Campus Life & Future Careers

Imposter’s syndrome – that feeling that sooner or later, everyone around us will realize we are a fraud…that we’re not as good at this as everyone thinks…that we are not qualified and don’t belong here…

Many of us have experienced these thoughts and feelings at some point, with research identifying imposter’s syndrome in students, faculty, corporate employees, and management alike. Whether we are just embarking on our career path or stepping-up along the way, experiencing imposter’s syndrome can influence our decision-making process if we’re not careful. (more…)

Source: https://reporter.mcgill.ca/mcgill-named-of-one-canadas-greenest-employers-for-2019/

I felt really bad for stopping posting for a while since the life has become really crazy involving all the courses and research you need to do as a second-year PhD student. It’s also a fruitful year that I got a project finished and started working on the second one intensively. I’m glad that so far my School Year 2018-2019 has gone well. (more…)

• WATCH THIS

And head into the new year with this commercial in mind. Like seriously, was it made especially for students like us who have “no time for anything” yet spend hours mindlessly scrolling on our phones?

• Subscribe to a new podcast.

Get hooked! Find one you’ll want listen to on your way to class or on your way home from that long day. You’d be surprised how relaxing it could be and how it could give you the ability to say “Hey, I really didn’t know that!” on a weekly basis.

My personal favorite: Past Present

(more…)

In this post, I am going to cover how different concepts from Mind Gym[1] can be applied by students. You may be familiar with some of them from other ‘self-help’ type books, from workshops on time or stress and anxiety management, or already use them without giving them names. I am going to give overviews of the power of positive thinking, motivation and fear of failure, and SMART goals. All of these contribute to getting ‘in the zone’ and succeed at everyday tasks or activities. (more…)

You might find Mind Gym: An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence[1] in the sports section or the self-help section, depending on the bookstore. Published in 2001, Mind Gym was written by sports psychologist Gary Mack to show regular people how the mind influences athletic performance. The book is organized into 40 chapters which end with short exercises to improve the mental habits which help performers succeed. Mack demonstrates the impacts of stress and motivation on success using examples from sports. However, his recommendations apply to elite athletes and regular people alike. (more…)

Credit to: Japan Chemical Daily

It is not that easy to get an internship in a company, especially when there are more restrictions on international students. As I wrote in my very first blog, I went to an interview to get an R&D internship in a renowned enterprise in the fine chemical industry. It was a hard interview but fortunately I nailed it. Without this experience, I would not decide to do a PhD after a master, and it was so different from doing academic research. (more…)

In recent years, there has been an increasing push for students to study STEM subjects, including science, technology, engineering and math. As someone who has always been interested in humanities and social sciences, I have found myself from time to time regretting that I did not take a shine to STEM. It seems students who pursue STEM are promised more certainty in their job prospects, the potential for higher salaries, and overall the allure of a more “prestigious” career. Undoubtedly, with general advances in research and technology, the STEM field is rapidly growing. However, this does not undermine the value of studying humanities. In a reflection of common attributes of the company’s top employees, Google discovered some interesting characteristics among its most successful team members. These noteworthy findings are discussed in an article featured in The Washington Post.
(more…)

I’m fortunate enough to be able to say that I’ve had many wonderful opportunities growing up. Chances to learn, rediscover, try again, travel, explore, grow. At the time, they didn’t seem like such a big deal as I was still too young to appreciate them. Now, more than ever, I keep my eyes peeled for them – waiting for the next opportunity to present itself so I can take it and hoping that I’d be lucky enough to have similar chances as those around me. But one of the most important things I have taken away from doing this is that opportunities don’t always magically appear; it’s not just about “luck”. Sometimes you have to find them where you least expect them, and sometimes you need to go searching for them.

(more…)

Over the past 4 years, I have had the chance to be an interviewee and an interviewer. Unfortunately, neither seems to be easier. Interviewees face the stress of not knowing how to prepare for an interview or what the interviewers thought. On the other hand, interviewers need to decide on questions to understand the true nature of candidates and often face tough decisions when the selection pool has many qualified candidates. Here’s what I’ve learned about a good interview from sitting on both sides. (more…)

Nearly five minutes into every discussion I’ve had with an adult about my post-secondary plans has contained the two following phrases: “University is the best time of your life!” and “University is the hardest time of your life.” The fact is, they’re both right. University life is definitely distinct in how it is a time of newfound independence, freedoms, hardships, and distractions. For many, the post-secondary period is a combination of new commitments, a lower disposable income, as well as more sources of stress; this combination may only be sustainable through the practice of self-care. (more…)