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Experience Guide
Make the most out of your university career by taking advantage of all that Laurier has to offer you. Volunteer work, campus clubs, leadership programs, studying abroad, work experience – there are so many ways you can extend your classroom experience into the real world.
Year-to-Year Experience Guides
The following is a year-to-year outline of the kinds of experiences that work well with your program.
While your Laurier experience will look different in a remote environment, many of the experiences below are being offered virtually. The links below will be updated as virtual offerings are confirmed.
- History Hist Click this tab to view content pertaining to History
- Ancient Studies Anct Click this tab to view content pertaining to Ancient Studies
- Graduate Grad Click this tab to view content pertaining to Graduate
Be Inspired: Maximize Your Academic Opportunities
First Year
- Take required History courses and explore other programs of interest.
- Learn about co-op – apply at the end of your first year.
- Live in the history-themed Residence Learning Community to enhance your academic and social success.
- Earn the Writing Certificate.
Middle Years
- Explore courses in related areas of study and begin thinking about a minor or an option to complement your degree.
- Complete a course with a Community Service-Learning component.
- Consider taking social entrepreneurship or entrepreneurship courses.
- Consider enrolling in Digital Humanities courses to complete the Applied Digital option.
- Volunteer or attend public lectures at the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies.
- Consider enrolling in courses such as Selling History: Business and Corporate Heritage to participate in an experiential learning opportunity with a private sector industry partner.
Final Year
- Learn about Research Assistantship opportunities in History.
- Consider registering for a capstone seminar experience by taking a one-credit Reading and Research seminar (required for all honours History students).
- Submit your academic work to the Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts for a chance to be published.
- Thinking of pursuing graduate school?
- Talk to your professors and visit the Career Centre.
- Sign up for a scholarship proposal writing workshop or book a writing consultation for help with your funding proposals.
- Attend the Tri-University Graduate Conference.
Be Involved: Explore Work, Volunteer and Leadership Experience
First Year
- Join student clubs such as the History Students’ Association, Laurier Historical Theatre Society, Laurier Pre-Law Society or a special interest club. Or create your own!
- Participate in events and skills-based workshops with your residence or off-campus LOCUS community.
- Explore your interests by volunteering on campus with Accessible Learning's Note-taking Program, Laurier International, Wellness Education, the Sustainability Office and more.
- Join intramural sports or sport clubs, participate in recreational activities or attend varsity games.
- Engage in the First-Year Leadership Program including Campus Councils, House Council and the Leadership Certificate.
Middle Years
- Volunteer at a local school, or look for opportunities with local museums, libraries, or the Waterloo Historical Society.
- Be a part of the Library Council or Student Advisory Group or a student representative on the department council.
- Volunteer to be an O-Week Icebreaker and welcome incoming first years.
- Learn to write articles, draw illustrations or take photographs with Laurier’s weekly newspaper, The Cord.
- Participate in Sandbox workshops and attend the Entrepreneur Speaker series.
Final Year
- Apply for an executive/coordinator position with a student club or committee.
- Look into the LaunchPad program for the opportunity to launch an innovative new venture.
- Share your Laurier experience with prospective students at open house events.
Be Engaged: Broaden Your Perspective
First Year
- Get involved with the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
- Visit Laurier International to learn about international options available to you.
- Complete the Intercultural Certificate with Laurier International.
- Engage in training on consent, bystander intervention and disclosure provided through Gendered and Sexual Violence Prevention Support.
Middle Years
- Consider enrolling in a language course.
- Gather for Soup Tuesday at the Indigenous Student Centre.
- Register for a travel course to places like Russia, France, China or Poland.
- Become a Global Engagement Student Ambassador.
- Complete the Diversity Certificate.
- Study abroad for an academic term.
Final Year
- Consider the Alternative Reading Week trip with Habitat for Humanity.
- Participate in Indigenous Education Week.
- Earn your Certificate in Accessibility with Accessible Learning.
Be Inspired: Maximize Your Academic Opportunities
First Year
- Take Ancient Studies courses and explore other programs of interest.
- Learn about co-op – apply at the end of your first year.
- Earn the Writing Certificate.
Middle Years
- Explore courses in related areas of study and begin thinking about a minor or an option to complement your degree.
- Consider taking social entrepreneurship or entrepreneurship courses.
Final Year
- Complete your capstone seminar – an opportunity to gain hands-on research experience and develop professional writing and presentation skills.
- Submit your academic work to the Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts for a chance to be published.
- Thinking of pursuing graduate school?
- Talk to your professors and visit the Career Centre.
- Sign up for a scholarship proposal writing workshop or book a writing consultation for help with your funding proposals.
Be Involved: Explore Work, Volunteer and Leadership Experience
First Year
- Attend O-Week events.
- Join student clubs such as the History Students’ Association or a special interest club. Or create your own!
- Participate in events and skills-based workshops with your residence or off-campus LOCUS community.
- Explore your interests by volunteering on campus with Accessible Learning's Note-taking Program, Laurier International, Wellness Education, the Sustainability Office and more.
- Join intramural sports or sport clubs, participate in recreational activities and attend varsity games.
- Engage in the First-Year Leadership Program including Campus Councils, House Council and the Leadership Certificate.
Middle Years
- Visit the Laurier Centre for Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies.
- Volunteer to be an O-Week Icebreaker and welcome incoming first years.
- Connect with local organizations such as a school or museum to learn about volunteer opportunities.
- Learn to write articles, draw illustrations or take photographs with Laurier’s weekly newspaper, The Cord.
- Be a student representative on the Ancient Studies advisory committee.
- Participate in Sandbox workshops and attend the Entrepreneur Speaker series.
Final Year
- Learn about Research Assistantship opportunities in Ancient Studies or History.
- Look into the LaunchPad program for the opportunity to launch an innovative new venture.
- Apply for an executive/coordinator position with a student club or committee.
- Share your Laurier experience with prospective students at open house events.
Be Engaged: Broaden Your Perspective
First Year
- Get involved with the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
- Visit Laurier International to learn about international options available to you.
- Complete the Intercultural Certificate with Laurier International.
- Engage in training on consent, bystander intervention and disclosure provided through Gendered and Sexual Violence Prevention Support.
Middle Years
- Consider enrolling in a language course.
- Become a Global Engagement Student Ambassador.
- Complete the Diversity Certificate.
- Gather for Soup Tuesday at the Indigenous Student Centre.
- Look into travel course options offered in the spring term in places such as Russia, France or China.
Final Year
- Consider the Alternative Reading Week trip with Habitat for Humanity.
- Participate in Indigenous Education Week.
- Earn your Certificate in Accessibility with Accessible Learning.
Your graduate degree at Laurier will take you in many different directions and prepare you to be a leader in both your field and community. Your Laurier experience includes many opportunities to engage both in and outside the classroom.
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies provides academic leadership, administrative support and program advice to all graduate students. There are also scholarships and financial awards, fellowships and other teaching and research assistantship positions that you can access during your time at Laurier.
Graduate students gain knowledge about professional skill development through Laurier’s ASPIRE program. This program provides a framework for you to design an extracurricular learning plan for navigating your professional journey and entry to the workplace. There are also teaching certificates, career development workshops and other skill development opportunities.
The Graduate Students’ Association provides many services and supports with a focus on wellness. They provide various opportunities to be involved and contribute to the Laurier community.
The Laurier graduate school experience is more than research and scholarship – it’s about becoming an engaged citizen and applying your advanced knowledge to real-world problems.
Checklists
Completing the checklists below will also help ensure your academic, professional, and personal success during your time at Laurier – and beyond.
Academic Success Checklist
- Plan for a successful degree path by meeting with your academic advisor and reviewing your progression requirements on MyDegree.
- Visit your professors during their office hours.
- Discover the Library – librarians can help you find and evaluate scholarly information for your assignments.
- Complete the Academic Integrity module in MyLearningSpace.
- Utilize the Online Assignment Planner.
- Book a career consulting appointment to explore career options.
- Complete the Student Awards scholarship and bursary applications on LORIS.
- Access the Wellness Centre for emotional, mental and physical health services.
- Visit the Writing & Learning Lab to further enhance your writing, develop learning skills to become a better student and learn how to be successful with difficult courses.
- Attend the Further Education Fair to learn about postgraduate programs.
- Apply to graduate and attend convocation to celebrate your success.
Experience Checklist
- Volunteer with the Students’ Union (e.g., Foot Patrol, EcoHawks, Food Bank, Emergency Response Team, Shinerama).
- Have your resumé and LinkedIn profile reviewed in the Career Centre.
- Apply for on-campus jobs (e.g., Athletics and Recreation, Bookstore, Library, Residence, writing tutor, and more).
- Enhance your money management skills and confidence by completing the Money Management Certificate.
- Attend the Career and Job Fairs to network with employers.
- Earn your Career Development Certificate.
- Create a profile on Ten Thousand Coffees to connect with Laurier alumni.
- Earn the Wellness Education Certificate.
- Learn to think like an entrepreneur and be a changemaker through opportunities with the Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation.
- Feed your curiosity and ideas through exploration in Laurier’s makerspaces.
- Reflect on your co-curricular experiences for your Laurier Experience Record.
- Network with alumni at career events to gain insight into possible career paths.
- Apply to jobs through Navigator for summer, part-time or full-time work after graduation.
Career Opportunities
When you're ready to start thinking about your life after graduation, you should check out the career and postgraduate options for people with degrees in History or Ancient Studies.