Identical twin sisters Foojan and Fourouzan Jadidian have shared decisions and experiences all their life, so their choice to take the same undergraduate degree at the same university came as no surprise. The siblings are both majoring in Political Science at SFU and will complete their undergraduate degrees in fall 2014.

Foojan and Fourouzan were surprised SFU let them take the same undergraduate courses in philosophy, criminology, psychology and political science. In high school, the sisters had to take different classes and courses as teachers had few resources to check whether the twins were relying on each other to do their assignments. “Not that they suspected us of cheating. But even if we studied the same subject in different rooms we would come up with the same creative ideas,” explains Foojan.

Both sisters say they have to work harder than other students to prove themselves. They try to choose diverse topics for their assignments and projects. “It did narrow our choices, but we did it deliberately,” said Fourouzan. And they note that having the same creative mindset can have its upside too. “We could always take our exam papers back to the teachers if they marked us differently for the same mistakes.”

After graduating, the twins are aiming for a career in law. They plan to volunteer with a law firm or a political party for one year before continuing their studies. Fourouzan and Foojan are confident their undergraduate education has prepared them well for law school. They particularly enjoyed a project on gender mainstreaming, and believe the knowledge they have gained about Canada’s political system, alongside classes in criminology and psychology, will hold them in good stead for a career in immigration law or family law.

Unlike some twins, the sisters are not worried about carving out a unique identity from each other, and in fact are keen to pursue similar jobs. “Our thought process is very similar and we have the same interests. So we were not surprised when we decided to pursue the same career path,” said Fourouzan.

Since their university GPA is almost identical, as has been the case since their school days, the twins are confident of getting into the same law school, though they note it was never planned that way. “Maybe because we think alike, it reflects in our test papers as well.” The Jadidian twins are even hoping to be hired by the same company once they are lawyers, and credit their SFU experience as setting them on the path for successful law careers.