The Voice Magazine recently had a chance to chat with Aman Sahi (she/her), a Bachelor of Psychology student who hopes to become a registered psychologist currently residing in Airdrie, Alberta. Originally from India, having moved to Canada ten years ago with her husband, Aman has spent the last seven years in Airdrie.
This future psychologist has some great study tips for fellow students. “My motivation is that I want to be my own boss. Whenever I feel low, I remind myself of the future I want and tell myself that for that future I have to work hard right now. My study time is in the morning before going to work because that is when I can focus more.”
She also had some invaluable advice for new students and/or prospective students: “You have to come out of your comfort zone, if you want to fulfill your dreams.”
When Aman is not studying, she enjoys spending time with her dog Guccy and also enjoys “music and painting.” She also finds time to read, crediting author Jay Shetty’s books with teaching her “a new perspective and . . . [allowing her to] feel more positive about life.”
She credits her father with having had the greatest influence on her desire to learn. She stated, “He has always inspired me. Growing up I always saw him reading books in his free time. He says knowledge is power. My brother and I call him ‘Gyan da Sagar’ which means Ocean of Knowledge because he can literally talk about any topic. When we moved to Canada, I couldn’t do anything with my degrees from India, so I decided to get into something that I will enjoy and have a good future with.”
Her experience with online learning has been “really good” so far. “I like the fact that I can study at my own pace but sometimes I lose focus. So I have to constantly remind myself to carry on,” she stated.
She considers PSYC 228: Introduction to Human Development to be her most memorable course so far. “It was fun and I enjoyed it the most because my tutor Dr. Dorothy Steffler guided me well. She was very helpful throughout the course which made learning fun and easy, because I never found myself stuck on any chapters or assignments.”
As for communication with her course tutors? “Communication with tutors is good as long as the tutor is willing to teach. To be honest I have only had few tutors who actually guided me properly, mostly I get email replies that are very vague and don’t really help.”
The Voice Magazine asked Aman what her first project would be if she were the new president of AU. She would “try to make education more affordable because it is becoming more and more difficult to be able to afford it.”
She also shared her most valuable lesson with Voice readers. “Never be dependent on anyone, be self-sufficient.” And her proudest moment? Well, that will be the day she becomes “a registered psychologist.”
As a final note, she stated, “It was difficult in the beginning to be a student again but my overall experience with Athabasca University has been great. AU will always be a great part of my educational journey.” Best of luck Aman!
At times, in an online learning environment, it can feel like you are all alone, but across the nation and around the globe, students just like you are also pursuing their Athabasca University (AU) studies! Each week, The Voice Magazine will be bringing you some of these stories. If you would like to be featured next, do not hesitate to get in touch!
