Starting university is a huge step in our lives. By moving out of our parents’ place for the first time, we also move towards a new life shaped by plenty of experiences to come. To better understand this transformative time, we asked bachelor graduates to reflect on their time at UvA, both academically and personally.
Our college years are often the most transformative years of our lives. Living alone for the first time, becoming an adult, and leading our lives in a more pronounced direction. With a new academic year starting, we are taking a look back by asking graduates of the Psychology Bachelor’s program how the academic program and the past three years of their lives have transformed them. We hope that UvA psychology students who are struggling through the third semester or facing new and scary situations understand that they are not alone and that, after some reflection, our biggest hardships can become the greatest catalysts for change. Reflecting on critical thinking and understanding what they want, we asked students about their biggest transformations over the past three years, both academically and personally.
Starting university is a huge step in our lives. By moving out of our parents’ place for the first time, we also move towards a new life shaped by plenty of experiences to come. To better understand this transformative time, we asked bachelor graduates to reflect on their time at UvA, both academically and personally.
Our college years are often the most transformative years of our lives. Living alone for the first time, becoming an adult, and leading our lives in a more pronounced direction. With a new academic year starting, we are taking a look back by asking graduates of the Psychology Bachelor’s program how the academic program and the past three years of their lives have transformed them. We hope that UvA psychology students who are struggling through the third semester or facing new and scary situations understand that they are not alone and that, after some reflection, our biggest hardships can become the greatest catalysts for change. Reflecting on critical thinking and understanding what they want, we asked students about their biggest transformations over the past three years, both academically and personally.
Nesh, 22, Specialised in Social Psychology and Research Methods
Spiegeloog: What course within the Psychology Bachelor’s program transformed you the most?
Nesh: Actually, Scientific and Statistical Reasoning (SSR; semester 3). SSR was one of the only courses that taught me to think differently. I still apply this every day when I am reading an article or hear about new scientific facts. I think if I had not taken that course, I would be a lot less critical of the information presented to me.
Spiegeloog: What was your biggest personal transformation in the past three years?
Nesh: When I entered university, one of my biggest priorities was to have fun. The social interactions I sought were mainly to have a good time. I was not necessarily critical about the people I surrounded myself with as long as they entertained me. In the past three years, there was a shift where I began to care more about the quality of my relationships. I have become more critical about who I surround myself with—people who are there for you, who listen to you, and who show a real interest in your life that goes beyond just partying and having fun. In your Bachelor’s, you experience a lot of new and scary things which are often accompanied by hardships. These situations are difficult, especially if you do not have a solid backbone in the form of reliable friends behind you—people who are there for a long time rather than just a good time.
Spiegeloog: And what’s your next step?
Nesh: I will be pursuing my Master’s in Behavioral Data Science at UvA.
Jonas, 23, Specialised in Clinical and Social Psychology
Spiegeloog: What course within the Psychology Bachelor’s program transformed you the most?
Jonas: Academically, the program changed me the most in the sense that I became more structured and critical, especially because of SSR. I noticed that the world is not simply black or white and that it is important to question this notion every day. The world consists of multiple different shades, and there is more than just one truth. That helps me everywhere in life.
Spiegeloog: What was your biggest personal transformation in the past three years?
Jonas: I gained openness—to the world and other people. Through the program, I got to look at things from different perspectives. This was enhanced by being surrounded by people from across the world and working with them. That also forced me to come out of my shell and made me understand situations I do not necessarily personally relate to. The development of this openness cannot be signified by one specific event but accumulated over the past three years. This mosaic of experiences is only now coming together. I do not know how I ended up here. I just know that I have changed.
Spiegeloog: And what’s your next step?
Jonas: I will start and hopefully finish my Master’s in Neuropsychology at the University of Maastricht.
Nesh, 22, Specialised in Social Psychology and Research Methods
Spiegeloog: What course within the Psychology Bachelor’s program transformed you the most?
Nesh: Actually, Scientific and Statistical Reasoning (SSR; semester 3). SSR was one of the only courses that taught me to think differently. I still apply this every day when I am reading an article or hear about new scientific facts. I think if I had not taken that course, I would be a lot less critical of the information presented to me.
Spiegeloog: What was your biggest personal transformation in the past three years?
Nesh: When I entered university, one of my biggest priorities was to have fun. The social interactions I sought were mainly to have a good time. I was not necessarily critical about the people I surrounded myself with as long as they entertained me. In the past three years, there was a shift where I began to care more about the quality of my relationships. I have become more critical about who I surround myself with—people who are there for you, who listen to you, and who show a real interest in your life that goes beyond just partying and having fun. In your Bachelor’s, you experience a lot of new and scary things which are often accompanied by hardships. These situations are difficult, especially if you do not have a solid backbone in the form of reliable friends behind you—people who are there for a long time rather than just a good time.
Spiegeloog: And what’s your next step?
Nesh: I will be pursuing my Master’s in Behavioral Data Science at UvA.
Jonas, 23, Specialised in Clinical and Social Psychology
Spiegeloog: What course within the Psychology Bachelor’s program transformed you the most?
Jonas: Academically, the program changed me the most in the sense that I became more structured and critical, especially because of SSR. I noticed that the world is not simply black or white and that it is important to question this notion every day. The world consists of multiple different shades, and there is more than just one truth. That helps me everywhere in life.
Spiegeloog: What was your biggest personal transformation in the past three years?
Jonas: I gained openness—to the world and other people. Through the program, I got to look at things from different perspectives. This was enhanced by being surrounded by people from across the world and working with them. That also forced me to come out of my shell and made me understand situations I do not necessarily personally relate to. The development of this openness cannot be signified by one specific event but accumulated over the past three years. This mosaic of experiences is only now coming together. I do not know how I ended up here. I just know that I have changed.
Spiegeloog: And what’s your next step?
Jonas: I will start and hopefully finish my Master’s in Neuropsychology at the University of Maastricht.
