Nora
Bajcsi

Why NTU?

What inspired you to study your subject?

"Many little things throughout my life have been building my enthusiasm for both psychology and criminology. From books and films, to interesting people around me. When I finished my high school education, I knew this was a field I want to know more about and applied to NTU."

Why did you choose your course at NTU?

"When I was looking around for universities through an agency, knowing my ambitions, they immediately directed me towards NTU for its outstanding psychology department. And just as it was promised, when I started my course I got to experience all the benefits of the lecturers’ expertise in their field, as well as in their enthusiastic teaching."

What’s your experience been like of your course so far?

"Undoubtedly the highlight of the three years has been listening to fascinating lectures from the most enthusiastic lecturers I’ve ever met."

Have you been involved in any projects or extra-curricular activities that have supplemented your studies run through NTU?

"I took part in a SPUR project, which is a research opportunity for second-year students. Each project was different, but I got to conduct a study almost from scratch with supervision. This was very helpful just before going into my final year where our individual research project has the most weighting towards our grades. The experience from SPUR certainly gave me the confidence to start the final year."

What does Social Sciences mean to you?

"Social Sciences is a way to help us understand people’s acts and mental world from a scientific point of view, to make our world more considerate and scientifically appropriate. Social Sciences to me is the greatest tool to make us better."

On Placement

Have you completed any work placements on your course?

"Although I didn’t have a placement year, I worked on a SPUR project with a scholarship. This happened during the summer after my second year and got to work on all steps of a research project, gaining valuable skills on time management, project planning, as well as learning a new statistical analysis etc. But beyond all the improved skills, it also made me realise how much passion I have for research."

Support

What do you think of the support available from tutors and staff at NTU?

"The staff are eager to help and very friendly. If they can't help, they most likely know who to turn to."

Outside of the Lecture Theatre

Did you find it easy to make friends and settle in at NTU?

"To settle in at NTU is easy but making friends on a course consisting of hundreds of students can be difficult. Most of my friends at university I know from various societies. These provide a little extra to meet more like-minded people as on a course this big, people have very different ambitions from yours."

The Next Steps

How is NTU helping you to achieve your career goals?

"As I am interested in doing research, NTU has most certainly been preparing me for it through the course itself and available projects to gain extra experience. There are so many opportunities, they just need to be grabbed."

Advice

What top tips would you give anyone thinking about studying your course at NTU?

"If you enjoy learning and challenging yourself, and want to learn from enthusiastic and helpful lecturers, apply for NTU. If you’re passionate, make that show through your application, and keep this passion throughout your studies."

As an International Student

Why did you want to study in the UK?

"I grew up learning English, so spending some time in the UK was always an ambition. When deciding between universities at home and in the UK, I knew the theory-driven teaching style at home was not for me and wanted to experience the applied-knowledge-based teaching style of psychology in the UK."

What experiences have you had as an international student at NTU?

"I have made some good friends with both home students and international students. It's been fun getting to know different cultures."

What advice would you give to help new international students get settled in at university?

"Go to social events and to the Global Lounge. The former is a great way to find new interests or people similarly passionate about the same things you are, whilst the latter is a great little place full of friendly international students where you can feel at home in an unexpected way."