Life Design Workshops and Programming
Life Design workshops and events give students the tools that they need to imagine and plan for their personal and professional futures. Programming is offered as a series of ongoing workshops and events, and is free and available for students throughout the academic year.
Create an action plan for your future
Life Design programs are available as pre-registered workshop sessions and are available to all UCalgary students. In these sessions, students use design tools to understand and re-frame unhelpful thinking, set future goals and create solutions for short and long-term challenges that they’re facing.
Your Career By Design: Design your future — one step at a time
It’s okay to not have everything figured out.
Your Career by Design helps you explore possibilities and start shaping a career path that feels meaningful to you.
Based on life design principles, this blended learning experience will help you reflect on your interests, values, and goals and experiment with new ideas for your future. Through guided activities and practical tools, you’ll gain clarity, test possibilities, and identify next steps toward a career path that feels meaningful to you.
This blended experience includes:
- Self-paced modules (10 – 15 hours) in D2L
- A collaborative workshop with peers on March 27; Register here
- Optional 1:1 conversation with a Career Advisor
- Build your Career Design Playbook — a personal guide to capture ideas, insights, and next steps as you move through the program
- Earn swag along the way! The more you complete, the more you earn
Program Information
As you move through the four modules, you will:
- Reflect on your experiences and identify what matters most to you
- Clarify the questions and challenges shaping your path
- Learn how to turn uncertainty into opportunities for action
- Generate and test ideas for your career and life
- Build tools and mindsets to navigate change throughout your career
Register by March 17 to get started.
FAQs
No, Your Career by Design is a reflection-based experience meant for personal growth—not formal assessment.
You’ll have access to email check-ins, a career advisor for one-on-one guidance, and a community of peers through workshops and discussions.
All UCalgary students are welcome to join!
Designing Your UCalgary Coaching Program
Unlock your potential with the Design your UCalgary Coaching Program.
Be part of a close-knit coaching group including a campus staff Coach who will provide guidance on goal setting and pathways to achieving your personal, professional and academic goals. Group coaching is an innovative approach to help participants get motivated, supported, and connected as you work on your goals, or explore how to have a fulfilling experience in university and beyond. Join a group of students interested in exploring topics like:
- the value of university,
- how to plan academics,
- envision a future career, and
- address tough problems.
Based on Stanford University’s popular “Designing your Life” courses — this program is designed to help students understand how to get the most out of university experience.
Program information
Coaching for Winter 2026 has concluded, registration for future cohorts will be available in Fall 2026. Please check back—updates will be posted as soon as they are available.
This is a Quality Money project, brought to you by your Students’ Union.
FAQs
Group coaching is where like-minded students interested in exploring how design thinking can help with achieving academic, professional and personal goals are grouped together. They are assigned a dedicated staff member who coaches the group through engaging design thinking learning and activities. Group coaching is flexible, supportive and helps connect people throughout the campus community.
Through lively discussions, engaging activities and targeted guidance, Life Design Coaching helps:
- Clarify a path forward: Explore personal interests and align university experience with goals
- Overcome obstacles: Learn to navigate challenges and effectively make difficult decisions moving through the university experience
- Cultivate connections: Find motivation and support from like-minded peers and a supportive coach
- How design thinking can help with personal, academic and career planning
- Exploring interests and co-curriculars
- Goal setting and problem solving
- Managing time and energy
- Networking and connecting with campus resources to help meet goals
The next cohort will be in Winter 2026 - check back for program details!
Designing your UCalgary: First Year Seminar
Will you be in your first year this fall? Looking to connect with other new students, learn about campus resources, and get support building an amazing first year?
Over four sessions, you and a community of other first year students will be introduced to design thinking, a mindset and series of tools that will help you to think about what a successful university experience looks like to you. This program will help you think about your personal, academic, and career goals, the skills required to achieve them, and connect with other first year students in the process. Participation is completely free and includes a meal at every session.
As an exciting added incentive, all participants who complete this program will have the opportunity to receive a $300 reward, made possible by the Students' Union Quality Money program. More information on this financial incentive opportunity is provided on the program application form.
Please note, this program is University of Calgary students in their first year in Fall 2025.
The Fall 2025 program has now concluded, and applications are closed until the next intake.
Fall 2026 Program Information
Program dates and registration details for the Fall 2026 First Year Seminar will be announced soon. Please check back—updates will be posted as soon as they are available.