Pronouns: She/her
Year: Three
Major: Psychology
“I was born and raised in Kazakhstan, did my high-school in Beijing and then I finally came to Toronto. I went to UofT for a political science degree. After graduating there I realized psychology is what I really wanted to do. So, I moved from Toronto, left everything and started my journey all over again. And now,I’m really looking forward to transfer to UBC Vancouver this summer”
Fun Fact: I was asked to jump out of a plane for my psychological exercise. And this sky-diving experience was a strong reason for me to pursue psychology.
Why did you decide to pursue psychology?
I did take up psychology as my subject back in high-school but then I was not sure about it being a career option for me. Then, when I graduated from UofT COVID rushed in and I went back home to my family. I felt deeply unhappy and so I started to go to therapy. That was the time which opened my self-discovery path and made me realize that Psychology was my childhood dream that I wasn’t aware about until then. Other than this, I personally love to help people and really don’t want them to go through what I did.
Whom would you consider to be the most inspiring person in your life?
MY DAD!! He always stood beside me and my dreams. He was a kind of person who believed in making your career out of what you love doing. And, by my path of finding it to be psychology he really knew it is what I actually wanted to do. He has never pressured me rather gave me the support to figure out things. Both of my parents have a great hand in this journey of mine.
What is the piece of advice for UBC students in general?
Be proactive, take up every opportunity coming your way. Sign-up for every event suiting your interests. Reach out to your professors and go and meet them during their office-hours often. This will be helpful for your honors-program or for your chance to be a research assistant. Be mindful of the services here at UBC, don’t hesitate to take the advantage. Lastly, take as many chances you can.
What’s the most interesting theory in your subject field and why?
Currently, I am drawn towards “The Mindset Theory” and I am even reading a lot about it nowadays. This theory states that a particular mindset can change the way you feel about a situation. It’s really simple yet really deep at the same time. This helps me to tune into every class and doing small exercises like journaling, has slowly enabled me to take control of my emotional well-being.
How do you stay organized and prioritize yourself?
Creating a spreadsheet of my assignments and deadlines helps me stay intact. Along with that, using a calendar to mark my progress is another way to motivate myself. Another tip would be to finish the assigned readings during their assigned week so that there is not a bulk stacked together later. Lastly, using ‘Timebloc’ (app on iOS & Android) and google calendar is highly recommended because it is tools, calendars and planners like these which help a lot to manage easily.
Strategies to care for your mental health:
Honestly, I will go and see a UBC counselor to be more sorted with the current happenings. And, if I am on my own I will be saying to myself little affirmations, journal and even meditate for some time. I would suggest going out and spending time with your family and friends. Or finding yourself an activity that gives you mental peace like for me it is Kickboxing. It is a mental workout for my soul and really refreshes my mind and body.
And, in the time of 5 years, I see myself getting my masters and Ph.D. degrees and then starting a private venture of couple’s therapy.