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.

International Women’s Day reminds us of the oppression and inequality women have had to endure but it also recognizes and celebrates the achievements of women across the world. In this episode What’s UP(SA)? will be diving into the problems women face today, in collaboration with our friends Ava and Dena over from the Women’s Empowerment Club. We will be targeting issues with the definition of female beauty, the effects COVID-19 has had on women's employment and representation and more! We hope you gain some insight into the obstacles women continue to face and how we can help overcome some of them.

Every February we celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Black Canadians and honor their legacy. In this episode What’s UPSA will be tackling the crucial topic of intimacy in Black communities with special guests Jean Moke, Harmoni Watson and Shawntaeu Richards from the BSIP organization at York. We will be discussing how important intimacy is with regards to mental health and the stereotypes surrounding Black relationships. We will also be looking at ways to deal with social expectations and how to maintain a healthy relationship with your partner. Thank you for tuning in and we hope you enjoy it!

The winter break is over and the holidays are behind us, which means going back to school, to work, and other responsibilities. While this is expected, some of us experience what is not usually expected, the post-holiday blues. In this episode What’s UP(SA) will be talking about the post-holiday blues with special guests Kaitlynn Fernandez and Shina Kumar from the organization The Happiness Plan at York. We will dive into what the post-holiday blues and what puts people at risk of feeling blue after the holiday season. We will also compare the post-holiday blues to seasonal affective disorder and discuss some ways to fight feeling blue after the holidays. We hope you enjoy!

For this month’s podcast, UPSA’s Gauri and Jennifer will be discussing the 12 days of motivation. This informational episode includes what exactly motivation is, specifically the science behind it, and tips and tricks on how to get motivated and stay motivated in time for the upcoming exam season. It’s vital to maintain drive and motivation, especially at the end of the semester, and take time to avoid burnout. Please think of the 12 days of motivation as a mental retreat where you take some time out of your day to remember your goals and ambitions. Remember back to what it is about your goals that drives you to be motivated in your academic pursuits. In this podcast, we acknowledge that it can be hard to stay motivated, especially when so much is coming at you simultaneously; however, it is imperative to celebrate the small victories and take small steps to achieve your goals. Motivation and self-care go hand in hand. As we prepare for our next event: UPSA’s Movie Night that is happening on Thursday, December 3rd, from 7:00 to 9:30 PM EST. While we encourage you to push through exams, it is also essential to take some time off and kick back and relax to watch movies with your fellow peers.

For this month’s podcast, two of our Peer Ambassadors address this month’s theme of Noteworthy November where three noteworthy topics are discussed in depth: Remembrance Day, police brutality, and the coronavirus. We focus on these topics in regards to social psychology, and try to understand the impact that past events can have on our futures. Our hope is that everyone can understand the importance of learning about past events and keeping updated on current events as this understanding can influence our futures a great deal. We should all be supporting each other through these tough times through effective communication. Here at UPSA, we promote activism and mental health awareness within ourselves and with our loved ones. To create change, we must start now. If someone you know is struggling and stressed because of the pandemic or other significant events happening in the world, make sure they know they have someone to help them. In this podcast, we provide simple solutions to how you can change the future for others through petitions and supporting different organizations etc. Our futures are important and we must start planning for it now, and to assist you in planning for it, UPSA will be hosting our Clinical vs Counselling Psychology event on November 18th.

For this month’s podcast, UPSA’s Saina and Sarah will be discussing the topic of Mental Health Awareness. This means realizing and spreading awareness as well as educating others of the stigma that many people with mental illness fall victim to. A huge part of mental health awareness is that we’re not only acknowledging that mental health is an important topic. However, we’re talking about it and putting it out there so that people who relate can get the help they need as well. We especially want to put the focus on the global pandemic that is affecting many with feelings of isolation at this time. We want to remind everyone in the community that you are not alone and that others are going through the same things that you are. People throughout their lives experience ups and downs in their mental condition which is something that we, as a community, should normalize. In this podcast, we talk about keeping in check your health and wellness and balancing academics at the same time through strategies such as breathing, meditating, exercising, or even just spending time with your fellow peers. We at York take mental health very seriously, as we prepare for UPSA’s Mental Health Matters event happening on Wednesday, October 21st.

Seeing as many courses have been transitioned to online formats, students may feel that there are newfound challenges that come with this virtual form of learning. For instance, managing time and facilitating interactions with professors have become more difficult. In this episode we will be discussing how to adjust to the online format of school this year. We will focus on distance learning, time management and asynchronous vs synchronous learning. Research and personal experiences will be used to explain the issue of online learning and tips on how to adapt to this new format.

Coming soon is the Undergraduate Psychology Student Association’s podcast, What’s UP(SA). If you’re wondering what UPSA will be discussing this upcoming podcast, check out our trailer and tune in September 14th, 2020. Song: Daystar - SOSO / https://youtu.be/i-XtdTSC2fI