Is a cat right for me?

Hi everyone, I (F19) have been wanting a cat for as long as I can remember but my family has been unable to afford one. Whilst I still live with them, I have my own job now and earn enough that I would be able to care for a cat with my own money. I had a few concerns about the suitability of my home for a cat, as I was advised by a friend for the following reasons that I should not have a cat in my house, and I would appreciate advice from this community.

My house is pretty small: I have about 150sq metres (1600sq ft) of space in my house (double storey) where the cat would be able to roam, but my friend said that there wouldn’t be enough space for a cat and they wouldn’t get enough stimulation from their environment. Additionally, my house doesn’t get a lot of natural sunlight and is quite cold.
A lot of cooking happens in my house, and I am aware that garlic and ginger are toxic to cats amongst other foods, and I am worried that a cat may accidentally ingest some that fell on the floor or something. My kitchen unfortunately can’t be locked up and a cat would be able to get in there without any barriers.
I can only afford one cat: I know there are some cats that prefer to be the only cat in the house and I would be actively looking for one of those to adopt, but even so I am worried that it will get bored and be unhappy. I am a university student and stay at home 6 out of 7 days of the week, and I work 3-4 hour shifts every other day. Usually when I am out, my brother will be at home to keep the cat company. Would this be enough company to maintain the cat’s happiness?
Logistics of the cat’s living quarters: I would like to keep the cat in the garage or the laundry ideally, but my garage gets freezing cold and there is almost no floor space in my laundry. Would keeping the cat in my room overnight be a viable option? What if the cat needs to use the litter box (which will be in the garage) overnight?

Sorry for the length of this post and the amount of questions. I want to be completely sure that I am prepared to take in a cat and give them the best life I possibly can before adopting, as it is a huge responsibility. My friend’s comments have been lingering in my mind recently and I am having second doubts about getting a cat, so any advice would be massively appreciated. Thank you!