Sucess stories #3: Lucy Zhang, Experimental Psychology at Oxford
Our blog series Success Stories interviews students and alumni from Oxford and Cambridge. High school students often struggle to imagine what daily life at these universities is like, what successful applications look like, how such students spend their time, etc. To help with that, we are bringing you interviews that show you these universities from an insider’s perspective and bring tips from students who successfully passed the admissions process.
In the third edition, we interviewed Lucy Zhang from China, an Oxford alumna.
Aspiro: Hi Lucy, thank you for accepting our invitation to Success Stories! Could you please introduce yourself and your academic journey?
Lucy: Of course. I am Lucy Zhang, a first-year PhD student at ENS in Paris. For my undergraduate degree, I did Experimental Psychology at Oxford. In my final year, I was particularly interested in the intersection of cognitive neuroscience and AI, so I decided to pursue a research Masters at the University of Amsterdam in Brain and Cognitive Sciences with a focus on computational neuroscience. After graduating, I decided to transition to a more applied field and started my PhD, focusing on decoding brain recordings for brain-computer interfaces.
Aspiro: What was it like to study Experimental Psychology? Were there some things about it that you particularly enjoyed or on the contrary that you did not enjoy so much?
Lucy: I loved most of it! I really liked how we got to discuss in small groups with top researchers in the field during the tutorials (Aspiro note: tutorials are small group teaching sessions at Oxford. In Cambridge, the equivalent is referred to as supervisions). We were also really encouraged to be critical and learn to evaluate the quality of research during the course. The only thing that I found a bit lacking was the optionality to take more in-depth quantitative courses during the degree. But overall I loved it!
Aspiro: After Oxford, you studied in two more countries for your master’s and PhD. How would you compare your experience at Oxford with your universities in Amsterdam and Paris?
Lucy: Ah, they’re very different in terms of the academic environment, course structure, and overall expectations. The university life is also different. At Oxford, I was able to discuss my subject with my coursemates, but also many other subjects with my friends in my college who did very different courses. At the masters and PhD level, the academic circle became more specialised which is only natural. Life in Oxford is more based in the university while for Amsterdam and Paris, my life is integrated more into the city.
Aspiro: You also pivoted in your area of focus. What was it like to change into the subfield that you currently work in?
Lucy: It was challenging for sure, as I needed to catch up on many things my colleagues learned during their masters or even undergraduate studies. However, it is also an incredibly rewarding experience to be able to learn new things and have a broader perspective of how a specific research question is situated within the field and even in relation to different fields. It’s also very interesting to learn to communicate with researchers from different backgrounds such as eg. mathematicians, engineers, computer scientists, and psychologists, who definitely each have their own unique language!
Aspiro: How has studying in Europe been like for you as an international student from China? And do you think that the process of applying to Oxford or starting out your degree was harder for you as a foreigner?
Lucy: It’s been challenging but exciting for sure. There are many things to learn as an international student and an expat but the growth as a person is so rewarding. In terms of the application, I found it challenging as my English level was not as good as natives when I applied, so I needed to work extra hard on writing good essays for my applications. I also needed to understand the application system and what the admissions officers were looking for in students, which was not particularly straightforward as an international student.
Aspiro: To close off, do you have any tips for prospective university applicants considering applying to the universities or the fields that you have studied?
Lucy: Do things you find interesting and trust your reasoning! It’s very easy to get influenced by what everyone else is saying both in terms of application strategy and research interest, which could make it harder for you to stand out. Unique insights are highly valuable.
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