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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
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.
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.
Morgan Karugaba shares his journey of how he overcame the challenges of uncertainty, by stepping out of his comfort zone.
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.
There are a lot of things your international student friends have never told you. From depression to pressure to stereotypes - life isn't always easy when you are studying abroad. Read an international students take on life overseas.
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!
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.
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.
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!
As an undergraduate student, Spencer Chen excelled with a GPA of 4.21 and received numerous merit-based scholarships and awards. She also sought diverse research and community service opportunities to make meaningful contributions to the SFU community.
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.
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.
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.
New to Vancouver? Discover 4 spots Lauretta discovered in her adventures around the city.
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?
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.
“Gosh Roop! Are you really an international student? But you do not speak with an accent. Wow, I would have never guessed that.” Through anecdotes and introspection, Roop shares a compelling narrative of the struggles of why International students face challenges due to language barriers and biases.
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.
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.
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.
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
In this Vlog, SFU Communication Co-op student Jao Dantes explains his typical work day working for Simon Fraser University.
In the short amount of time I volunteered with Racing Readers, I learned a lot about myself. I also realized how much of an influence I could potentially have on others, which pushed me to be even better. This is my journey with the Racing Readers program.
It has been six long years since I started at SFU, switching majors three times along the way. With such a convoluted path, it’s no surprise that life after school began to fall out of context. Thankfully, a well-timed co-op opportunity allowed me to refocus my life and reverse my dwindling academic attitude.
In a clinic, like many businesses, personal-relational experience can turn a good therapist into a great one. Practicing excellent technique and skill is often not enough. It is by establishing rapport through strong communication and genuine concern about a patient’s well-being where one becomes a great therapist. Read about Brendan's co-op journey and find out how he was able to go from being a good therapist to being a great one!
Applying for the position of Pedorthic Assistant at Kintec, Daniel was a bit hesitant since their previous work experience involved asking people if they want fries with that. Daniel soon found that working at Kintec was one of the most relevant jobs to their degree as it's a lot more than just selling shoes.
I have had previous experience working with web-based technologies, but mostly in the academic context. Working as a co-op student at the SFU Beedie School of Business, I had the opportunity to work in development, but to also work with business analysts and clients directly, to understand their requirements and implement them. In this post, I explain how this co-op exceeded my expectations.
When a person enters a physiotherapy clinic for the first time, they can experience a wide range of emotions such as fear, despair and doubt. It is the job of healthcare practitioners to transition clientele from fearing movement to love of movement. In this post, Brandon discusses how being honest and empathetic will help you achieve amazing things with your clientele.
This blog is about my wonderful co-op experience at BuildDirect and how it influenced my career in Canada. I discuss the work culture at BuildDirect, the type of work I have done and the technologies used. If you are planning to do a co-op with BuildDirect, this is definitely going to help you.
Since applying to the Kinesiology program at SFU, Lois knew one day they wanted to work as an Occupational Therapist. They spent time volunteering in recreation-based work, but when it came time to apply for a co-op, Lois decided to expand into the realm of teaching life skills.
What do you do with a BA in Health Sciences focusing on global health? For Lauren Shandley, this has meant combining her technical expertise and love of travel to better the lives of others around the globe.
In the digital age, you never know who’s looking and what opportunities can arise. When you’re putting together your online presence, you want to go beyond cutting and pasting your resume, and get your LinkedIn profile in tip-top shape! Kass shares 5 tips to make your profile POP!
We’ve all been there, wanting to impress our cute blind date -- feeling great in the moments when the conversation flows – and not so much in the moments when it stalls out.
Feeling low on motivation and enthusiasm during an extended work term? Read Charmaine's blog on getting your motivation level up and running during your work term.
During his co-op job, William realized that he needed to build healthy life-long habits for his long career ahead. Below is a short list of small things he does combat body deterioration for the 9 to 5 office-life.
The Indigenous Student Centre has collaborated with Residence and Housing to pilot the Indigenous Student Cultural House (ISCH), a new living and learning community available SFU Residence (Burnaby Campus).
SFU alumnus, Eric Cai provides his insights and reflections of the journey to work after graduation, discussing challenges faced and goals reached along the way.
Remember the flood of emails you ignored as a student? Well, turning a blind eye doesn't fly in the office place. Miranda shares useful tips on how to avoid being overwhelmed by reading and deleting!
Ever wondered what makes the difference between a consumer-level product and an industrial one? Read on and find out some of the key differences that make industrial level products stand out in reliability.
Kim began her co-op work term at BlackBerry despite having never applied for the position. This opportunity sparked her interest in tech, which resulted in an extension and job rotation. In this article, Kim presents 3 reasons why you too should accept a co-op extension and job rotation.
Emily Taylor, senior Communication Co-op student, debunks 4 more misconceptions about joining Co-op in part 2 of our series. As Emily Taylor, a senior Communication Co-op student says, "Reality check: a degree doesn’t guarantee a job. Vancouver communications, marketing and writing jobs aren’t waiting for you in the stands at Convocation. You’ve got to hunt for them, and Co-op is your open door. "
Professional development in contemporary arts, in a post-secondary setting, is problematic. What is the responsibility of the university? What does professional development for artists look like? Kevin answers these questions and more.
Once you land a job, the skills you’ve learned in your classes make surprising appearances in the workforce. Discover how Rebecca’s ability to navigate university helped her attain co-op success!
If you identify with my story, then here are some tips that helped me reach my goals, and I hope they will help you to work on your goals – whatever they may be -- while enjoying your life.
Six students from the School for the Contemporary Arts worked with the Capture Photography Festival on a public art project titled "Lying Stills: Constructing Truth with Photography". Read about their contributions to this exciting project!
A recap of the third Action Talk event held at SFU Woodward’s.
In this article, Charlene provides us with some hard-hitting truths about co-op and what it means to think positively when applying for a position.
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.
Matthew enters his fourth year with a newfound perspective on graduation. His time working for SFU Career and Volunteer Services has taught him that when it comes to education, there should be no rush. Here, he shares his top 3 reasons why!
Jobs in the federal government are well-paid, interesting, and a great springboard for your career. They are also very hard to get. Diana shares these six tips that could help you land your dream job in the Federal Government.
Truth be told, finding the first co-op job can take a very long time. Don’t panic! Here are 5 tips to help keep you on track, motivated and increase your competitiveness in your co-op job search.