The halls of Lethbridge’s post-secondary institutions may still be pretty empty, but that all changes this weekend.
Both the University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge Polytechnic will welcome students with a move-in day on Sunday before the academic year officially starts next week.
From September to April, Lethbridge is home to thousands of post-secondary students who all need a place to live, including international student Eugene Apau, who has only been in Canada for two weeks after arriving from Western Ghana.
“As far as everything goes right now, it’s great to be in Lethbridge and in Canada,” he said.
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Although the struggle to find a place can make students feel lost, the university prepares several events during the first week to make everyone feel welcome.
Natasha Reners, who is coordinating the new student orientation next Tuesday, says there will be information for students during the event.
“We have a booth fair where students can chat with fellow students, their mentor team, housing services.”
The university says 950 students have already claimed rooms on campus, while the college says only four rooms remain open with applications now on hold.
Both schools have support in place to help students deal with these types of challenges throughout the year.
“Research shows that students who have access to support are more successful as they complete their program, so we just try to connect them early with the resources they need on campus,” Reners said.
Whether in a dormitory or an off-campus rental house, all students will attend their first classes next week as Lethbridge once again becomes an education hub in southern Alberta.
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