Student Life at NAIT: more than just the daily grind
By Adrian Amon on April 23, 2025
Life comes at you fast.
Sometimes you’re hopping from job to job, trying to make ends meet. Sometimes you’re cursing the 40-plus crowd for leaving nothing behind for millennials.
Then there are times were you stumble into a NAIT poster: “OPEN HOUSE – CAREERS HERE!“
Before you speak, you must listen.
That’s one of the first things I learned at NAIT. Not just in the Radio and Television program, but across campus, in conversations, group work and even while standing in line for coffee at Tim Hortons in the X-Wing.
When I first arrived at NAIT, I thought I’d just be going to class, checking off assignments and calling it a day… Boy was I wrong.
Student life here is more than overbearing lectures about grilled cheese sandwiches.
Live between the moments.
Student life at NAIT means finding your people and surprisingly, you don’t even need to be in a program like Radio and TV to do that. Between classes, you’ll see students scattered across campus in study groups at CAT or grabbing snacks at the Common Market.
Don’t sleep on campus food, as the Fresh Express “breakfast egger” is a powerful asset to your morning routine.
Plus, it’s made by your fellow students.
Campus life and you.
NAIT has a surprisingly vibrant campus life. Clubs cover everything from e-sports and anime to Indigenous student support at the Nîsôhkamâtotân Centre. There’s even Gamers of Dungeons & Dragons, a tabletop club that hosts regular meetups.
Events like Club Rush, free mental health drop-ins and NAITSA-hosted activities help you step out of your bubble. If you’re new to the city or feeling overwhelmed, these are your lifelines.
Avoid the burnout.
Balancing school with life outside of it can be tricky. Whether you’re working part-time, commuting from across town, or just a mature student with no free time, it’s easy to feel isolated. But NAIT offers resources that make a difference like peer tutoring, career coaching and even secret “nap areas.“
If there’s one thing, I’d tell a future NAIT student, it’s this:
“Just show up.”
Not just to class but to events and the weird little clubs you didn’t know existed. The more you engage, the more this place feels like home.
Got your favourite campus spot or student life tip? Drop it in the comments below!