Lakehead University: Student tips for life on campus

Best place for a nap: Couches in the UC hallway overlooking Lake Tamblyn
Best cheap lunch: Anything on the Outpost’s specials menu
Best hangover breakfast: OP Breakfast at the Outpost
Favourite campus food: The Outpost, or the Study
Favourite watering hole: Downtown Port Arthur, or Beverly Street if you enjoy regular keggers
Perks: An opportunity to explore the outdoors that is unmatched in Ontario, and a great local music scene
Best place to study:  The Study Coffeehouse, or the fifth floor of the Chancellor Paterson Library
Coolest electives: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Philosophy of the Occult and Paranormal, Indigenous Arts and Crafts, Neoliberalism and the University, anything with professor Steve Jobbitt
Most notorious transit route: The No. 2 crosstown
Best campus events: Tankard Tuesdays, Thursday Pub Nights
Best giveaway: Toques from the student union
Best live music venue: The Foundry
Best spectator sport: Hockey
Weirdest tradition: A city-wide fixation with pink-glazed doughnuts that are called ‘Persians’
Best Cultural event: The Fall Harvest Festival, and the LU Native Student Association Annual Powwow

PROFILE: University of Alberta | Edmonton, Alta. | Founded 1908

University Insider: Leah Ching, 21, Political Science/Pre-Law

Lakehead University reflects the diversity, vibrancy and innovative spirit of life in Northern Ontario.

As a Trinidadian islander accustomed to the year-round heat of the tropics, Canadian winters were admittedly a challenge to get used to. It didn’t take long for Lakehead to win me over with its winter festival bonfires and hot chocolate by Lake Tamblyn, opportunities to skate along the frozen water, and catching sight of the occasional wild deer prancing across the campus.

With a small student population of around 8,000, LU welcomes students with a comfortable, cozy and generally laid-back feel. Students will be met with small classroom sizes and passionate professors who will go the extra mile to help you succeed. The culture around campus is chill, welcoming and supportive. There are opportunities to get involved with clubs and societies, and centres across campus that will make your experience just as amazing—arguably more so—than the hustle and bustle of a big campus. Because of our small student population, there are more chances to get involved and have your voice heard in a pretty big way.
For incoming students, entrance scholarships are automatic for students with an average of 80 per cent or higher. Tuition, residence, off-campus rent and the cost of living within the city is lower than in many places across Canada. All this means you won’t have to live on ramen for the entirety of your university career.

Home to a diverse, welcoming and innovative student community, Lakehead is currently rated as Canada’s top research university for undergraduate students by Research Infosource. It’s also home to Canada’s newest law school, the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, along with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Lakehead is an absolute gem of the North.

Extras
The diversity of the student population at Lakehead makes it an incredible place for newcomers of any background. Students on the small campus lead the way when it comes to inclusivity. The engineering and nursing student associations put on the most amazing galas that boost school spirit. There’s also the annual Powwow and Pride Parade throughout downtown. From Caribbean Top 40 nights at the Outpost to LUSU-organized trips to snowboarding at Loch Lomond or sailing on Lake Superior, Lakehead is a place where it’s easy to feel at home.

Local Vibe
With all the conveniences of living in a city and none of the drawbacks, Thunder Bay is an incredible place to call home. Newcomers will appreciate the ability to drive from one end of town to the other in less than 20 minutes, along with the fact that you’ll probably never encounter traffic. From kayaking and sailing on Lake Superior to hiking the infamous Sleeping Giant, the outdoors scene in Thunder Bay is never far away either. Downtown, you’ll find new and trendy gastropubs and breweries on every other corner, with great restaurants and coffee shops for every taste. The local music scene is also hard to beat, with amazing spots to help you make the best of your weekend. Minneapolis and Duluth, Minn., are popular weekend destinations and less than a day’s drive away.

The Skinny
Thunder Bay’s leading culture alternative magazine is The Walleye.

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