I’m just an average 2016 at the Schulich School of Business. Alike many, I got hired! I work with Course Hero Inc. as a Student Manager. To date, my team of Student Interns and Student Managers have collectively uploaded over 5,000 documents to the site, resulting in the donation of more than 500 books to children in Africa. Who would have thought I would get a tour of Course Hero Headquarters in California a year later?! See how you can hop aboard the Course Hero train!

Course Hero, Inc. is headquartered in Redwood City, California.  Course Hero is an educational technology company that provides students with a suite of online resources, including crowd-sourced Study Documents, expert Tutors and customizable Flashcards, in order to learn more effectively and succeed.

Ingredients for My Main Course:

  1. To never underestimate an internship opportunity.
  2. To strive to go beyond the job description, always.
  3. To appreciate the opportunities that each open door provides.
  4. To perform with the purpose of making a difference.
  5. To build connections by being who you truly are, not what others want you to be.

How Did It All Begin?

 I vividly remember applying for this internship position via York University’s Career Development website. When I got an e-mail to be interviewed, I remember doing a lot of research. After every little bit I learned about Course Hero, I was thinking: “Wow, how amazing would it be to work for this company?” The people who know me know that I take extensive textbook chapter notes. What fascinated me was the fact that I could share these notes with students and meanwhile, help donate books to underprivileged children on the other side of the ocean.

A few days after my interview, Stephanie called me and told me that I have been accepted as a Student Development Intern. After hearing the news, I immediately stopped what I was doing and told many of my friends and family about Course Hero. Every so often, people would ask me what I do at Course Hero and trust me, I have a lot to say! For one thing, I have never been happier with my initial decision to submit an application to Course Hero.

What Did I Get To Do All Year?

Throughout the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to do much more than what was listed in my job description as a Student Manager. Sure, I had my own team of interns I was guiding but I had the opportunity to do so much more! Few of the many memories I hold dearly in my heart: sharing my suggestions with Vice President of Campus Operations (John Stacey), or chatting with CEO (Andrew Grauer) over Skype, or exchanging Halloween photos with my Campus Manager (Stephanie Parks).

Hold on! The best part about my internship thus far has been the fact that I was invited to visit Course Hero Headquarters on Valentine’s Day. What started as a spontaneous California trip to visit a close friend of mine turned into something I never thought would have been a possibility a year ago.

Did I Say Headquarters?

Early in the morning, a black Mercedes from UBER picked me up and drove me to the Caltrain station. I hopped on the Caltrain and three stops later, I arrived in Redwood City! The train didn’t even come to a full stop before I spotted my manager, Stephanie Parks, waiting in the parking lot.  We squealed, hugged, and exchanged presents – we happen to have the same birthday! Without a doubt, it was an exciting moment as I finally got to see her in person after a year of virtual communication!

When we reached the office, I got a tour of both the office and surrounding facilities by Stephanie and John – there was an espresso coffee machine in the kitchen and a gym next door! Without a doubt, it was a jam-packed day. I had the opportunity to speak with John about multiple items ranging from the document feedback loop to online forums and the interactive nature of the internship to the discoverability of documents. Sometime in the afternoon, I had the chance to sit with Andrew to view some Course Hero metrics, learn about Cardinal Scholars, and understand his daily duties as CEO.

Furthermore, I had the opportunity to: sit with a Campus Operations Manager, Taylor, as he did a walkthrough call with an intern, view Course Hero’s statistics for various university and college with Hannah, eat lunch with the Campus Managers, speak with Nick about document discoverability and search options, and meet the entire Course Hero team! From morning to afternoon, everyone at the office made me feel extremely at home. It was an incredible experience.

Want To Be Part of the Course Hero Team?

I definitely encourage students to apply for the Course Hero Business Development internship. Much of the internship is through virtual communication, flexible hours based on your availability, and the drive to succeed. Of course, Schulich students will strive to do their best in everything they do and that is why you will be a successful intern! If you are interested, feel free to contact me at weitingxus@gmail.com.

Weiting Xu, iBBA ’16


About the Author

Weiting Xu was recently named the Youth Award recipient (under 25) at the 15th Annual Youth Impact Awards.  She actively contributes to the student body through a wealth of extracurricular activities. Weiting is the President of Rotaract Club of York University, which focuses providing opportunities for youth to excel in their endeavours through avenues of charity, community, and career. She mentors students through the Course Hero Knowledge Drive, a program that donates books to those in need in exchange for submissions of class study documents.  Additionally, Weiting works as a Don and Peer Health Educator where she supports, guides and provides opportunities for York University student residents.
– See more at: http://www.coursehero.com/blog/2014/03/04/lots-of-love-from-course-hero-visiting-course-hero-headquarters-on-valentines-day/#sthash.PA7u4uyZ.dpuf