Quan Ren
Yeo

What made you choose this course? (Facilities, reputation, student life?)

At the time of application, there were only three universities offering Cyberpsychology master’s degree programs. I chose NTU because of its unique program structure. NTU was the only university that offered a work placement opportunity, and the cross-disciplinary opportunity to study Computer Forensics at a master’s degree level with students from the MSc IT Security program. The trifecta of opportunities in doing research, gaining practical work experience, and studying a cross-disciplinary subject were the deciding factors for me to choose NTU’s Cyberpsychology program.

How has the course so far helped you prepare for your career?

On the academic front, the course assignments gave me the freedom to research and write about anything I was interested in. This included research on the psychological methods that scammers employ in online dating applications to preparing a draft research proposal just like a PhD candidate would.

Regarding the work placement, while I was very much looking forward to it, it had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation. Therefore, this was replaced with an assignment to prepare a consultancy report. This assignment helped to bring me out of the usual “academic/researcher” mode as I needed to explain complicated psychological concepts without any academic jargon. I was also required to offer potential solutions that were feasible to implement.

Overall, the course equipped me with the skillsets of both a researcher and a practitioner of Cyberpsychology.

Could you describe your experience of being a student at NTU so far?

Nottingham is an excellent city for students, with student discounts offered in grocery shopping and dining out. The library has a very beautiful rooftop garden where I would often visit with my classmates to destress after a long day of classes. The Global Lounge allowed me to make new friends from other countries; we carved a Pikachu-shaped Pumpkin during the Halloween event! With Warhammer World being a couple of tram stops away from NTU, the student group met there weekly to have friendly matches. There was always something exciting around the corner for students at NTU!

Could you tell us about the support you received from your tutors and university staff?

The tutors were all extremely friendly and supportive in both our academic and personal lives. I was caught in an unfortunate accident and was not able to attend classes for over a month. The tutors all showed concern and support and assured me that I did not have to worry about assignment deadlines and that extensions will be given; I just had to focus on recovering. The university staff were all very kind throughout the whole administrative process of submitting relevant medical documents as well. I managed to keep my grades up and continued with the course after I recovered.

We’ve had to transition to remote teaching during the coronavirus outbreak. How have you found that change? Do you feel the University’s responded well to the challenge?

I had to return to Singapore as the government strongly encouraged international students to do so if we could. The tutors responded and adapted to the transition to online classes very smoothly. Dr Andrew Harris even organised multiple consultation sessions to accommodate the time differences for international students. As there is an eight-hour time difference between Singapore and the U.K, I really appreciated the extra effort put in as this meant that I need not attend classes in the middle of the night.

During this period of remote teaching, have you still been able to access the kinds of guidance and support you’d normally expect? Are you still comfortable about your prospects?

Yes. The tutors were checking in often to ensure we were coping well with the remote teaching arrangements. I had frequent check-ins with my research project supervisor and arranged for a video call consultation as well to clarify comments made on my draft. I was confident in my prospects and received excellent academic and emotional support during the period of remote teaching.

If you recommended this course to a future student, what would you say?

The MSc Cyberpsychology course offers a lot of freedom for you to pursue your areas of interest in the variety of assignments that are being offered. Coupled with the excellent teaching team, administrative staff and the student-friendly city of Nottingham, I strongly recommend you pursue your postgraduate education here at NTU!