Blogs

Fourth-year Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies student Ghezal Durrani’s story is that of determination, perseverance, and resilience despite the odds typically stacked against those who immigrate to Canada in similar circumstances. Reflecting upon her past as a teenage bride, her experience with education, and her life’s journey (so far), Ghezal’s story is nothing short of inspiring.

Aleeze reflects on a major career decision that led her to switch majors from Businesss to SIAT and how that positively affected her life.

Elene tells all about her experience within the SIAT program and how it helped her develop a sense of community.

Ukrainian student Anastasiia Lebedenko has long been passionate about literature. So when she decided to pursue post-secondary education in Canada, SFU’s unique undergraduate program in world literature immediately attracted her.

“I did not hesitate even for a second that this was the place I wanted to study. Literature has always been a magnet for me, something that had an incredible ability to capture my attention and change my world with every single book I was reading.”

“Maybe it was destiny,” Anastasiia laughs.

Narayan’s work “focuses on the intersections between the LGBTQ+ community, mental health awareness and intergenerational arts activism using theatre and drama”. She is a research coordinator for a year long study on youth ages 16-24 and their mental health experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While an often overlooked role, administrative work provides multiple opportunities for growth and skill development. Read on to learn from Nicole how the Co-op position she wasn't originally looking for (but found anyways!) taught her how to appreciate the Front Desk.

Shumail had finally landed her first Co-op position as a corporate actuarial intern but there was a catch: the job was in Toronto, she was working remotely from home in Edmonton, all while attending SFU in Vancouver. Read on to learn how she learned key lessons in time management and corporate culture while navigating the work from home life

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the perfect job sector for a Communication student? Social media? Probably. Marketing? Most definitely. Healthcare? Read about Erica's experience jumping into a job at Vancouver Coastal Health - during a pandemic no less!

You may be trying to balance your academic life with your hobbies and work. Feeling burned out is normal when trying to balance your life but you might not want to stop working hard because you built up momentum and still want to reach your goals. Christy knows first-hand how hard this can be. Find out how Christy worked through those struggles and prioritized her well-being while pursuing her dreams.

Interactive Arts & Technology student, Isabel, describes her exciting co-op job that included reimaging Fraser Health Career's social media visual presence.

If you’re like me and obsess over Instagram aesthetics, peruse like-minded communities on Twitter, or aspire to be TikTok famous, then you’ve probably considered a digital marketing career at some point and are ready to make your debut in the industry. Here are four Do-It-Yourself skills that will spice up your resume, helping you to leverage your digital marketing talents before your search for your Co-op opportunity!

Shahid, a recent Mechatronics alumnus, never thought he'd find himself working at an Oil and Gas company such as ExxonMobil. After all, how do mechatronics connect to the Oil and Gas industry? As it turns out, much more than Shahid anticipated! Although starting out nervous and unsure, Shahid quickly rose to the occasion and found joy in every aspect of his work. Read more to find out about Shahid's position, and what he learned while on an out-of-town co-op in Ontario!

Over Bill's five terms of Co-op experience, the past two (in Summer and Fall 2020) have provided a rather unique experience. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bill was given the opportunity to work remotely from home and found himself needing to adapt to a very different work environment in terms of task planning and time management. In this blog, Bill hopes to share some of these experiences as well as some challenges that he faced while working remotely

Seeking semesters can be difficult; especially in a pandemic. Samuel, a Business co-op student, experienced this difficulty while searching for their position as a Product Strategy Intern with SAP. Although emotionally turbulent, Samuel was able to persist through their seeking semester and experienced a number of learning opportunities that has shaped their perception on job seeking. Read Samuel's 5 Tips for Seeking Your Next Co-op to learn how to make the best out of your seeking semester. 

Interactive Arts & Technology student, Patrick Pacunana, describes the exciting projects he has been working on as a UX/UI designer at the Vancouver-based startup, Ensightful. 

Unsure of what to expect for your upcoming co-op? Megan wasn't either! Megan, a Business Co-op Student, worked at SFUVentureLabs for 4 months as a Program Administrator Assistant. Previously working in a large government office, Megan was nervous coming into a small sized company for the first time. But, there was nothing to fear as Megan strengthened a lot of skills and learned more about their career path. Read Megan's story to learn more about why you should work for a smaller sized company!

Are you a time-management-struggler? Have you been eager to learn ways to manage your time? In this article, Srijani coins the term, "time-management-struggler" as she discusses helpful tips on how to mange your time effectively. 

Starting your first Co-op work semester can be intimidating. “Will I get along with my coworkers?” or “Will I be good at my job?” are some questions that everyone asks themselves. In February, Marcus Fujiwara, a Solutions & Services Co-op at Allocadia found himself asking “Will my position be terminated?” and “How do I work from home?” amid the global pandemic. Read on to learn about his attempt at finding a silver lining in the most uncertain of times.

Read on to learn about 5 fantastic volunteer opportunities that allow students to engage in the community and make a difference in the world.

Gaining work experience while still in university is a great way to prepare for life after graduation. Here are 5 organizations that offer internship programs for Indigenous students.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” This Chinese proverb inspired Kandice, a Public Health Graduate student, to share her tips on applying to grad school. Read Kandice's article to learn why you should start the process today!

Kandice, a Public Health Graduate student, never expected to be a Teaching Assistant (TA). But with the encouragement from family and friends who were former TAs, Kandice took the plunge. Now as her first year comes to a close, Kandice shares some helpful tips on how to have an enjoyable semester as a TA!

In this article, Kandice explains the frustrating process of grad school applications, and the conflicting advice that inevitably surrounds it. However, there is a key take-away when applying to grad school: Read her article to find out what it is!

Being part of a start-up company can be scary enough, but doing it as a Co-op student who is brand new to the industry can be absolutely terrifying. This is what I learned about working for a start-up over the last 10 months as a Communication & Multimedia Associate!

Winnie shares how she adjusted to working and studying on zoom.

Stephanie Greaves, Co-op Coordinator for the SFU School of Interactive Arts & Technology, interviews Derian Chow about his Co-op position as an Esports Project Coordinator.

Witnessing friends and family flee Syria during the ongoing civil war left an indelible impression on Simon Fraser University undergraduate Anya Sass. Originally from Calgary, AB, Sass traveled abroad for several years and was living in Syria with her partner as the civil war broke out. She says her commitment to advocating for refugee and migrant rights was spurred by the emotional experience of “watching friends and family leave the country as refugees.”*

See how co-op student Marielle Juan learned how to break the cycle of over-apologizing from her first Co-op job experience. 

Ka Yiu Cheng shares her tips on how to cope with the stress that comes with graduating university and entering the "real world."

Unpacking the reality of the Black student experience in Canada. In this article reposted from The Peak, Linda shares why representation matters, how solidarity can be found within community, and the importance of ending Anti-Black racism in Canadian education institutions.