The climate is changing, global health is threatened, injustices are prevalent, and you want to do something about it. Well, how much impact can you actually have as a co-op student? Here’s what Brennan found out during his work term at the BC Council for International Cooperation.

Working a new 9-to-5 can come with a pretty steep learning curve, especially if you hold on to your university-student habits. In his article, Gryfin tells us his tips for adjusting to his co-op placement (and adulthood). 

Your first Co-op work term comes with a lot of valuable lessons and take-aways that stick with you throughout your professional career. For Emily, these lessons include just doing it, finding your strengths and striking a work-life balance. Read on to learn more.

2020 has been an unprecedented and extraordinary year. What we at the OLC have been pleasantly surprised by is how inspiring our contributing authors have been. Many of our posts touched on the reality of the pandemic, but they were written from a place of positivity and resilience. To wrap up 2020 at the SFU OLC, we've curated our top 12 inspiring posts and summarized how they can continue to inspire you in the New Year.

Gaining research experience, for many, is the first step to forging a rewarding career path in many fields across SFU. But are you confused about how to get the research experience you need? In this blog, Des’ree shares some helpful tips that help you find great research opportunities.

Does working 40 hours a week seem tiring? Try adding 15 to 18 hours of strenuous running, weightlifting, stretching and physiotherapy. Carlos takes you through his journey as a varsity track athlete while completing an eight-month co-op with Streamline Athletes.

Communication skills are more than spelling and grammar structure. As per Alyanna's supervisor, "Communication is a strategy action to receive what you expect to accomplish.” Read on to learn more about how she develops a different perspective of what communication is about from her co-op experience.

Robert's boss shared a key lesson with him about an essential trait that can get one hired. What is that trait and how can you develop it? Read on to learn more from Robert.

It was confusing figuring out how to work from home on a short notice back in March 2020. Since then, Terry has been learning and reflecting on what really makes a home office productive and what is needed to keep it a friendly and productive environment. Read on to learn more about his insights.

Finding a co-op placement can be quite stressful, but if you stick with it you might just find your dream position. Read John’s article on persevering through a difficult job search and making the most of a co-op placement.

When surveyed, students reported that the top four barriers to staying active were poor weather, lack of energy, loneliness, and lack of time. Check out the Health Peer Educators’ blog for some tips on ways to combat these barriers and build a healthy routine. 

How you carry yourself in your working environment will determine your growth, achievements, and what kind of work environment you engage in. Read more about how Tiffany realized what she has made out of her experience is what ultimately defined her workplace.

Remote working is no longer only the future of working but a current-day reality. Matthew provides three of his tips and tricks that have worked for him when working remotely with Student Recruitment and Admissions at SFU.

See how Career Peer Julia finds confidence and gains perspective regarding career and educational planning at the West Coast Virtual Fair. The final piece of a two-part series.

Wondering what it is like to work to work for TEDxSFU? Curious why you should seek leadership roles in student clubs? Des'ree interviews Nhi Nguyen, the former Project Lead of TEDxSFU and asks about her experience, lessons learnt and the challenges she faced in this position.

Like any other person, we have all thought about death at least once in our lives. Join Paneet in this honest conversation about end-of-life issues and what to do when such a tragic but inevitable discussion arises amongst loved ones. In this article, Paneet provides helpful advice and carefully selected resources to ease in to the conversation and to help prepare for the unpredictability of life.

Things move fast in a Co-op. One day you could be working with your favorite application, completely comfortable, and the next, you'll be tasked with learning an entirely new application. This is what happened to Vanessa in her Co-op, and here's how her first placement went, as well as her favorite things about both Wordpress and Weebly - two applications you may also find yourself using in a Communication Co-op.

Can introverts be outstanding leaders? Check out this article from Des'ree in which she talks about what kind of traits introverts have that can be harnessed for leadership roles.

Staying productive and on top of your workload is tough but even tougher while studying remotely. Des'ree has some great advice for our readers with a tool that she uses called the Accountability Schedule. As we move into the next semester, check this out and see if it could work for you!

Follow Gabriel on a journey of self-reflection as he shares with us some of the lessons he's learnt while on a Co-op term at Tranction on Demand.

As a university student, have you been having some trouble making remote teamwork fun and engaging? Des'ree shares what she's learned from her remote semester experience and provides some tips on how to improve the quality of your teamwork experience.

Networking in person can be tough but virtual networking online can be even more confusing. Have no fear, Des'ree is here to help! Here she shares her advice and tips for how you can better virtually network at the next webinar social event.

Come along with Julia as she prepares for the SFU West Coast Virtual Fair. She is generating questions, confronting her fears, and (hopefully!) finding new possibilities for careers she feels passionate about. The first of a two-part series.

In this article, James details a few things he wishes he knew when he was starting out in his Marketing Communication Co-op placement. Read more to find out what James' top tips for rocking a co-op as a first-timer are. 

Having trouble figuring out how to stay engaged at work from the comfort of your own home? Tiffany shares some ways she’s become more proactive with her learning despite working from home, and how she’s gotten more involved at IBM during her remote internship experience.

Thinking about working remotely for your next co-op term? Political Science student, Maja Lampa describes her experience adapting to remote work during her first season with the Federal Government and how she found meaningful work in uncertain times.

Working for a large, well-known organization can be both exciting and intimidating. It can raise questions about how you can stand out and forge a unique path, while fitting into the work culture. Jenny shares her top three insights during her work term at RBC as a Business Analyst on their Strategic Initiatives and Change Management.

Being able to keep an optimistic outlook was the key skill Sandy discovered that would help her weather the changes the pandemic brought earlier this year. As a research assistant promoting physical activity and social connectedness among seniors in BC, she had to figure out how to switch tracks quickly and easily without loosing sight of her team's objectives. Read on to learn how she found the silver linings to her new remote working situation.

How do you prepare for an interview at the Government of Canada? Haebin summarizes for you the key points from a webinar hosted by Angela Foraaunet, a Human Resources Advisor in the Public Service Commission of Canada. Read on to learn more about Ms. Forraunet’s golden advice on acing the interviews and aiming for success.

With more people working and studying from home, it is important to make sure our working environment is efficient and safe. Check out the Health Peer Educators’ blog article for some tips about creating a more physically ergonomic-friendly workspace at.

The pandemic has made online dating a more popular way of meeting new people. While online dating is a great way to e-meet new people, you might also find yourself in potentially uncomfortable situations with strangers. Read on to learn more about which red flags the Health Peers recommend keeping a keen eye out.

After applying to 50 jobs and going out to 12 interviews, Oscar Wong wasn’t sure he was going to land his first Co-op. Finally, on the last day of the semester, Oscar was hired for a digital marketing role and he has never looked back. Now, as a Communication alumnus working as an Internal Communications and Design Specialist at Electronic Arts, Oscar is happy to share more on how he navigated from Co-op to career.