How dorm life helps students find community

Staying on campus is not just a university thing. Many colleges in Canada offer student housing with all its benefits.

For Amy Tham, an international student from Vietnam beginning her second year of early childhood education at Coast Mountain College in Terrace, British Columbia, the residence was key to her adjustment to life in Canada. “In my first few months here, I didn’t even know where to get the basic necessities: groceries, stationery and so on,” she says. “Fellow students in the dorm told me exactly where to go and how to get there. It’s such a beautiful, caring, friendly environment.”

Tham says her apartment, the brand new Wii Gyemsiga Siwilaawksat Student Building, is so beautiful that she feels like she’s living in a museum. The building is energy efficient and features 70 indigenous art installations, a cedar paneled central ballroom, an elder suite and two suites for visiting family members. (Nearly half of Coast Mountain’s student population is Indigenous.) It’s a striking counterexample to the persistent myth that college dormitories at post-secondary institutions other than universities are an afterthought.

Canadian colleges tend to cater primarily to commuters, as many students live at home or off campus to balance school with work or family commitments. But many schools have excellent student accommodation and social and academic support for their residents. From British Columbia to Prince Edward Island, Canadian colleges offer endless opportunities for those looking for the full campus experience.

The Wii Gymsiga Siwilaawksat Student Building in British Columbia (Photo by Mattias Fredriksson)

Kaden Wyman has just completed a two-year Heavy Equipment and Agricultural Equipment Diploma program at Olds College. “I’m from Edmonton, which is about two hours north of Olds. It would have been quite a commute, so where I lived was an obvious choice,” says Wyman. “And I wanted that college life on campus. Looking back, I absolutely loved my two years there.”

Wyman lived in Centennial Village, an apartment-style building with a fitness center and a 3,000-square-foot student center with a fireplace, big-screen TV, and foosball and ping-pong tables. Residency includes everything from painting and movie nights to gaming tournaments. For Wyman, living in res was an invaluable opportunity to connect with fellow students. “I’m a queer person and I was nervous about living in a small town in southern Alberta,” says Wyman. “But the campus and residential community has been so supportive – as it turns out, all the people I’ve met around town. I had an incredible time. Also, living in Centennial Village comes with a packaged meal, and I really didn’t want to cook for myself.”

For many residency students, college is their first time living away from home. So it makes sense that dormitories are typically meant to serve as a gentle bridge to independent living. Many have housekeeping staff and meal plans, and some have full kitchens for the culinary connoisseur. Proximity to classes and other campus resources is another hallmark that often eases the transition to self-employment: If you hit snooze for the fifth time and have 15 minutes to get to your class, it helps being able to walk to the lessons.

Live-in support is another benefit of staying in res. College advisors are there to help their fellow students navigate the complexities of adult life, from managing course load to relationships. Whether for sociable butterflies or wallflowers, residences typically encourage communal comfort and lasting friendships.

For Tham, the activities offered at the residence made a big difference in helping her find community. “About every two weeks, the students get together to do things like bingo night, stress-free coloring, or even egg hunts. We share food and talk about our lives and just enjoy our time together.” Tham liked it so much that after her first year at Coast Mountain, she applied to be a housing consultant herself. This fall she will be helping other students adjust to life in Terrace.