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Describe your time at UCL in three words: nuanced, comfortable, challenging.
Sabrina Zhang
MA Psychology of Education
Toronto, Canada
What attracted you to UCL?
The general reputation of the department amongst psychology courses and the breadth of options it offers as one of the top universities in the UK is what attracted me. It was also a neighbouring university that I was familiar with throughout undergrad.
How has UCL been different to what you had known at your previous university?
UCL feels much larger, and being a postgrad student is inherently a very different experience to undergrad.
Comparatively, there are more options and spaces for societies and sport clubs which is nice, and the Unitu platform for student voices is definitely a great new tool.
What aspects of your studies do you enjoy the most?
As a Master's student, meeting and getting to know people in all stages of their lives that have, for different reasons, come together to study the same thing and have similar goals has definitely been a highlight. I also love how our program actively involves examples and core text that represent many cultures and not just local examples. All of our professors are super responsive and provide really good feedback.
What makes you most proud to be a UCL student?
The quality and impressive backgrounds of the staff. Whenever we come across sample text or research papers that are cited from a certain department or staff at UCL, it makes me feel proud to know that those who were once in the same position as I have gone on to make great contributions in their respective academic fields.
Describe your time at UCL in three words
Nuanced, comfortable, challenging.
What are some of the most interesting things you have done, seen, or got involved with while at UCL?
I am representing my course as one of the student reps this year and the initial meeting we had was really interesting as it taught me a lot more about the structure of the university and things I wouldn’t have bene aware of that are going on in the background to support student experiences. I’ve also been to several sport trainings at different locations, and some project active opportunities in the UCL East campus and it’s been fun to see how students from all types of courses are bonding over similar interests.
In what way has studying in London enriched your studies?
London is a beautiful city and has given me the opportunity to learn about many cultures around the world. Just being able to explore the city itself, especially since UCL is right in the midst of it, and being able to appreciate the rich historical context of where we are makes the experience that much more enriching.
Who inspires you most at UCL and why?
My programme leader Matt Somerville. He has so much on his plate from lecturing to supervising to booking rooms for us, and he still manages to be super friendly with students and reply to any inquiries in email promptly. As one of the first lecturers that I had the way he addressed us felt really comforting, especially for international students that might’ve felt a bit on their own in the beginning of term.
What advice would you give to a student considering UCL?
Look into the department that you want to study in and the kind of topics that staff on your course work with, as that will have a huge impact on your studies and your dissertation.
How has being at UCL changed you and the way you think about yourself?
Perhaps it is paired with the fact that I happen to be in the phase of my life where some future plans are falling together, but it’s definitely made me feel more centralized and stable in my own identity. It’s also forced me to become proactive about my time management, which is a positive thing as it’s helped make me more productive.
What are your future ambitions and how do you think that being a UCL student will help you get there?
As students and UCL alumni we have access to a lot of career support and networking opportunities, which will definitely help with connections all around the world. I will likely be going back to Toronto and will eventually want to start my own clinic of sorts, and both the friends and professors that I have met have given me a lot of inspiration, motivation and shared valuable knowledge in the industry.