Marianna Nelaj

In 2021 I completed a Bachelor Degree in Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Counselling from the University of Bolton UK in cooperation with New York College in Athens (2018-2021). Before coming to New York College I had studied Social Work at the Greek Mediterranean University/ Technological Institute of Crete. Now I work at the Non-Governmental Organization “Nostos”, providing psychosocial support and counselling to refugees and asylum seekers, a domain that I was always interested in.

My decision to start a new bachelor degree was initially challenging. It was a new start that required efficient use of time and effort, but it ended up as a choice that I am grateful for having made.

What did I gain during my time at New York College?

Reflecting on my academic work, and the cooperation with the people in the organization, I observe that through my studies I have further cultivated my organization and analytic skills. In other words, through the academic modules, I practiced the essential tasks of planning, organizing, and analyzing many aspects before making a decision. Moreover, due to the projects that we had to accomplish as part of the degree, I would say that I learned how to manage my time very efficiently, which has helped me both in my personal and my professional life.

What is more, my BSc in Psychology has taught me that as a professional every choice I make is for the best of my group and the autonomy of the people I am working with. Furthermore, through the academic years at NYC I cultivated significantly my resiliency, enhancing my ability to cope in difficult and diverse situations, as well as my communication skills. I gained insight into how to effectively communicate with others and carefully listen to what others choose to share.

The team spirit we achieved in New York College helped me in the exchange of a variety of different ideas and cultivation of close relationships, facilitated by the way we interacted with each other. Regarding our tutors, they were always very open to our ideas and ways of thinking and that led us to feel free to deepen our curiosity and knowledge in the vast field of psychology. Lastly, the structure of the academic modules in the BSc programme and the feedback we received from our tutors were very significant for our personal and professional development.

P.S. Choose a pathway that you are passionate about and explore every dimension of it. Feel free to explore yourself, your ideas, and expand your curiosity as much as you can!