Wondering what kind of support is available to you as a University of Manitoba student? Here’s a bunch of student services committed to making your experience the best it can be.
Being a student comes with many perks. There are usually discounts on music platforms, streaming services, discount codes, and student pricing at your disposal. But what about the discounts and services provided by your own school? Many of them are overlooked, but they shouldn’t be.
If you are a student at the University of Manitoba (or, soon to be) here are the best student services to take advantage of.
University of Manitoba Gym
The Active Living Centre is a new multi-million dollar gym that was finished in 2015. As one of the newest gyms in the city and arguably the best University gym in the country, it would be unwise for a student to purchase a gym membership anywhere else. The fee for the gym is included in one’s tuition so a student can go at any time and as much as they like. The additional benefit besides it being “free” to every student is that it is very accessible. As you’ll already be on campus, taking the tunnels to the gym saves you from having to commute to your daily exercise. Purchase a locker in the U of M gym to act as both your fitness locker and school locker to kill two birds with one stone.
UMSU Health and Dental Plan
While everyone has primary health care, it’s secondary health care that is not accessible to everyone. The University of Manitoba Students’ Union has students covered by providing them with a secondary health care plan that includes mental health coverage, dental, prescription drugs, and eye care. Every student is automatically enrolled in this coverage unless they have secondary health care through parents or employer, but not every student takes full advantage of the Health and Dental plan. Students are able to also pair this plan up with a pre-existing plan to be double covered and save even more money. Many students don’t fully realize the extent to which they are covered through the UMSU Health and Dental plan and forget to claim their health items on the plan.
To find out what this plan covers for you check out the StudentCare UMSU Health and Dental plan website.
U-pass
Provided by UMSU, the U-pass is a universal bus pass that is included in one’s tuition. The U-pass provides students with the ability to take Winnipeg Transit an unlimited amount of times, at any time, for the entirety of the Fall and Winter semesters. Many students think that the U-pass is only for commuting to and from the campus, which isn’t the case. Students are able to use their U-pass for all their transportation needs. I would also highlight the benefit it provides over driving. With parking passes costing over $600, you will be saving money on not only the parking pass but gas and car maintenance. Additionally, the U of M bus station is located at the center of campus instead of the outskirts like most of the parking lots so you’ll be saving time on walking to class!
Counselling Centre
Provided by the University and located on the fourth floor of the University Centre – the Student Counselling Centre offers students a variety of counseling supports including workshops, groups, and individual counseling.
Information on the Counselling Centre is provided in almost every course syllabus and yet the center is still underutilized. Every student deals with some form of mental health issue and the resources are within walking distance! The UMSU Health and Dental plan have the best mental health coverage in the country but this is free and accessible to any U of M student.
UMFM
The campus radio station, listen in at 101.5 to hear music, podcasts, and news shows made by students. UMFM is the most unknown service students at the U of M have access to. Located on the third floor of the University Centre, UMFM has multiple recording studios for students to use at any time and create any content they want. Now’s the time to start a band and record your demo tapes!
The Manitoban
The Manitoban is the school newspaper. Written, edited, and published by students, The Manitoban is a great way for students to stay informed about what is occurring on campus. Papers are published bi-weekly and can be accessed online or found in the many newsstands on campus. Included in tuition, any student can pick up a copy at any time.
Libraries
While every student uses the libraries on campus, the full potential of the U of M libraries is rarely taken advantage of. Great place for studying but many students don’t know that you are able to access almost every academic journal or paper written through their UMlearn login. Many times a student will come across an information source that would be perfect for the paper they are writing, only to be blocked by a paywall. The U of M library solves this problem. Log into the U of M library system with your school login and search the same source in the search bar and it will be fully viewable.
Check out Campus Guides for more reasons why the University of Manitoba is an excellent choice.
