The Student Spotlight Podcast

Episodes

1. 31

   #31: Longevity, Reproductive Health, The Tech Age

   Welcome to the first episode of season 4! I hope you enjoy the podcast's fresh new look as I kick off my 4th year. There's no better way to start this season than with a thought-provoking conversation with one of my closest friends, Carol Magalhaes! She is a Junior at Northwestern University who...

   Jan 15, 2024

   1h 26m
2. 30

   #30: A Brain Stroke, Non-Negotiables, Mental Models

   Wow, it's been a year! A lot has changed as my 3rd year comes to an end and fourth year starts soon. In this episode, I fill you in on my updated mental models after I reflect along the last year and why I didn't podcast during that period. It was a challenging year and led to a breaking point…

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   May 5, 2022

   1h 42m
3. 29

   #29: Twitter Village, Medical School, AI in Health

   Twitter! Medicine! Newborn Love! What do all 3 of these themes have in common? Lan! On this episode, the spotlight is on Lan Dao, a third-year medical student at the University of Montreal and a previous intern at the Mila - Quebec AI Institute. With her plethora of experiences, we talk all…

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   May 15, 2021

   52m
4. 28

   #28: Esports, Applied Mathematics, Anime

   Beep boop beep in this EP, I am joined by three computer science friends, Alex, Andriy, and Peter, where we discuss all things esports gaming (and its connection with math!), as well as a classic Anime exposé! Here's a little sneak peek about this fun-filled episode's guests: Alex Teeter is a...

   Mar 20, 2021

   1h 09m
5. 27

   #27: My Book, Artificial Intelligence, New Beginnings

   Long time, no see Spotlights! I have not fallen off the face of Earth in my absence over the last two months, just had a lot of big projects surface at the same time. In this episode, I update you on the various facets of this podcast as well as my invested endeavours in joining Twitter (and...

   Mar 16, 2021

   27m
6. 26

   #26: Web Development, Neuroscience Non-Profits, Pottery

   Happy New Year! This episode features Alexander "Sasha" Skvortsov, a 2nd year computer science and math major at Pennsylvania State University! He first started programming through the International Youth Neuroscience Association (IYNA), a nonprofit that helps high school students explore their...

   Jan 14, 2021

   1h 12m
7. 25

   #25: Political Law, Charity Work, Young Adulthood

   To celebrate the podcast's one year anniversary episode, Sana and I discuss very important topics that come up with our transition to young adulthood! Sana Al-Bahrani is a sophomore student studying Justice, Political Philosophy and Law at McMaster University and TAs several Innovation courses.…

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   Jan 1, 2021

   1h 29m
8. 24

   #24: Graduate School, Robotics, Humane Technology

   Cue the Spotlight to an episode full of laughs as I am joined by 2 classic late-night conversationalists, Alex and Ibby! Our 1st guest is Alexandra, a fourth year Computer Science Specialist and Teaching Assistant at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) who also researches online classroom...

   Dec 19, 2020

   1h 08m
9. 23

   #23: Grey Software, Google, Authentic Living

   Can you guess which OG guest is featured in this episode? Hint, in season 1, we primarily talked about problem solving with technology and the software engineering space in startups and big corporations. Ok ok enough teasing, it's Arsala Bangash! Staying true to his technological problem solving...

   Dec 7, 2020

   1h 00m
10. 22

    #22: Pandemic Pedagogy, Skipping Lectures, Discord

    In the 1st solo episode of season 2, I give an online school update and how I navigated the academic realization that “oh wow this is actually getting kinda hard now”. Proposed solutions and anecdotes include online lectures (skipping some of them :''D), life saving TAs, professor effort, and...

    Nov 14, 2020

    25m
11. 21

    #21: Data Science, Artistic Journey, Student-Driven Businesses

    Cue the 1st episode of season 2 of The Student Spotlight, to kickstart this new season with a bang, today’s guest is Nameera Azim! She's a talented student studying statistics, computer science and business at the University of Toronto. Besides school, she is an artiste and paints scenic...

    Nov 1, 2020

    50m
12. 24

    Season 2 of the Student Spotlight Podcast!

    Welcome to Season 2 (sophomore year)!!! The Student Spotlight is a podcast that explores the highs and lows of student life with guests and the host, Yasmeen, a psychology/computer science student at the University of Toronto. This podcast aims to help the student community connect more through...

    Nov 1, 2020

    3m
13. 20

    #20: Undergraduate Transition, Environmental Science, Making Friends

    Joined by one of the funniest people I know, Jack Bennett! He's an environmental science specialist at the University of Toronto and is interested in streaming video games, exploring astronomy, and photography. You can check out his Twitch Video Game streaming channel at www. twitch.tv/Hosannah…

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    Oct 14, 2020

    1h 49m
14. 19

    #19: University Vice President, Higher Academia, Minority Allyship

    In collaboration with the WiSC Talks Podcast, In today's special episode, we are joined by the new Vice-President of the University of Toronto and Principal of UTM, Dr. Alexandra Gillespie! Alex (don't worry, we got permission ;D) is also an internationally renowned researcher, published author,...

    Sep 16, 2020

    1h 00m
15. 18

    #18: Online Schooling, Student Entrepreneurship, Creative Potential

    Whether you’re woohoo or boohoo about online school, this episode plays on that duality with both pros and cons. As a summer online student, I share my two cents on remote learning strategies, realizations, and tips. I also discuss the pandemic's interesting consequences on the student space!…

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    Sep 9, 2020

    31m
16. 17

    #17: Systems Design Engineering, Product Management, Co-op Education

    At the Spotlight, we have Seeam! He’s a 2B Systems Design Engineering student at the University of Waterloo. Besides a ton of cool internships at companies like BlackBerry and RBC, he most recently finished a term where he spearheaded mobile product management at an early-stage health-tech…

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    Sep 2, 2020

    36m
17. 16

    #16: Sleep Hygiene, Moratorium, Teenage Egocentrism

    You know what, students face many personal obstacles besides obvious academic ones. Here, I attempt to tackle three of those in this episode. The first and main narrative is how to adopt effective sleep hygiene. I outline my strategies and things I've learnt from research! While explaining this…

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    Aug 26, 2020

    41m
18. 15

    #15: Burnout, Self Rejection, Career Complexes

    The committed period of student life comes with a lot of not-so-warranted experiences like you guessed it, burnout! In this episode, I start off by talking about my early morning essay crisis experience and how I handle the day onwards. That discussion extends beyond just surface-level "burnout"...

    Aug 19, 2020

    40m
19. 17

    Welcome to The Student Spotlight!

    ✨The Student Spotlight is a podcast that explores the highs and lows of student life with your host, Yasmeen (Brain) Hmaidan, a psychology, computer science, math student at the University of Toronto. Because there's nothing better than starting conversations with students about their lives so…

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    Aug 6, 2020

    2m
20. 14

    #14: Procrastination, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Learning How To Learn

    "I'll just do it tomorrow", "Augh, why do I always leave this to the last minute??", "Will I ever change this habit?!". Joined by a special guest, today we tackle these classic questions to discuss the common perils of procrastination on academia. The Ender Dragon we must all face at one point or...

    Aug 6, 2020

    57m
21. 13

    #13: Effective Student Advocacy, Black Lives Matter, Social Astuteness

    The spotlight is on Teni! A 2nd year Brown university student, who studies liberal medical education with environmental health and inequality. The main theme of this episode is regarding black lives matter advocacy, especially from the under-represented student experience. Please listen to the…

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    Jul 19, 2020

    54m
22. 12

    #12: Being Female in STEM, Student Mentorship, Academic Resilience

    Cue the Spotlight to Vaneezeh Siddiqui, a 3rd year UofT student majoring in statistics, and double minoring in computer science and business. She is the Founder and President of the up and coming WiSC (Women in Science and Computing) club. In this heartfelt conversation, Vaneezeh brings light to...

    Jul 6, 2020

    56m
23. 11

    #11: Existential Crises, Memeology, Student Philosophy

    We are joined by Motasem Almasri, a Biopsych student at UofT. We discuss a whole slew of existentially-themed topics ranging from the classic human question "what do I want to do with my life?!" all the way to light-hearted memeology! This episode can give you a refreshing outlook on the...

    Jun 26, 2020

    52m
24. 10

    #10: Students & Covid-19, X Æ A-12, Video Games

    Ali Kuwajerwala, a graduating UofT student majoring in Robotics and Machine Learning makes a feature where we discuss a myriad of topics ranging from Covid-19's implications on our student lives, Elon Musk's new baby boy, to the beauty behind video games. If you're impressed by Ali's overall...

    Jun 21, 2020

    59m
25. 9

    #9: Bad Grades, Pep Talks, No Regrets

    Bad grades, we all get them as students so it makes sense to talk about them. Why? Because too many of us get bogged down by a subpar number and treat it as a taboo. But so what? We’re just students in the Game of Academia. So like every game, let’s come up with a game plan! I really hope that...

    May 31, 2020

    12m
26. 8

    #8: 1st University in Canada, All About UofT, University of Toronto

    As a UofT student myself, in this episode I talk “All About UofT” from personal experience ranging from Social Life, Academia, Research, Residence, Extracurriculars, and UofT Culture. I hope that this informational EP can be helpful to incoming freshers who want some context when entering this…

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    May 31, 2020

    36m
27. 7

    #7: Freshman Hackers, Computing Reflections, Technology Careers

    Cue a first year computer science bonanza! As the year comes to a close, here's an excitingly reflective EP featuring two of my 1st year CS friends at UofT, Eric and Arnav. Topics range all the way from software engineering struggles, course material critiques, and a personal email from Twitter's...

    May 2, 2020

    1h 12m
28. 6

    #6: 18 Things I Learned At 18, Independence, Life Lessons

    This EP focuses on a self-introspective POV of the last 18 years of my life. Lessons vary from authentic synchronicities to the meaning of friendships. I guess here goes adult life from now on!

    Apr 29, 2020

    18m
29. 5

    #5: Academic Empathy, Student Archetypes, The Supramarginal Gyrus

    As you may or may not know, the entire world is currently under siege by a microscopic enemy, called the novel coronavirus, aka COVID-19. Virtually the entire world has been under quarantine and self-isolation to help do their part in saving the human species from extinction. It’s a tough time.…

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    Mar 24, 2020

    15m
30. 4

    #4: Technological Problem Solving, Hack Lab, Software Engineering

    Marking the start of the Hack Lab Series, we are joined by Arsala Bangash, a senior computer science student and aspiring technological problem solver. From working at Google to local startups, Arsala spills the beans on the tech industry’s whirlwind of an environment! So join me in checking out...

    Feb 2, 2020

    1h 10m
31. 3

    #3: Future Astronaut Student, Origins of the Universe, NASA Questionnaires

    A late night chat with Martine Campbell, a first year Physics student and aspiring future astronaut. We discuss all things existential like: the origin of the universe, alien life, black holes, and so much more. Stay tuned till the end where we take NASA’s Astronaut Aptitude Quiz to see if we are...

    Jan 2, 2020

    1h 27m
32. 2

    #2: Physicist to Lieutenant, Army Life, Camaraderie

    From being a physics major to now a second lieutenant, I am joined with Joan, a special Canadian forces army officer, to discuss her hectic, not-so-movie-like training stories, army friendships, and her action-packed agenda whilst living the Call of Duty life IRL.

    Dec 29, 2019

    28m
33. 1

    #1: The Top Student Phenomenon, Academic Standing, Consistency

    What's the difference between a top student and A-level student? Is there a difference at all? In this episode, we investigate this phenomenon through real life examples in our own student lives in academia and non-academia alike.

    Dec 28, 2019

    7m
34. 2

    #0: Freshmen Reflections, Computer Science Chronicles, First Semester Blues

    Fresh out of a computer science exam, I am joined by two featured guests and fabulous friends, Laura and Arnav, where we discuss our experience as computer science students finishing our first semester of university, woohoo.

    Dec 28, 2019

    7m
35. 1

    clarity

    What does clarity and focus look like in today's digital age? We explore this topic with wisdom from Elon Musk, new york imagery, a guided meditation, and finally, a warning.

    Dec 28, 2019

    15m