<aside> <img src="/icons/microscope_gray.svg" alt="/icons/microscope_gray.svg" width="40px" /> “I think the skill of presentation developed in the research specialist program is particularly useful for graduate school, where the expectation is to communicate research frequently and clearly to peers, supervisors, and researchers at conferences.” — Anonymous, psychology research specialist, graduated in 2023, now a 1st-year Ph.D. student at UofT
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<aside> <img src="/icons/microscope_gray.svg" alt="/icons/microscope_gray.svg" width="40px" /> “During the summer before my fourth year of undergrad, as I was preparing to begin my undergrad thesis project, I was lucky enough to receive the University of Toronto Excellence Award and continue being supervised by my mini-thesis supervisor. Spending more time in my supervisor's lab during the summer allowed me to develop deep relationships with other students and people whom I now regard as mentors. The conversations we had, the lunches we shared, and the ideas that brewed in that creative space really inspired me to continue pursuing research.” — Elisabetta, psychology research specialist, graduating in 2024, now a 5th-year student
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<aside> <img src="/icons/microscope_gray.svg" alt="/icons/microscope_gray.svg" width="40px" /> “One of my thesis supervisors is now my PhD supervisor. As an international student, I doubt that I'd be able to get funding at UofT without having first known my supervisor. More broadly, conducting a thesis has enabled me to confirm my interests, be better able to articulate them in a research statement, and have interesting discussions with faculty at different schools who were also able to make me an offer.”
— Mishel Alexandrovsky, psychology research specialist, graduated in 2023, now a 1st year Ph.D. candidate at UofT
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<aside> <img src="/icons/microscope_gray.svg" alt="/icons/microscope_gray.svg" width="40px" /> “Starting a project that was "my own" early on in undergrad [had a notable impact.] Doing this allowed me to get a better idea of what doing research was actually like. It also allowed me to get things on my CV, go to conferences, and talk with other researchers.”
— Norman Zeng, psychology research specialist, graduated in 2023, now a 1st year Ph.D. candidate at UofT
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<aside> <img src="/icons/microscope_gray.svg" alt="/icons/microscope_gray.svg" width="40px" /> “The Psychology Specialist program at the University of Toronto provided both a breadth and depth of knowledge on relevant literature as well as offered opportunities to develop technical and soft skills. For example, whereas the research courses (e.g., PSY369, PSY359, PSY405) enhanced my understanding of the methodologies and statistical tools utilized to conduct psychological research, my seminar classes focused on fostering effective science communication and discussion. I truly believe that my undergraduate studies in psychology helped to lay a strong foundation for pursuing competitive graduate research programs in psychology!” — Elaine Wang, 1st Year Ph.D. candidate in developmental psychology at Yale University
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<aside> <img src="/icons/microscope_gray.svg" alt="/icons/microscope_gray.svg" width="40px" /> “Beyond being connected to my current supervisor early on, it is a good taste of how research projects are run, what kinds of writing and communication go into them, and what delays/challenges can happen. Grad school is a bit more self-directed, but, depending on your thesis project and grad supervisor, it can be very similar or very different.” — Mishel Alexandrovsky, psychology research specialist, graduated in 2023, now a 1st-year Ph.D. student at UofT
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