I was wondering why people kiss

“I remember that I always wanted to become a vet. I was very interested in animals. A vet or an archeologist, actually. But I also remember that I was very curious about why people do what they do, which really already relates to psychology.

I was wondering why people kiss, for example. I was just curious how that came about. Nobody teaches you to kiss. And the same with music. I was always wondering: why do people do music? If you think about not being in a specific culture, how does somebody start doing music? How did the first person ever do music? What did they think? I still do not really know why, but I shall look into that, I guess.

After high school, I really did not know what to do. But a friend of mine was preparing for a test for psychology. She had this book that she used to prepare, and I just quickly looked through it. Everything was so interesting. All of the topics that were in the book really spoke to me. I was like: oh, this seems like the perfect mixture between pedagogy, English and biology.

The statistics part first scared me off a little bit. But in the end, I trusted that I would be able to do it if I put a lot of effort in, and that was right. So in the end, I just applied for psychology in Cologne, Germany, and I got in.

One semester after I started studying, Covid hit, and we were pretty much trapped at home for several semesters. At some point, I really just felt like I needed to get out of there. It was a little bit of hope for me to apply for an Erasmus scholarship and be able to look forward to something.

I applied for my Erasmus in Stockholm, and I got in, and that was awesome. I had such a good time. It was so lovely having this Erasmus experience of going somewhere else, experiencing a different culture and being with all these different people from different places.

But I also felt that Stockholm specifically really fit me. It seemed really like my place. I cannot really put my finger on one specific thing. There are so many small things that people here like that I like too. All of these small little things add up to this bigger picture that Stockholm is kind of my vibe. I really felt like I fit in here. And also the beautiful nature. I just enjoy being outside so much here. So that is why I decided to apply again and do my Master’s here.

For me, psychology really is the most interesting topic there is, because it basically is the science of how people perceive the world and behave in it. I have trouble understanding how anyone could not find that interesting. Understanding why people do the things they do and feel the way they feel.

After my Master’s, I have a few options that I am considering. One is doing a PhD in psychology. Being curious as a profession, I think, is amazing. Ultimately, I do see myself becoming a psychotherapist as well. But that is something I want to do later in life, because I feel like there are so many other things to explore. I do not mind gathering a little bit more life experience before I do that.”

Marlen Münsterteicher

To learn more about the master’s programme, see Master of Psychology.

Visit su.se/study for more information about studying at Stockholm University.