Have questions that are not listed here? Go to answers.nichols.edu

Yes. These are the gaming consoles that you can connect wirelessly at Nichols: PS4, XBox and XBox One.

Instructions can be found on Answers > search for “Gaming”

Each residence hall room is equipped with one Cable TV connection, provided by Charter Business. Students must supply a TV and a coaxial cable for their room. Extended Basic cable channels are provided. Charter Business has transitioned its analog video TV service to high-quality digital TV service. As part of this transition, only TVs with a Digital QAM tuner in them will be able to view the service.

  • Laptops and Phones: Students can simply connect to the Wi-Fi named “NICHOLS”, then enter your Nichols username and password.
  • Guests: visiting Nichols campus can receive 24 hours of internet access by completing the guest Wi-Fi registration.
  • Complete: Wi-Fi instructions for all other devices.

As a Nichols student, you have the benefit of installing a Nichols-licensed copy of Microsoft Office desktop version on up to 5 devices at no charge. Windows, Mac, and mobile versions are available. Follow these instructions for installing OFFICE 365 onto your new computer.

The following are the primary software applications needed for academic work on campus:

  • Office 365 (cloud service) – All Nichols students are given an online Office 365 account, that includes email, contacts, calendar, OneDrive, and online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
  • Microsoft Office (desktop version) – If needed, students may download a Nichols-licensed copy of Microsoft Office desktop version on up to 5 devices at no charge. Windows, Mac, and mobile versions are available. Follow these instructions for installing OFFICE 365 onto your new computer.
  • Antivirus – Antivirus software is required for all student computers (Windows and Mac).

Nichols provides every incoming freshman student with an HP ProBook laptop FREE of charge.  In addition, Nichols Help Desk offers complete HP laptop service – FREE of charge, as well.  The specifications for the current year’s laptop are:

  • Intel Core i5 Processor
  • 16 GB RAM
  • Windows 11 Home
  • 3 year Accidental Damage Protection (spills and drops)

  • All these apps are available from the Apple Store or Google  Play.
  • CANVAS STUDENT > for your classes and course work
  • GET > for dining locations and balances

  • From NewHub: Click on the “Accessing Email” link on the right hand pane of this screen or from the MENU
  • Mobile Sync: Instructions for configuring your Nichols email to sync to your mobile device are located on https://answers.nichols.edu > search for “SYNC“
  • Online access: Log into Nichols ONELOGIN > open the OFFICE 365 app > then open the OUTLOOK app

Please visit https://reslife.nichols.edu for our What to Bring List, FAQ’s, and other information.

Every incoming student will have their picture taken during Orientation. ID cards will be issued on check-in day.

The largest residence hall on campus, Shamie Hall, houses more than 330 students. Common lounge areas, study rooms, and laundry rooms are located on each of the three floors. Shamie Hall primarily houses first-year students in triple rooms with private bathrooms in each room. Right outside of Shamie Hall is a wiffle ball field, half basketball court, and a patio for students to enjoy.

Relax and socialize in the 2nd floor Common Lounge, where there’s a pool table, as well as two big screen TVs for students to watch their favorite game or movie!

Shamie Hall is air conditioned with elevator access for students. Shamie Hall renovations have been completed as of Fall 2019. This three year renovation project added a new lobby, lounge areas, community kitchens, and updated laundry facilities to the hall.

All Shamie rooms include a bed, mattress, wardrobe/dresser, desk, chair, shade/curtain, and shower curtain.

outside of shamie hall

collage of the inside of shamie hall

You may pick the person or people you would like to live with. Every effort will be made to house roommate requests together. You will notify us of your roommate choices by completing the online roommate match information via the housing portal.

First Year students are placed in Shamie hall, priority goes to roommate groups of three. Roommates are placed together on a first come, first serve basis. While we set priority to groups of three, please understand that we cannot guarantee that you will be roommates.

If you are in a group of two, please realize that while we try our best to house you together, we cannot guarantee that you will be roommates, as priority goes to groups of three.

We will wait until after Orientation to assign rooms so that students may select their roommate preference through our Online Housing Portal. You will receive an email at your Nichols.edu account no later than the 3rd week in July detailing your building & room number, your roommates and their contact information, as well as valuable move-in information.

Students will apply for housing by filling out an online New Student Housing Application. The application can be accessed through the housing portal.

Students transferring into Nichols College will work with Sarah Charpentier, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Adult Students and Advising, advisor for transfer students. After depositing, transfer students will receive an email from Sarah with information about their transfer credits and instructions on how to set up an advising meeting. During that meeting, students will build their schedule for the upcoming semester, review information about their program, and discuss some basic information about getting started as a student at Nichols.

Nichols College transfer students are required to submit their official final college transcript from any institution where college credits were earned. An official high school transcript is also required if a student is coming in with under 24 college credits. It is recommended that these official documents are submitted as part of the admissions process. Otherwise, these official documents must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar electronically to registrar@nichols.edu or by mail to Nichols College, Office of the Registrar, PO Box 5000, Dudley, MA 01571.

Incoming first-year students who begin their Nichols College career in the fall semester will have a schedule made for them in early June. Those who start in the spring will have a schedule made in early January. Students will have an opportunity to review and adjust their schedule with an advisor.

Nichols College is required to have an official final high school transcript. All final official high school transcripts with the date of graduation must be submitted to Admissions to be fully enrolled. Any questions please contact 508-213-2203. Transcripts should come directly from your high school and can be mailed to P.O. Box 5000 Dudley, MA 01571 or submitted electronically to admissions@nichols.edu.

Upon registering for courses, you will be automatically enrolled into the Bison Book Bundle Program. Once you’ve successfully selected your courses, the bookstore will start preparing your order. Click here to learn more.

Upon registering for courses, you will be automatically enrolled into the Bison Book Bundle Program. Once you’ve successfully selected your courses, the bookstore will start preparing your order. Click here to learn more.

Our Bison Book Bundle program gives you access to all of your course materials, no need to shop around! Find out more here.

If you have extra financial aid credit, you may contact the Student Accounts for a book voucher.

Challenge: Many banks in the US require customers to have social security numbers.

Solution: Santander Bank in Webster, MA, a few miles down the road, does not! So if you do not have a SS#, you can still have a bank account.

Please be aware that Nichols College Student Financial Services and Business Office cannot do personal banking for students. Please strongly consider opening your own account if you feel this is best for you.

We *recommend this local bank:

Santander Bank (more information)

206 Main Street

Webster, MA 01570

Customer Service: 508 943 0755

ATM Hours

Open 24 Hours, 7 days a week

*Nichols is not affiliated with Santander Bank.

In most cases, Yes!

To be sure, this link contains the guideline for driving in the USA on the international home license.

So, is your license in English?

If yes, you can use it to drive a car in the US for up-to-a year of arriving. If you plan to drive after that, you need to get a state driving license from your US resident state. In this case, your US school residence is in Massachusetts, so you need to go through the Massachusetts RMV (Registry of Motor Vehicles).

Some students ask, What about an International driving permits?

These cannot be issued in the USA for foreign nationals. Application for international driving permits has to be done in the home country before arriving. These documents are simply translations into the target language if the home country is not English speaking; they are not licenses or permits themselves. So, if your license is in English, you would not even need it.

Since F1 students are considered residents while students on active I-20s, they are allowed to get a MA license. But you have to do it before your final 12 months of studies has begun.

This site offers good information about driving in the U.S. for foreign nationals.

Eligible international students (have at least one full year left in your course of study) may apply for a driver’s license.

Gather the following documents (for 18 years of age or older):

  • Document proving date of birth (such as a passport)
  • Document proving signature (such as a passport)
  • Document proving Massachusetts residency (such as a school bill showing residence)
  • A Social Security Number (SSN) that the RMV can verify with the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) as having been issued to you OR an acceptable Denial Notice from the SSA. If you present a Denial Notice, you must also present proof of acceptable visa status, an I-94 (Record of Arrival and Departure), and a current non-U.S. Passport.

All documents must be originals. Photocopies will not be accepted. Your right to operate will be verified through the Commercial Driver License Information System (CDLIS) and the National Driver Register (NDR) to determine if it is suspended, revoked, cancelled, withdrawn, or disqualified in any state or the District of Columbia. You must pay all required fees. All documents you present must be originals. Photocopies will not be accepted.

Be prepared to pay the appropriate fee

The fee for each road test is listed on the RMV fee chart.

Schedule a Road Test

Once you have passed the written permit test and completed all necessary JOL requirements, you may schedule a road test online. If you wish, you may use our automated phone system to schedule a road test by calling 857-368-8010. You may NOT make a road test appointment at an RMV branch.

Make an appointment with your PDSO/DSO to get started

Gather Supporting documents

  • Retrieve your *letters (2) of employment for OIE (Davis 106) that prove your eligibility for On Campus Employment
  • I-20 (bring the most up-to-date original we signed)
  • Your passport
  • Your most current I-94 (you retrieve this online or from OIE)

*For on campus employment, we will provide you with a letter from your designated school official that identifies you, confirms your current school status; and identifies your employer and the type of work you will be doing.

*For on campus employment, we also help you get evidence of the employment offer through a document letter from your Nichols supervisor. These will describe your job; your employment start date; the number of hours you will be, working; and your supervisor’s name and telephone number.

In general, eligible international students may work with permission under three circumstances

  • On Campus Employment (Institutional Work Study)
  • Required Internship Employment during the degree program (CPT)
  • Professional Employment (OPT)

F1 students may NOT work off campus or make money in the United States at non-approved jobs/opportunities; doing so will jeopardize your F1 status and require termination of your SEVIS I-20

Please consult with OIE if you decide employment is something you want to consider as there are timelines, limits, permissions, and regulations that you must understand.

Eligible programs

  • On Campus Employment requires permission-documents from your PDSO/DSO and the Nichols College hiring supervisor, along with a *Social Security number. One Campus Employment is restricted to actual departments of Nichols on the Nichols campus. Only non-federal financial aid may be used to fund On Campus Employment.
  • A required internship (CPT) requires permission-documents from your PDSO/DSO and the supervising Nichols professor, along with a *Social Security number. CPT can only happen after one full year of successful academic coursework. CPT must be directly related to a required internship, be supervised by a faculty member, and last only as long as the duration of the credit-bearing course it is related to and have an active course registration through the Registrar’s Office.
  • Professional Employment (OPT) requires an approval from PDSO/DSO, a fee-bearing US government application for an Earning Authorization Document (EAD), along with a *Social Security number. OPT must be professional employment directly related to the Nichols major and course of study. Employment begins after graduation (post-completion OPT) and extends for 12 months of professional employment. Students should begin the EAD application process through OIE 90 days before the graduation date.

*See How do I get a Social Security number in FAQs

All new international students will participate in an Orientation and Check in Meeting at the beginning of their first semester. Information will be emailed to you via your Nichols College Email Account.

Information to prepare for the International Student Check in, during your check in with International Student Services, we will also collect/verify the following:

  • STUDENT Last Name, First Name
  • Passport Expiration Date
  • F1 Visa Expiration Date
  • I-94 Hard Copy
  • Your local address
  • Phone number
  • Email address

Yes, officers work round-the-clock, 365 days a year.

Yes. Students will receive a parking decal that must be affixed to their vehicle and will color-coordinate to the lots in which they can park.

Parking decals for the academic year are available for $340.00 for Commuter students and $390.00 for Resident students.
Parking is limited to the amount of spaces on campus. Be sure to fill out all needed forms and submit as soon as possible. Parking decals are processed in the order they are received and will be issued to you on check-in day in August

The deadline to register has passed. To register for Orientation, please reach out to our team at orientation@nichols.edu or call 508-213-2104.

The first day of class is on Monday, August 26th.

New students will move in for Fall Orientation on Friday, August 23rd. Students will have time with their peers, hear sessions and even take an early class!

That’s okay, we know the dates won’t work for everyone! We will work with you to make sure you receive all the information you will need to start your career at Nichols College!

Yes! Sessions for Families and Guests will run in person from 9:00am – 5:00pm each session day!

Our third session includes an overnight program for families & guests. This is a more comprehensive program. Sessions will be offered later into the night and on Saturday morning.

Please direct all calls to the Student Involvement Office.

Email: nichols.orientation@nichols.edu
Phone: 508-213-2104

Bison Orientation Leader Team