Supplementing your U of L Experience

Getting to know your profs: Developing a professional relationship with your professors is very important especially if you plan on pursuing Graduate Studies. Getting to know your prof’s allows you to observe their particular expertise, and it may turn out to be something you are interested in as well. An easy way to approach professors is to talk to them after class, or make an appointment to see them if you are unclear on some of the material being covered in class. Another way students interact with their professors is through the ‘‘Meet the Prof Night’’, where you are given a chance to mingle with the professors from your department at a dinner (usually pizza and beer). This is a good to do especially when you are just starting out at the University, as many of the professors you meet will end up teaching a class of yours at one point or another.


Independent Studies: Independent studies are a great way to expand your knowledge on a particular area of interest you may have. The studies may be taken for credit, and can be inside or outside your major, or in an interdisciplinary approach. Independent studies usually consist of conducting research, or doing fieldwork, and you can find information about these from your department or pick up a form from the Registrars Office. There is a limit to the number of studies you can do, so make sure to check your degree requirements.


Applied Studies: Applied studies offer students a chance to earn academic credit through employment or volunteer services. They are a great opportunity to gain experience in your related area of study. There are specific requirements in order to be able to take part in an applied study, and you can find out more information about this by visiting the Co-operative Education/Applied Studies office in B610, or drop by your faculties office.


Research: One way to gain experience in your particular area of study is to participate in research experiments. Many times professors will ask the class to participate in an experiment they are conducting, and there will sometimes be incentives, such as extra marks in that class, or even cash incentives. Sometimes students are asked to be research assistants as well, and they assist the professor in coordinating the experiment. This can prove to be very valuable as it is a way to observe how professors at the University conduct their work, and potentially what you could be doing one day.


Co-operative Education (Co-op): Co-op is a great opportunity to acquire paid work experience in a field that you are interested in. The program strives to link students with the University and employers so that students can take advantage of the diverse employment opportunities being offered. The program alternates academic periods with work experience periods to encourage individuals to be well rounded.
These are just a few of the benefits the Co-op program provides:

▪ It helps students develop skills valuable for future work experience or graduate school
▪ It enables students to experience the application of their discipline and make a more informed decision on their career direction
▪ It assists students in the making the transition from University to the workplace
▪ During a Co-op work term students maintain full time student status, with respect to financial loans and scholarships, the Student Union health and dental plan, and also registration privileges.
▪ Students who complete the program graduate with the Co-operative Education designation on their degree/transcript. This is extremely useful, as many times employers will select applicants who have this designation over those who do not. This is because the Co-op designation tells employers that you have more work related experience, which is very important in many professions.

More information about the Co-op program can be found at the Arts and Science Co-operative Education office in B610, by email, artsci.coop@uleth.ca, or check out the website at http://home.uleth.ca/bsc-cop/
The Management Co-operative Education office can be contacted at mngt.coop@uleth.ca