Written by Julia Yurchesyn

@juliaxemilyy

Thumbnail Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

September has come and gone, and this semester has finally found its groove. Chances are you’ve already had a study session for a quiz or test, or had an assignment due! But before it’s late into the academic year, I thought it would be useful to go over some opportunities available to undergraduate students at Saint Mary’s. It’s really easy to be hyper-focused on doing well in class work, but taking advantage of the different programs and opportunities SMU offers can help make your degree more enjoyable and fulfilling.

Co-op

The Co-op program is available to all faculties at Saint Mary’s. This program is a fantastic opportunity because you’re able to graduate with real-world work experience, which is a valuable asset for when you graduate and are entering the work-force. Also, you get to earn money, which goes a long way for university students!

Instead of traditionally having classes from September to April with a spring/summer break, co-op students switch between academic terms and work terms, to complete a total of three work terms. The website also states that a work term is typically around 12-16 weeks. Once you have completed all the necessary requirements for both your degree and the Co-op program, you will graduate with a Co-op distinction and relevant experience to add on your resume.

To be eligible, students must have completed a certain number of credit hours, declared a major, and have a certain cumulative GPA depending on the faculty they belong to. You can find more information about Saint Mary’s Co-op program and how to apply here, and you can also reach out to coop@smu.ca if you have any questions about the program. If you are planning to apply, do it soon because the deadline is October 15th, 2021!

Undergraduate Scholarships

Saint Mary’s University has the Undergraduate Scholarship Program, which allows returning students to apply in order to be considered for the scholarships available to undergraduate students. This one application puts you into consideration for all the scholarships that you are eligible for (this applies to scholarships that use this particular application system, there are certain scholarships you must apply for individually). This opportunity is a good way for students to help fund their education; you never know if you will receive an award or not unless you apply!

The application does require a personal statement, but the Writing Centre has posted resources to help students, which you can access here. The deadline for this application is typically around the end of the January-April semester, check SMU’s website later on to see when the exact date will be in 2022!

Besides the Undergraduate Scholarship Program, there are also numerous separate awards that you can apply to individually, as well as External Scholarship Programs. There are various deadlines for these awards, some being before the end of this year! All of these are worth a look because you might be eligible to apply. You can find more information about all these scholarship opportunities here.

Afficio Undergraduate Journal

SMU has an Undergraduate Publication called “Afficio”. Through SMU’s Academic Writing Awards, submitted essays that were completed during the academic year as part of coursework are considered to be published in the annual issue. This is a fantastic opportunity for every student to have their writing published, especially if you are thinking about continuing research in graduate school. Even if you do not plan on attending graduate school, why not submit an essay you’ve already completed in class?

Here is the application form from 2020 which gives some information about how submissions work. Typically the deadline will be sometime around May, although the exact date varies year-to-year. Whether you are a first- or fourth-year student, you are eligible to apply, and there are even two different levels depending on how many credit hours you have completed. All this information and more is laid out in the 2020 Application form here.

If you complete a paper this year that you are particularly proud of, why not consider submitting it to SMU’s Academic Writing Awards?

Study Abroad

Have you been waiting for an opportunity to travel and see other parts of the world? Well, SMU has exciting university exchange opportunities with numerous institutions all over the world, allowing students the option to complete some of their degree requirements outside of Canada.

For many of these exchanges, you would still be paying your regular tuition to SMU instead of the host university, also known as a tuition-swap. This tends to be much more inexpensive than applying to other universities as an international student. Some of the fees that could be associated with studying abroad are (but not limited to) airtravel, applicable visa/passport fees, food and accommodation, health insurance and the various fees that are associated with your program. The good news is that there is funding available for SMU students who have been accepted into the exchange program, which you can learn more about here.

Besides having the opportunity to travel and study in a completely different part of the world, studies have shown that study abroad experience is particularly useful when it comes to your career and finding a job post-graduation. It helps you grow as a person by experiencing a completely different culture and way of life, and acquire skills on how to adapt when problems arise. Studying abroad is a worthwhile opportunity for anyone who feels up for new experiences and diversifying their degree.

The SMU Journal has published an informative article all about SMU’s Study Abroad Program which you can access here. Additionally, If you are interested in the Study Abroad program at SMU or have any questions, you can email the office at global@smu.ca, and visit their website here.

Societies

Finally, another opportunity you can take advantage of as a SMUdent are the societies located right here on campus. Societies are a great way to be involved within the university, especially if you don’t live on campus. They help connect you with other students and provide extracurricular activities to help broaden your university experience.

SMUSA has a list of active societies that you can access here. If none of the currently active societies pique your interest, why not start one? You can find more details about how to start a society recognized by SMUSA here. Not only does involvement with societies provide you with experience you can add to your resume, you can also keep track of your involvement through your Co-Curricular record.

Research

If you’re interested in enhancing your education and diving deeper into your chosen discipline, pursuing research opportunities during your undergraduate degree might be something to consider. Conducting research allows you to explore different areas of study within your subject, and also develop useful skills that you would use if you’re planning on pursuing further education.

Often, professors in the sciences recruit students to assist in conducting their own research, which usually involves being in a lab. Regardless if you’re studying science or not, if you were to pursue an Honours degree, this is a fantastic opportunity to develop your own research topic.

Hopefully, this article highlighted a few opportunities available to SMUdents that you were unaware of or not familiar with! Remember to enjoy your time at university - your interests and passions are important! And finally, stay tuned for more university articles coming your way.

If there are any university topics you would find useful and would like to see an article on, feel free to reach out to me at julia.yurchesyn@smu.ca. I would love to hear from you!

References

https://www.smu.ca/academics/apply-for-coop.html

https://www.smu.ca/academics/coop-education.html

https://www.smu.ca/academics/coop-faqs.html

https://www.smu.ca/academics/undergraduate-aid-and-awards.html##USBA

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58d01deed482e982a9e679b5/t/5df92a2eed48ee53ff57102b/1576610351364/Writing+Award+Guidelines+and+Submission+Form_2020.pdf

https://studio.smu.ca/intl-funding

https://studio.smu.ca/global-opportunities/exchange

https://www.universityaffairs.ca/features/feature-article/staying-home-study-abroad/

https://www.thesmujournal.ca/university/want-to-study-abroad-heres-a-global-opportunity-for-you

https://www.smusa.ca/get-involved/societies/active-societies/

https://www.smusa.ca/get-involved/societies/start-a-society/