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 experiential learning activities that work well with your program.
Be Inspired: Maximize Your Academic Opportunities
First Year
- Take Women and Gender Studies courses and explore other programs of interest.
- Review your program requirements and plan for a successful degree path.
- Learn about co-op – apply at the end of your first year.
Middle Years
- Explore courses in related areas of study and begin thinking about a minor or an option to complement your degree.
- Submit your academic work to the Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts for a chance to be published.
- Complete a project within the Diversity and Equity Office related to one of your courses.
- Consider taking social entrepreneurship or entrepreneurship courses.
- Meet with your academic advisor to make key academic decisions, including declaring your second major.
Final Year
- Learn about Research or Instructional Assistantship opportunities in Women and Gender Studies.
- Complete the capstone course to study one area in depth and conduct independent research in an area of your choice.
- 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 proposal.
Be Involved: Explore Work, Volunteer and Leadership Experience
First Year
- Join student clubs such as the Women and Gender Studies Student Association, Not My Laurier: Golden Hawks Combating Gender Violence, HER Campus, LSPIRG or a special interest club. Or create your own!
- Participate in residence leadership opportunities or attend LOCUS events.
- Contribute to Laurier’s weekly newspaper, The Cord, or submit a creative piece to Blueprint Magazine.
- Look for opportunities to engage in events that promote diversity both on campus and in the community.
- Explore your interests by volunteering on campus (e.g., Sustainability Office, Schlegel Centre's Innovation Squad, peer programs, Students' Union and more).
- Join intramural sports or participate in recreational activities.
Middle Years
- Be a note taker through the Accessible Learning Centre.
- Seek part-time job opportunities such as Laurier's Work-Study Program.
- Get involved with roundtable discussions and research panels.
- Connect with local organizations and learn about volunteer opportunities.
- Look for campus leadership opportunities through an experiential-learning course.
- Attend film screenings organized by the department and student groups.
Final Year
- Apply for an executive position in an on-campus club.
- Attend the Career and Job Fairs to network with employers.
- Look into the LaunchPad program for the opportunity to discover, validate and launch an innovative new venture.
- Join Women's and Gender Studies et Recherches Feministes (WGSRF) as a student member.
Be Engaged: Broaden Your Perspective
First Year
- Visit the Diversity and Equity Office (DEO) and become a member of the student service provider groups (e.g., Rainbow Centre, Centre for Women and Trans People*, Aboriginal Student Centre, Multi-Faith Resource Centre).
- Join a student working group in the DEO to complete gendered violence training.
- Visit Laurier International to learn about international options available to you to enrich your university experience.
- Complete the Intercultural Effectiveness Certificate to build your intercultural competence and global perspective.
Middle Years
- Consider enrolling in a language course.
- Visit Laurier International’s Global Kitchen or Soup Tuesday at the Indigenous Student Centre.
- Consider the Alternative Reading Week trip with Habitat for Humanity.
- Attend the Library Learning Commons Culture Series.
- Study abroad for an academic term.
Final Year
- Complete the Diversity Certificate.
- Consider attending the Ashoka U Exchange.
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
- Discover the Library – librarians can help you find and evaluate scholarly information for your assignments.
- Book a career consulting appointment to explore career options in the context of your academic studies.
- Complete the Student Awards scholarship and bursary applications on LORIS.
- Visit the Writing Centre and Study Skills to get feedback on your work, develop your learning skills, and further enhance your writing.
- Attend the Further Education Fair to learn about postgraduate programs.
- Apply to graduate and attend convocation to celebrate your success.
Experience Checklist
- Get involved with the Students’ Union (e.g., Foot Patrol, EcoHawks, Food Bank, Healthy Lifestyles, Shinerama).
- Apply for part-time jobs on campus (e.g., Athletics and Recreation, Wilf’s, Residence, Bookstore, peer programs, and more).
- Have your resumé reviewed in the Career Centre.
- Earn your Career Development Certificate.
- Be a changemaker – visit the Purpose Lab and get involved in social innovation.
- Get to know the location of the Wellness Centre for emotional, mental and physical health support.
- Create a profile on LinkedIn and laurier.tenthousandcoffees.com to connect with Laurier alumni.
- Add co-curricular activities to your Laurier Experience Record.
- Network with alumni at career events to gain insight into possible career paths.
- Apply to part-time, summer and full-time jobs for after graduation through the Career Centre’s Navigator portal.
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 a degree in Women and Gender Studies.