Renowned Programs
With a passion for the Life Sciences, Shavanshi was drawn to U of T for its world-renowned research opportunities, particularly in the area of Psychology, which is ranked 13th globally (QS, 2024). In her 2nd year, she began working an ROP (Research Opportunity Program) position as a research assistant and lab coordinator in a Cognitive Psychology lab, which continued into a Work Study position the following year. In this role, she gained experience in data collection, writing and presenting reports and designing event cognition experiments. She says of the experience that “the supervising professor and my upper-year colleagues encouraged my curiosity and helped me build foundational research skills as a second-year student new to the field”.
Extracurricular Opportunities
Outside of the classroom (and lab), Shivanshi is involved in numerous extra-cirriculars and work experiences. She’s currently working as a Senior Campus Tour Guide, is a member of the U of T Mental Health Association and U of T AIESEC, a youth-run organization helps students embark on exchange experiences, and has been an Orientation Leader for the past two years. Reflecting on these experiences, Shivanshi says that they “allowed [her] to meet people from all over the world, learn more about different perspectives, and find a warm and welcoming community as an international student”. She says events like the Frosh Week “Clubs Fair” and CLNx (U of T’s Career Learning Network site) helped her to find research, work and club opportunities that connected her to the broader U of T community.
Finding Community
Shivanshi found her footing as an international student through resources and experiences such as the Centre for International Experience (CIE), which helped her when her student visa was delayed during the pandemic, by joining a First Year Learning Community (FLCs) and Registered Study Group (RSGs), finding communal spaces like the Cat’s Eye Lounge at Victoria College to study and hang out, by participating in events run by the Indian Student Organization, such as a Holi celebration, and by being an Orientation Leader. She says that these experiences “helped [her] find close friends in [her] first year, despite not living on residence”.
"Joining small groups on campus like First Year Learning Communities (FLC) & Registered Study Group (RSGs) will help you find close friends in my first year, especially if you don’t live on residence.”
More student stories
To learn more about other students doing amazing things at the University of Toronto.
