Profiles in Social Sciences

As an international student it was very important for me to be able to experience several cultures and backgrounds while receiving a liberal arts education.

During my time at the University of Evansville, I was able to explore different interests while studying both political science, and international studies. During these four years, I have been able to better understand the political process within the United States, while also challenging the previous perceptions I had about politics in general. It gave me the opportunity to explore different countries, while teaching me the framework necessary to understand modern day politics, not only in the United States, but also in Colombia, Europe, Canada and the rest of the world.

One of the greatest opportunities that the university has to offer is Harlaxton College, located in Grantham, England. For six months, I was able to live and immerse myself in British culture, while taking different classes about the culture, historic background, and political environment of England, with the opportunity to travel to other European countries throughout the semester. In addition, due to the university's internship program, I was able to work during a summer internship in the House of Commons, in Ottawa Canada. The education I received has certainly allowed me to analyze information critically, build relationships, and create original work, while teaching me to manage my time successfully in order to tackle multiple tasks. These different and unique challenges and experiences have allowed me to adjust and adapt to different situations, thus giving me the necessary skills to be able to succeed in the future, whether it be going graduate school in Europe or finding a rewarding career within the United States, Colombia or somewhere else in the world.

I decided to pursue psychology as a minor because I find that there are many theories in psychology that are applicable to music therapy, which is my major degree, and to daily life. Each of my psychology courses has focused on different disciplines that have enriched my knowledge in understanding different psychological disorders, types of treatments, the functions of the brain, the relationship between the legal system and psychology, and more.

While studying these courses, I came across many challenges. However, the professors in the Department of Psychology have been very helpful guiding me through the process and giving me a lot of support. They provide office hours for students wishing to talk or ask questions. Furthermore, they assist by providing tutors who are psychology majors, on a regular basis. This truly provides additional opportunities for me to ask questions during study sessions.

I have been a member of the Psychology Club at UE since my sophomore year, and recently achieved membership of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology.

I started my undergraduate studies at UE as a communication major with concentrations in mass media and public relations. After my first semester, having taken Introduction to Philosophy as a general education requirement, I decided that I wanted to double major in philosophy, because the style of teaching was very different from what I encountered in Hungary. So my next semester I took Philosophy of Law and my decision seemed to be quite fitting. I also explored a cognitive science class to determine my interest.

Following my first year, I decided that I wanted to change my major to cognitive science because it was much more engaging for me personally. Since cognitive science is such a wide discipline, a psychology minor can be easily achieved by adding several extra classes. The psychology classes have been both challenging and useful towards earning my degree and in everyday life.

As a fourth semester student I am very content with my academics. My classes hold my attention and I read about them even outside of class. My professors support me in class, help me with occasional struggles and are willing to spend time explaining things that I might not have understood in class. I am confident that I will be able to utilize the knowledge I am learning no matter what I end up doing after graduation.

I am an international student at the University of Evansville, pursuing a bachelor's degree, double-majoring in international studies and political science with a minor in business. Before I applied to the University I had many thoughts regarding whether this would be the right thing to do for myself. We have good universities at home with good programs, so why did I want to study abroad? The decision was not easy and sometimes in between semesters I still ask myself why I did this. But then when I look around, I know the answer. It is a life changing experience and you learn so much not only about a different culture, but also about yourself.

My experience with the international studies/political science office was very good. My advisor and the other professors were very helpful regarding choosing classes and answering general questions which came up during the semesters. I felt that I was well prepared for the classes I had to take regarding my majors/minor as they helped me with registering for classes I needed to stay on track.

The most important part of course, was that it is a good way to further learn a language. You can learn English in school, but if you are actually in the country, it is different, as you have to speak, read, and understand people, classmates, and professors. You are surrounded by the language and people speaking the language. You also learn about a new culture, it gives you new experiences, and it also gives you better job opportunities.

Now I've started my last semester at the university and I can't believe how fast the time went by. I worked very closely with the international office on campus, which is very helpful regarding problems, giving assistance, or just general things that come up. I am glad that the university has this international office.