Current Students

Lindsay Folland wasn't supposed to make it this far.

“When I was a child I was given a formal diagnosis that I would never be beyond an elementary school level,” she says. “I was told I am too socially impaired to have any meaningful relationships and I would need 24-7 support to bathe, dress, and eat.”

However, the people who told her these things, she says, were “thankfully and obviously not psychic."

We are thrilled to share that on Thursday, July 1, 2021, the province moves intoStep 3 of the BC Restart Plan. This has implications for VIU health and safety protocols.

“When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal; you do not change your decision to get there.” – Zig Ziglar

On Tuesday, June 15, we moved into Step 2 of the BC Restart Plan, which allows for recreational travel in the province, larger gatherings and more opportunities for sports and exercise, amongst other things.

Over the past year and a half, federal and provincial governments have introduced COVID-19 relief measures aimed at supporting students – one of the groups hardest hit financially by the pandemic. What does this mean for you? It means there are more funding options available than ever before to help you return to school.

With all of these supports in place, you may be wondering what you need to do to get started. Check out the following funding options and start realizing your goals:

So you’ve registered for your classes and now you’re looking forward to having a bit of fun and down time before you start university. Great! But before you head out on your summer adventures, there’s one more thing you should be thinking about now – where are you going to live?

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada and we begin by remembering and honouring the 215 children who were stolen from their families and killed by the Government of Canada while at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Flags at VIU remain lowered until further notice in recognition of the Indigenous children who were killed while at the school, as well as the families and communities impacted.

Top five questions about university majors

New university students are often asked, “What are you studying?” 

But what exactly does this mean, and how is your university “major” different from the degree you ultimately hope to earn? One of the challenges university students face is that there are so many new terms to learn and keep straight. Things can quickly get confusing. 

Meet Annie Lehky, a second-year Culinary Arts student at Vancouver Island University (VIU) who has a passion for all things creative. She loves music, reading and writing short stories and poetry, and has recently started dabbling in painting as well. Annie has spent the last two years at VIU learning about what it takes to make it in the restaurant industry. She aspires to be an executive chef and plans to pursue a Red Seal in baking as well.