With a passion for pursuing a career in scientific research in psychology I came to Sheffield in 2016 to study BSc Psychology and I am currently in my second year of undergraduation. After having studied psychology as one of my A-levels, I wanted to pursue the subject at the undergraduate level and I chose the University of Sheffield because of the extensive range of modules that the department offers.
This range offers me the knowledge and experience of the different areas of specialisation in the field. Being one of the top Russell Group Universities, the department is extremely research- intensive and produces cutting-edge research and has excellent research facilities. Additionally, the degree programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society which ensures high quality standards.
I’ve had the opportunity to study and train under some of the leading experts from the field. The department always engages in actively organising scientific seminars and organises a series of TED-style talks called the ‘Sheffield Mind Matters’, welcoming guest lecturers from across the U.K. and European psychology scientific fraternity.
Gaining focus
Recently I had the chance to present my research work in the area of Westernised Trauma discourses at the British Conference for Undergraduate Research (2018), the biggest national conference hosted by the University of Sheffield. Having studied the great range of modules which cover both the traditional areas of psychology like social and developmental psychology as well as more novel areas like synthetic psychology and modelling brain and mind, this helped me decide on the area of specialisation that I would like to pursue for my further studies and base my career on.
The area of psychology that I wish to pursue further is Computational Modelling in Cognitive Psychology/Computational Neuroscience, a rather newly emerging and rapidly growing interdisciplinary field, that draws from the areas of psychology (neuroscience and cognitive psychology), computer science, engineering and robotics, with some exciting possibilities of a career in the field of Machine Learning. In continuation of my interest in this field, I will be pursuing a summer research placement under the Sheffield Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) scheme .
Alongside the rich academic experience, the university offered me the opportunity to become a part of the diverse international family and make friends from over 150-plus countries. The university offers excellent infrastructure and accommodation services and is ranked highly for its student experience. The state-of-the-art buildings like the Diamond houses massive lecture theatres with a capacity to hold over 300-400 students, around 900-plus student-led highly equipped study spaces, 3D printing services and virtual reality labs.
Diversity
Other than academic involvement, over the last two years I have been engaged in many roles and positions in the university such as a Student Ambassador for the University Accommodation Services and the Department of Psychology, and I served as the Campaigns Officer for the working committee at Sheffield Volunteering Committee in the Students Union.
Currently I am working as an International Student Ambassador representing India for the South Asia region at the International and Global Engagement Office at the university. My experience so far at the university has been rewarding. It has given me the exposure, platform and a strong motivation to believe in myself, to never stop asking questions, and to seek the truth.
Nilosmita Banerjee is a second-year student of the University of Sheffield’s B.Sc. Psychology programme.
