A Brand NU Start: Nipissing's Podcast for Undergraduate Students

The first season of A Brand NU Start features current and past students sharing their experiences of an undergrad at Nipissing.

Choosing where to go to school is a big decision. How can you be sure you’ve found the right school for you? Touring campuses, checking out schools’ social medias, exploring programs, and attending education fairs are great ways to get a better sense of each school. But, the best source of information comes from current and graduated students of that school. No one knows more about the student experience at Nipissing University than our past and present students.

So, hear from our students themselves to help you feel confident with your choice of Nipissing. We’ve created a podcast featuring key staff members, students, and graduates from our various programs to give you a clearer picture of what your life at Nipissing could look like.

As you’re about to embark on your latest adventure, listen to our podcast, A Brand NU Start, to learn all about our offerings and what it’s like to be a first-time university student.

Season one: Undergrad

The very first season of A Brand NU Start focuses on everything undergrad at Nipissing University. Whether you’re a student applying within Ontario, an out-of-province applicant, an Indigenous student, a transfer, or a mature student, you’ll find all the info you need to succeed, and more!

This season covers the topics that everyone wants to know about, including residence life, scholarships and finances, school resources, and even specific programs. Season one is hosted by Sheridan Haire, a graduate from Nipissing’s Criminal Justice program. She’s now currently our Ontario High School Specialist Student Recruitment Officer!

The first season has 31 episodes, plus a bonus season recap episode, so you’ll have plenty to discover about Nipissing. But for now, we’ll just highlight a few key episodes you may want to check out.

Episode one: Ontario high school applicants

The opening episode in season one of A Brand NU Start is where you get to learn more about the host, Sheridan Haire, and her experiences of applying to Nipissing and what her undergrad looked like. Sheridan’s undergrad didn’t follow the traditional pathway. She deferred her acceptance, only to change her mind and start in the Fall like she originally planned; took classes part-time in her second year so she could work; and took longer than four years to complete her degree.

The main point Sheridan wants you to understand is that there’s no one pathway for everyone, and you should “do things the way you want to do them.” So, if you don’t want to take a full course load just so you can graduate in four years, then don’t!

Episode seven: Residence life

In the seventh episode, Sheridan chats with Residence Don and third-year student, Sam, about his experiences living and working in residence, what students can expect when they move into residence, and the types of support available for students in residence.

Most importantly, this episode covers what residence — and your potential roommates — could look like. Each student gets their own individual bedroom, a kitchen that you share with four other people in your suite, and two bathrooms. The best part is you don’t have to live off a meal plan since you’ll have a fully functional kitchen with a fridge and stove. As for your roommates, you’re paired with people who have similar interests and living styles to you. You’ll fill out a residence application at the beginning which will help pair you with similar people. Or you and a friend could request to live together as well.

Episode eight: Scholarships and finances

In episode eight, Sheridan is joined by Sam, a sixth year Bachelor of Education student, to discuss guaranteed entrance scholarships, OSAP, general awards and bursaries, and other methods for funding your education.

In her first year, Sam received free tuition to Nipissing from a guaranteed entrance scholarship. Guaranteed entrance scholarships are automatic and renewable for students applying to Nipissing directly out of high school with an 80%+ average. Sheridan and Sam also cover Nipissing’s work study program where students can work up to 10 hours a week on campus to earn some cash, applying to OSAP to take advantage of the free grants (money you don’t have to pay back), and other scholarships and awards based on financial need, academics, leadership, volunteering, and more.

This was only a sample of some of the topics that A Brand NU Start covers in season one, so make sure you check it out to hear from current and past students about what led them to Nipissing and their experiences once they got here. If you’re wondering about grad school instead, season two of A Brand NU Start covers grad studies at Nipissing!