Email and Internet Access
myNIC is your personalized information portal that gives you access to a variety of services, such as your student email, personal digital storage and Learning Communities. A calendar helps you organize your time, and Announcements will keep you informed of important information.
Wifi is available across campus; simply find ‘nicstudent’ on your laptop of mobile device. No username or password is required. If you have trouble connecting you can get assistance from your campus Library.
There are also fee Wifi spots throughout the community mainly in stores and coffee shops.
Also check out, Ellucian GO, an app for your mobile device, helps you stay connected with the NIC community and puts the complete higher education experience in the palm of your hand.
Local Calls
Dial: area code + local number
For example, if you wanted to call the NIC Office of Global Engagement from a
phone in the Comox Valley, you would dial: 250-334-5033
Coin-operated pay phones cost 25 cents for a local call. You can talk as long as
you wish. You can find pay phones on streets, in shopping malls and in public buildings.
There may or may not be a charge for local calls on a cell phone, depending on your phone plan.
Long Distance Calls
There are different ways to make long distance calls: from a pay phone, from a private
phone, with phone cards and through the internet.
0 + area code + local number (to call to Canada, USA, Mexico and the Caribbean)
01 + country code + routing code + local number (Overseas)
The operator tells you how much money to put into the telephone. If you want the
person you are calling to pay, tell the operator you want to make a collect call.
You can also pay for long distance calls with a credit card or prepaid phone card.
1 + area code + local number (to call to Canada, USA, Mexico and the Caribbean)
011 + country code + routing code + local number (Overseas)
The cost of calling long distance on your cell phone will depend on the plan you have with your carrier.
Some telephone numbers are toll-free. These numbers usually begin with 1-800, 1-866, 1-877, or 1-888. Telephone
numbers beginning with 1-900 are pay-per-call numbers. This means you will be charged
for the call. These calls are often very expensive and cannot be made from a pay
phone.
Phone Cards
Companies in BC sell phone cards which let you make phone calls from public telephones
or on cell phones. You can buy these cards in drugstores and supermarkets. To use
these cards, read the instructions on the back of the card.
Cell Phones
Most students at NIC have a cell phone. If you plan to bring your cell phone
with you from home, be sure to check whether it will be compatible with systems
supported in Canada. If your phone is compatible, it must be unlocked in order
to use a local SIM card. You can purchase a SIM card from any of the local
providers such as Bell, Rogers, Telus, or others.
You can also choose to purchase a cell phone in Canada. The major national
providers are Bell, Rogers, and Telus. When choosing a plan, think carefully
about how much data you are likely to use, or how often you might want to call
long distance.
Once you have a cell phone set up, you are strongly encouraged to download the
NIC Ellucian Go app. To do this, search for Ellucian Go and download the free
app. The first time you open the app, you will be asked to choose your school.
Scroll down and choose North Island College.
Post Offices
You can send mail from a regular post office or small post office in a store. You
can put letters (with stamps on) in any red mailbox on the street. Look for the
Canada Post sign on the mailbox.
All addresses for Canada must have a postal code. If you do not know the postal
code for an address, you can look up the code in a book at any post office, or on
the Canada Post website at: www.canadapost.ca.
Postage on Letters
Stamps for letters cost different amounts for Canada, the USA and to other countries.
Postal rates often go up. Check the price the first time you mail a letter.
Bigger envelopes, heavier letters and parcels cost more. Check the Canada Post website
at: www.canadapost.ca.
Parcels
If you mail a parcel (package) to someone outside Canada, you will have to fill
in a customs form at the post office. Write what is in the parcel and the value
of the item. If you are not at home when a parcel is delivered, the letter carrier will
leave a note. It tells you where you can pick up the parcel.