Education

Mount Allison University: student tips for surviving life on campus

Find out about the best spectator sport, best place to study and more

Mount Allison University. (Mount Allison)

University Insider: Alix Rochelle Main, 20, English

Best place for a nap: Mary Mellish Room on the third floor of the library
Best cheap lunch: Grilled cheese at the Black Duck
Best hangover breakfast: Patterson’s
Favourite campus food: Muffins from the Flying Bean
Favorite watering hole: Ducky’s
Perks of living in this town: You can walk it in 20 minutes and see everyone you know in the process
Where to live: It doesn’t matter—everywhere is close
Best place to study: Library, second floor
Worst place to study: Gracie’s: like the main floor of the library but 10 times louder
Best way to de-stress: Walking in Waterfowl Park
Weirdest tradition: Constant references to ducks. They’re all over town!
Best campus event: Lettuce Eat, a free community soup meal organized by Mount Allison Eco Action Society. Yum!
Best giveaway: Coffee and snacks in the library during exam season
Best live music venue: Thunder and Lightning—there’s so much talent in the area and you can get to know it here
Best spectator sport: Football
Official school motto: ‘Present intense, future perfect’
Best cultural event: Corn Boil during O-Week—the best chance to get acquainted with the Sackville community

PROFILE: Mount Allison University | Sackville, N.B. | Founded 1839

I was greeted by dancing students in bright yellow T-shirts and face paint the first time I visited Sackville, N.B., which was move-in day during orientation week—or “O-Week,” as it is affectionally known. This, in my experience, encapsulates the attitude of the school toward newcomers: welcoming, warm and sincerely excited for you to be here.

A huge part of Mount Allison’s culture starts in its student residences. There are eight houses and halls, each with their own atmosphere but with a common goal: to create a sense of community between students both within and outside their respective residences. In addition to residences, there are so many clubs, societies and other initiatives with which to get involved, like intramural sports, academic executives, volunteering in the community and student media. The easiest way to get the most out of your time in Sackville is to simply take part in life here!

Given its small size, one of Mount Allison’s biggest strengths is its ability to provide students with small classes, which creates deeper and more engaging discussion, and develops closer relationships with professors and other students in class. This also gives professors more chances to meet with students outside of class time if necessary. There are also many opportunities for TA-ships or independent study, sometimes as early as your second year.

Extras
While Mount A is home to an extraordinarily spirited student body (come to homecoming to see it in action), the true community is more than just students. The campus is intrinsically connected to the town of Sackville, and wherever you go you can’t help but be greeted by familiar faces of peers and professors in town. As someone coming from a big city, it was little nerve-racking to move to such a small place, but there are many fantastic attributes to life here that you won’t find elsewhere. You can’t help but feel like you’re a part of this town, no matter how long you stay.

Local Vibe
Sackville is the definition of walkable. You can get from one end of town to the other in about 20 minutes, no wheels necessary. Downtown is home to several independent businesses—no Starbucks here!—from art galleries to coffee shops to restaurants, so there’s no need to worry about sacrificing “civilization” or amenities for mobility. The Saturday farmers’ market is a big deal, especially in the warmer months. We’re also close to hiking and backpacking trails along the Bay of Fundy and Hopewell Rocks, as well as running trails and boardwalks in Waterfowl Park, which is located steps from campus.

The Skinny
The best way to keep up on events on campus and in town is to read our independent student newspaper, the Argosy, in print all over campus and in some businesses downtown, or online at Since1872.ca.

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