Brain and Cognition

As a Master’s student in Brain and Cognition I learned about the biological fundament of the mind, the cognitive processes involved in language usage and how we mentally represent and categorize our environment. In short, this study programme provided me with an understanding of what it means to be a human being, including all our perfections and imperfections.

I chose Brain and Cognition because this field of research is most exciting to me. The domain of human cognition is largely an undervalued / area of research, it contains some mystery. I describe myself as a thinker and like to immerse myself in the process of finding solutions. The study programme focuses on the scientific background of theoretical concepts. This means: how do researchers obtain their results?

Instead of passively absorbing knowledge, I was encouraged to be critical and think of possibilities to find the right answers.

The study programme provided me with the great opportunity to choose my own research thesis topic. As I am a music enthusiast and musician, I wanted to know more about the cognitive processes and underlying biological principles that are connected to with music processing. I asked Jan van Strien, Professor in Biological and Cognitive Psychology, to be my supervisor. My research focused on the electrophysiological response of the brain to unexpected musical events in familiar music. I devised an EEG experiment: subjects listened to familiar music fragments that were slightly manipulated while their brain activity was being recorded. Some chords in the music fragments were somewhat altered in pitch. Interestingly enough, these manipulations were associated with very distinct brain responses. 

Currently, I hold a position as PhD Candidate on a project about cognitive and linguistic aspects of social media usage. For me personally, the Master’s programme Brain and Cognition has turned out to be a great choice, it has provided me with a strong fundament to start a scientific career.

My name is Phuong Nguyen, but I also go by Chloe. After finishing my Bachelor’s in Psychology and International Business in the United States, I decided to pursue further in the branch of Cognitive Psychology. I fell in love with the learning about how we perceive the world, how we form memory and (kind of) lose it. 

After spending more than four years in Chicago’s freezing weather, I wanted a change in the academic setting so I started looking for programs in other countries. I chose Rotterdam after considering all the aspects: program curriculum, school reputation, the city and the country. And I must say it was one of the best decisions I have made! 

Overall, the current curriculum has allowed me to practice self-discipline. Most of the time we’ll have to read at home and be prepared to contribute to the class’s discussion. The Problem-based learning approach has helped improve my ability to focus, listen, and answer in a fast-paced yet tolerant setting. The small-sized class is also a plus for we have more attention and time from our professors in both lectures and the group meetings.

I am planning to get a job here in the near future, either in academic or industry is fine with me because I think I can adapt quite well. At the same time, I am trying to learn Dutch to increase my chances of landing a job where it requires some knowledge of the language. Rotterdam and Holland in general is such a lively place that offers so many opportunities so I am sure there will always be something for you here. 

I honestly think that this program can offer you something as long as you have an interest in learning about the human mind and behaviours. It provides broad understanding of the current topics in Cognitive Psychology. At the same time, it allows you to use your own time to dig deeper into your topic of interest, whether it is more Neuroscience-based, Linguistic, or applied psychology in other fields such as education or business. The vast campus is a bonus where you can literally do everything onsite: study spaces, supermarket, food court, gym, and the dormitory (it’s limited in availability so you gotta be faster than others to get this one ;)). All in all, I am grateful to have the opportunity to be here and I hope you will also make a decision that you will be happy about later.