The transition from secondary education to university is always a learning curve; however, the welcoming staff at Aberdeen made this change much easier for me. As an international student from Czech Republic, I especially appreciated the diverse environment of the university — and as a painfully awkward 20 years old, I especially appreciated the friendliness of other students. I have been living in UK for three years now and have taken my A-levels at Harrogate Ladies College. I enjoyed my time there so much I decided to stay in UK for further studies. Through a set of rather unexpected events, I eventually enrolled at UoA and I am glad I did.
My decision to study psychology at university is rooted in my A-level studies, as I was deeply intrigued by the subject and its intersections with my other major areas of interest: literature and writing. I have found many of UoA’s psychology lectures engaging and fun, and this is probably why I was able to gain the award. Although my main motivation to study is my interest in the topics at hand, it is truly encouraging to have received the Anderson Prize.
Similarly to many psychology undergraduates, my original plan was to go into clinical psychology; however, after my first year, I believe there are other areas I would enjoy working in. I would like to learn more about psychological research, especially after volunteering in a qualitative research project with Dr Mirjam Brady-Van den Bos. Alternatively, I was intrigued by less common applications of psychological knowledge, such as ergonomics. In the future, I would like to explore this possibility more.
Beside academic matters, I have also learned a lot about independent living and Scottish culture in the past year. Overall, I do not have firmly set future plans yet. The only certainty is that I look forward to learn more both within and outside of psychology.
