Will Lakehead NRM ever feel like "home"?

Before you answer this question, consider the many factors that make up the equation. Think about the lifestyle you want to enjoy while you are at university.

When you consider your friends "at home", you often mean friends whom you have shared experiences with. One way to develop new friendships is to live and work with people. Both of these opportunities are available when attending university away from home. Living with people at university usually means living in residence. Lakehead has a residence policy which favours first-year students so that you will have a very good chance of getting into residence if you choose to apply.

Residence has many advantages; it is close to classes and most social events, saving you money on transportation. When you're on the "all you can eat" food plan, you won't go hungry, better still, you don't need to be concerned with shopping, cooking, or cleaning up after meals! The time you save can be used for studying, social events, sports, you name it.

Lakehead's Thunder Bay campus has much to offer: The Hangar and C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse (sports facilities), Chancellor Paterson Library, The Study (coffee house), and The Outpost (chocked full of events and live bands!). There are miles of forested trails for hiking/biking, as well as the beautiful McIntyre River that runs right through the campus.

The city of Thunder Bay and its surroundings are a focal point for skiing, photography, canoeing, fishing, hunting, sailing, and many more other activities. Year-round, you attend festivals, community BBQ's and events; there are interests to satisfy any tastes. The Community Auditorium hosts touring musicians, theatre productions, cultural events, and is home to the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. A short ride away is Fort William Historical Park, celebrating the area's ties to the fur trade era of Canada. The Lappe Nordic Ski Centre hosts international cross-country skiing competitions. City transit can take you almost anywhere you want to go, and there are opportunities to participate for every student.

In terms of work, this means studying with your fellow classmates. In first year, your largest classes will be in courses from other departments, such as biology, statistics, and so forth. Generally, class size in Natural Resources Management are limited to no more than 40 students. In cases where more than that have registered, classes are split into two separate groups. With laboratory work, class size is often much lower. You will have hours of interaction with others who share your interests; many students from lifelong friendships at university.

In terms of program identity, Lakehead Forestry program has always been a leader on campus. With over 50 years of history, its value is known and respected by employers and educators alike. The vitality of our students and graduates is recognized for what it is, and students are actively recruited for both summer jobs and permanent career employment.

So if you like the idea of a place that is big enough to offer variety yet small enough to give you a personal experience that you won't forget, Lakehead could become the next place that you call "home". We're old enough to know how to deliver, but young enough to have fun doing it; wild enough to enjoy nature just footsteps away, but sophisticated enough to appreciate it.

Come and see for yourself; you won't be disappointed! Personalized campus tours are available for students who make the trip to Thunder Bay, a 90-minute flight from Toronto.

Students top ten reasons for choosing Lakehead NRM

• Reputation 29%
• Location (near forest) 13%
• Close to home 11%
• Transfer to degree 9%
• Away from Home 7%
• Offer Co-op 7%
• Background (e.g., parents, work experience) 6%
• Small University / Small Classes 4%
• Only Forestry Program in Ontario 4%
• Close to Industry / Job Opportunities 3%

Student Life: Ryan Wilkie's Experience

As a Natural Resources Management student, I have been lucky to experience so many things that no other university could have presented me with. Although Lakehead's is a small faculty, it spares no expense in giving its students the best education and showing them what the world has to offer. I was able to go on three international field school trips, to Finland, Croatia and the Czech Republic, and to South Africa, over my four years in the program. This helped me to broaden my perspectives and gave me a competitive edge in job searching. One of the best parts about belonging to NRM is that they do not focus only on theory; as a student, you receive practical, hands-on training in the field so that you can go out and have both the knowledge and skills to get the job done. The teaching staff cares about their students and wants them to succeed. Our instructors have years of experience in their fields, along with real world knowledge. They are here to share that understanding and to help us grow.

In my time at Lakehead, I have built lifelong friendships, where my classmates are like my extended family. From the first day, we have all been on a first-name basis with our professors, and throughout my degree, I have counted on them on many occasions. I chose Lakehead University specifically for their Environmental Management program. I grew up loving the outdoors and felt that this program was the best fit for my sense of responsibility of maintaining natural ecosystems for future generations. The school's location also gives all of us a great opportunity to explore nature for ourselves. There are hiking trails than run for miles, crystal clear lakes for swimming, and mountains to climb, rewarding us with amazing views of the boreal forest that surrounds Thunder Bay.

Classes are small and provide a more personal learning experience than other programs can at different schools. That difference has made the Natural Resources Management faculty one of the best forestry and environmental management schools in Canada; its renown is expanding internationally as a result.

I could not have asked for or received a better experience anywhere else! The fact that it's a practical degree means that students get more than just a typical degree based on textbook instruction. My education involved using a real world context to solve real world problems, and that is what I plan to do with my life.

Ryan Wilkie
Honours Bachelor of Environmental Management, 2016