This is for all you high school students looking for a place to go when you’re done… Listen up! I know that university can be scary at first.  I’ve been on many campus tours where the students are standoffish and the profs are hard to talk to, but this is the story of a place where that is not the case! This is the story of two students, Melina and Brianna, and their experiences with the people of Thompson Rivers University.

Melina moved away from home to go to TRU.  She knew no one in the city. Arriving on campus for her first day of class was a daunting prospect.  When she made it to her class and learned that her average class size was of 40 students, that the students were nice, accommodating, and in the same situation as her, she quickly made friends.  She got to know many of her classmates and enjoyed spending time with them. In an effort to try new things, she started participating in clubs such as the TRU AdventureU Outdoor Club where she met people from all walks of life.  This student run club is a way for students to explore the reaches of their capabilities while making life long relationships. Many friends Melina has made through such activities have offered her a safe place to stay if she were to visit their hometown on any of her future travels.  According to Melina, Thompson Rivers University has been an amazing opportunity to make life long connections.

Unlike Melina, Brianna did not move to a new city for University. She did have a similar experience though. Most of her friends from high school moved away to other cities for university so she felt kind of alone when starting school. She heard from friends who were attending larger schools across Canada that their profs were difficult to talk to, and that you couldn’t really get to know them as the class size were so big. To these profs the students were just a number. But that is not the case at TRU here profs actually make the effort to know your name. Brianna’s profs were always there when she needed help, they were willing to be references for her when applying for summer jobs and they cared about how she was doing. It is important for students to feel like their professors care about them and actually want them to succeed.

Remember, while on the whole you are going to post-secondary education for the courses and the programs offered, it is also important for you to feel safe and welcomed in a friendly environment.  Friendly profs and students helped enhance Brianna and Melina’s university experience. Feeling like you belong make students want to go to school, and this is what Thompson Rivers University has to offer!