“What’s the difference between SoSy and computer science?” is probably the number one question we get asked at SoSy events, when speaking to high school students, and on our Discord for good reason! Software Systems in name is a program unique to SFU and there aren’t many easily accessible resources out there explaining the differences aside from a Reddit post by one of our previous presidents (

). This guide written by the student society will act as the comprehensive guide for this question and we’ll keep updating it as new questions come in or the program changes.

Software Systems is a more specialized degree that is under the SFU’s School of Computing Science that focuses on skills for developing practical, high-quality software for industry. It is primarily based at the Surrey campus which means its staff and student societies (us) operate primarily from here.

 to get more information about the different classes that make up the SoSy program!

The lower division is not as different between CS and SoSy, with the primary difference being the introductory CMPT courses. You are free to take a course that is offered at any of the 3 SFU campuses, but most of these courses will have a Surrey offering at some point in the year. The similarities between programs also allows for easier transferring between the two.

The first year CMPT courses are 130/135 as opposed to CMPT 120/125. CMPT 130 teaches C++ instead of Python. More importantly, CMPT 130 is only offered in Surrey for the SoSy/MSE/SEE programs in a smaller class size which allows first year SoSy students to meet their fellow Surrey peers quickly.

CMPT 213 (Object Oriented Design in Java) is a requirement. This course is useful for learning early programming concepts and languages that are common in industry. Great for getting a first co-op as a 2nd year.

BUS 232 can be taken in place of STAT 270/271 to fulfill the statistics requirement for the degree, similar to SFU’s Data Science program. This course focuses less on the theory of statistics and more on its practical applications such as by teaching Excel.

This is where the differences between SoSy and CS start to show more. With its focus on software and industry practices, the courses that SoSy students take to fulfill their upper division requirements have been streamlined so that however a student may build their degree, they will have taken classes that have real industry value. While CS students can take these courses, SoSy students have reserved seats in the class that can allow them to bypass the waitlist.

CMPT 373 and CMPT 473 are one of the few fully required Software Systems courses but for good reason. With extensive time spent learning about how to write software that is efficient, maintainable, and reliable, these courses are key in learning how to write industry-level code.

Unlike in CS, you don’t need to do MACM 316, one of the upper division math courses. It is a prerequisite for some upper division 3D modeling and computer animation courses so if you want to do it you are still free to take it and it will fulfill upper division CMPT/MACM credits that are required for graduation.

Capstone (CMPT 494 and 495) can be taken to fulfill graduation requirements. Capstone is different from a traditional course as it involves working with a faculty supervisor and a small team of other SoSy students to complete a project. These projects are designed by faculty and can be in any area of computing. They are a great way to gain experience working on a long-term project and add diversity to the SoSy degree.

SFU won’t tell you this but in our very biased opinion SoSy professors are also better.

The SoSy program is based in SFU’s Surrey campus,

It’s also the home of SFU’s Mechatronics Systems Engineering, Sustainable Energy Engineering, and Interactive Arts and Technologies programs so you will meet and make connections with many people in those programs.

Central City mall is right below the Central campus building and offers a food court, Walmart, T&T and other nearby food options (that are cheaper than at Burnaby).

It’s newer and less busy than the Burnaby campus so it’s easier to find good study spots and bookable study rooms. Many of the study rooms also have TVs that can be connected to when working in groups.

Although it’s a Surrey program, oftentimes you will have to go up to Burnaby to take classes as they are more commonly offered each semester there. As the program grows we hope this will become less common as more students can fill seats in Surrey.

Us at the Software Systems Student Society primarily host our events at the Surrey campus, including our annual Frosh and SystemsHacks. Since SoSy is under the School of Computing Science, SoSy students are also members of the Computing Science Student Society so students can take advantage of their events if they find themselves in Burnaby.

When I graduate, what will it say on my degree?



It will say Bachelor of Science, Major Software Systems. Commonly, SoSy students will put BSc. Computing Science - Software Systems on their resume as the program is still under the school of Computing Science.

What kind of jobs can I get with a SoSy degree?



Plenty of options! SoSy grads have become Software Developers, Product Managers, Systems Architects, Game Developers, and so much more. They’ve also worked from all ranges of companies from startups to Amazon.



SoSy is not an accredited engineering program. This is why our degree is a Bachelors of Science and not Applied Science.

What's the Difference Between SoSy and CS?

Disclaimer: This guide is mainly intended for those aiming to get a computer science internship. I don’t know anything outside these areas, but some of the ideas presented here may still be relevant. I am also learning, so let me know if you find something incorrect.

Spring 2023 (January–April) term has just concluded and I want to share what has worked well for my seeking process. This is also intended as a guide for those who want to find their first job. Here, I will use the terms “internship” and “co-op” interchangeably just because the word “internship” seems to be known by more people. At least here, co-op is usually part of the degree program registered in a school.

In general, getting your first internship is simple but challenging. It requires two steps:

Passing the interview, a.k.a. getting the offer

To get the interview, you need to get noticed by employers and called for an interview. I would argue that this is harder for a first internship as most of us don’t have anything good to show yet. This can be improved if you are a student and utilize all the resources given by the university.

Here are some core components that I think will help you get the interviews ordered by significance:

First, the resume needs to be relevant, concise, and in .pdf format.

Also, the resume needs to be able to be parsed by 

. Passing the resume parser is important here, as some companies might filter their candidates using this automated parser first before passing it to a person.

In order for your resume to be effectively parsed, you need to have a resume with one column. I’m not sure if you can make it work with two columns, as I have not tried, but better be safe in here. One page is also recommended, as recruiters do not want to spend a lot of time looking at your experiences. More of the explanations are here: 

Finally, if you are looking for a recommendation, I use this famous 

. It uses latex. Overleaf has an online latex editor that makes it easy to edit it. Make sure to download it as a PDF.

Next, for the contents: Always do a grammar check and write all the bullet points in a concise way while also showing your accomplishments. I used the 

 to be able to easily outline what I have done concisely. If you are kind of bad at English and finding the perfect words like me, you might want to use 

. You can ask them, “Reword these bullet points in a resume in a STAR format,” and show your current bullet points.

Why do I need to make this point if the post is about someone getting their first co-op? Surely none would have any relevant work experience, right? You are half-correct. Most people would never have any relevant, in this case, developer job. But you can always try to get one or even others that have no direct relevance.

First, if you are a student, Getting a tutoring job can be beneficial, as it will show that you can communicate your thoughts clearly to teach people. In fact, many universities always need peer tutors or teaching assistants. I applied for a teaching assistant job back when I was at Langara, and I am forever grateful for that decision. I was really pessimistic, as I have tried applying for many opportunities in the past but never got in. Taking that first step in applying is crucial.

The key point here is to try to have some experience (not mandatory of course). I would argue that even if the job is not tech-related, it can still be useful as soft skills are arguably more important when you are starting. Just make sure to keep school courses as the priority.

Projects are a huge part of what makes applying to CS jobs different from other professions. The fact that we need to build something in our free time to get those jobs can be daunting. For me, though, I think this is a benefit to have. We are more likely to be assessed by our projects, which we can continuously develop over time, and not our grades, which can only be evaluated mostly on the 2-hour exams.

To have good projects, you need to find problems that you think you’d enjoy solving. Alternatively, you can also choose a domain in computer science in which you want to specialize. Here are some domains that I see as having some prospects (at least on the job board):

Web development
If you think you enjoy this, I recommend starting to learn from 

 and starting to build projects from there. There are also many projects on YouTube that you can learn from.

AI/ ML
Arguably the most exciting part of CS, I don’t specialize in this. But I have heard that 

Game Development
This can also be related to graphics. I also never had the chance to try this. I would try finding a Unity 2D or 3D course on YouTube or Udemy to learn from.

Embedded Programming
This is probably the domain with the least competition but with good prospects too. Taking an embedded programming course can be a good start. SFU has 

There might be more niche domains, but there are these four types of projects. If you are truly sure of what kind of internship role you want to get, I think having projects focused on one domain will be really helpful in making you stand out as a candidate.

What has worked for me to have these projects is 

to focus on classes that give good projects first

. This is what I did as I took CMPT 213 (Object Oriented Design), which gave me a Java Swing and OOP project; CMPT 272 (Web Development), which gave me an Angular project; and CMPT 276 (Software Engineering), which gives me a full-stack web development group project.

You can also do projects at hackathons, which generally take the least amount of time. Just make sure you have a good teammate and have a good plan for what you think you will be doing.

So if you are still looking for an internship, try to focus on classes that give good projects. I would leave the harder classes later as long as it’s not an important prerequisite for another class.

For most people, doing things alone can be a bit stressful, so why not make it fun by doing it with others or for others?

I find the most rewards in building things for organizations, as I know the result is useful for others too. Try finding tech-related organizations if you want to find more like-minded peers. Alternatively, you can just try to be in any organization you’d like to be in and offer to build something for them to make club life easier. The most common one is to build a website for that organization.

I really enjoy being in an organization, as I think community plays a big part in who we are and the enjoyment that comes from there.

A.k.a. expected graduation date. Having an earlier graduation date helps, but make sure to be honest that this graduation date is possible. I usually set my graduation date to the earliest possible, though I may extend it if I think I will have more co-ops.

Many companies are more likely to hire candidates near their graduation, as internships are a relatively reliable way for them to get good full-time candidates.

Thus, having a delayed internship might not be a bad idea at all, as (1) it is usually easier to get one and (2) there are more chances for the company to offer you a full-time position.

Therefore, if you can work in the non-summer term, I personally think that it’s fine to delay your co-op term for more important classes with worthwhile projects. Just make sure that your first co-op is the one you think you will learn a lot.

Does GPA matter? Hmm, I don’t know, and I think many people worry too much about this. Some companies might think it matters; others might not think about it at all.

GPA might matter, but I think the ROI is better if you leverage other things listed before rather than just focusing on school (ex. work, organization, projects, hackathons).

Thus, what you can do is just study consistently while also maintaining your other areas of life.

Right now, school life is not really my highest priority. I just need to make sure that I finish all the assignments and quizzes on time and get the general gist of it. Prioritizing projects, organizations, work, or even making sure you are not burned out and enjoy life is more important.

This is a big realization for me now that I have transferred to the university. This might not be the case at all if you need to transfer or pursue graduate school.

Look at what kind of life you want to be living 5 or 10 years from now and reverse engineer it from there. From this perspective, I see grades as not really important. This is also coming from a person who had a quite challenging high school experience in Indonesia. I realized how much time I spent studying, which made me ignore other areas of life. Life is short, and I need to make sure that I get the most out of it.

There are also many highly underrated tips that I know will help your application journey

ALWAYS APPLY EARLY! If possible, on the first day the application is open. Most companies interview their candidates on a rolling basis. It means they will not wait until the due date of the application to start interviewing. This means the earlier you are, the more chances you have, as the internship slot still remains open.

This means that sometimes late applicants, no matter how good they are, may never be looked at at all if the slot is already filled.

Even if the application is not open yet, you can check the habits of when the company usually posts by looking at the past year's history. If you don’t know about this yet, I think contacting their recruiter is totally fine! It might also be a bonus point as it shows that you are truly interested in the company.

I have never really done this step, but I know some of my friends who have. Having referrals truly helps in securing that first round of interviews. I thought that this was kind of unethical because someone with referrals may get interviews even though they are less qualified. But this is simply false; the employer who made that referral may be putting their credibility in jeopardy as they recommend this worker as well.

Word of mouth, after all, plays a huge role in how we operate in society. We can easily trust another person if a trusted friend recommends them to us.

This strategy, even though it may feel unnatural for many people, can be proven very effective. Make sure that you reword your message to be professional and direct, and tone the word to never expect anything. It is also highly recommended that you show interest in that company by explaining what you have done that may be related to what they are currently doing.

In fact, this is what one of my friends did, and it actually landed them a job as a software engineer intern. You never know where it might take you.

What has worked for me to still keep applying every day is to always treat failure as the expected scenario. I think this is quite easy for people who are generally still finding their first co-op. After all, it stinks, but it’s really not the end of the world if we don’t get it, right? But now that we still have the chance, it’s best to always keep trying ᕙ(’▿‘)ᕗ.

One of the most important things is to have a good mindset.

What if your goal is to try to get 50 rejections instead of focusing on getting an offer? I think you will be much more focused on applying many more things. Of course, make sure that the application is filled well.

An interview can be very nerve-wracking, especially if you don’t have much experience with it.

Personally, I don’t have much experience with this as I have only been in two technical interviews. I can only learn from this, especially from the one that got me an offer.

Companies really like it if you are genuinely interested in their mission. You can show this by researching their product and what they have done. You can also share this research with them via a link (Notion or Google Docs).

Lastly, always ask questions at the end of the interview. I find it better if we tailor this question to a good question, which is something that is unique and you can only ask this interviewer rather than general ones.

I saw that you have worked as X and now worked as Y, what has been the biggest change in your new role?

Be curious; answer questions like a short story, factual but also engaging, also don’t make it too long (2–3 sentences max). Don’t be afraid to show struggles. I think people really admire authenticity, as honesty makes you relate more to them.

Have a webcam that is centered on you, and try to look at the webcam while talking to the interviewer. This will make the other end feel more like a natural conversation.

 are really useful in general, especially if the interview is behavioral.

If doing projects is the grind for getting the interview, then mastering algorithms is the grind for passing the interview.

 I think that is more than enough to get the first co-op. In fact, I have only finished the first half of it. Just make sure to always revise it and understand, not memorize the solutions. This will allow you to solve problems you have not encountered before because you already understand the underlying data structures.

In general, you might also need to know object-oriented programming and design.

 are very useful. This is what I was tested on in one of my technical interviews. I actually learned most of this from SFU’s Object-Oriented Design Course, CMPT 213.

You also need to check the job description. If it requires other knowledge like networking, functional programming, and other related stuff. You may need to prepare yourself for these things too.

The last but most important thing to have, I think, is to just enjoy it. Even if you fail, you will still get something out of it. Sometimes you pass it, and other times you learn from it.

There are no better ways to get better at an interview than to keep doing it and treating it as a ‘game’.

This is all for now. I really hope this guide can be useful to you. Getting an internship, especially the first one, can be really hard. These are just some of the suggestions that I know will be helpful.

I apologize if there is any mistake. I’m very far from many people in CS knowledge, but I enjoy writing and sharing about this stuff. I know that many pieces of advice are repetitive and already easily known on the internet, but I hope you find at least one thing useful from here :).

Getting Your First CS Internship

Let me preface by saying that I am so grateful to CS-CAN/Info-Can, SFU, WiCS, and the Software Systems Student Society for this opportunity. Since attending this conference, I am even more so looking forward to a future in tech!

I was very fortunate to attend the Annual Celebration of Women in Computing Conference (CAN-CWIC 2023), on behalf of Software Systems at Simon Fraser University and alongside SFU Women in Computing Science (WiCS). The experience was not only incredibly beneficial for guiding my future career path but also served as a great way to meet amazing women from other universities and across Canada.

Many of the speakers had inspiring stories to share and made me incredibly hopeful for a continued career in Computing, a field where I have the opportunity to endlessly learn and grow with a wonderful community. It was a pleasure to learn from highly skilled women in technology, as well as to meet with great companies and learn of the multitude of different paths I can take within Computing Science.

On Friday evening, the conference began with dinner at 6:30pm. Although registration and badge pickup were scheduled for earlier in the day, I waited to pick mine up just before the dinner and had no issues with the process. We filled our plates with as much food as we wanted and were able to freely enter and exit the banquet hall (international ballroom) as needed. I met some students from the University of Toronto and joined them in the hall. Introductions and the keynote speaker panel were both held in the ballroom while we ate.

An SFU lecturer, Ouldooz Baghban Karimi, welcomed us all to the conference and led us through the agenda for the weekend. We learned that over 500 university students were in attendance at the conference, and I felt so happy to see how many women were pursuing careers in technology. At school, I have often felt lonely because I was one of the only females in a classroom, but it was relieving to see how much that number is growing throughout STEM fields in Canada.

The keynote speaker was Tanjulia Akter, a Software Engineer at Electronic Arts. She not only shared stories of her amazing journey across different countries, schools, and fields, but also led a very informative Q&A session that encouraged us to take risks, accept opportunities, and not be afraid to reach for goals that seem out of reach. I found it particularly helpful to hear about how many times she was told “no”, but persevered anyways to reach the position she is in now. She was honest, inspiring, and very informative.

I stayed around the conference area until late in the evening, meeting other students from schools across Canada and also meeting with some other SFU students that were attending the conference. We talked about our experiences at our various schools, courses we had taken, co-op opportunities, and our experiences with being in STEM. It was both a fun bonding time and a very informative experience.

Day 2 began very early, especially given the time difference, which meant that the 7:30am start was equivalent to 4:30am Vancouver time. We had a small breakfast and attended the 

NCWIT Aspirations in Computing National Award Presentation

. There were 4 keynote speakers that each had a different journey to share with us:

1. Victoria Granova, Security Technical Program Manager at Amazon Web Services

2. Nailah Ogeer, Senior IT Manager at TD Bank

3. Christina Fung, Global Head of AI Enablement at CGI

4. Pauline Keeton Curtis, Managing Director Portfolio Technical Support at BMO

At 10am, the first parallel sessions began. I attended the Cybersecurity session led by Anne Marie Salter, Data scientist and Machine learning researcher at CSE-CST: the Canadian Center for Cyber Security – Communications Security Establishment. Anne Marie spoke about cybersecurity in terms of the National Cyber Threat Assessment for 2023-24. Her presentation was very creative and rewarding. We learned about misinformation and ransomware, as well as how dangerous deepfakes can be. In particular, it is alarming to learn that there is really no great way to avoid deepfakes, other than to be aware that they exist. They are hard to spot, but looking for supporting or contradicting sources is a great way to determine their validity. She also led us through a demonstration of the “Gandalf” AI tool. In her Q&A, we learned more about the lifetime of online data, preventative measures for data breaches, and ways that CSE-CST works to inform the general public of safe online practices. Her session influenced me to research more into Cyber Security and to reconnect with CSE-CST later at the career fair.

During the next parallel session, I chose to attend Tanjulia Akter’s “Unlocking the Gaming Industry : Your Non-Gaming Experience is the Key” panel at 11am, who also was the keynote speaker on Friday. We learned about the Gaming Industry, its culture, the importance of inclusivity in creating games that represent a wide audience, and the many roles that Software Engineers play in the gaming industry, beyond just producing code. One of the most important takeaways I had was that we should apply for the positions that we want, even if we think that we don’t qualify. We have nothing to lose from applying and can learn a lot from each interview and each new experience. She shared how she applied for a job that she didn’t have enough experience for, but the company found another position for her instead and it led to amazing opportunities.

During the lunch, I reconnected with some students that I had met the previous day and met some new students. At the career fair, I learned about opportunities with many companies, including Electronic Arts, CGI, BMO and TD Banks, Amazon AWS, Google, BlackBerry, FreshBooks, Shared Services Canada, and CSE-CST.

I was able to connect with quite a few women employed at these companies, learn about their experiences, and see some of the available roles they have for both co-op students and graduates. Some of the companies had job pools, so that women at the conference could apply and would be reached out to for any available jobs that meet their interests or expertise.

I attended 2 more sessions throughout the day, including Ouldooz Baghban Karimi’s session about Computer Science Research: Areas, Methodologies, and Resources at 2pm. She shared her research process, from start to finish, and the many resources available to students in STEM. She spoke on research that she has completed and shared upcoming research opportunities at SFU. This included a variety of interests, such as Generative/Interactive AI and data-driven community involved humancentric technology.

At 3pm, I attended a session led by FeiFei Han, an AI Consultant at Deloitte. Her session “Navigating the AI Era: Preparing for the Future” covered many of her projects involving Artificial Intelligence and NLP: National Language Processing, in which models are used to help computers understand about human language.

At the end of the day, everyone attended a panel session that included 3 women in various careers, moderated by Joanne Atlee, Professor at University of Waterloo:

1. Alicia Greeley, Manager of Cryptographic Services & Operations at Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) at the Communications Security Establishment (CSE)

2. Sonia Kulwant Singh, Team Product owner and Scrum lead at DevOps Engineer at SAP

3. Kelly Lyons, Professor in the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto and Associate Director of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society

The panel involved discussion about equality and awareness throughout STEM fields and the importance of leadership skills. They each discussed their career journeys and ended the panel with a Q&A.

During the conference, try to talk with as many people as possible. Meet other students, speak with panelists, and don’t be shy in asking questions. Plan ahead with this – look up the program schedule and figure out what you are interested in attending and what you would like to know from professionals in Computing Science or other areas of STEM. Quite a few sessions run in parallel, so make sure you know which ones you would like to attend.

Print up some resumes and bring them with you to the conference during the career fair and speak with as many of the companies as you can. The fair gets very busy very quickly, so although there’s lots of great food, make sure to visit the fair asap. You may want to have some snacks throughout the Saturday because it is a very long day (starting at 7:30) and you will want to make it to the career fair with enough energy. And don’t worry about the lunch, they won’t run out of food. At the career fair, also make sure to get the names and contact information of the people you speak with so that you can connect with them about future opportunities or career advice, particularly on LinkedIn. I asked to take photos of their nametags to speed up the process, which many other attendees did as well.

I took a redeye flight and arrived early in the morning of Friday the 20 th. Although I don’t recommend this early of a flight because the jetlag left me exhausted, this did give me a little extra time to explore Toronto before attending the Conference.

I visited the Royal Ontario Museum and got to explore the city through Toronto’s TTC transit system (which is very easy to use). I also chose to stay at an Airbnb which gave me more freedom for my check-in and check-out times, instead of staying in the Delta Hotel that could be arranged by the conference. I dropped off my luggage at the Airbnb early so that I could travel lighter. Staying with the conference-provided accommodations would definitely be an easier choice and would be better for many attendees, as it is well organized for those that are worried about staying elsewhere in Toronto or are concerned about the additional planning for travel.

If able, I would recommend taking an extra day! I stayed for Sunday the 22nd as well, after the event had ended. During the event, I spoke with other attendees who attended the University of Toronto and knew the area well, and they recommended places for me to visit throughout the city. I visited Toronto’s Chinatown, Kensington Market, the CN Tower, and Queens Quay. I got to try a lot of great food and I also explored trails in Etobicoke, during my evenings after the conference ended for the day.

Journal of My Experience at CAN-CWIC 2023

Studying in Canada can be a very costly decision. Especially for those who have just finished high school, it can be daunting for many of us to choose the career that we want. Going to community college can ease that decision.

Hello! I'm Brian. I previously graduated from Langara College with an Associate of Science in Computer Science. Now, I am continuing my study at SFU studying Software Systems. I enjoyed my time at Langara and highly recommend taking courses there.

There are numerous benefits to having your first two years at a community college.

The biggest reason for most is saving money. As of Sept 1, 2022, A single 3-credit course costs $1,876,20 at Langara and $1,872,25 at Douglas. The same 3-credit course costs $3,177.45 at SFU and $3,314.19 at FIC. Taking your first 60 credits (2 years) at community college will save you a lot of money. While FIC is also a college, it is important to keep in mind that its tuition fee is more expensive than SFU.

Like FIC, classes in community colleges like Langara, Douglas, and Columbia are smaller. This is usually an advantage for most students as the class's instructor will be more accessible. In my experience, the lectures I attended in Langara were more engaging and allowed me to ask questions easier if needed.

Taking classes in community college is also more flexible in terms of 2 things: changing majors and universities. It is not uncommon for students to change their majors as it may not be it for them. Changing majors in community college is usually easier and less restrictive. Keep in mind that it is definitely possible to change major at SFU. However, in certain cases, changing to a certain major requires having a competitive GPA in the needed courses of that major.

You can also still decide which university you are going to attend. The top two that most people choose here are either UBC (University of British Columbia) or SFU.

4. Post-Graduation Work Permit (International Students)

The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) allows students who have graduated from eligible Canadian 

 (DLIs) to obtain an open work permit to gain valuable Canadian work experience (

Graduating with an associate degree allows students to have 3-year work permit (

). This is very useful as it provides options for students to work first to get permanent residence before continuing their bachelor's degree (with hopefully domestic tuition cost after the permanent residence). While some students may not use it and go straight to university, it acts as a safety net in case they need/ want to fall back and work full-time.

There may also be certain drawbacks to pursuing community college first.

To transfer to SFU, students need to make sure they fulfill the university requirements and most importantly, have a competitive GPA for transferring.

 is important to make sure you know the GPA is above the accepted range.

Course Planning is harder because you need to make sure that the courses you take are (1) transferrable and applicable at the transferring university and (2) useful for your associate graduation requirements if needed.

Sometimes, certain courses are not just offered in the community college. Therefore, students will usually just take general electives.

Due to community colleges, in general, being smaller, there are lesser professors who hire students researchers. However, keep in mind that lesser does not mean unavailable. There are still plenty of opportunities and getting a research role is usually less competitive than in a university.

The other drawback is that community colleges have fewer clubs. Clubs still exist, but it is not as many and diverse as clubs offered in universities.

Co-operative Education is an educational model that formally integrates academic study with relevant, paid work experience.

A student who starts their first year at university can take their co-op as early as the start of their second year with most starting their first co-op term at the end of the second year. If you were to finish your first two years at a community college, the earliest you can take a co-op term is the end of your third year. At SFU, you need to have an SFU GPA in order to apply to co-op.

The first term is the workshop term where students learn about resumes, cover letters, and job interviews and the second term is the seeking term to look for jobs. Thus, transfer students need to have 12 months at SFU before starting their first co-op jobs (1st term to get SFU GPA, 2nd and 3rd for workshop and seeking).

This is a minor drawback. But transferring means your GPA at university will be reset. It is not a definite drawback as it can be an advantage for some students to restart their GPA.

While every major requires different courses to take to transfer, I will present the general guidelines here for a successful transfer.

 to ensure you fulfill all the requirements for the transfer

 and SFU Undergraduate Major requirements to check what course is transferred and needed to the major

 is more important than taking the needed course in university as long as the overall requirement to transfer is already fulfilled

Associate degree holders will have a preference in admission by having their GPA 0.25 less than required (

Consulting an academic advisor is helpful whenever you are in doubt.

Transferring can be a daunting process for many people. I have also had my share of anxiety when planning the courses. The best advice I can give is to enjoy the process. Looking back, I missed the experience of taking classes at Langara and talking to more accessible instructors

https://langara.ca/registration-and-records/tuition-and-service-fees/international-student-fees.html

https://www.douglascollege.ca/sites/default/files/docs/fees-and-related-information/International%20Fee%20Schedule%20202230%20Revised.pdf

http://www.sfu.ca/students/calendar/2023/spring/fees-and-regulations/tuition-fees/undergraduate.html#internationalstudents

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