Cross interview of two students of psychology, one is starting her first year of master, the second is in the final year, both are specialized in neuropsychology.
Z: Let me introduce myself. My name is Zoe Spriet. I am currently a second-year student of Master of Neuropsychology at the University of Nantes. Right after graduating my high school degree, I started a psychology Bachelor at Poitiers’ University. Indeed, at first, I wanted to become a clinical psychologist, but after a while, I wonder if this job still suits me. At the end of the second year at the University, and because of a captivating/inspiring neuropsychology class, I knew what I would do. I Knew I wanted to become a neuropsychologist. The internship I did just confirmed that. Indeed, during my third year in the University of Poitiers, I was able to do an internship in the Hospital of Saintes in the neurology department with a neuropsychologist. Following the selection at the end of the bachelor’s degree, I was accepted for a Master’s degree in neuropsychology at the University of Nantes. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
L: I’m Laury Muret. I just got in the first year of the same master’s than Zoe. I have a bachelor degree in psychology. After I graduated from the university of Rouen, I decided to take a year off in order to travel. I spent 8 month backpacking abroad. When I came back, I was willing to get a neuropsychology master. Unfortunately, I couldn’t pass through the selection in 2019. Finally, I got accepted in the university of Nantes, to pursue my master in psychology, with a specialisation in cognitive science. Can you tell me why did you choose to pursue neuropsychology courses for your master’s degree?
Z: I chose to become a neuropsychologist because this job combines two fields that I am particularly interested in. First of all, psychology. I have at heart to understand the psychological functioning of people but especially to help patients to understand themselves and to reach a better being in difficult moments. On the other hand, there is the field of cognition. Cognitive disorders have such a strong impact on the lives of the people who suffer from them, it seems to me essential to help them deal with it. What about you? why did you choose to study neuropsychology?
L: For my part, I chose to pursue my university studies in psychology, after I failed the competitive entrance examination to get into medicine studies. My interest for neurosciences and my will to be helpful for others made me choose psychology, and more specifically neuropsychology. Besides neuropsychologist can work in various places, ranging from hospital to association and independent cabinet, with people of all ages and suffering from various pathologies. What did you expect about the master’s course? As a second year student, do you have any advice for me?
Z: I expected that the master’s degree would be difficult, but I never thought it would be that stressful. Anxiety takes up a lot of space in these studies, between the internship research, the dissertation writing and mainly studying. It is therefore necessary to know how to control this anxiety. I can give you some advice. First of all, don’t hesitate to talk about it around you, of course to your friends and family but also to other students in your class and to professors, they are a great help, they understand this is a difficult time and will always be there if you need them. Then, some teachings, especially in the second year of the Master’s program, introduce us to psychotherapy techniques. Of course, these teachings are intended to give us tools to help patients in our future practice, but they can also give us clues on how to best manage our emotions. Finally, if you feel you need it, don’t hesitate to consult a psychologist. I know it is still sometimes taboo in France and even among psychology students, but the most important thing is still to take care of yourself!
L: Thank you for sharing your experience, and pointing out that it is alright to ask for help. What is your dissertation topic for this year?
Z: My master’s thesis is about false memories in aging and more precisely, my main question is “Can succeed at an anterior task reduce false memories in olders?”. What about you?
L: My master’s thesis will be about future time perspective and emotion regulation.
Z: Can you tell me a little bit more?
L: Briefly, future time perspective can be seen as a personality trait, and refers to a level of cognitive and affective involvement in future life domains. Based on past studies, I want to link this concept of time with the intensity of the affect. I am still working on my research question; I am having difficulties to settle on one. I tend to change my mind as my research on the topic progress. What are the difficulties you have encountered so far ? And how did you get through them?
Z: The main difficulty during the writing of my dissertation is to read dizains and dizains of articles in a short amount of time. The writing itself didn’t seem that difficult in comparison. Once I had gathered all the information I needed, the writing was quite smooth. The only advice I can give you is to just never give up, even if all the amount of work seems insurmountable sometimes. Another piece of advice: once again don’t hesitate to ask for advice from your referent teacher, he is there to help you! So if you have a question, even if you think it is a bad one, ask your teacher!
L: Thank you, and Where are you going to do your internship for this year?
Z: This year I will do an internship in a children’s center. I will be taking care of children between the ages of six and eight who have an intellectual disability. During this internship I will have different missions: to carry out neuropsychological assessments but also to organize group activities. I will be free to choose the themes of these activities, whether it be activities related to cognitive functions or for example stress management. I am still looking for a second internship. I would like to do it in the field of adult rehabilitation.
L: About the internships you have done previously, does it correspond to the expectation you had about the neuropsychologist profession?
Z: The knowledge I had about the job from personal research and the first years of bachelor corresponded to what I experienced during my first internships.
L: Do you know in which kind of institution you want to work after you graduate?
Z: At first, I was sure I wanted to work with adults, but now it is not so clear to me. That is why I want to do an internship with adults and children, so I could have the choice when I will be searching for a job. And you? Do you have an idea of the kind of institution you would like to work in?
L: A bit like you, at first, I was mainly interested in working with adults suffering from traumatic brain injury, but I’m now considering working with children with disabilities. I would like to increase my experiences of different organisations and fields during my internship. In order to have a precise vision of the psychologist’s everyday task in those.
Z: Thank you for sharing your experience with me today.
L: You are welcome, thanks to you for the several advices, I’m sure it will be very useful for the years coming.
Link of the audio : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RLF-PQtXTqwmC_OUFX2IykFLvlFE232H/view?usp=sharing
Zoé Spriet M2PPCECC
Laury Muret M1PPCECC