Natalie Batres

I chose to study the International Bachelor in Psychology at Erasmus University mainly because of the university’s reputation and the relatively short duration of the Bachelor (3 years). Once I started the Bachelor’s programme, I realised that the Problem-Based Learning method (PBL) was of great value. As students we are responsible for finding the literature relevant to our courses with the guidance of our tutor. The PBL method simulates the reality after your studies, when you will have to find answers to questions without any guidance. You will have to be able to extract the main points of certain information. The PBL method prepares you for this and gives you enough confidence to do this yourself in the future. Another aspect of the Bachelor’s programme that I like is how it is structured. During the first year you are given an overview of all the different paths of psychology (e.g. clinical, organisational, educational, and cognitive psychology) and in the second year you acquire a deeper knowledge of each path. By the end of the second year you have enough knowledge to make an informed decision about the field of psychology you would like to specialise in.

In my opinion, the third year is the best year of the programme as you are given the autonomy to choose which courses you would like to follow. You can go on exchange or stay at the university to follow a course at a different faculty (minor). I chose to stay at the university because studying in the Netherlands already felt like an exchange to me. I do not regret my decision as I was able to study at RSM, which only confirmed my interest in business. Once the first semester of the third year was over, I started my specialisation in organisational psychology. I haven’t finished my specialisation yet. So far, I really like the courses as they are more practical than those in previous years. In short, I highly recommend studying psychology at Erasmus as it gives you a great overview of the different aspects of psychology. In addition, it gives you the chance to specialise in the field of your choice. The Bachelor’s programme requires hard work but once you are close to the finish line, you will not believe how much knowledge and experience you have acquired in such a short amount of time.