Programme overview

After a year of studying Medicine at the Erasmus University, I decided to apply for the bachelor Psychology, because I wanted to learn more about human behaviour. I was almost instantly convinced to go to the Erasmus University Rotterdam, because of the very accessible location and the Problem Based Learning system, which this study is built around. PBL means that you actively discuss the curriculum with a group of students, instead of passively learning the subject matter.

I have learned that this way of active learning helps to retain information a lot better than regular ways of teaching. Now that I have been studying Psychology for almost two years, I can say that I have learned to be more critical when information is presented. Besides that, I’ve learned that there are different perspectives to approach a problem and that more perspectives can help create a better image of a situation.

In my opinion anyone who is interested in how humans work and interact with each other, could apply for this Bachelor programme. This is because the curriculum for this specific study is very broad, ranging from organisational psychology to clinical psychology. Having experienced all the different disciplines in psychology, I’d say I like neuropsychology and clinical psychology the most.

As a young girl, I had other plans for my future, until the day we studied in high school about ‘consciousness’ during philosophy class. I sure was interested in human behaviour and neuroscience before, but I never thought that I would base my future career on it.

I am a third year student now and I specialized in clinical psychology. We learn about abnormal behaviour and mental illness. One course that I find very interesting is biological psychology. We get to learn about the biological basis of our behaviour. Questions we discuss include “what happens in our brain during sleep?”, “how come some people’s personality changes after brain damage?” and “why do we get addicted to certain things?”. It still amazes me how some behaviours we see daily are the result of a bunch of neurons and neurotransmitters working together.

Problem Based Learning is the reason I chose Erasmus University Rotterdam. We get to educate ourselves about the topic or problem assigned, and we then discuss it during tutorials, meaning we are actively learning. This also helps me a lot for exam preparation as I feel fully educated about the topic.

I was born in Rotterdam but raised in North Morocco. Living in Rotterdam feels weirdly familiar and comfortable. I left the city when I was six months old, so I don't have any memories from living here, yet it still feels like home. My favourite place in Rotterdam is the South part, below the Maas. It seems to be underrated but there is a lot to discover. And lastly, the only thing that I'm still not used to, and maybe never will be, is the moody weather!

To be honest, I never thought I would study Psychology one day. I was interested in medicine, enzymes and chemical reactions. However, after two years of studying Biochemistry, I realised that I was trying to become a person I am not. So I quit and I had no idea what to do next. I only knew something had to change and that I love to travel and I love the English language. So I thought: if I will start all over again, I will do it right. Therefore, I moved abroad and started a study which is taught in English.

Before I decided what to study, I did my research. The more I read about the International Bachelor’s programme in Psychology, the more I realised that this study contained the perfect combination of biology, sociology and philosophy I was looking for. For two years, I worked in several medical facilities in Germany and as a paramedic. These jobs required not only a medical but also a psychological point of view. Therefore, I knew psychology would probably be a good fit for me. Furthermore, it would give me the opportunity to choose a specialisation from many different paths. When I read about the Problem-Based Learning System at EUR, I became fascinated. It felt as if this learning method was especially made for me as it fitted my learning behaviour. I did not really expect to get into the programme but I applied anyways and I got accepted. So I moved here and I have never regretted this decision.

I really like the tutorial meetings during which we are able to discuss a topic. Even though the workload is heavy, I work with a smile on my face. I sometimes even call my friends to tell them how excited I am about a new subject. In particular, I look forward to organisational psychology.

It took me some time to get used to Rotterdam. I am not a huge fan of big, modern buildings, I rather prefer old cities like Amsterdam or Edinburgh. However, as time went by, I discovered more and more places in Rotterdam which I enjoy. I don’t know where life will take me, but I am happy here and for the first time I feel like am I in the right place.