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.
Be Inspired: Maximize Your Academic Opportunities
First Year
- Complete Leadership courses – Leadership Foundations, Communication Skills for Leadership and/or Organizational Leadership and your Introductory seminar.
- Build critical thinking and communication skills by completing two of the four required Foundations courses in your first year.
- Earn certificates with Learning Skills and Development.
Middle Years
- Explore courses in related areas of study and begin thinking about a minor or an option from other innovative programs available in Brantford.
- Complete your remaining Foundations courses.
- Submit your academic work to Bridges: An Undergraduate Journal for Contemporary Connections for a chance to be published.
- Consider taking social innovation or entrepreneurship courses.
Final Year
- Learn about Research and Instructional Assistantships.
- Complete the capstone courses in Humanities and Leadership.
- Thinking of furthering your education?
- Visit the Career Centre and talk to your professors.
- Sign up for a scholarship proposal writing workshop or book a writing consultation for help with your funding proposals.
- Consider interdisciplinary graduate programs such as Laurier's Master of Arts in Social Justice and Community Engagement.
Be Involved: Explore Work, Volunteer and Leadership Experience
First Year
- Attend O-Week events.
- Join student clubs such as the Faculty of Liberal Arts Students' Society, the Human and Social Sciences 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 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
- Get involved in the Youth Leaders on Board initiative that matches undergraduate students with non-profit boards seeking a youth perspective.
- Apply for the Faculty of Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research apprenticeship program to work on a specialized project with a faculty member.
- Volunteer to be an O-Week Icebreaker and welcome incoming first years.
- Connect with local organizations to learn about volunteer opportunities.
- Contribute to Laurier’s biweekly newspaper, The Sputnik, or submit a creative piece to Blueprint Magazine.
- Participate in Sandbox workshops and attend the Entrepreneur Speaker Series.
Final Year
- Apply for an executive/coordinator position with a student club or committee.
- Connect with employers and learn about job opportunities through the Graduating Student Employment Service.
- Look into the LaunchPad program for the opportunity to launch an innovative new venture.
- Take advantage of the Edna Staebler Writer-in-Residence program and refine your writing skills through events, lectures, workshops and one-on-one meetings with a resident writer.
- 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 travelling abroad on one of History's international study tours.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
Experience Checklist
- 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, The Hub, Residence, Bookstore, 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 laurier.tenthousandcoffees.com 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 Humanities with Leadership Foundations.