IS IT BENEFICIAL TO GIVE YOUR TWO YEARS TO YORK UNIVERSITY SCS?

A person standing outdoors, smiling and holding a bouquet and a red folder, in front of a large red and white 'YU' sign, with trees and a cloudy sky in the background."

Hola Amigos! QUE TAL, MI AMO JAPNEET KAUR!!

Warm greetings to my dearest readers, Today I am here to share my little but big 1.8 years of experience of studying 2 courses at York University and some insights on how I managed my life all alone with a new set of friends and other people

As a student who transitioned from a commerce background in high school to a history honors degree and eventually to a public relations and digital marketing student at York University, I can say that my academic journey has been both diverse and enriching. With this blog post, I aim to share my true experiences at the York University School of Continuing Studies and offer some valuable

WHAT INSPIRED ME TO CHOOSE PUBLIC RELATIONS AT YORK UNIVERSITY SCS?

As a student, I always focused on developing my social and communication skills. In my bachelor’s degree days, I was the president of my cultural society at university, whose sole motive was to provide historical insights from the heritage walks conducted on various historical sites I vividly remember that I always used to organize all the walks and one of the professors said to me that you have the skills to cater to the crowd very nicely and you should focus on making your career in marketing.

The spark ignited turned into a fire, It was at that moment that I decided to take my education a notch higher and excel in these skill sets, I started looking for courses online, and one fine day, hopping from one page to another, I finally landed on York university school of continuing studies curriculum, Over the course, there is an emphasis placed on strategic thinking to enhance abilities in identifying and planning ways of handling a variety of situations, encompassing reputation crises management and data analytics measurement to support decision-making of ethical standards and professional practice in the context of public.

HOW IS THE FACULTY OF YORK UNIVERSITY SCS?

The faculty at York University School of Continuing Studies is comprised of seasoned professionals and educators, which brings ample experience and expertise to the classroom. Instructors like Leigh Mitchell, Eric Bauer, Mylessa Lipsey, and Joanne are not just scholars but practitioners who have worked in the trenches of PR, holding top-tier positions, moreover, they are also sole proprietors facilitating them to pursue their interests later.

Their real-world experience turned into strengths for the curriculum by giving students insight into the most current trends, issues, and opportunities in the PR profession. Faculty members are well-known for their commitment to student success, providing mentorship, constructive comments, and tailored advice to help students navigate their academic journeys and prepare for future employment.

FROM PRESS RELEASES TO CLICKS: TRANSITION INTO DIGITAL AND CONTENT MARKETING AT SCS

Pursuing Digital and Content Marketing has significantly broadened my skill sets

1. Content Creation and Curation: Learning how to develop engaging content that resonates with the brand’s target audience, understanding the types of content that perform well across a handful of platforms, and most importantly, curating content from various sources to enhance your brand presence.
2. Digital Marketing Tactics and Tools: Attaining proficiency in utilizing innovative digital marketing tactics and tools such as Google ads, Hootsuite, HubSpot, SEMrush, etc to deliver content effectively across multiple media channels. As I quote one of my professors, Heath he says “Mastering the art of personalization to cater to consumer’s tastes and preferences.”
3. Cross-functional skills: Professor Dorris says that a digital marketer needs to develop a broad range of skills beyond just content creation. She further adds that social and emotional intelligence are crucial skills for understanding and also to connecting with your audience on a deeper level, leading to more impactful content strategies.
4. Real-World Project Experience: Professor Rovena says that once you work on real-world projects throughout the course, it will help you with hands-on experience that closely mirrors the professional environment. This further allows one to apply all the learned theoretical knowledge in practical settings, hence helping in building a portfolio of one’s best work that showcases the capabilities to potential employers.
5. Professional Networking: we had numerous guest speakers throughout the course from various top-tier industries, such as Spotify music leaders, talent management Executives, coaches and career strategists, and many more. They all had very inspiring stories on how also they started from starch and today are in designated positions. Guest speakers injected real-life world scenarios into our class lessons, Moreover, it also helps you to network with other students from class and around the campus in the long run.

Let’s answer the most important question” Why the lion is in the cage? “

I have been asked many times why I chose York University for both of my courses, many other established institutions provide plenty of other facilities like extra curriculum and co-up facilities.

UPSIDES

1. Diverse learner support: York University SCS supports a wide range of learners, from career launchers to mid-career professionals, offering flexible programs that balance theory and practical skills. In my class, there are students with digital marketing and content creation as their first course, then we have some with 2 and others who are just here to up-skill their existing knowledge.

2. Flexible and Faster study formats: The structural approach of York University SCS allows for faster completion times, enabling students to achieve their educational goals more efficiently. Flexible study formats including online class options, accommodated a wide range of learner needs, making education accessible regardless of whether the For example, I joined York University SCS in January and it was the peak winter season starting from the orientation we have the option to go in person or to opt for the virtual option. Even in our classes, many professors ask students to poll whether they want one online class among all the classes for the week.

3. Exceptional Instructors and Variety of Programs: The instructors have a high Caliber of knowledge in their respective fields which helps us enrich our learning experience facilitated by the program and it also offers a wide variety of certifications across different disciplines. Catering to a diverse range of interests and career aspirations, two of my co-workers are from the same university but one of them is doing an advanced diploma in accounting and the other is doing one in cyber security this further opens more networking options and allows us to gain or share insights of our respective courses.

4. Affordable Tuition, Positive Reputation, and Continuous Evolution of Programs: As compared to many other established institutions York’s SCS offers affordable tuition for its certificate programs, making higher education more accessible to a broader audience, It has a solid reputation in the educational sector as it stands out as a reliable choice for continuing studies, and it is continuously evolving roster of the program ensures that students are exposed to the latest developments. One of the prominent examples is that if I started my course in January, my assignments would be different than the previous batch or the upcoming batch, which makes it unique from the rest.

WHERE DOES YORK UNIVERSITY'S SCS GOES DOWNHILL?

The credit transfer system is also terrible; it only offers one credit for the entire course, and it is their policy, which I found appalling, that you can only get a credit transfer depending on the amount of study you have on the particular course. While taking my Public Relations course, I did a credit transfer to DCM, but they refused to allow it since the curriculum of that course did not meet DCM’s curriculum. There is also the problem of affecting on-campus employment, as the majority of employers are only willing to hire students at York University, not YU SCS. There is no special designated space for breaks or a cafeteria; the nearest Tims is a 5-minute walk and Aroma or Starbucks is at 10-minute walk, which usually becomes a hassle.

THE MAPLE LEAF MAGIC

It is not easy to come to Canada, especially as an international student, but when you get used to rushing around to and from the city, you gain your footing. You meet all the strangers at the orientation but will become friends at some point; some are close friends, others are just friends, and they embrace the most challenging times with warmth and comfort. My current position is Guest Experience Supervisor for McDonalds. In my job, I have learned several things, and my overall thinking towards handling problems in real-time has been transformed. The one piece of advice that I gave you is to never cease to pursue your dreams and unknown goals. One of my dreams was to be trilingual, with Spanish being one of the languages I wanted to achieve, and even when I moved to Canada, I continued and was able to finish it. I express my gratitude for every single change, whether it was positive or negative.

For any questions, queries or comments, feel free to hit the comment box.