What’s UP(SA)?

In this episode of What's UP(SA), we’re handing the mic to upper-year students to share their stories, lessons, and advice. 🎙️✨ From academic hurdles to personal growth, these upper year students reflect on their journeys and offer invaluable insights for thriving in university.

Join us as we discuss:

Whether you’re a new student looking for guidance or just curious about what’s ahead, this episode is packed with relatable and inspiring experiences. Tune in to learn from those who’ve been in your shoes! 🎧

Welcome back to What's UP(SA)! 🎙️ In this episode, we tackle a topic many students struggle with—perfectionism. Whether it's aiming for the perfect grade, overloading yourself with tasks, or feeling like nothing you do is ever "good enough," perfectionism can be overwhelming.

Join us as we discuss:

If you’ve ever felt the weight of trying to be perfect, this episode is for you. Tune in and learn how to free yourself from the perfectionism trap! 🎧✨

Host: Nafisa Quamrun Malisa

Co-Host(s): Deanna Buljan & Giang Vu

Script Writers: Noya Aronovich, Sobi Mohan & Saloni Sohal

Full video available on YouTube: @upsayorku

What's UP(SA) is back for the upcoming academic year!!! Whether you're a psychology major or not, we're here to help you navigate the exciting journey of being a student at York University.

Tune in to gain valuable insights and start your academic journey on the right foot. Don't forget to subscribe for more episodes filled with advice from upper-year students, stories from your peers, and all things psychology!

Our first episode is centred around the first few weeks of school. We dive into essential tips and advice tailored specifically for first-year students.

Host: Nafisa Quamrun Malisa

Co-Host: Alyssa-Marie Prassinos

Script Writers: Claire Regina Kurniawan & Alyssa Piluso

Full video available on YouTube: @upsayorku

Beginning your university life at York can be exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. There’s a big learning curve to adapt to, especially now that we are transitioning back to in-person classes. It can be very overwhelming for first-year students, who also have no knowledge of university courses and how to be a successful student. But don’t worry! In this episode of What’s UP(SA)?, host Aleksija talks about the basics of how to succeed in university with guest speakers Christina and Zahra. They share tips and advice about going back to school, like important supplies, self-care, and scheduling tips, as well as goal setting and completing goals, including how to stay motivated and how to avoid burnout. The transition from online to in-person classes is also discussed, since being back in a physical classroom is different but also a great opportunity to enhance your learning experience.

To read the podcast summary, access the resources and tips mentioned in the episode, and learn more about UPSA, visit our website upsa.club.yorku.ca

The February edition of What’s UP(SA) discusses Valentine’s Day, which is scrutinized for the emphasis on money spending and romance. In this podcast, we consult poll results from our audience which ask three important questions: is Valentine’s Day worth celebrating? Can you celebrate Valentine’s Day if you’re not in a relationship? Are Love Languages real? Through our audience’s answers, our hosts discuss these questions and provide their opinions and thoughts regarding the holiday.

To read the summary, access the links and resources discussed in this podcast, visit UPSA's website.

Visit upsa.club.yorku.ca for more information about the Undergraduate Psychology Student Association (UPSA).

The November edition of What’s UP(SA) touches on the area of psychology known as positive psychology, which entails expressing gratitude and showing appreciation for the things and people in our lives. Why is expressing gratitude important? How can we show our appreciation and say thanks? Why do we commemorate past events? All of these topics and more will be explored by our hosts Jennifer and Mansi.

To read the summary, access the links and resources discussed in this podcast, visit UPSA's website.

Visit upsa.club.yorku.ca for more information about the Undergraduate Psychology Student Association (UPSA).

This year, for World Mental Health Day, the World Federation of Mental Health (WFMH)  selected the theme “Mental Health in an Unequal World.” This particular theme was selected to highlight the various disparities that exist in our world when it comes to accessing mental health and how various marginalized populations face elevated risks in mental health. Why do certain groups face disproportionate rates of mental health conditions? In this episode of What’s Up(SA), we have partnered with our friends Farwa and Asma from GHSA (Global Health Student Association) and Tatiana and Fiona from EWIH (Empowering Women in Health) to discuss the factors behind good mental health, how various marginalized groups face a disproportionate level of mental health issues and how to maintain your mental health in the midst of the Pandemic!

Information about our guest speakers:

Empowering Women in Health (EWIH) is a student female-run organization currently funded by York University's Faculty of Health that aims to raise awareness about the gender disparity present in Canadian health at both professional and patient levels, connect community leaders with students and provide them with tools that will arm them for success and leadership in their careers, and inspire today's female students to become tomorrow's health leaders while providing them with tools for success.

To know more about the Empowering Women in Health (EWIH), check out their Instagram at @empoweringwomeninhealth and website at empoweringwomeninhealth.org

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Global Health Students' Association (GHSA) is the representative body for the students of the Global Health program at York University. The association aims to provide social and academic support while connecting Global Health students with faculty, industry professionals, and each other. Our mandate is to promote the interests and awareness of health issues on a global scale; from physiological, behavioural, societal, and critical perspectives. GHSA offers academic services, such as peer tutoring, peer mentoring, and expert mentoring, to help students with their grades and their transition to YorkU.

To know more about the Global Health Students' Association (GHSA), check out their Instagram at @ghsayu and Facebook at @GHSAYU.

To read the summary, access the links and resources discussed in this podcast, visit UPSA's website.

Visit upsa.club.yorku.ca for more information about the Undergraduate Psychology Student Association (UPSA).

Beginning your undergraduate psychology journey at York is an exciting transition, with so many opportunities to take advantage of, in a new environment!. However, as a first year student, the transition can be a bit rough, with a big learning curve to adapt to in terms of navigating intensive courses and getting involved with university extracurriculars/research. But fear not!! In this episode of What’s Up(SA), we have partnered with our friends, Amanda and Edman, from Black Students in Psychology (BSIP) to answer some common questions regarding the Psychology program at York, how to do well in your first year courses, how to get involved and some key tips for success! We hope that our insights can help you make your transition to university as a Psychology student as smooth as possible!

Information about our guest speakers:

Black Students in Psychology (BSIP) is an ideologically-diverse association for black students and supporters to contribute to the psychological scientific community. BSIP wants to create a community where black students can feel included and gain more knowledge in the field of Psychology.

The Black Students in Psychology club is expanding to include, organize and collaborate with other departments in the faculty of health. New committees are being formed.

Edman Abukar - a recent graduate from the BA program in Psychology at York University. She's currently involved with the Black Students in Psychology (BSIP) group as an executive member, more specifically as a Projects Coordinator for the Black Student Mentorship Program. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, nature walks, and spending time with family and friends!

Amanda Nkeramihigo - a 4th year Honours student in Psychology. She is also the Events and Program director for the Black Students in Psychology club at York University. Additionally, she leads BSMP, the Black Students Mentorship Program.

To know more about the Black Students in Psychology (BSIP), check out their Instagram at @bsip_yu and Twitter at BSIP_YorkU (@BYorku).

To read the summary, access the links and resources discussed in this podcast, visit UPSA's website.

Visit upsa.club.yorku.ca for more information about the Undergraduate Psychology Student Association (UPSA).

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our day to day life, with many of us learning to adapt to the uncertainty and risks brought upon by the rapid changes made in how we work, live and connect with others. The physical isolation due to quarantining, financial strains and housing insecurities have exacerbated mental health issues for many people across many communities, particularly for the queer community who already face elevated risks for negative mental health outcomes. In this episode,  What’s UPSA will be taking a deeper look to see how the pandemic has affected the queer community, in collaboration with our friend Minh, from TBLGAY! We hope that you will gain some more perspectives on how the pandemic has truly altered life for the LGBTQ+ community and some resources that may be of use for you.

Information about our guestspeaker:

TBLGAY or, Trans, Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Asexual at York is a student-run community service group. It is funded by the York Federation of Students to offer resources and support for the queer, trans, and asexual community in and around the York University campus. They have plethora of resources, from pamphlets and links of helpful on and off campus resources, to a library for their members to access.

To know more about TBLGAY, check out their Instagram @tblgay or Twitter @tblgayork

To read the summary and know the resources of this podcast, visit UPSA's website.

Visit upsa.club.yorku.ca for more information about the Undergraduate Psychology Student Association (UPSA).

For the final episode of our podcast for the year, UPSA will speak about the International Day of Conscience. Our guests, Jean-Marc Moke from BSIP, Farwa Arshad from GHSA, and Ayla Sadeghi from UPSA, will freely discuss their opinions about the Culture of Peace, where we are based on its definition and the happenings around the world, and finally, what we can do to cultivate peace and spread happiness.