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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.
First Year
- Take Game Design and Development courses and explore other programs of interest through electives.
- Complete Foundations courses in your first two years.
- Explore game concepts for organizations of interest and develop prototypes of these ideas.
- Join the Game Changers Residence Learning Cluster to enhance your academic and social success.
- Earn certificates with Learning Skills & Development.
Middle Years
- Explore courses in related areas of study and begin thinking about a minor or an option to complement your degree.
- Explore digital game concepts (second year) and mobile game prototypes (third year) related to your game ideas from first year.
- Register for a project management course.
- Consider taking social innovation or entrepreneurship courses.
Final Year
- Collaborate with a community partner to design a game for your capstone project.
- 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.
First Year
- Attend O-Week events.
- Join student clubs such as the Game Design and Development Student Association (GDDSA), Game On or a special interest club. Or create your own!
- Participate in events and skills-based workshops with your residence or off-campus LOCUS community.
- Participate in Game Jams – develop a game in a short period of time to meet the goals of an organization.
- Attend the Community Engagement Fair in September.
- 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 or club sports, or participate in recreational activities.
- Engage in the First-Year Leadership Program including Campus Councils, House Council and the Leadership Certificate.
Middle Years
- Work with a team of students on a game design experience with BGNlab or a game organization over the summer.
- Develop games/game-based events for student organizations and community partners to run.
- Volunteer to be an O-Week Icebreaker and welcome incoming first years.
- Connect with local organizations to learn about volunteer opportunities.
- Participate in Designer Days to test your designs, try other prototypes, and build your professional network.
- Participate in Sandbox workshops and attend the Entrepreneur Speaker series.
- Contribute to Laurier’s biweekly newspaper, The Sputnik, or submit a creative piece to Blueprint Magazine.
Final Year
- Look into the LaunchPad program for the opportunity to launch your game.
- Apply for an executive/coordinator position with a student club or committee.
- Develop a game with a real-world impact in partnership with an organization.
- Take part in internal and external game design competitions.
- Plan for completing your Project Management certification.
- Share your Laurier experience with prospective students at open house events.
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
- Gather for Soup Tuesday at the Indigenous Student Centre.
- Become a Global Engagement Student Ambassador.
- Study abroad for an academic term.
- Complete the Diversity Certificate.
Final Year
- Participate in Indigenous Education Week.
- Earn your Certificate in Accessibility with Accessible Learning.
- Create a piece to participate in the Diversity Art Series.
- Consider the Alternative Reading Week trip with Habitat for Humanity.
Checklists
Completing the checklists below will also help ensure your academic, professional, and personal success during your time at Laurier – and beyond.
- 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.
- 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 Learning Skills and Development 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.
- Volunteer with the Students’ Union (e.g., EcoHawks, Emergency Response Team, Food Bank, Foot Patrol, Shinerama).
- Have your resumé and LinkedIn profile reviewed in the Career Centre.
- Apply for on-campus jobs (e.g., Athletics and Recreation, Residence, Laurier Work-Study Program, peer programs, 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.
- Bring your ideas to life in Laurier’s Library Makerspace or Science Maker Lab.
- 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 a degree in Game Design and Development.