Class of 2017: Anna Hogstad

All this week we are celebrating the achievements of some of our students who are graduating in the class of 2017. Anna Hogstad, graduating today from the Department of Psychology, tells us her story.

Anna Hogstad (BSc Psychology) believes taking part in the Research Experience Scheme, which encourages students to work alongside academics, was invaluable and will help her in her future career. She was involved in several research experiments, including one which looked at how strangers behave and converse when they first meet.

“It gave me valuable first-hand experience of psychological research in action. I learnt about the entire process of collecting data from participants, using online surveys, setting up research equipment and doing data analysis – skills I will definitely use in the future,” said Anna.

During her time at Essex, Anna volunteered as a Peer Mentor, supporting fellow students. She was the women’s team captain of the Essex Blades Handball Club and was also active in many groups, including the Music Society, Psychology Society and the Nordic Society. As well as being fun, she believes these experiences helped her develop leadership and communication skills, which will set her up for the future.