Studying abroad is a transformative experience, and for our friends who are currently doing a student exchange at the University of Birmingham, it’s an opportunity to embrace a new academic culture and lifestyle. Here, we share the perspectives of four students from Batch 2022 on their academic experience in the UK.

Asya highlights the value of the UK’s academic structure. “In the UK, classes are often seminar-based, where students actively engage in discussions, fostering critical thinking,” she explained. “In contrast, in Indonesia, lectures are more common, and there’s less emphasis on pre-class preparation.” Asya is studying modules like Crime and Antisocial Behaviour and Consumer Behaviour and appreciates the UK’s focus on independent learning, which she feels has helped her grow academically. read more

Meet Clara Michel, an alumna from UGM’s Psychology Department, class of 2019, who is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in International Human Resource Management (IHRM) at the University of Edinburgh. Michel shares her inspiring journey and offers insights into why she chose her program and how her experiences have shaped her academic and professional growth.

=&0=&

Michel had some time working in human resources (HR), but she quickly recognized that in order to advance in her career, she required a deeper understanding. She acknowledges, “I felt like I jumped into a career without knowing how to do it right.” Although experience is a wonderful teacher, Michel desired to be more ready before making a long-term commitment. She decided to continue her education in HR, but this time she would study it from a business and management standpoint. read more

Almeira Hadi, known as Mella, was a student at IUP Psychology from batch 2018 who is currently pursuing her masters degree in School Psychology at Leiden University, Netherlands. 

When asked on why she decided to pursue School Psychology, a rather rare choice for Psychology undergraduates, Mella revealed that she had always been passionate in teaching since high school. During her time as an undergraduate in IUP Psychology, she had the chance to become a lecturer’s assistant for 4 times, and she enjoyed giving feedback on students’ assignments as well as the dynamics of teachings. Following her graduation as an undergraduate, Mella had the experience as an intern for 6 months at Sekolah Cikal, where she then continued to be a teacher there. read more

Naomi Nicola is a student from IUP Batch 2021. While her friends filled up their fifth semester by going through exchange programs and summer courses, Naomi took a different road in filling up her fifth semester with an internship program at RSA UGM as a child psychologist assistant.

Being a child psychologist has always been Naomi’s passion and future goal, so when she came across Career Center’s internship offer, she immediately applied and submitted all the required documents until she reached the interview phase, which she successfully passed. During her internship, Naomi had a lot of experience and direct exposure to the hands-on practice of child psychology that she did not get to learn inside the classroom, specifically on handling various IQ administration tests (such as Weschler’s Intelligence Scale for Children, WPPSI, Snijder Oomen Non-verbal Testing).

Naomi also reflects that she got to learn a lot about discovering new modes of communication with children during each session, and how to use the right tools that are appropriate for each child’s condition. In addition to that, she realized that being an intern really helped her observe and understand the subtle dynamics offered in an actual hospital, which includes how psychologists and fellow health practitioners work together in diagnosing a child’s condition and finding the right strategies to tackle the problem. For Naomi, however, one of the biggest lessons she learned from her internship program is how to be much more patient, especially when it comes to dealing with children as clients.

When asked about what she would say to her juniors and future IUP psychology students, Naomi mentioned, “There are lots of alternatives when it comes to your education plan. Just remember to stay true to your goals rather than surrender to the fear of missing out, because that’s what I felt when everyone went for an exchange program while I did not. You do you, guys!”.

Author: Nabila

Gendis Puan, often known as Dissy, is a student from IUP Batch 2020. Recently, Dissy joined a committee and internship program at HIMPSI, with guidance from Dr. Edilburga Wulan Saptandari from the Educational Psychology Course. Before becoming an intern, Dissy joined a committee for an event at HIMPSI. There are various benefits to joining this committee, from gaining experience and enhancing relationships with people in the field of psychology. After the committee, Dissy got offered to join an internship program as an assistant for Dr. Edilburga Wulan Saptandari in HIMPSI. Therefore, Dissy got to work in Compartment B at HIMPSI. The workloads involve a variety of tasks that comprise the essence of what a proficient assistant would undertake, which include composing letters, organizing comprehensive rundowns, refining documents, making reservations, taking notes, and ensuring that the flow of communication between both parties remains efficient during meetings.

According to Dissy, some actions are quite challenging. Going through two consecutive days of 12-hour meetings was a bit of a challenge, especially for someone attending such sessions for the first time. Surprisingly, the long hours didn’t feel as tough because the discussions were interesting and the people were friendly. In these meetings, Dissy got to know everyone better, learned about different personalities, and played a crucial role as the note-taker. The team was friendly and patient, making the whole experience a good introduction to the complex world of psychology in Indonesia. From the experience, the benefit that has a significant impact as a psychology student is the relationship with fellow individuals who work in the field of psychology. Dissy is grateful that she had an experience as the teaching assistant of Dr Edilburga Wulan Saptandari and she became her assistant in one of the most prominent organizations for psychologists in Indonesia. If she hadn’t been a teaching assistant before, she thought that she might not have had the chance to be an assistant at HIMPSI. Another big plus is the experience. Here, she’s learning a lot about connecting different groups and trying to fit into the “real work culture.”