Playing the Long Game: Psychology Undergraduate at Trent University

A recent graduate of Trent University, I spent my four years discovering what actually sparked passion and interest for me in the academic world. Finishing with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, I will continue to pursue a Master’s degree (and maybe even a PhD) in the realm of sport psychology. My learning experience was a unique one, intertwined with in-person and online classes, a mixture of typical class situations and many research opportunities. I am incredibly grateful for the experience I had at this university, as I leave more confident in the academic and student I am now.

My journey starts with a Bachelor of Arts and Science, which I quickly discovered was too broad and general to afford me any real passion. Although useful, and a good starting point to dip my toes in, I craved something more concrete. In both my introductory psychology courses I excelled, as I did with all my classes. However, Introduction to Social Work, Anthropology, and Arts and Science didn’t light my fire. I was fascinated by people, why they acted the way they did, what impacted their thoughts, feelings, emotions. That is how I found myself switching to a major in Psychology before my first year had completed.

Second year was plunged with uncertainty, as the COVID-19 pandemic ran its course I found myself taking all my classes at my over-worked desk instead of in a lecture hall of 100+ students. It was during the summer I decided to add a Biology minor to my degree, with the faint idea I may be interested in pursuing a future in neuropsychology. I overloaded a semester, balancing 6 courses, and dived into my work, as what else was one to do when the only options were to stay inside with your household bubble? I dabbled in cognition, brain and body interactions, sociality, and abnormality trying to discover where in psychology I belonged. I had been so confident I had found my niche by choosing psychology, only to discover that psychology was a massive oak tree with branches upon branches to climb and not enough time to shake every one. A successful year, and academically my highest but socially my lowest.

Third year the world begins to tilt back towards the “typical”. Although typical has likely changed forever in the world of academia. This is the year I accredit to discovering what it is I want, after much debate. I can barely recall the normal classes I took as much of my memory is overtaken by fondness for my first research experience. Although no one could forget Psych statistics – even if we tried. Under the supervision of a familiar professor, I delve into a research project under the umbrella of sport psychology. Of course, I enjoyed my other pursuits, excelling in neuropsychology and the required biology classes. But ultimately, the defining part of this year was the beginning of a love story between myself, research and sport psychology.

Fourth year was the wildest ride. I would akin my last year as an undergraduate student to running a marathon at the pace of a sprint. A serial over-committer, somehow I found myself not only making headway on an undergraduate thesis, but also working on a separate, year-long independent research project. That is on top of working to complete the final courses I needed to satisfy my biology minor (which I started a year late), fourth year psychology courses and auditing a group-work heavy behavior change course simply because I was interested in the content. If it was a race, I’m sure my final time would be gold medal worthy, although at the expense of my body.

I sit on the other side of my undergraduate degree now, and can happily look back and say “what in the world was I thinking?”. Regardless, I cheer because within this process I found wherein I lie in the large oak tree of psychology. The branch of sport psychology is not strong, or big. But it is where I sit perfectly, balance well, and seek to look over all the academics, courses, and classes that have brought me here. Please enjoy my learning journey, as I certainly did.