Since I started studying psychology I have been fascinated by perception and how we use our senses to learn about the world. To a large degree, however, it was accidents that led me to work on the specific topics I have. First, one of my professors at university let me volunteer in his lab, so I started working on the studies that were already ongoing. Later, various conversations with colleagues resulted in my research moving in different directions.
I don’t have regrets about the subjects I’ve specialised in. But I also recognise that I could have been equally happy working on many other things.
I was always a musician and wanted to be able to combine that with learning something new, and I had trained a psychotherapist so music psychology seemed ideal – and it was. But I would also like to do a bit of philosophy if I ever get the chance.
I was very intrigued with how people do things and how their brain is producing what we call consciousness and behaviour. When I started studying Psychology, I realised that it was the right fit for me – during the 4 years of my B.Sc. degree I figured out that Experimental Psychology is even closer to what I want to do, the area examines through biological lenses different human reactions to different stimuli… the rest is just a series of fortunate events (finding a job within a lab, getting involved in research etc.).
I met someone who was amazing and he had gone through a terrible time. I couldn’t believe that this person could be so wonderful given what awful things had happened to him. He said that he was doing so well because he saw a psychologist. Sp… I wanted to become a psychologist (until then, I thought that I might be a translator!!!)
My friends, who got lower grades and only have one degree rather than three!, earn more money — so sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if I’d gone down a different road as an A grade student. But I will never know what ‘could’ have happened if I’d have gone down a different path. Maybe I’d have hated going in to a business role; maybe I wouldn’t have been able to adjust to the pressure of having to work until midnight sometimes to meet a deadline…
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