As part of the first intake of students in 2018, I was thrilled to join the Bachelor in Behavior and Social Sciences. Now that I’m finishing my third year of study, I reflected on the essential pieces of advice I would give to any student pursuing this challenging yet rewarding degree.
When I started the Bachelor of Behavior and Social Sciences, there were certain subjects that I had hoped to avoid. Trust me—I know the first year can be frustrating! But, be patient, as you will learn essential fundamentals that you will apply throughout your degree. Everything will click into place as you progress, so trust the process.
With such a wide range of subjects, the bachelor’s program can cater to any interest or ambition. Take advantage and explore your interests. You’ll have the opportunity to study psychology, sociology, behavioral economics, marketing, neuroscience, criminology and other exciting areas. The fun part is that you’ll be able to apply all this knowledge to real-world business contexts as soon as you study it.
Once you realize you’re interested in a particular field, take all the opportunities on offer to dive deeper into that subject. Schedule office hours with the professor and ask them about their experiences. They’ll be more than happy to share their insights and guide you on your career path.
While you enrolled on the Bachelor in Behavior and Social Sciences to study human behavior, if you’re like me, you may be surprised to see so much statistics and programming on the schedule. Although it may be challenging, I cannot stress enough how important these modules will be. When I was in my first year, I wanted to get this part of the course over with as soon as possible. I definitely was not a big fan of data science. Now, in my third year, I am realizing just how important it is. One way or another, you are going to need data science to measure the behavior you go on to study.
Behavioral science is an evolving field, with new ideas and perspectives emerging all the time. It’s essential that you stay up to date with the events going in your area of interest. Take advantage of these opportunities and network with other attendees. While this can be challenging to do online, try your best. You never know, you might meet someone who has a big impact on your future career! In your spare time, connect with other behavioral scientists on LinkedIn, read and interact with posts, or watch TED Talks and listen to podcasts.
In conclusion, embrace this amazing journey. Like everything in life, it will have its ups and downs. When you are experiencing the downs, just remember that it will all be worth it in the end. Trust the process but most importantly, trust yourself. You got this!
