- Apply
- Requirements
- Programs
- Fees & Scholarships
- Tours & Events
- Student Experience
- Residence
- Connect with Us
Hear from SFU Students
The SFU community is made up of insightful, diverse voices who come from different backgrounds and all walks of life. If you're wondering what it's like to be a student here, listen to what actual SFU students have to say about their experiences!
The Student Experience
Hear from Matthew, Kevin, Salea, Natesh, Prashan and Bren about why they chose to study at SFU and how it shapes their student experience:
"The difference between other schools and SFU is that it has a good balance between practicality and a traditional university, and that's what I value the most coming here. And I wasn't disappointed."
DEVELOPING A SUSTAINABLE CAREER: TIANNA SEQUEIRA
Tianna decided to study in SFU’s School of Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) because she wanted to gain hands-on experience tackling environmental issues. She appreciated that the program was based around current research and was excited by the opportunity to learn skills in engineering and science alongside coursework in environmental policy, resource management, and entrepreneurship.
When she first transferred to SEE, an early assignment challenged her group to develop a new product to solve a problem in sustainability. They responded by developing usable new composting technology out of a discarded bread maker, giving Tianna inspiration for how to approach future career aspirations.
She recognized that SEE's focus on problem solving, communication, and building prototypes as a team was ideal training for an emerging field that relies on innovation and collaboration.
“I found that my vision really aligned with my peers in SEE. I thought, ‘These are the people I want to be working with.’ Our driving question is how can we decrease the impact our technology has on the Earth?
I’ve always wanted to work in aerospace, but I want to do so by bringing a clean tech and environmental perspective to the industry. Clean tech in aerospace is a growing field with a lot of potential. Now I am about to start an eight-month co-op at Space Engine Systems in Edmonton working on sustainable methods for rockets.”
An Interdisciplinary Education
Hear from Ruby, Matthew, Prashan and Emma about what an interdisciplinary education at SFU means to them:
"It's important that SFU is interdisciplinary because it allows you to not only explore things you're interested in, but also to include multiple perspectives."
"You can interact with people you don't normally interact with... there's a lot of opportunity to learn from different fields while you're here."
Finding Unexpected Opportunities: GOLROKH NOURI
Golrokh came to SFU to compete as a wrestler and study mathematics in the Faculty of Science. After an on-campus work opportunity unexpectedly provided a valuable lesson about career aspirations, a professor advised her to apply her math background to anything she wanted.
Her interest in neuroscience and pharmacology led to work on federally funded research, using her math skills to improve our understanding of drug tolerance. Thanks to this independent research, Golrokh discovered a new passion and unlocked new career goals.
“Individual independent research taught me all the things I didn’t think I needed. Once you initiate it, everyone is there to help. They either have the answers, or they tell you where to get them. I feel so lucky to have had that opportunity. I didn’t think it was something I could do.”
Stepping up during the pandemic : Sharon Kular
When Faculty of Health Sciences student Sharon saw that she could apply to work for the Fraser Health Authority as a co-op student during the pandemic, she jumped at the chance. Not only was she able to support Fraser Health’s response, but she also eventually oversaw general operations at a vaccine clinic.
Sharon has gone on to mentor incoming SFU Health Sciences students, further volunteer work with the Fraser Health Authority, and a job at BC Children’s Hospital. She recognizes that her vital field experience informed her ongoing studies and her aspirations to become a doctor.