Self-Improvement Archives

How stepping outside of my comfort zone changed my university experience

Leave a Comment / Article / SFU LYFE / August 21, 2026

Photo by DS stories on Pexels Written by Anonymous When I first started at Simon Fraser University, I expected my university experience to revolve around lectures, assignments, and exams. Like many students, I thought that succeeding in university meant getting good grades and staying on top of coursework. While academics are certainly important, I quickly […]

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Learning to Believe You Earned Your Place

Leave a Comment / Article / SFU LYFE / August 15, 2026

Photo by carolyn christine on Unsplash Written by Noorin Chowdhury There is a strange part of growth that I do not think I was prepared for: sometimes you can work incredibly hard to get somewhere and still feel like you do not belong there. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about imposter syndrome and

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The Impact of Sleep, Routine, and Self-Discipline

Leave a Comment / Article / SFU LYFE / August 7, 2026

Photo by Anastasiya Vragova on Pexels Written by: Ian I could sleep in almost every day this summer semester. I took only two courses with one class a week each, with my only other time commitments being club coordinator roles. So, naturally, I slept in. I thought, given the opportunity, who wouldn’t? The time I

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How I Learned to Avoid Burnout

Article / SFU LYFE / July 17, 2026

Photo by Kari Alfonso on Pexels Written by: Vamsi N. If there’s one thing attending University has taught me, it’s that being busy and being productive are not the same thing. There was a point in time where I thought that the more commitments I had, the better. Classes, extracurriculars like volunteering, club activities, work,

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The Version of You Waiting Outside Your Comfort Zone

Article / SFU LYFE / July 11, 2026

Written By Jessica Reimer I still remember getting off the plane in Milan, realizing I had no idea where I was going and there was no one to rely on but myself. I was about to spend four months living and studying in a completely unfamiliar city, and even introducing myself at orientation felt overwhelming.

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Staying Organized Without Overcomplicating It

Article / SFU LYFE / June 27, 2026

Written by Anonymous It can be so easy to get caught up in the stress of managing school, work and extracurriculars that the idea of staying organized through it all can seem like another added chore. However, staying organized is not about having the perfect system that we must dedicate hours to achieving. Instead I

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How To Survive a Job Epidemic

Article / SFU LYFE / June 18, 2026

Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels Written by Sanya Mehra I have come to terms with the fact that I will have to push myself very hard to get even a foot in the door for a single job interview in this market. You could apply to 50 jobs and hear back from 1 company

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Well-Being Was Never the End Goal

Article / SFU LYFE / April 21, 2026

Photo from Ray Lei on Pexels Written by: Noorin For a long time, I thought I would feel better once I achieved more. Once I reached a certain milestone, figured out my future, or became more accomplished, I assumed I would finally feel settled. I treated well-being like it was waiting for me on the

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The Moment I Realized Being Busy Isn’t Being Productive

Article / SFU LYFE / April 14, 2026

Written By Harjot Wazir Coming into university I thought I had to do it all. I had to get grades, join clubs, volunteer, go to the gym, have a social life and still have time to breathe. If I wasn’t doing all of it I felt like I was falling behind. At first saying yes

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You Don’t Need More Motivation. You Need Better Systems And A Bit Of Discipline

Article / SFU LYFE / April 6, 2026

Written By Elizabeth If you’ve ever told yourself, “I’ll start when I feel more motivated”, you’re not alone. It sounds reasonable, but in reality, that moment rarely comes when you need it to. The truth is, motivation isn’t something you can rely on. When you’re balancing classes, work, extracurriculars, and personal goals, there will inevitably

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