing about his art studies: no daily attendance requirement, many online courses that the college already offered before Corona.
According to
CTV News
, Vancouver is considered the most expensive city in Canada and has a very low vacancy rate of 1.9 percent.
A German real estate boss also announces rising rents.
In the 2023 global ranking, Vancouver was among the ten most livable cities.
Other examples from the Canadian city are also shown in the news article, such as students living in mobile homes.
“It was the only viable option because I couldn’t afford an apartment,” says a student who lives in a mobile home.
Chen, on the other hand, actually uses the commute wisely and learns the material.
Luckily, he doesn't have a busy schedule until he graduates and doesn't have to fly every day.
There were many online courses on the daily schedule at UBC - even before the corona pandemic.
Chen also has to accept critical voices for his route, and then receives support from other students
The post was also posted on the Reddit portal and users are discussing it.
Many find it shocking: “Jesus Christ, that’s crazy” and “What kind of stupid world do we actually live in?” some ask.
While he saves a few cents living with his parents in Calgary, he also receives criticism from some users who believe that life as a student cannot be compensated for in money because of where he lives and the experience.
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A UBC student who saw the post can tell from his own experience why Chen's route is not as pointless as it seems at first glance: "UBC is located at the westernmost point of Vancouver, so you can get there from residential areas It takes between one and a half and two hours to come.
These are normal times for people who live off campus.
So his arrival isn't all that crazy.
Places in student halls of residence are extremely difficult to get, you have to go on a waiting list and it takes an average of two years before you can move in.
Because he doesn’t have to go there that often, commuting makes sense for him.”
Student residences in Giessen are also changing, as tenants' demands have increased.
(ank)