Photo Credit: Dani Huff
A Student’s Life In Whistler
More than just a Career School in the Mountains.
Part of the Student Series of Posts
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At Whistler Adventure School we have the extreme privilege to have students from all scholastic disciplines from all around the world.
Meet Dani: Studying in the Marketing and Media Manager Program
She is a connoisseur of the outdoors and a talented biker and skier. Currently she’s enrolled in the Marketing and Media Manager Program at WAS where she can hone her skills in videography, photography and social marketing. Dani moved to Whistler, B.C from the USA looking to expand her knowledge at a career school in the mountains.
Dani gives her first hand experience of living in Whistler and attending Whistler Adventure School.
Life as a Student in Whistler
Let’s be honest, student life is the good life. It’s a period of time in your life where education is at the top of your priority list, giving you access to information paramount in making career decisions. You get to test the waters and find out what you’re passionate about, as well as enjoy a diverse schedule. Life as a student at Whistler Adventure School is not only this, but so much more. As a student, you’ll be living in an outdoor mecca, giving you the opportunity to ski, bike, or board in your freetime. Just imagine, fresh powder runs on the ski hill before heading into work or class. It’s a pretty incredible way to start your day if you ask me. A balanced life of school, work, and play may not be unique in and of itself, but doing this while living in Whistler is arguably extremely unique.
Education in one of the Most Beautiful Places in the World
First of all, education is invaluable. It’s what supplies us with the knowledge and tools to achieve career and life goals. Attending a post-secondary school is a time of self discovery that can be pivotal in making big life decisions. Whether you’re interested in layering on to previous school experience or giving post-secondary school a try for the first time, WAS has a unique approach to education, as your instructors are experts in their field and have the unique perspective of applying their skills in the outdoor industry. The variety of programs available at Whistler Adventure School primarily have an emphasis on the outdoor industry, yet in several of the courses, you’ll gain skills that can be applied across multiple fields. You can learn more about our course offerings here.
Gaining an education in whatever field you’re passionate about is already a huge win, however, what if you could do it in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable? Whistler boasts of epic views, a world-class setting for adventure seekers, and a diverse demographic of mountain lovers from all over the world. The small mountain village of Whistler is tucked away in the valley below tall mountain peaks that are absolutely breathtaking, summer or winter. The temperate rainforest boasts of lush vegetation, mountain lakes, old growth forests, and plenty of snow in the winter. It’ll be hard to walk through the valley and alpine trails and not feel as if you’ve been transported to Narnia, or Lord of the Rings, or any other epic fairytale.
Work to Support Life in Whistler
One of the biggest benefits for a lot of the students at WAS is the possibility to obtain a student visa in a foreign country. If you wanted to simply take a holiday to Whistler, you’d be more limited in your options regarding length of stay and the ability to work. However, becoming a student at WAS can enable you to work in Whistler and get a taste of what life in the mountains is like as a lifestyle, not a holiday destination. You’ll not only be able to support yourself in Whistler, but you’ll have the opportunity to work in the industry that compliments your studies. To learn more about admission requirements for international students, you can get that information here.
You might be wondering though, what does a visa even matter if I’m in class morning until night everyday? When is there time to even work? The beauty of the class structure at WAS is block programming. If you aren’t familiar with what that is, it essentially means you do one course at a time, allowing you to focus on one subject at a time. The class schedule varies from course to course, but there are two benefits of the schedule that holds true for most courses. You know your schedule beforehand, so you can plan your month and work schedule at the outset. The second is the classes are typically structured to allow plenty of time during the week to study, work, or play. And speaking of play, this is something you will definitely want to carve time out for.
Play in an Outdoor Wonderland
Coming to Whistler as a student in the winter season is magical to say the least. The village is absolutely picturesque covered in snow with over 2,000 meter high mountain peaks surrounding the valley. If you are a skier or snowboarder, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy some of the best skiing in the world: steep chutes, long groomers, and two mountains to play on. If you’re into backcountry skiing or splitboarding, this will quickly become your paradise. The backcountry gates on Blackcomb and Whistler mountain open up to a whole world of endless terrain, glacial travel, and epic summits. It would take a lifetime to tick all the backcountry routes off your bucket list, which is one of the many reasons the outdoor scene in Whistler will inspire and drive you to make the most of each day you have.
It’s commonly said that most people come for the winter and stay for the summer, and for good reason. If you’re keen on mountain biking, this will quickly become your mecca. With Whistler Mountain Bike Park, hundreds of kilometers of singletrack in the Whistler Valley, and easy to navigate trail system for commuting, you might find yourself on two wheels everyday in the summer. Whistler is the training grounds for professional downhillers and enduro racers due to the technical terrain and elevation offered. However, if that style of riding doesn’t resonate with you, the lower elevation singletrack trails just might get you hooked on one of the world’s fastest growing sports.
If going downhill at alarming rates on bikes or skis doesn’t exactly appeal to you, you won’t be short on options to keep yourself outside enjoying the beautiful Whistler vistas. Hiking, trail running, climbing, skateboarding, and kayaking are all niches of the outdoor community in Whistler with strong followings. Lack of options isn’t the issue in Whistler. Not being able to decide between world class skiing, biking, or hiking will be your daily dilemma.
Author: Dani Huff, WAS Marketing and Media Manager Program
If living the mountain life and gaining an education all at the same time sounds like your dream life, you can contact the admissions team here. They’ll be able to give you more insight on admission requirements, who to contact for Student Visas, and any other questions you might have.
Live, Learn & Play with Whistler Adventure School
