Dana Lange, MSC
Finished the master PCRS in 2020
Why did you choose this master?
I chose this master because the elective module about conflict risk and safety was the first module in my study where I felt like I wanted to do this kind of work as a job after my studies. Before, I sure was fascinated by the psychology subject matters. But for risk and safety I felt like the job possibilities were endless and each and every one is interesting and important. Airports, grocery stores, city planning and architecture, diet and farming, traffic, electronics, robotics, working offices, fires, pandemics, ... You start looking around you, observing the news and hearing stories at a different level. You start assessing what is happening and what can be done about risks as an intervention to achieve a more effective and safe environment. This line of study offers so much knowledge that can change your life and how you approach issues around you. It is impossible not to be affected and it is impossible not to use this knowledge in your next job whatever that job may be.
What did you think about the different courses of the master?
My favourite subject was Psychology and Crime. I was really enthusiastic about everything we learned and put a lot of extra hours into the subject, inspired by the tasks we were assigned that were challenging and the knowledgeable and experienced teacher. I learned about topics I had never heard before and I was educated about issues I had not thought about a lot. I started reading books, watched documentaries and videos, read interviews and magazines and became completely absorbed by the idea of finding and installing a better justice in the pursuit of criminality and in the pursuit of moving on from criminality. The issues were ethically and morally challenging and invited taking many perspectives.
Another very good module was Group Dynamics, the teachers were absolutely brilliant in their preparation of us and the classes were unusually practical. The book we read is an absolute must for every psychology student and might become my new guideline in how I approach my daily life and my group identity. The best task we were assigned was making a workshop about a certain topic and experiencing what it can be like to put this new perspective we learned into practice. It will make you look back and reflect on all the groups that did not work out for you and find an answer as to why this might have been the case. And for that reason also to anticipate what to do about groupings in the future.
Risk and Leadership was by far a superior class and the good teachings inspired you to understand the workings of globally important events and the people behind them and mechanisms enabling them [now integrated into: Psychology of Sustainability]. My favourite topic was being taught about police strategies and mitigating risk using a softer approach to policing. Just watch the news with capitol riots, anti curfew riots, the black lives matter riots etc. and decide yourself how important this message of leadership and intervention strategies are at times like these. In general you will understand a lot more about policy making after this course and how these policies ever came to be.
The first module was very intense. The three subjects all gave much knowledge and reading exercises which pushed me to learn a lot of things in a short time. Managing this made me feel very experienced and knowledgeable. It was not at all times easy to get there but it is possible and important. Especially in the elective Cognition and Technical Systems I found myself surrounded by people who had a technical background and held a much different knowledge base than I did. Yet with hard work after the module ended I had this new knowledge for myself. I could keep up with the technical standards while at the same time sharing the psychological knowledge I held to others. This was one of the most important moments to realize that we are able to understand so many things beyond ‘psychology’ and that we are capable of doing a good job in a new field direction.
By far the best experience in my masters was the excellent guidance by my thesis supervisor who treated me like a fellow colleague and full scholar, lifting my confidence in my own abilities to a new level. She was allowing me to make many individual choices and gave exceptionally constructive feedback. I was very impressed by the standards that she set for me and that she helped me achieve these. I am so proud of my thesis and who I had become during it. It is so important to find the style of supervision that is not comfortable but challenging. It is important to find a supervisor who gives feedback in a way that you understand and can work with it. But it is not an option to assign responsibility for supervision to your supervisor alone. You are a part of this process and need to assume the role of asking questions, being curious, and being flexible in your choices to make supervision work.
What advice would you give to the current or new masters-to-be?
Please be aware that this is not just your average study anymore so don't treat it like it. This is your last year to make use of excellent guidance, asking all the questions you have and grow as a scholar. Don't waste it by not putting in the work, reading only half the materials etc. Hold yourself to higher standards than before. Use every chance to gain knowledge and understanding on which path you are and where you want to go after the study. Remember that grades do not always reflect how much you learn. Put in the extra effort and time and don't be discouraged by receiving lower grades. These only reflect so much of your progress. Feel instead what you are capable of and trust that you are on a good path. No one expects you to be perfect the first time around but you are expected to learn.
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