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Welcome

Being one of OLC's classic storytelling tools, blogs are crafted by SFU Community members which include the everyday student as well as expert voices. This is where we share touching stories, resourceful advice, and insightful knowledge with each other. In keeping with the OLC vision, the following blogs are created by and for students, so why not contribute to the OLC today?

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INTERNATIONAL

 

Changing Times: Stories to Inspire Hope and Resilience

 

Kaylla
Staying Productive While Working Remotely for a Health Authority

Working from home is a common reality for many Co-op students in the past year. Working from home while working for a Health Authority in the thick of the pandemic is a tremendous experience Kaylla went through last year. Take a look at how she learned to stay productive in these uncertain times.

The Latest

 

THE LATEST
Wen-Ting Fan
5 Things to Remember When Setting Learning Objectives as a Continuing Student

Congratulations on extending your work term! It's time for more Learning Objectives! Don't worry though, if you're having a hard time thinking up of some new ones, read these 5 tips to help you.

SFU Big Fair event
I Hated Networking, Until...

For Pauline, an invitation to a networking event automatically elicits feelings of anxiety, triggers the sweat glands and generates one glaring thought, “no freakin’ way.” Read as she navigates her way through her networking anxieties.

Deborah
Indigenous Career Journey Stories: Deborah L. Smith

"The road has been a long one and filled with many stops and starts. I would say never be afraid of having to do things over and over again because failure is not weakness or "bad". It's a way to know how to move forward." Read more to follow Deboarah's story. 

Celine
5 Signs You Should Work For A Non-Profit

Many students enter communications with the hopes of landing a glamorous, high-paying job. In this article, Celine makes a case for why you may want to consider a less glamorous, but highly rewarding career in the non-profit sector.

A yougurt bowl
Healthy and Sustainable Meal Ideas

Sustainable SFU put together some amazing recipes that not only taste great, but can help you stay healthy - all while using sustainability-friendly products.

Portrait of Mike
Unlikely Co-op Candidate Switches From Landscaping to Technical Writing

Accumulating over 80 credits and completing three quarters of a degree usually rules out any potential opportunity for students to be selected for Co-op, unless you ask Mike Lazar how he beat the odds.

Melissa and two friends smiling
Engaging the World After Co-op

Read about Melissa's amazing experience in Cambodia after her Communication Co-op!

Multiple laptops on a table with other things
How to Spend Summer Break, Efficiently

Most students studying in universities take the summer semester off to work. But apart from work, find out how to set SMART goals and spend your summer term in an efficient and productive way.

Picture of Kelly and her friends
5 Career Moves You Need to Make Before You Graduate

You can’t cross the stage in four years and expect to receive a degree in one hand and a career in the other; succeeding in in the real world is going to take a heck of a lot more than that. Here are 5 essential moves to make before you graduate. 

Picture of the book cover, Tsawalk
Indigenous Literature Series: E. Richard Atleo

Read about "Tsawalk: A Nuu-chah-nulth Worldview" by E. Richard Atleo

michael sitting next to the computer
The Marathon of the Service Desk: A First Nations Health Authority Co-op Experience

Do you enjoy working with computers? Do you find the idea of solving puzzles to be exhilarating? Do you want to help people get introduced to the world of computers? If so, perhaps a Service Desk Analyst will be a perfect fit for you. Follow SIAT student, Michael Sandrin, in his first occupational adventure: working as a Service Desk Analyst for the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA).

Image of Miranda
Event Planning 101: Beyond the Chaos

Behind the glitz and glamour of fancy events, are event planners frantically following their minute-to-minute schedule. In this article, Miranda shares some insight and advice for those entering the sometimes chaotic event planning field.

Chelsie at work with her supervisor
The EnLIGHTening Experience of Working for a Small Business

Chelsea did her co-op at a relatively small lighting agency, Inter-Lite Sales, in greater Vancouver; but she learned about much more than lighting. Read why Chelsea believes every student should work for at least one small business to round out their co-op experience.

Image of the Author
A Dancer Behind the Scenes

As an emerging dance artist, I was thrilled when I learned that I had secured the role as an intern with a local and large-scale dance company, Ballet BC. However, I was a bit disheartened that, being a production based internship, I would not be dancing with the company at all. So, I readied myself to get comfortable behind the scenes for the first time ever and prepared to look at operations in the arts from a new perspective.

Nancy and the children in their class smiling
Beyond Comfort: My Co-op in Korea with TaLK

Nancy applied as an English instructor in South Korea with the intention of just adding another bulletpoint to their resume. However, the experiences they have gained from teaching and living abroad has made their co-op so much more meaningful than what can be written on paper.  Read Nancy's story to learn more about Teach and Learn in Korea. 

Person Holding Prosthetic Arm
How My Personal Projects Landed Me a Research Co-op Helping Others

Find out how Sohail's personal interests helped him land a Co-op opportunity at Texas Instruments Launchpads! 

FNSA Banner
Come Witness the Annual Indigenous Success Stories Event

SFU First Nations Student Association (FNSA) invites you to come and witness this annual event. Indigenous storytellers will share their journeys of success, expressing the adversity and perseverance faced along the way. Don't miss this chance to engage in the SFU Indigenous community as well as those closely connected to SFU!

Grad Aboriginal Entrance Scholarship winner
SFU's Indigenous Graduate Entrance Scholarship

The Aboriginal Entrance Scholarship is definitely worth all its cracked up to be.

Therese Mah headshot
Comic: How Co-op Helped Me Seize the Dreams I'd Left Behind

Therese believed her interests in art and environmentalism were too daunting to pursue as careers. She locked those dreams away... until co-op unlocked career opportunities that fused her studies with her passions. Check out her comic!

Danielle Jeong
Haiti Co-op Inspires Career Path

Danielle Jeong, who receives a Governor General’s Silver Medal for her high scholastic achievement, says her SFU co-op experiences, which included a month in Haiti, were “life-changing”.

Taylor Mckinney headshot
Why Apply to Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada

It is a very exciting time to get involved with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)! Taylor shares her experience working at INAC's Yukon regional office and how she gained valuable skills while learning about Yukon First Nations, government and life in the North. 

Notebook banner
The Notebook: A Highly Unlikely Love Story

At the start of her co-op, Sandy expected to work hard and do her best. What she didn't expect is that she would fall in love - and fall hard. What you're about to read is a highly unlikely love story...

Lenses
Changing Perspectives: How Co-op Helped Me See the Bigger Picture

Ornela started university with the intention of going to medical school. However, co-op has helped them see that there are so many possibilities in the field of healthcare. In this article, Ornela discusses their co-op experience and the lessons they learned along the way.

Jenny Vo Headshot
How to Maximize Your Return on University Investment | Part Two | Reach Out to People Outside SFU

In Part 2 of this series, Jenny shares about maximizing your university investment through different networking channels such as mentorship programs and professional associations. Jenny highlights her own fears of networking, how she overcame them and ultimately, what she learned from these experiences.

Steven Phan standing in front of lush green background wearing a floral shirt
SFU Co-op Leads to Silicon Valley Dream Job with Google

Steven Phan's professional journey started long before he got a prize job as an interaction designer at Google. The SFU student’s career success started after he enrolled as a SIAT student and took advantage of the school’s co-op program. 

Boys 4 Real Program volunteers
Finding Purpose Through Volunteering

Have you ever thought to yourself, What am I doing with my life? You are not alone.

Anna Dueck
Making the Most Out of Your University Experience

Anna Dueck, a student in the School for the Contemporary Arts (SCA) working towards a Major in Dance, talks about the importance of getting involved. 

The masked woodcutter (MacKenzie) offends Tavey (Wakeland)
SFU Students Perform Free Summer Musical for Kids

Four SFU students organized and performed a free outdoor children’s theatre in the Lower Mainland. The performance tells a story of broken shoes and finding joy beyond grief

Man covering his face in fear
How to Overcome Your Fear of Getting Involved

Is fear coming in your way of getting involved? Don’t stress, since you live in a world with many others who are in the same boat as you! Here are a couple tips that can help you come out of your shell and interact with your community

Ali Najaf posing with BC mountains in background
British Columbia and International Students

Coming to a new country thousands of miles from where you grew up and from everything you know is no easy journey. In this award-winning story, SFU Business student Ali Najaf reflects on the past four years since arriving in Canada from Pakistan in 2012, sharing both his challenges and truimphs.