Tell me a bit about yourself!
Hey there! I’m Catalina, I graduated recently from uni of Kent, where I studied Business Psychology. I currently work in Marketing, and when I’m not buried in between projects, you will most probably find me with my phone or camera in hand, filming and taking pictures of everything I find interesting. I also love to read, discover new coffee places and explore London, where I moved shortly after graduation.
What made you apply to Kent?
To be completely honest, it was a last minute decision! Very last minute before the UCAS application deadline, I changed my mind and put Kent as first choice. It just felt right – I was looking for a place that had a strong reputation in psychology courses and also offered a really supportive and friendly vibe. I checked out Kent’s social media pages and instantly got a good filling. Plus, the Business Psychology course grabbed my attention since it combined my two passions.
“Honestly it felt like the place where I could grow and learn the most, even though I’ve never seen Kent in person before starting uni.”
Weird thing is, my whole family and friends were referring to me as going to Kent long before I made this choice, I’m glad I listened to their intuition. The craziest part – in my 2nd year, I randomly found a ‘my dreams’ collage from when I was I think 13 years old? And guess what, it had a picture of the view you can see in front of the library – mind you i didn’t know Kent existed at that time – manifestation who?
When you first started your Bachelor’s degree here, how were you feeling?
When I first started uni, I was feeling all kinds of things. I had to say goodbye to my family and friends who all live over 3000km away. I was scared, excited, nervous, overwhelmed, you name it. It was a mix of excitement about all the opportunities and the casual ‘what am I doing’ feeling that comes with any big change.
I thought that uni life wasn’t for me, but I was very hopeful. Kent showed me that uni means more than just learning and going to parties. It means networking, finding genuine connections, growing on a personal level, and having access to free trainings and programmes that prepare you for the real world.
Fave thing about the course?
How practical it was! It was never a dull moment, we were always engaging in some sort of activity. I love that we didn’t just sit in lectures all day, but we actually got to work on real life projects, collaborate with classmates and real life businesses, meaning we were applying what we were learning in a practical way. It made everything feel more fun and relevant. Along that, all lecturers were approachable and supportive, so I always felt like they were there for us when needed.
Any stand-out memories from your time at Kent?
Oh, definitely! There are so many memories. I have to mention this one project we did in first year. It was a Business Psychology project where we worked with a real life business, exploring how behavioural science can improve their strategies. My team worked with a marketing agency, and it was for the first time when I pinpointed how psychology can be used in so many areas such as Marketing and it honestly was a game changer for me. That project made me fall in love with both marketing and behavioural science. A year later, I ended up working as an intern for that same marketing agency, and it honestly felt like a dream come true. It was crazy to see that everything we worked on in class come to life in real world setting. It all kind of clicked, and I knew I was on the right path.
How was the careers/employability support at Kent?
The careers and employability support at Kent was very helpful throughout the years, either with useful workshops on job searching or CV writing or 1:1 meetings. The biggest tip I have for anyone starting uni is to try and do as many workshops and networking as possible, and Kent made this very easy.
In my first year I completed the ‘Aspire Business Start up Journey’, which was a very practical course where we learned how to build a Business from scratch. Then I took part in the ‘Destination Success Bootcamp’ and the ‘Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course’, where I received certifications – and I’m so happy that they were free and easily accessible, plus very fun to attend! The biggest project I took part in was the ABP BizPsych Cup 2023, which is a new student team competition solving a real world business challenge by providing Business Psychology research, advice, and recommendations. The whole planning, execution, working together as a team and presenting in front of many other teams and judges from all over the UK was such an incredible experience. We worked with an engineering and sustainability company that’s known world wide, it was such a pinch me moment. My team and I got 2nd place that year, and the project helped me so much with my job applications and networking later on.
The employability team helped me gather all my experience on a piece of paper and gave me the extra need of confidence when I decided to apply for my dream internship through the employability point scheme. And after uni, I felt so lost in trying to find a job, and they were there for me, helping me polish my CV and giving me advice that definitely helped me land a job in a month after graduating. My lecturers also helped with networking, that’s for sure. My Business Psychology lecturer especially, which I am very grateful for. She saw my determination and passion, so she supported me throughout this journey by reading lots of application papers, giving advice, inviting me and all my other classmates to different Business Psychology workshops, talks and opportunities that prepped me for after uni life.
What are you hoping to do next?
Right now, I’m focusing on gaining more hands-on experience in marketing and behavioural science, passions that Kent helped me discover. I now live in London, and work in the non profit sector in (you guessed it) marketing. I just started playing with the idea of freelancing and how psychology can help boost marketing strategies. I love social media marketing so anything to do with photo and video production I take it on, and I hope to do more of this in the future. I’ll keep you updated on that, fingers crossed!
Advice for your first-year self?
If I could give my first year self some advice, I’d say to not worry as much. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to have everything figured out, but honestly, things fall into space when you least expect it. Focus on learning and enjoying the process, and also don’t be afraid to ask for help! Most probably, others are going through very similar things, so just reach out. And lastly, make time for fun! Getting involved in different activities and making connections will pay off in ways you can’t even imagine. Just trust the journey.