Last Tuesday, we had a wonderful afternoon playing among us or skribbl with psychology students and learning helpful tips from Dr. Jay Hosking. From teaching to hobbies, from jokes to advice, from grad school to career goals, Dr. Hosking shared lots of his experience. Among all the psychology and neuroscience courses he teaches, Dr. Hosking’s favourite course is PSYC 207, a fun and intriguing course on drugs, brain, and society. Dr. Hosking is also the advisor for the behavioural neuroscience program, so feel free to reach out by booking his office hours at https://jayhosking.youcanbook.me/ if you have any questions. Beyond the academic domain, Jay enjoys making music, reading, and writing a variety of novels in his free time. His passion in being a lecturer at UBC traces back to his belief in edification and interest in interacting with students, which is what he missed the most when he was doing his Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at Harvard University. We also talked about life after university, where Dr. Hosking reflected that there are many career paths psychology students can take. Ultimately, it depends on your interest to achieve what you want to do with your degree. Lastly, Dr. Hosking advises students to explore interesting electives just for fun and extends a welcoming invite to reach out to him if you need help with the BNS program, reference letters, or psychology in general.
Fun facts:
- Dr. Hosking was Dr. Steven Barnes’s TA back in grad school.
- Dr. Hosking believes that grad school was a fun journey although the first year always seems tiring. He reveals a nice perk that is grad students can take any undergrad courses for free.
- Dr. Hosking taught English in Japan.
- Dr. Hosking’s most generous email time is at the end of the day (around 2am)