Q & A with Erik Makinen

Tell us a little bit about yourself.  Where did you go to high school/college?  What program are you in at SFU and what led to your interest in this program?

My name is Erik Makinen, I’m a Human Geography major at SFU and completing a certificate in urban studies and GIS. A proud graduate of Sir Winston Churchill Secondary’s IB diploma program, I was drawn to SFU thanks to a combination of its renowned co-op program, emphasis on interdisciplinary learning opportunities, and adaptable learning environment. Although this combination of interests always landed me within the Department of Geography, I started out in the GES program, before developing a passion cities and the complex relationships within them, ultimately leading me to switch to Human Geo.

Are you involved in any extra-curricular and/or volunteer activities and how do these contribute to your experience as a student?

My student experience at SFU has been fundamentally defined by my experience in extra-curricular student volunteering. Having heard about the various opportunities for student volunteering at events like Welcome Day, and having chatted briefly with some student volunteers themselves, at the beginning of my second week at SFU I wrote the Geography Student Union (GSU) asking for more information on how to get involved. When drafting my initial message, I never imagined it would amount to much. It would, as it turns out, go onto change everything. Four years later, I am a GSU Co-Chair, my fifth executive position within the Union, as well as a member of the Faculty of Environment Student Leadership Team (SLT) and a Faculty peer mentor (EnvironMentor). In these various roles, I have been fortunate enough to have gone on academic trips across BC and Oregon state, presented at student conferences, and organized dozens of student social events for the geography community. In my tenure at SFU, my involvement with the GSU has been the catalyst for my most cherished memories, closest friendships, and memorable moments.

What have you enjoyed most about your SFU experience so far?

To date, the thing I’ve enjoyed most about my time at SFU are the new experiences it has introduced me to. From foods, to music, places, or experiences, I have been very fortunate to have found friends and a community which relishes in experimentation and trying new things. Academically, it has been a similar story. The trajectory of my studies has been fundamentally reshaped by ideas which, before my time in geography, I never knew existed. Now, though, I wouldn’t want to be studying anything else.

What have you found most challenging about the transition to university studies and how have you worked to overcome this?

There is a lyric in a favourite song of mine which laments how ‘freedom is a kind of prison’ – a sentiment I experienced first-hand during my initial transition to University. In a way, moving from the comparatively hyper-structured high school regiment of eight-hour class blocks and near daily assignments to the more flexible timetable offered by university was very liberating. While there were still routine commitments I had to maintain (attend classes, submit assignments, etc.), the amount of structured time they occupied in a day had been slashed. Suddenly, with all this free time, I realized I had a different dilemma: How to balance everything on my own terms. In a way, this is still a question I – and everyone else, to some extent – continues to contend with. That being said, in the time since starting at SFU, I have found a few strategies to be helpful. First, creating a routine to help self-introduce structure helps go a long way towards ensuring all aspects in life remain balanced (assignments, time with friends, extra curriculars, so on). With that, maintaining a running calendar is a super helpful tool for mapping out everything to be assessed and tweaked as needed. Though I somewhat stumbled across these solutions by trial and error, they’ve proven pivotal to my success at University – both in academics and achieving good work-life balance.

What have you learned and/or what skills/knowledge have you developed through your program at SFU?

In my time at SFU, the extent of my learning has been somewhat immeasurable in its breadth and value. That being said, here are among my top three biggest takeaways. First, the skill of conversation. As strange as it may seem, the power to walk up to anyone and strike up a conversation – even with a line as simple as ‘hi, my name is Erik, what’s yours?’ – has been truly revolutionary for me. At SFU, I’ve been fortunate to have encountered so many unique, interesting, and amazing people. Learning to get to know them better, consequently, has been one of my lessons. Along those lines, the second most valuable skill I have learned is how to effectively listen. Whether in conversation or in lecture, people often say significantly more than just the sum of their words. Learning how to think critically about the intention, meaning, and background of every idea or statement has revolutionized my way of thinking and understanding the world – much for the better, I might add. Lastly, a bit out of left field, the most exciting technical skill I have learned is that (broadly speaking) of geographic information science (GIS). Although by no means yet an expert, GIS was an entirely new discipline introduced to me at SFU. Over the course of my degree, however, my introduction to the discipline has fundamentally changed the direction of my academic and professional career. At its core, GIS is the scientific application of spatial mapping technologies to help visually communicate geographic information – and, to my mind, is one of the coolest fields of geography you can study.

What advice do you have for future students in this program?

To any future SFU students, especially in Geography, I have two key pieces of advice. On the academic side, my suggestion is simple: Take nothing for granted. Ever wonder why a particular thing is the way it is, no matter how big or how small? Ask about it. Ask yourself, your friends, your professors, anyone who will give you an answer. Be careful, though, since once you start asking good questions, the more you learn how much more there is to learn, and soon you may never will be able to stop! Follow this advice, and your academic journey will take you to corners of the world you may never have otherwise even known existed – but which now that you’ve found them, you can’t imagine doing anything else.

Second, to make the most of your social life at SFU, do yourself the favour of getting involved with the student volunteering. Regardless of what your level of commitment looks like, from a full-time exec to attending one event every semester, getting involved is one of the best ways to try new things, enjoy memorable experiences, and make friendships that will last a lifetime. But don’t just take my word for it: At graduation, the most common feedback we hear, year after year, ‘I wish I’d gotten involved sooner…’. So, do your future self a favour, and get started as early as you can!