This Spring 2018 semester will be my second semester at SFU, having transferred from Kwantlen Polytechnic University, or KPU, in September 2017. So far, I have been making every bit of my undergrad count, as I did not receive many of the following opportunities back at my previous post-secondary institution. When I am not paying attention in lecture or catching the 145 bus at full capacity, I am either socializing with friends in SFU CAC, producing design collateral within the SFU community, or of course, writing my next article for Her Campus SFU.
Balancing a full course load, participating in endless student clubs and organizations, and working part-time may seem daunting to many, including me. I still look back every once in a while, and think, “Wow, how do I have the time and energy to do all of these things?” All of these commitments has certainly taught me a few things in my life as a transfer student. These can range from the mundane and factual, to lessons I can incorporate into my long-term goals and habits.
Transfer students make up a good portion of the student population at SFU. I would say that 1 in 5 people I have met in my undergraduate career have transferred from a previous college or university, primarily hailing from various BC post-secondary institutions such as Langara, Capilano, and even UBC. There are many changes you have to be mindful of and watch out as of now, and these are some of the things I’ve learned as a transfer student.
1. Yes, you have to attend BOTH the lecture AND the lab or tutorial
Back at Kwantlen, you only had to attend a lecture, which is usually three hours in length and occurs once a week. Here at SFU, you have to attend BOTH the lecture AND the lab or tutorial. These components are meant to aide students on the content that is being taught in lecture, and usually, if you have an in-class activity or assignment that is due, it needs to be handed in there. A month into Fall semester, and I thought to myself, “Oh, no wonder a professor can’t mark 100+ papers within a week.”
And because you have to select both parts when you are choosing your courses on go.sfu.ca, you also need to plan out your schedule accordingly. When will I have the time to commit to a school club or activity? What days am I able to work at my job? At Kwantlen, I could work up to 4 days in a week, because all I ever did was attend class and go home. Now that I am at SFU, those days are shortened to 2-3 working days in a week.
2. You can’t just walk from one side of the campus to the other in five minutes
It was so convenient for me, during a lecture break, to walk from my class to the cafeteria at Kwantlen to grab a snack, and walk back to class in less than five minutes. With five minutes at SFU, you can probably walk from West Mall and just reach the stairs at AQ. Knowing this also meant that I needed to plan out how much time I could get to my classes and meetings. For example, I have back-to-back classes on Thursdays, so when my first class ends at 12:20 PM at C9002, I have ten minutes to head over to my next class at AQ3181. What I do is sit near the entrance, so when lecture is over, I can be out the door and on my way to my next lecture.
3. Also, you can’t just wait at Transportation Centre and expect to get on the 145
Other than UBC, where they have probably 10 different bus stops scattered throughout campus, I thought SFU would only have 1 bus loop. Nope, no wonder why the 145 is always packed during peak hours and I have to wait five minutes for the next 145 to arrive. It is always worth it to wait for your bus at the Transportation Exchange near Blusson Hall and Cornerstone and grab an empty seat there.
4. Grading is harder
When people say that SFU has the hardest grading system in Canada, they weren’t kidding. An A- at Kwantlen fell between 80-84%, while an A- at SFU started at 85%. Subjectively, profs and TAs will tend to mark harder too. I remember for a Communications course I took, I had to write a paper that I thought was stellar – I found more than enough of the required number of sources and got a classmate to read over my draft once, but my mark back for that paper proved wrong.
5. You will have to campus hop at least once in your time at SFU
SFU is the only university I know of that has multiple campuses that can be easily accessible by transit. Because we have so many different and unique faculties, programs, and courses, some of these can be found at all three campuses, or only at one campus. The School of Interactive Arts and Technology, or SIAT, is only exclusive to Surrey and all IAT classes must be taken at the Surrey campus. Sometimes, campus hopping can be brutally exhausting, but each campus has its own perks – the Vancouver campus is located near Waterfront Skytrain station and it is near many iconic stores and restaurants, the Surrey campus is located near Surrey Central Skytrain station and is inside a shopping mall, and the Burnaby campus is the main hub for all things SFU related.