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SPRING CLEANING!

Our team is doing some spring cleaning starting with user accounts. Login using your CAS credentials for instructions. We appreciate your speedy action so we can move onto other new and exciting initiatives over the summer.

Welcome to the

OLC!

BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS

Join the community using your SFU CAS account.

Join the community using your SFU CAS account. Then, complete your registration by clicking on your name located in the top right corner of the page.

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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Share Your SFU Story 

Have a story to share about your time at SFU? Add your voice to the ever-expanding gallery of community stories on our SFU Stories page! Take about 15 minutes to reflect on your experiences at SFU, including, but not limited to, involvement in clubs, student unions, peer mentorship, and work opportunities. Share your story to educate, inspire, and connect the SFU community. Submissions are welcome year-round, from all years and faculties.

Everyone has a story! What's yours?

SUBMIT

NEW VIDEO SERIES

Multilingual SFU

SFU students (graduate and undergraduate,) staff and faculty share their multilingual experience and welcome you to multilingual week at SFU. Do you have a multilingual story to share? Add it to the OLC.

Watch

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Share Your SFU Story 

Have a story to share about your time at SFU? Add your voice to the ever-expanding gallery of community stories on our SFU Stories page! Take about 15 minutes to reflect on your experiences at SFU, including, but not limited to, involvement in clubs, student unions, peer mentorship, and work opportunities. Share your story to educate, inspire, and connect the SFU community. Submissions are welcome year-round, from all years and faculties.

Everyone has a story! What's yours?

SUBMIT

Changing Times: Stories to Inspire Hope and Resilience

 

Image of Priyanka Das
Blog
Discover Your True Self: 7 Tips to Develop Unwavering Self-Belief and Authenticity
Digital Resource Assistant

Take chances as you never know what opportunities may arise. Meet Priyanka Das, a Beedie Co-op student who’s working with SFU’s Communication and Marketing department as a Digital Resource Assistant. Learn more about how she landed her current co-op and other opportunities such as the CEOx1Day finalist by being authentic and believing in their abilities.

VOLUNTEER STORIES

 

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

Join our team

The OLC is looking for volunteers for various positions that have a range of time commitments including content creators, editors, UI/UX developers, and website testers. Positions are open for all students hoping to gain valuable experience in writing, website development and management, task and time management, collaboration, communication, and more. There is no deadline to apply as we recruit year-round!

APPLY

FEATURED

Chinmayee's Picks

Chinmayee's Picks

OLC has things to help students go pro. Having been part of the OLC's technical team and coming from a tech background myself, I tend to skim through tech-related articles first, diving deeper into the ones that pique my interest. I've compiled a list of my favourite finds from the OLC website, considering them valuable assets for fellow students.

Jared's Picks

Jared's Picks

Working as an editor for the OLC has been such a positive learning experience and has help me connect with so many unique and engaging stories. I would like to share some of my favourite pieces that I had the pleasure of working on. Yes, their grammar and spelling is great and their writing voice is very personal but each of these had something special.

Serena's Picks

Serena's Picks

It's been an amazing four months as a Copy Editor here at the OLC. I've had the chance to work on a variety of content, and it's been quite a journey. The OLC is a unique space where students can explore and contribute to a wide range of topics. Choosing my top picks was tough with so much good stuff, but here are three pieces that really stood out to me.

FEATURED

Hustle Culture

Hustle Culture

When should you stop and take a break? How much work is too much work? In this episode of Diving Into the Everyday, join us as we explore what is hustle culture, looking at its rise in exposure, and why a person may feel this pressure to participate.

Experiencing A New Culture In Mexico

Experiencing A New Culture In Mexico

I learned a lot more about myself – new interests, being more adaptable, future ambitions, etc. It was one of the most unique and remarkable experiences in my lifetime.

7 Ways to Have a Successful Meeting With Your Supervisor or Team

7 Ways to Have a Successful Meeting With Your Supervisor or Team

If you are struggling to facilitate or actively participate in meetings, you are not alone, as many students share the same struggle in school projects, student clubs and the workplace.

person laughing

NEW VIDEO SERIES

Job Search in a Pandemic

New episodes of Career Conversations from SFU Career and Volunteer Services are released every Tuesday on the OLC. Tune in see your most burning questions about the world of work, volunteering, and career exploration answered by guests from diverse professional backgrounds and organizations across Canada.

Episode 3 features Kristina Lee, Director of the IT Division at Impact Recruitment. You don't want to miss her expert tips for job searching during the pandemic and how you can best show off your soft skills to employers.

Watch
person laughing

NEW VIDEO SERIES

Job Search in a Pandemic

New episodes of Career Conversations from SFU Career and Volunteer Services are released every Tuesday on the OLC. Tune in see your most burning questions about the world of work, volunteering, and career exploration answered by guests from diverse professional backgrounds and organizations across Canada.

Episode 3 features Kristina Lee, Director of the IT Division at Impact Recruitment. You don't want to miss her expert tips for job searching during the pandemic and how you can best show off your soft skills to employers.

Watch

NEW POST

Activism Burnout: An Interview with Registered Clinical Counsellors

In light of the increased visibility of injustices around the world, taking a stand and contributing to social justice is becoming more prominent in our everyday lives. As you learn and advocate about different injustices, you may experience activism burnout with added stressors such as balancing work, personal life, school, and extracurricular activities. SFU Health Peers interview Counsellors at Health and Counselling Services for advice.

Read

NEW POST

Why You Should Consider Submitting an SFU Story to the OLC

SFU Stories on the OLC are short-form, Instagram-style, narrative stories that help to build a welcoming SFU community. No matter how big or small, every story has something to offer. Share your story today!

Read

NEW POST

I’m Starting a Minor Late Into My Degree... Now What?

One of our OLC team members, Brianna Tsang, shares her experience of deciding her minor in her 3rd year at SFU. "The knowledge and genuine connections made throughout this process has been an amazing experience and opportunity to have."

Read

NEW POST

Social Media Addiction & Screen Fatigue: A Survival Guide for Jobs in Social Media

When it comes to social media and digital marketing positions, it’s easy to be blinded by the positives. After all, many Communication majors are fascinated by digital marketing and algorithms— and if you’re a digital native, creating social media content might already be second nature to you. Whether you manage social media for your organization or create external content, there are a few bonuses to consider.

Read

NEW STUDENT PODCAST

On the Spot with the OLC

The OLC team is extremely excited to introduce a brand new podcast titled On the Spot with the OLC. Your hosts, Mehtaab and Terae, discuss important topics revolving around community, engagement, education and overall life advice! Within these 12 episodes, your hosts aim to bring a well rounded perspective to a variety of topics as they believe they can provide insightful knowledge about what it's like to be an SFU student. Please make sure to have a listen!

Listen to Episode 1: Creating Community at SFU

NEW PODCAST ON THE OLC

StudioBytes

Welcome to Studio Bytes! A podcast inspired by the energy of the SIAT Studios and the memories students make in those spaces. This podcast invites Alumni back into the studio and we get to learn about their experiences at SIAT and their lives after. In Episode 2 meet SFU Alumni Marie Cheung who shares her experience at SFU, her life post SFU and her time in Europe

Listen to Episode 2: What is Service Design?

Login to Provide your Feedback!

Did you know that each landing page on the site has a feedback section for logged in users? We use this information to discover and fix issues, consider site improvements and addition of new features. Our tech team is focused on feature improvements this summer, so share your input to direct changes to the OLC.

LOGIN

ABOUT

Our Learning Community

SFU's Our Learning Community has an incredible range of content created by and for the SFU community. This includes diverse and authentic stories, which show a range of inspirational knowledge sharing happening between students, as well as handy tools that help with learning anywhere and everywhere you are.
 
Discover how you can contribute to our ever-expanding learning community.

 

CONTRIBUTE
11360
Members Joined

 

2227
231
Projects Created

 

92
Series Compiled

 

EXPLORE

Recognizing that our SFU community members are versatile storytellers, the new OLC has expanded how you can tell your story. Come take a look by exploring into this brand new range of content curated by our editors; this includes Blogs, SFU Stories, Videos, and Podcasts. And remember, no matter where you are in your learning journey at SFU, we want to hear your story! Learn more on how you can contribute to the OLC.

 

 

EXPLORE
A person flexing
Blog
Just Like Bunko: Learning Strengths

Everyone has weaknesses. But its focusing on your strengths that grant you success in life.

a phone screen showcasing Amazon stocks rising
Blog
Get Your Side Hustle On: A Student's Guide to Part-Time Work

As she puts it, grad student Srijani Datta has been a student for most of her life. To support her love of academia she has worked as a reporter, tutor, translator, transcriber, and content writer. Develop your own side-hustle with her tips. 

A picture of Aslam sitting in front of a window.
Podcast
Building Community
A woman standing with a cardboard box on her head
Blog
How to Navigate Student Mindset Traps

When students enter their first or second Co-op work term, there can be a risk of falling into student mindset traps. These are the habits we pick up as students that are detrimental to our professional performance and development. Read on to learn more about how Bowen learned to avoid student mindset traps after four Co-op semesters working for three different companies.

READ

LEARN

SHARE

CONTRIBUTE

Videos

Read

Learn

Share

Contribute

There is so much to explore on the new OLC!

So, browse around and have fun with the new learning and storytelling tools. Found something not working?

EXPLORE

Recognizing that our SFU community members are versatile storytellers, the new OLC has expanded how you can tell your story. Come take a look by exploring this wider range of content including Blogs, SFU Stories, Videos, Experiential Learning Experiences, and Podcasts. And remember, no matter where you are in your learning journey at SFU, we want to hear your story! Learn more on how you can contribute to the OLC.

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THE LATEST

Catch up on the latest and freshest content from the SFU OLC. You're bound to find a fresh new perspective, the most current advice, and recently published stories that are sure to inspire you.

 

 

THE LATEST
Peer helping another person
Blog
Cover Letters: Secrets to Capturing Your Employer’s Attention

Cover letters. The bane of everyone’s work search. A great cover letter doesn’t just happen by itself; rather, it is the result of you taking the time to do your research, and writing effective and meaningful information in a few well-worded sentences.

Picture of Whiskey
Blog
Passion With A "Small p": The Whisky Story

What can we take from the "smaller" things that we love? Often, they bring our lives tremendous amounts of meaning. It's important to acknowledge that work isn't the only area of life that we can derive meaning or fulfill our values.

People talking
Blog
How To Resolve Conflict In 6 Steps

Dealing with conflict is a crucial skill. The field of Dispute Resolution offers a variety of methods to manage and dissipate problematic issues. One popular approach is Issue-Based Problem Solving, which I discuss in this post. Read on for a simple 6-step guide to help you address emerging conflicts.

a girl working on her ipad
Blog
Tips on Starting Your Portfolio

In this blog post, Patricia shares with us some tips and tricks to creating our own portfolios. Read on to find out more! 

Aboriginal Mother House building
Blog
Aboriginal Mother Centre

Aboriginal women and their children are among the most discriminated against and socially and economically disadvantaged living in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The Aboriginal Mother Centre offers a safe and caring long-term home and all of the resources necessary to assist mothers and their children in realizing a brighter future.

A woman and a child
Blog
Aboriginal Head Start Association of BC

We are the leader in Aboriginal Early Childhood Education. We are the Catalyst for focusing expertise and creating opportunities to benefit sites. Keep reading to find out more...

Duke award banner
Blog
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Earning the Duke of Ed Award looks great on your resume as it shows you are a well rounded individual who is connected to the community. It’s a great way to explore your interests and try something new.
 

a woman raising both her hands up in the air
Blog
My Lesson In Flexibility

Everyone has a picture in their mind when they think of what they will be doing when they land their first co-op job. It’s good to think big, but just remember to think FLEXIBLE. Let me tell you how being flexible allowed me to get a great co-op experience.

a group of staff gathering in the lunchroom eating together
Blog
The Joys of the Lunchroom: Being Social on the Job

You are new to the company, and you don’t know anyone. Where do you start? How about the lunchroom! Read on to learn about Natalie's lunchroom experience for her first co-op job.

A group of houses in Poland
Blog
Co-op Poland: Evan's International Adventure of Self Exploration

University can be a draining experience. So how to do you recharge yourself without delaying your academic or professional plans? Why not go on an international co-op placement? Check out BPK student Evan Hutcheon's adventure, reflections and experiences he gained working in Poland.

Sage
Blog
Your Unpredictable Future: Where is Your Career Heading?

When it comes to your career, predicting, planning or trying to figure out what you’ll be doing in the future is well…almost impossible. Did you know that 70% of post-secondary students revealed their career choices were significantly influenced by an unplanned event (Krumboltz and Levin, 2004)?

Books
Blog
Passion: The Enduring Debate

Of the many debates in the career development world, the one over "passion" might be the most volatile. How much of a role should passion play in career choice? Looking at what we mean by "passion" might lead to some new answers.

Student meeting with an advisor
Blog
Resumes, Cover letters, Interviews and Volunteering: Remaining Professional for Unpaid Experiences

Kerri shows you where to find SFU's resources for building your resume, coverletter, and interview skills. Read on to find out how to use this to get volunteer positions.

banner of student of the week: Hannah
Blog
Engaged Student of the Week: Hannah Seraphim

Check out this week's Engaged Student of the Week! Learn about why and how they are engaged and how you can get involved at SFU too.

Person writing in a book
Blog
How To Write Your Way Into Grad School

Harsimran Kaur is a Career Peer Educator with SFU Career Services, and a third year student studying health sciences, kinesiology, and psychology. Her passions revolve around helping people, and she aspires to a career in emergency medicine and epidemiology.

Indigenous students
Blog
Indigenous Student Transitions | Part One

Indigenous students transitioning to post-secondary often face unique challenge, which is why it's important to learn about all the community resources and scholarships avalible to Indigenous students at SFU.
 

Person on transit looking out the window
Blog
How To Say Goodbye At Work

Saying goodbye is hard under any circumstance, and people tend to avoid doing it as a result. Workplace relationships end all the time, so what's the best way to end them gracefully? I share my thoughts here.

Students with SFU mascot
Blog
Tips for Getting Involved

Check out Felice's article giving you the Do's and Dont's of getting involved! Read on to find out ways to get engaged with your university.

Picture of a women smiling
Blog
DIY Career Opportunities

Finding a job that you want to wake up for can be a challenge, especially in today’s economy. But what if you could create your own job? I know someone who (almost) did this for themselves and this is his story.

Employment equity banner
Blog
Aboriginal Employment Equity

Searching for a career can be an intimidating prospect. Looking for work requires self-confidence and faith in ones abilities, as well as skin thick enough to handle rejection. Add in fear of discrimination and it can be debilitating. This is why educating oneself about Canada’s Employment Equity Act is so important.

Banner of Gilakasla
Blog
Encouraging Our Youth

Christina shares her experience in leading a group of Aboriginal high-school students through a tour of SFU, where they discussed the troubling statistics of Aboriginal student drop-out rates and the potential for their future.

Interview
Blog
How To Create A Winning Job Proposal

So you want to work for a certain employer, but they don’t have any job openings. What do you do? One option is to create a “job proposal” for the new position you’re aspiring to. Here’s how to do it.

A photo of Crystal Morris speaking a SFU Conference
Blog
SFU Indigenous Speakers: Crystal Morris

Crystal Morris shares her education and career journey, which has included a wide variety of roles in government, and the private sector, and how they brought her to where she is today.

Career fair
Blog
Top 10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Career Fairs

Planning to attend a career fair? Don't waste the recruiters time, or your own - learn how to arrive prepared, get the most out of the experience, and leave a great first impression.

Group of students doing an interactive activity
Blog
Gain a Great Experience and Great Skills. Become an Orientation Leader!

Alex has the scoop on why you should become an orientation leader! Read on to find out how she gained transferable professional skills while having a blast.

University of Saskatchewan Banner
Blog
Explore the University of Saskatchewan

The University of Saskatchewan (U of S) is the first choice for Aboriginal graduate students, due, in part to their commitment to cultural understanding and student success. They will be attending the mini BIG fair at SFU this year.

A photo of author
Blog
Reflecting on Being a Indigenous Career Speaker: Audrey Tooshkenig

Audrey Tooshkenig reflects on her experience at the 2012 Indigenous People's Career Stories event, and how she managed to overcome a brief dip in her self-confidence to present to a room full of earnest listeners.

a woman presenting to a group of people
Blog
How to Promote Cross-Cultural Experiences in Your Resume

Rui dishes about how volunteering can beef up your resume and give you a cross cultural edge! Read on for great tips and resources. 

Bunch of people meeting each other
Blog
Networking: The “Secret” Way to Obtain a Position

Kerri shares the secret to finding hidden volunteer opportunities! She also gives tips on how to get over your fear of networking. Read more to find out!

A photo of 4 speakers at the Indigenous People's Career Stories event
Blog
Indigenous People's Career Stories 2013

On February 21st, the Indigenous People’s Career Stories event took place at the Diamond Alumni Centre. This was my first year attending the event and I was pleasantly surprised.

Picture of the medicine wheel
Blog
Grammi's Medicine Wheel

This is dedicated to my Grandmother, Marge Mackie. She has the strongest spirit of anyone I know…and I’m just like her…

A photo of Miranda Stirling smiling
Blog
Indigenous Career Story: Miranda Stirling: Capacity and Events Manager, New Relationship Trust

I learned that the brilliant thing about college is everyone is at different levels. After I completed my diploma I went on to get my bachelors at Royal Roads University and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Management.

person thinking
Blog
The Guilt-Free Guide To Changing Your Major

Are you at a crossroads in your university career? Does the stress of changing majors have you doubting whether to make a change? Here are some thought provoking questions that can help guide you on the path to making a choice that’s right for you.

Glenda during her lecture
Blog
From Speech Impairment To Motivational Speaker

While sitting at the airport gate last July, waiting to board the plane to Portland and then onto San Jose where I was scheduled to deliver two presentations on web accessibility, I wondered, "How did I, an individual with a significant speech impairment and a physical disability, get here?"

CRA
Blog
Why Join the Canada Revenue Agency?

The Canada Revenue Agency offers motivated individuals a challenging, interesting, and diverse workplace that will help you develop skills and advance your career. If you are looking to gain valuable work experience in a federal organization, make the CRA your employer of choice.

A photo of the author
Blog
Indigenous Career Journey: Dr. Peter Eppinga

I am currently taking a Masters Degree in Health Science at the School of Population and Public Health at UBC. I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge on evidence based medicine, medical biostatistics, clinical epidemiology and public health.

Person in deep thoughts
Blog
So You Can’t Do It All. That’s Okay.

There are lots of people that will tell you about all the things you should or could be doing, and why doing these things will benefit you. But sometimes you can’t, you really can’t, do it all. And Lauren is here here to tell you that that’s okay too.

Indigenous Career Stories banner
Blog
Indigenous Peoples Career Stories: Employer Networking

Learn about some of the employers and Indigenous student recruiters you can network with at the Indigenous Peoples Career Stores event.

Indigenous People's Career Stories
Blog
Indigneous Peoples Career Stories

Career Services is hosting its annual Indigenous Peoples Career Stories event on February 21st, 2013 which brings opportunites and experiences directly to SFU's Indigneous students.

Gerald Bent smiling
Blog
Indigenous Stories: Gerald Bent, Aboriginal Correctional Programs Officer

Gerald was born in Lytton, BC. He is a Status Aboriginal man and is a member of the Lytton First Nation. He shares the career journey that led him to becoming an Aboriginal Correctional Program Officer, making a difference in the lives of Aboriginal youth.

Power and reset buttons
Blog
Feeling Stuck? Press Reset

You're stuck. Maybe it's a dead-end job, or the sense that you're studying the wrong thing, or with the wrong person, or just in a place you didn't want to end up, but don't know how to leave. If only it were as simple as pressing a button and starting over. We can't do that, but here's the next best thing.