Get a master’s degree in 1 year

I had no experience of living alone and in another country. I never thought of studying in English and abroad until I found out that my friend was doing it and that it is possible to 1) study masters in psychology without the requirement of a bachelor in psychology, as required in Norway, 2) get a master’s degree in 1 year where usually 2 years is normal for masters.

I currently have a bachelor in social work, but I always wanted to study psychology. Through Across the Pond, I had a chance to study Psychology, get a master’s degree within 1 year and the experience of living alone and in another country. This caught my interest and after talking with friends and family I thought «why not try it» and

get the experience of living on my own in another country, and I contacted Across the Pond.
 

Brunel University London

I have always been interested in human behaviour, why we are how we are and do what we do. I found the MSc Culture and Evolution Psychology very interesting and the modules in the course caught my attention. I didn’t really expect anything special from Brunel University from their course structure and lecturers as I don’t have any experience with studying abroad and never had an interest until recently. For me the decision to study abroad was very last minute and not something I had always planned or envisioned for myself.

I was very stressed in the beginning with all the new modules, the language and how the education in British universities work. I thought it was going to be very formal, and that I had to work a lot on my own to be able to catch up, but I have found the lecturers in my course to be available and helpful. They make time for you and help you out until you understand. I have also met wonderful people from my class and from other psychology classes who are in the same situation and we help each other.
 

Accommodation - living on campus

I chose to live on campus after I concluded that that will be more practical and also more social. I did try to look off-campus first but I just found it more convenient with campus. Also, I wasn’t able to visit and actually see the room, I did have video calls with some of the landlords but again you don’t really know how it is.

I have an ensuite with a bedroom and my own bathroom, but I share kitchen with 8 other flatmates. There is housekeeping that comes once a week to clean the kitchen and vacuum the hallway and we have maintenance as well in case something doesn’t work or needs fixing. The campus is also very green and surrounded with parks and benches, it is a nice way to escape and take a break.

My flatmates are amazing and I could never have settled in like I did without them, they gave me practical support which I needed as I came late to UK due to some complications with my visa. I learned that you are never alone and talking with others and socialize can make everything easier and better no matter what the circumstances are, you will always find comfort in the people around you. Of course, you will experience some stuff that you will not like, it could be the flatmates habits or attitudes kitchen being messy etc. Eventually you learn how to regulate around that. In my case, I am glad that I chose to live on campus and my experience with my flatmates were good, they will forever be close friends to me.
 

What to do on campus

There are a lot of opportunities and stuff to do apart from studying. I go to the campus gym to exercise and play badminton as well. I joined Brunel Volunteers which has been a nice experience, where you meet different people and local people as well. Every week they send upcoming volunteer events where you decide what event you are interested to volunteer for. There are a range of societies you can join, everything from book reading, dance to art. They also have job shops and can assist you in finding a part time job. Apart from campus, I have been exploring new places such as parks, markets, having afternoon teas and trying varieties of food. There is a lot to see and do from local pubs and malls to going out.
 

Still not sure?

If you are one of those who might be interested in studying abroad but are unsure if this is worth it, you find it hard to move out of your comfort zone and see no crucial need to study abroad. I felt the same. What I realized is that it is a good thing that you have it good where you are now but that is a reason in itself by challenging yourself to move out from that comfort zone and to be able to grow and experience new skills and sides of you that you might not have been able to do in your comfortable home.

Also, the study you have chosen will give you new ways of understanding and give you new skills that you could show on your CV and make you stand out in the job market. Your social network will expand and you will meet international people that also could be an advantage for future reference. And you will get to know yourself a lot more and be able to choose to do or try things you always wanted to try but haven’t

had the chance to regardless what the reasons are. This is a valuable experience both for your personal journey, but also for your practical experience that can open up doors for you in the job market.
 

Experience with Across the Pond

My supervisor from Across the Pond helped me throughout the process and told me what to do in each step. For one who doesn’t know where to begin and what to do in order to study abroad, this is an amazing way to get help to do it and it is completely free!

- Amanda