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Blogs
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
Jacky is a fourth year Business Student who spent his co-op in Beijing China. Read his interview to discover what his co-op abroad was like. Jacky covers preparing for the work term, work life, and living abroad.
Learning how to effectively communicate in a new work environment can be difficult enough, but add a language barrier and things get even more complicated. Here are Julia's top tips for overcoming language barriers in the workplace.
In this article, SFU Psychology graduate Ravi Bansal shares her experiences of participating in the Hellenic Studies Field School in Greece. Ravi’s travels encouraged her to become involved in the SFU community, opening up an opportunity to attend the Education without Borders conference in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Who doesn’t love travelling? Summer is just around the corner and with that comes the time to make our travel plans a reality. Have you ever thought about travelling as a way to boost your career?
Job hunting is never easy. This is especially true when you are an international student with no Canadian experience. Follow Alireza's tips and tricks on how to navigate around this barrier in your search for meaningful work.
Morgan Karugaba shares his journey of how he overcame the challenges of uncertainty, by stepping out of his comfort zone.
Still not sure if co-op is for you? Chetachi explains why co-op was such a valuable experience for her and what it was like to work in the corporate world during her Economics co-op work term.
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.
Since its launch in 2005, the Students for Development (SFD) program has been supporting Canadian university students' participation in internships in developing countries and emerging economies. Isabel went on the SFD program in Summer 2011 where she worked with ICO (Instituto de Capacitacion del Oriente) in Bolivia.
Bachelor of Sciences graduand Charity Mudhikwa hit the ground running when she came to Canada in 2018 for university, dedicating her undergraduate degree helping SFU students and the community at large.
Are you an international student that feels like there is a wall that stops you from moving forward? Are you trying to improve your language level, but feel embarrassed communicating in English? You're not the only one. But there are people who are reaching their goals. Find your inspiration and become one of them.
The holidays are a time for fun and festivities, but the feeling of being homesick can also creep in during this time. Here are some steps to help you through it!
Mario Fong travelled to Hong Kong to join the HSBC trainee program through International Co-op. Dropping everything to live in a new country provided him with personal and professional experiences he won't soon forget.
A profile on international student and third year psychology major, Rainy Yumeng Jiang, and how community engagement and volunteering has helped her adjust to Canadian culture.
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.
Have you landed an International Co-op work-term and begun preparing for your semester abroad? Surely, you have done your research and are aware of the cultural differences and nuances between where you are going, and your home country? If you haven’t, have no fear! This article is meant to help you understand the basic tips and tricks to adjust to the cultural differences in your new workplace, making your transition much easier.
Looking to maximize your time abroad and integrate with locals, but nervous to take the first few steps? Read on to learn how Kendra broke through their personal barriers, and the advice they have for future travellers to make the most of their work term overseas.
"There's a phrase in Israel, "buckle up your elbows" which means that it's time to hustle. This is exactly what brought me to the place where I'm writing to you right now." -- read Kim's story and learn how you can achieve anything with enough courage and motivation.
Ever wonder how it would feel like being an international student in Vancouver? Talk about a reason to party, well coming from a Punjabi family we hardly need a reason to party but if there was ever a decent one, this was it. Read more to find out about Max Shyngs experience!
Third year Business student, Corina Inigo, shares about her co-op experience with Teach and Learn in Korea (TaLK). She discusses what TaLK is all about and also shares personal anecdotes from her teaching experience.
Changing Times: Stories to Inspire Hope and Resilience
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
Yin Teng Ho shares what a typical day in the life looks like as a coop student working in the Information Technical Solutions department at home. She gives a brief overview of what her day looks like now since starting remote working, some of the challenges she personally faced, and how she is dealing with them.
In his first job, Graham worked as a dishwasher. Now, he just completed his fifth co-op work term as a Project Coordinator for Translation at SAP. Graham describes what his co-op journey has been and what he's learned along the way.
As Priscilla learned, working at a scale-up company comes with valuable lessons and takeaways but also unique challenges. Read on to learn more about what she learned from her time working as a Strategy Intern.
Embarking on 8 month work term with Fraser Health, Karman came across valuable life lessons from working as a HR Representative. Read on to learn more about what you should keep in mind when settling into your new workplace environment.
Rochelle describes what her journey has been as a startup founder for the non-profit organization, SPARK Foundation. Check out what she has to say about where the origins of the social enterprise came from and where they are headed in the future.
Despite the warnings and worries of her friends and family, Serena set off on an adventure, accepting a co-op position on the other side of the world, in India, and she has no regrets. Sometimes in order to grow we need to challenge ourselves, and Serena did just that.
Through creating an efficient routine, you can better accomplish things that need to be done within a shorter amount of time and allow yourself to do activities that you enjoy doing. Read the Health Peers’ blog to learn their recipe on how to build a routine to better manage your stress and wellbeing!
With more distractions around at home, it can be easy to catch yourself procrastinating or avoiding tasks. Read the Health Peers’ blog to learn strategies on how to build a routine to manage your time and stress better!
Diana Smith pens a series of poignant and moving letters addressed to her chronic pain. A must-read to better understand from a personal perspective what it is like to live with chronic pain.
Still not sure if co-op is for you? Chetachi explains why co-op was such a valuable experience for her and what it was like to work in the corporate world during her Economics co-op work term.
Going into a co-op term, every co-op student aims to utilize this opportunity to learn and gain real work experience. However, amid the coronavirus pandemic, many businesses’ working schedules have been affected. As a result, co-op students are challenged with the transition to working from home which affects both productivity and personal well-being and consequently the overall work experience. Linh Tran, a business co-op student, shares her experience on how to overcome this challenge.
Ever wondered what’s on the other side of a museum? Take a “behind the scenes” look at working in collections and archives through Rita's co-op reflection. She discusses how the field is being transformed through engaging directly with local histories, and what it means for an institution to be run by a community that seeks to tell its own story.
Do you dread the thought of working from home or feel like sitting at your computer all day has left you with no energy for anything else? Read how Oderah learned how to survive when her home suddenly became her workplace.
Zahid shares what it takes to work for an government-adjacent organization and how his academic experience as a Masters of Public Policy student helped him out last summer.
JenJen was not quite expecting to be advising fellow SFU students as a Student Academic Advisor from the comfort of her home as her very first co-op experience. Read on to learn more on how she found her stride in getting used to a new work environment as a new co-op student in unusual circumstances.
Movies like “The Devil Wears Prada” make the fashion industry seem extremely cool and unreachable for the everyday student to work in, but positions are out there for students to grab up. In this article Haoyang will take us through her experience working in the fashion industry and give her biggest takeaways from working with a high fashion, conceptual brand, Leisure Centre.
A student desperately wanting to have class outside suggested we put the decision to a vote. An overwhelming amount of hands went up for having class in the sun and I paused to think about how I could adjust my lesson plan without a chalkboard. The students saw my hesitation and said, “but Claire, don’t you believe in our right to have a democracy?”. This was when I knew I would learn a lot more than just how to teach, from my international co-op term in Catalonia.
What does it mean to work at a Non-Profit versus For-Profit company? What setting would you enjoy most? In this article, Quentin will explain the differences between the two in culture, work environment, and expectations, based on his own experience working in varied co-op positions.
Considering a co-op outside of BC? Jenny shares 4 tips on moving to a new city based on her experience relocating to Ontario’s capital city, the 6ix.
Like most soon-to-be graduates, Keeley was looking forward kick-start her career. And what better way to do it than to start looking for industry-applicable experience? But when COVID-19 hit, plans had to change. Read on to find out how Keeley overcame a saturated job market in the middle of a pandemic.
Two months into your international co-op placement, a global pandemic hits. What do you do? Read Victoria’s article for tips on keeping a cool head in tough circumstances, and how to make the best of a precarious situation.
Being in quarantine has amplified the differences in actions and effort between extroverts and introverts with regards to social connections. Read Connie Jigs’ article about her top tips on how extroverts can support their introverted friends.
Be it if you’re graduating or getting ready to start a new semester at SFU, there’s a lot of uncertainty around what will happen next. Earth Sciences student Klaus McCloud shares his top three tips of how he maintains a positive mindset while getting ready to graduate from SFU.
Senior Career Peer Michael Ford writes about the importance of indispensable and eternal human skills for a career that thrives in times of crisis or calm.
Like many other students, Joane has worked very hard and landed a co-op position that she had wanted. Unfortunately, the internship is not what it seems. Read more to find out how she navigates the arduous journey ahead.
Many of us have heard of a project manager, but few of us know what this role actually entails. In this article, Bethany details what an average day might look like as a project manager, and the many steps it takes to pull a project together.
David Henigman graduates with a political science major, a law and philosophy minor, and a an ethics and global justice certificate. He reflects on his involvement in the Society of Arts and Social Sciences (SASS), the Political Science Student Union (PSSU), and the Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies (CASIS), all through which a whole world of possibilities became open to him.
Naiya Tsang came to SFU to pursue a BA in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies (GSWS) with a minor in Biological Sciences to hone a more balanced understanding of our social and natural worlds.
“I believe studying both science and the marginalities within society allows us to use a lens of compassion while also critically evaluating both quantitative and qualitative information, and can allow us to make strong, informed choices."
You deserve to have a successful work search. With these tips, it won’t take long for an employer to notice your amazing efforts. Read on to feel prepared!
SFU's Career Specialist Deanne Esdale, with Francis Mercurio, Career Peer, show you how to set up for a successful search by getting strategic and supported. You deserve to get noticed! Check out their nuggets of advice on how to seek jobs effectively.