Meet Kasi!
Kasi graduated from U of T in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience, Psychology and a minor in Physiology. She is currently finishing a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Global Health. Kasi loves watching movies, playing video games, exploring the city and hanging out with her friends. She’s extremely dedicated to whatever it is that she puts her mind to and tries not to take life too seriously.
Moving On From…
Kasi was a commuter during her undergraduate years and felt as if she missed out on experiencing university life as a student on residence. Her daily commute to campus was as follows: wake up at 6:30am, pack her lunch for the day, endure a one-hour train ride to Union Station, then take the subway up to St. George Campus. She would then be extremely groggy when heading to class and end up sleeping in class. This led to Kasi being very angry about commuting and how much time she spent wasting in her day, until she changed her mind set and saw her commute as potential to do things while on her train ride.
Kasi was the first in her family to go to university which was hard for her because her parents couldn’t tell her what to expect at university. Her parents believed that university would be just like high school, and since Kasi did well in high school she would do just as well in university. This caused Kasi to feel like a failure, since she wasn’t able to live up to her parent’s expectations. She wished she did more research on what each of the institutions she applied to had to offer as opposed to listening to what people told her, though she ultimately doesn’t regret her decision. She chose a major in Neuroscience because at the time, she cared about people’s opinion of her and wanted to impress others.
In fear of burning a potential bridge to medical school, she reluctantly stayed in Neuroscience, despite realizing the program did not suit her.
Kasi’s identity was rooted in her grades, and since her grades weren’t reflecting her effort, it resulted in her being in a bad emotional and mental state during her second year. She constantly questioned the purpose of even being in university if she wasn’t doing well and not even able to do the things she wanted. Kasi had a very supportive group of friends, and through talking to upper years, her mentor, her professor and TAs, she slowly started to realize that she couldn’t be perfect at everything. Meeting people who had taken a non-traditional route on their way to obtaining a degree redefined the definition of a student for Kasi.
Upon graduating, Kasi decided to get another degree as a means to improve her GPA and allow her to eventually apply for either graduate school or medical school. Instead of being harsh on herself for “not doing well in comparison to others” or showing off for other people. Kasi decided to focus on herself and start to do things that would make herself proud. She took up working out, has her own column with the Varsity and she’s now working in a research lab. She realized that not everything is a rush and it’s okay for her to take things slowly in life.
Kasi’s Take Home Message
“Really listen to yourself and be more authentic to yourself. You don’t have to be that perfect well-rounded person” – to her past self
“Start to be the person you want to be and don’t be the person you were in high school once you reach university. Take yourself out of your comfort zone, since it’s never too late for you to do what you truly want to do. Focus on what you want to be doing as there’s always a little voice in the back of your head telling you what’s important”- to the people reading this
If you or someone you know may be in distress or if you simply want someone to talk to, here are some helpful resources:
Health and Wellness-
UTSG- 416-978-8030
UTM- 905-828-5255
UTSC- 416-287-7065
Gerstein Centre Mental Health Crisis Line-
416-929-5200
Distress Centres (available 24/7/365)-
416-408-4357
OISE Psychology Clinic-
416-978-0620
Good 2 Talk Student Helpline-
1-866-925-5454
Anishnawbe Health Mental Health Crisis Line for Indigenous students-
416-891-8606
LGBTQ Youthline (peer support, open Sunday-Friday 4-9 pm)-
1-800-268-9688
Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Care Centre-
416-323-6040