Lakehead University: student life on campus

The 411

If I wrote the school motto:“Dress warm!”Best cheap lunch:The Outpost, the bar on campusBest hangover breakfast:The Hoito for some Finnish pancakesFavourite campus food:Veggie the Greek burger from the OutpostBest bar for hanging out:The Foundry has regular trivia nights that can be super funBest place to live:The townhouses on and around campusBest place to study:The study rooms in the libraryIf I could change one thing about the school:Extend the tunnels underneath the school to the ATAC building—the tunnels are an easy way to get around campus in the winter, and the ATAC doesn’t connect to them.Weirdest tradition:Eating Persians, a local delicacy, on a constant basisBest campus events:Festivus, a week during Christmas with activities for studentsBest giveaway:Free lunches are offered on campus occasionallyBest live music venue:The Foundry or Black Pirates Pub for local bandsBest weekend activity:Going to Loch Lomond to ski, snowboard or tubeBest place for a nap:The couches behind the Agora in the UC

PROFILE: Lakehead University | Thunder Bay, Ont. | Founded 1965

Lakehead University is the perfect school if you’re someone who values small, close-knit communities and who wants to find a cozy place to call home.

In the last few years, Lakehead has worked hard to improve the lives and studies of students by unveiling new centres to further research and learning, including the new Centre for Advanced Studies in Engineering and Sciences (CASES) building. Now, all we need is WiFi in the Ryan Building, and we’ll be good to go.

One of the coolest things about Lakehead is our diverse student population, and how well the university incorporates various student identities into its services and studies. LU is situated in northwestern Ontario, and the university works hard to ensure our studies incorporate the Indigenous cultures of the area. Lakehead also has a large population of international students.

Lakehead has a variety of majors and classes to take, creating a wide range of students and interests on campus. It’s also really refreshing that we have such diversity in our students and classes because we have something to interest everyone. One of the things I love most about Lakehead is the smaller class sizes. If you’re anything like me, it may be nerve-racking at first, but the small classes allow you to form stronger connections with both your classmates and professors. Some of the coolest courses to take at Lakehead include our Buffy the Vampire Slayer course, Molecular Anthropology, Philosophy of the Occult and Paranormal, and any of the Indigenous studies courses.

After ClassLU is also intimately linked with its natural landscape, from viewing the Sleeping Giant on the horizon of the city to looking out at Lake Tamblyn while eating lunch in the cafeteria, to taking a hike in the forest on campus.

Many of our classes involve being outdoors, which makes for a fascinating learning experience.

Local VibeThe local vibe in Thunder Bay is centred around our picturesque, natural environment. There are many different outdoor activities to partake in during the summer and winter months. One of the most common activities is visiting Loch Lomond during the winter to go skiing, snowboarding or tubing. Or you can find students playing hockey on one of the various rinks around the city. We also have a growing entertainment district with new restaurants and shops popping up downtown. The area around Red River Road also has a big local music scene, with local bands playing all the time at different bars.

More InfoThe Lakehead University Facebook page is always kept up to date with events going on around campus.