Catarina Castanheira | Psychology

Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology

I always knew that Universidade Lusófona offered many courses, and if you are like me, interested in different areas, it becomes difficult to choose. At the time I applied, I didn’t take part in any university initiatives; I only later found out about the open days. Now I realise that attending would have helped a lot in understanding the courses better and making this initial stage a little easier.

When I finally chose and enrolled in Applied Communication, I felt I was taking an important step. Of course, I was nervous on the first day, but I went with some friends from secondary school who had also joined Universidade Lusófona, which helped make everything lighter. Our first stop was at SIGA and the Course Office.

The academic services, such as SIGA and the course office, were truly essential. They helped me understand how course registration worked, how to organise the calendar and timetables. Things that at first seemed confusing, but became simpler when you had someone available to explain everything patiently.

We had many questions, but we quickly realised we were not alone. There were many students like us, and it was reassuring to feel supported by the University. Integration happened naturally, both with colleagues, who became friends, and with the lecturers.

Later, when I decided to apply for my second degree, also at Universidade Lusófona, I was a little apprehensive about integration, being older. But this fear quickly disappeared thanks to the Mentoring Programme of the Psychology course. Having more experienced students nearby, ready to guide and share what they knew, made all the difference and turned this new stage into a much smoother experience.