I feel very honoured to have been awarded the Anderson Prize by the School of Psychology. Especially in an academic year like this past one – which was so out of the ordinary and a bit hard to get used to – it means a lot to receive this award.
Although I still had the chance to take on campus classes during the winter semester, which I am very thankful for seeing as the School of Psychology tried to continue to deliver engaging in-person teaching in a safe manner, most of this year took place online, which was definitely an adjustment process. Even though I appreciated the comfort of studying at home at times – namely not having to walk to campus in rainy weather but instead sitting at the kitchen table with my flatmate, both of us dressed in pyjamas and listening to lectures – online classes were occasionally challenging to maintain motivation for.
In these times, two things helped me greatly to stay on top of everything – online resources provided for our psychology courses (such as discussion boards and weekly updates and overviews on what do) and a good balance with non-academic interests like exercising and anything regarding the Aberdeen University Tennis Club. For the future I am hoping to keep up this balance while still continuing to perform well academically and to enjoy my studies. Additionally, I am looking forward to increasing my knowledge in psychology and getting more hands-on experience in terms of conducting research and applying the skills we learn throughout this degree. Lastly, I am planning to fully use this upcoming third year to figure out what area of psychology I want to specialize in, so that I can start making more specific plans for after my graduation, seeing as my time in Aberdeen is sadly going by a lot quicker than anticipated.
Thank you again to the School of Psychology and I am looking forward to another academic year and to being back in Aberdeen!
Lea will begin her third year of psychology studies in September 2021.
