viv_vin

Hi all,
I officially committed to UBC today for my PhD in Geography. As I'm an international student from the United States and won't have any close family or friends in the Vancouver area, it would be great to start building a network of ALL UBC Masters and PhD students. Comment here to connect and share what you'll be doing at UBC. This would also be a great place to share housing, neighborhood, activities and such. 
A bit about me: Married, have a dog, enjoy hiking and the outdoors, looking forward to Vancouver coffee culture. 
Cheers,
C

@Giank this information is very helpful
Just a general question for everyone. I am a graduate student starting my PhD program in Business at UBC. I am a single male who is 30 years old. I was looking up the different housing options: John's College, Thunderbird, Ocean Drive and Exchange. They all seem very similar according to the website (John's has a mandatory meal plan) but I was wondering if a newer building like Exchange is perhaps the best option? Anyone have any thoughts about each of these? My budget for rent would be about 1200-1300. 
 
Also, can anyone shed some light on the difference between a 1 year lease and an 8 month lease. Why would anyone opt for an 8 month lease?