蘑菇传媒

Sign up for our newsletter!

An initiative of 蘑菇传媒

En
My Dashboard

Lead Partner

RBC Foundation Logo
English

漏 University Study 2025

An initiative of 蘑菇传媒

Resources Career Development Mental Health

Feeling lost in university in 蘑菇传媒? Here鈥檚 how I found my path and you can too

By University Study
University student sitting lonely on campus

By Lisha Lao, Student, Carleton University

I was 18 years old when I began studying at university in 2022. I moved from Toronto to Ottawa and it was the first time I鈥檝e ever lived alone. I struggled with so many things. I was lonely, scared and had no idea what I was doing. I constantly asked myself why I decided to move five hours away from my family and friends and if studying journalism was really worth all the trouble. 

I am in my third year now and this is the first year where I really feel this is where I belong, and this is somewhere I could make something of myself. 

I have changed my degree or elements of my degree three times. Each time was difficult and upsetting but the right decision in the long run. 

My biggest struggle was that I felt I needed to know exactly what I wanted to study because in doing so I would know who I wanted to become. I thought being indecisive about university courses was some sort of moral failure I needed to overcome. I thought I was alone and falling behind, when in reality, things were just beginning. 

I isolated myself out of fear and embarrassment when there was no reason to at all. You do not need to suffer alone. What really helped was when I finally went to speak to my academic advisor. She listened to the concerns I had about the classes I was taking and helped me find courses which better suit my interests, and benefit my career path. She guided me on how to speak to professors and directed me to the mental health counselling services on campus. I realized that my struggles were not unique and there were support systems in place for my exact issues. 

Talk to seniors in your field. 

Wanting to switch your major or change your minor is not crazy. It is in fact a common occurrence. 50-70 per cent of students change their major at least once during their studies, according to the. 

I鈥檝e spoken to advisors, professors, teaching assistants, and upperclassmen. I鈥檝e learnt something from them all. Everything has happened already, there is an extremely high possibility that someone has gone through the same thing and can guide or advise you through it. 

In my second year, I was really insecure about never having published anything as a journalism major. I compared myself a lot to my peers who had published many things and seemed so sure of themselves. I became friends with someone two years older than me who advised me not to let insecurity consume me, and things started to pick up in third and fourth year. She was right. I have taken writing classes and workshops that have trained me further in news writing and given me something to be proud of.

Everyone wants you to succeed. 

This is not to say there will never be setbacks. This is not to say that you will never fail a class, or come across a deeply grumpy teaching assistant or professor. But even failure and rejection have its benefits because it can direct you to the proper outcome or redirect you to a field you are better equipped to excel in. 

It was mentally excruciating deciding whether to change my major or not. I once went to a professor’s office hours to ask what they honestly thought about me remaining in their field of study, and they told me to switch out. This devastated me. However (and I hate to say it) they were right. I switched out of that program and am better for it. 

You pay for support so take advantage of that support.

Most universities in 蘑菇传媒 will have a variety of support systems for students to take advantage of. These can come from: the university themselves, your student union, or the faculty your program is in. My university offers the following: 

  • An academic advisor 
  • Career services 
  • 100 pages of free printing every year 
  • Networking events 
  • Guest speaker events 
  • Mental health and wellness counselling 
  • Off-campus housing resources 
  • Eyecare and dental insurance 
  • Library database 

I go to career services when I need help formatting a CV or preparing for a job interview. Networking events always introduce me to peers I never would have spoken to otherwise. Universities are the places to look for information. If you need to know something, look through your library鈥檚 database! 

The list above is not an exhaustive end to all the resources offered at universities. Look to see which ones your school offers!

I am not immune to jealousy and still feel insecure about my place in the greater scheme of things, but now I know there are people who are willing to advise me through hardships. 

In your university journey in 蘑菇传媒, you will make mistakes, encounter roadblocks, struggle, but you will become better for it. Keep going, you鈥檙e doing great.

I have many peers who are actually better, smarter, and more successful than me and that’s alright. With time, I鈥檝e been able to say that I鈥檓 trying my best. I am trying and on track to accomplish my goals. For now that is all I need. 

A degree is made up of what you learn academically and what you learn from seniors in your field. In your university journey in 蘑菇传媒, you will make mistakes, encounter roadblocks, struggle, but you will become better for it. Keep going, you鈥檙e doing great.

Tags

Most popular

Current Language: en
Post ID: 1394
Related Posts Count: 3
string(1932) "SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS s.id,s.source,s.site,SUM(relevance) AS relevance FROM (SELECT s.id,s.source,s.site,s.attribute,((SUM(s.occurrences) * CASE WHEN ( (s.source = 'post.post' AND (s.attribute IN ('title','taxonomy.category','taxonomy.po_type'))) ) THEN 300 END) ) AS relevance FROM wp_searchwp_index s LEFT JOIN wp_posts s1 ON (s1.ID = s.id) LEFT JOIN wp_posts swpwpml1 ON swpwpml1.ID = s.id LEFT JOIN wp_icl_translations swpwpmlicl1 ON ( swpwpmlicl1.element_id = swpwpml1.ID AND swpwpmlicl1.element_type = CONCAT('post_', swpwpml1.post_type) ) WHERE 1=1 AND 1=1 AND s.token IN (1240,11121,10346,8088,5818,4772,1528,1527,114,1117,1052,1044,995,556,548,2195,1385,7321,942,1196,168,667,183,3096) AND (( `s`.`id` NOT IN ( 1394 ) )) AND ( ! ( s.site = 1 AND s.source = 'post.post' ) OR (s.site = 1 AND s.source = 'post.post' AND 1=1 AND ( ( swpwpml1.post_type != 'attachment' AND ( swpwpmlicl1.language_code = 'en' OR swpwpmlicl1.language_code IS NULL ) ) OR ( swpwpml1.post_type = 'attachment' AND swpwpmlicl1.language_code = 'en' ) ) )) AND ((s.source = 'post.post' AND (s.attribute IN ('title','taxonomy.category','taxonomy.po_type')) AND ( ( `s1`.`post_type` = 'post' ) AND ( `s1`.`post_status` IN ( 'publish', 'acf-disabled' ) ) ))) GROUP BY s.site,s.source,s.attribute,s.id) AS s LEFT JOIN wp_posts s1 ON (s1.ID = s.id) LEFT JOIN wp_posts swpwpml1 ON swpwpml1.ID = s.id LEFT JOIN wp_icl_translations swpwpmlicl1 ON ( swpwpmlicl1.element_id = swpwpml1.ID AND swpwpmlicl1.element_type = CONCAT('post_', swpwpml1.post_type) ) WHERE 1=1 AND (SUBSTRING(s.source, 1, 5) != 'post.' OR (SUBSTRING(s.source, 1, 5) = 'post.' AND s.id != '0')) GROUP BY s.site, s.source, s.id HAVING relevance > 0 ORDER BY relevance DESC LIMIT 0, 3 /* From [universitystudy.ca/feeling-lost-in-university-in-canada-heres-how-i-found-my-path-and-you-can-too/] in [/nas/content/live/universitystud/wp-content/plugins/searchwp/includes/Query.php:872] */" array(3) { [0]=> object(WP_Post)#6488 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(1369) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "9" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2025-05-20 09:45:23" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2025-05-20 13:45:23" ["post_content"]=> string(5660) "

By Lisha Lao, Carleton University

One of the greatest benefits of going to university is being able to take advantage of the large and varied catalog of courses. I am studying journalism with a minor in philosophy because I wish to be a great writer someday. My minor has exposed me to some of the greatest thoughts and ideas in human history, and it's amazing to me that I have access to professors who devote their lives to a single field of study and excel in it. 

Philosophy poses big questions鈥搇ike "What is real?", "How should I live?" and "How do I know?"鈥搘ith no definitive response because the knowledge is found in the thinking and discussion. The area of study has changed the way I approach journalism by placing what I do in the greater scheme of things. I intend to present and deliver the objective truth to the public with as much care as I can. Studying philosophy has trained my brain to approach every person or subject involved in the news-gathering process as an end in itself even within the big picture.聽

You can also learn something about yourself through diversifying your electives. 

The Time Will Pass Anyway

There is no unlived reality,

where everything went right.

There is only here and now,

so I will vow to hold on tight.

To the only you that ever lived,

the only me that mattered.

I鈥檒l keep trying despite the pitfalls,

for that Happy Ever After.

Here鈥檚 to memories forgotten,

all the time we can鈥檛 get back.

Here鈥檚 to planting seeds in gardens,

for the hope of future impact.

Because love, it will persist,

through the pain and all the sorrows.

Each and every climb and stumble,

only serves a new tomorrow.

By Ashe Zhang, poet, fourth-year computer science major, Carleton University. 

Zhang says they have always loved learning about programming and coding and chose to study computer science to build a career in a growing industry. Creative writing is something that has always interested Zhang, who says they started writing poetry towards the end of high school. 

鈥淢y whole life I've been writing stories and then got into poetry as sort of an outlet, I think,鈥� says Zhang. 鈥淭o process my feelings and stuff like sorting through my thoughts, that sort of thing. I started getting involved more with, like the Poetics Society鈥nd then took poetry classes鈥� Which has really helped further my love for writing poetry and reading poetry as well.鈥� 

Zhang is in the  stream and says they are interested in making story-based video games after graduation. They say their English electives have helped refine their storytelling abilities. 

鈥淭hat's the kind of game that I wanna make where it's pushing the limits of what you think a video game can be and then telling a really great story.鈥� Studying one thing does not limit you to that field, and taking electives outside of your subject area can shape the way you think for the rest of your life. University is for exploring who you are, what you like, and who you want to become. 

" ["post_title"]=> string(84) "How diversifying your university electives can shape your career and personal growth" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(84) "how-diversifying-your-university-electives-can-shape-your-career-and-personal-growth" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2025-05-20 09:47:35" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2025-05-20 13:47:35" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(34) "/?p=1369" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [1]=> object(WP_Post)#6490 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(981) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "9" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2013-08-08 01:49:00" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2013-08-08 01:49:00" ["post_content"]=> string(2608) "

An excerpt from: .

Gain valuable work experience and supplement your spending allowance with part-time student jobs for international students. While you must supply sufficient evidence that you can pay for your tuition and living expenses before you arrive in 蘑菇传媒, there are a number of work permit programs for international students and their spouses/common law partners that make working in 蘑菇传媒 possible. Working in 蘑菇传媒 can go a long way towards helping you establish business contacts for the future and can even help you immigrate after graduation.

Working off-campus

The Off-Campus Work Permit Program authorizes you to work up to 20 hours per week during regular academic sessions, and full time during scheduled breaks (for example, winter and summer holidays, and spring break).

Co-op/internships

The Co-op/Internship Work Permit Program is available to international students whose intended employment is an essential part of their program of study in 蘑菇传媒 as certified by their Canadian academic institution. The work portion of this program can form up to 50 percent of the program of study.

On-campus work opportunities

International students who hold valid study permits and who are studying full time at eligible Canadian public and private universities or colleges may also be eligible to work on-campus at the institution where they study without a work permit.

More information on work opportunities for international students聽

" ["post_title"]=> string(32) "Working while studying in 蘑菇传媒" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(32) "working-while-studying-in-canada" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2024-10-25 01:56:17" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2024-10-25 01:56:17" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(60) "/working-while-studying-in-canada/" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } [2]=> object(WP_Post)#6492 (24) { ["ID"]=> int(1326) ["post_author"]=> string(1) "9" ["post_date"]=> string(19) "2025-03-14 12:20:54" ["post_date_gmt"]=> string(19) "2025-03-14 16:20:54" ["post_content"]=> string(4417) "

By Nana Haidara, Student, University of Ottawa

Before starting a co-op, I never really understood its value. The pressure of finding a placement, preparing for back-to-back interviews, and hearing people's "horror stories" felt overwhelming. Instead of facing the challenge, I gave up and decided to remove it from my program.

As soon as I sent the email, I felt regret but didn't know why. That all changed after talking to my friend. She told me I had made a mistake because getting into co-op itself is difficult, and it   provides work experience that school alone can't prepare you for. She convinced me to add it back.  

Co-op is perfect if you've ever wondered, "What do I want to do after graduation?" Even if you don't find your passion, you'll figure out what you dislike 鈥� and that's still progress. It's also a great way to grow your network and connect with professionals in your field.

One of the things I appreciated most during my co-op terms was having a supervisor. They guided me, gave feedback, and helped me feel confident about my work. Co-op is all about learning and growing, so don't be afraid to try new things or ask questions. Internships are meant for making mistakes 鈥� just don't make the same ones twice! And even though internships are short, take every opportunity to learn something new. This doesn't mean overworking yourself but being willing to grow with the organization.

 When searching for placements, my university had a co-op job navigator that listed opportunities, requirements, and deadlines. It was super helpful, but I made sure to search every program. For example, if you're in communications, don't skip the engineering tab 鈥� you might find a social media role there! If your university doesn't have a resource like this, networking and career fairs are great alternatives. 

Personally, I think the application process was the most challenging part. I didn't have much work experience and faced over 20 rejections before landing my first interview. Out of five interviews, I was ranked the top choice for one of them. My personality definitely helped me stand out because, even without experience, I showed eagerness to learn and passion for the role.

Co-op gives you a whole semester to focus on work, providing a glimpse of life after school. Co-op taught me so much about responsibility, prioritizing tasks, and being dependable.

Plus, it teaches you how to balance work and life, as they are two completely different things. In school, you have more flexibility with breaks, but, it feels like you're working 24/7. With work, when 5 p.m. hits, you're done. Weekends are yours, and that freedom is amazing!

If you don't see a job position that fits you, create one for yourself.

The best advice I got during my co-op journey was from my professor, who said, "If you don't see a job position that fits you, create one for yourself." I applied that advice during my second co-op and contacted my department manager. I shared with her what interests me the most and how I'd like to use my interests in editing, graphic design, and creative projects.  Don't hesitate to put yourself out there if you're passionate about something. Even if internships are unpaid, the experience and connections you gain are worth it. Whether it's a short-term role or just a weekend internship, say yes 鈥� you never know who you'll meet, what they'll notice about you, or how it could help you.

Looking back, I'm glad I didn't give up on co-op. The doubt I felt after removing it was valid because co-op has taught me so much and introduced me to experiences that I wouldn't trade for anything.

" ["post_title"]=> string(51) "Are co-op placements worth the delay in graduating?" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(50) "are-co-op-placements-worth-the-delay-in-graduating" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2025-03-14 12:38:00" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2025-03-14 16:38:00" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(34) "/?p=1326" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } }

Related resources