TRU, A Home to All
“Why TRU?” A question a fourth year student like myself has heard many times. Though there are a million and one reasons why Thompson Rivers University was the best choice for the schooling I desired; intimate class sizes, globe-trotting professors, positive campus culture etc. the answer to that question is always incomplete without considering “Why Kamloops?” first.
Though born here in Kamloops, I spent most of my youth in Langley, BC. Some of my fondest memories are of driving to Kamloops on the Coquihalla highway with my Dad, eagerly awaiting the next adventure this sun-kissed valley had to offer. I graduated high school and at the age of seventeen I packed my things and set sail to Kamloops and never looked back. Seventeen seems quite young as I look back on it now, but it was the perfect place for me to test out my new adult legs. Kamloops, a city junction of three major BC highways, makes the perfect home for Thompson Rivers University. As it has grown and flourished into an adventure destination for all types, Kamloops has managed to keep its small town appeal. Shop-owners will chat your ear off all afternoon and locals never fail to throw you a smile and a wave. The city’s friendly culture is captured and perpetuated on the TRU campus, where I had no problem joining a few clubs and making new friends. The lifestyle that is embodied here is that of, “life is what you make it” and that happy-go-lucky approach has allowed me to do just that; make a life for myself.
Whether weeks have passed or merely days, I am still flooded with a sense of comfort, security and wonder as I drive into the city. I picked Kamloops because it has always felt like coming home, and TRU is the tribe I come home to.
Its easy enough for me to love Kamloops through the eyes of a local, because I have spent so much time here throughout my life. Let’s now hear from Kudzai, an international student to TRU, and see what he makes of this BC interior gem.
Kudzai: Hi there! As an International student, I have an outsider’s perspective on coming to TRU, and will use this space to share with you what my impressions and experiences of TRU are like.
Thompson Rivers University is situated in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. It has an on- campus student population of over 8000 students of which 23% are International. You won’t feel lonely if you are a new arrival. TRU is very multi-cultural and has students from all over the world, with over 85 countries represented. TRU embraces and celebrates the diversity found within the student population with lots of events and festivals such as International days’ festival, Chinese New Year, Pride parade, Diwali amongst many others. As an International student, my experiences at TRU have been rewarding. I have had the opportunities to interact and learn within a multi-cultural environment. Experiencing different foods, making friends from various countries. I wouldn’t have had these opportunities if I had remained in my home country, Zimbabwe.
This video clip highlights what life at my university is like.
Compared to other universities in Canada, attending TRU is fairly affordable. The campus is not too big; classroom sizes are small resulting in the lecturer actually knowing the student by name. TRU is a safe place and I have not experienced any issues, whether its racism or crime. I have felt welcome throughout my studies. One of my favourite places on-campus and one which any international student will frequent is the International building. This building offers services to international students, ranging from advice to career seminars and immigration issues. It has an international café and offers nice cozy sitting arrangements. Inside this building you will also find the student advisors offices who have helped me greatly during my learning experience.
