Nipissing University: student life on campus

The 411

If I wrote the school motto:
“More bear sightings than snow days”
Best place for a nap:
The NUSU Student Lounge.
It has the comfiest couches on campus and a TV with Netflix.
Best cheap lunch:
Subway
Best hangover breakfast:
Ivan’s Restaurant is the best option with its all-day breakfast and greasy poutine
Best bar for hanging out:
The go-to bar this year is the Voy (also known as the Summit, or Shooters) where a hallway separates a pub (with live music and pool tables), and a club (with a DJ and black lights)
Best pizza:
Twiggs Coffee Roasters makes amazing gourmet pizzas with a handmade thin crust, fresh vegetables and local meats; definitely the best pizza in town
Best place to study:
Twiggs or the campus library, depending on your studying preferences
Weirdest tradition:
Getting official emails from the university to warn of bear sightings on campus
Best campus event:
Frosh week
Best giveaway:
Collect your “please play again” losing tabs during Roll Up the Rim to win NUSU swag
Best live music venue:
Raven & Republic
What surprised me most about the school:
The architecturally unique crooked stairs
If I could change one thing about the school:
A student pub on campus for events. But good news: the construction of a student centre has begun and the new building is set to open in 2020.

PROFILE: Nipissing University | North Bay, Ont. | Founded 1992

Despite its name, North Bay is not really that far north—it’s only four hours from both Toronto and Ottawa. So don’t fear Nipissing’s location. As soon as you set foot on campus, you’ll fall in love with the beautiful scenery and the welcoming environment, just like I did.

Nipissing is a small university, home to approximately 5,000 students. This means smaller class sizes (on average 29 students per class) along with support from professors and amazing opportunities to participate in research. It also means that all our classes are held in one of three buildings, so you rarely need to go outside between classes. A large portion of students study nursing and physical education or are taking a concurrent education degree, but the university offers many other great programs.

From frosh week until graduation, you’ll receive support from professors, the university staff, the Nipissing University Student Union (NUSU), the library staff and teaching assistants. The services available to students are endless, and the university and NUSU keep finding new ways to support students. For example, in fall 2018, we got a brand-new turf field for our phys ed program and athletes. Construction also began on the new student centre, which will include a new restaurant and pub, as well as space for studying, clubs and events. It’s set to open in 2020. As a rather young university, there are lots of new and exciting things coming in the next couple of years for Nipissing.

After Class
At Nipissing, there are tons of ways to get involved. You could join one of the more than 25 clubs on campus, which include a sorority, a dance club, a theatre group, an environmental group and more. You could run in a NUSU election or apply to be a residence don. The equity centre on campus is another great way to get involved.

If sports are your thing, you could join an intramural or club team. Nipissing has everything from ultimate Frisbee to hockey, volleyball to nordic skiing, and competitive cheerleading to ringette.

Local Vibe
North Bay is a small city, but it has lots to offer for students. Be sure to take advantage of the outdoors by hiking, snowshoeing or skiing the trails behind the school or playing some pick-up hockey at the lower residence rink. Past the roundabout, you’ll find uncrowded public beaches on the shores of Lake Nipissing and Trout Lake, yummy restaurants, local businesses and shops, live music and shows, trivia nights, wing nights and more.

More Info
The student union website, nusu.com, has links to all sorts of resources for new and returning students.

Be sure to also join the Nipissing/Canadore Carpool page on Facebook to catch a ride back home on reading week or for the holidays.