Student Interview: Studying Part-Time and Working at Twitter

Aharon Melzer is in his third year of the BA (hons) in Psychology at DBS. He studies part-time during the evenings and works full-time in Twitter. He told us why he chose the course and how it is benefiting his career.

Why did you choose the course?

I chose Psychology as I was very interested in human behaviour, I really wanted to acquire a deep understanding of the mental psyche and cognitive mechanisms behind people's behaviour and decisions. I chose to pursue my passion because of my experiences over the past two decades; events scaling from happy to tragic lead me to understand that we live in a world where many people have extreme hardships and internal pain and often with no external signs. I would like to be in a position where I can professionally help people live happier lives and cope better with hardships.

How have you enjoyed the course?

I am currently reaching the end of my 3rd year studying part-time Psychology (BA), firstly it’s hard to believe how fast the three years went by and how much information I have acquired in this time frame. There have been challenging periods, especially as part-time students are required to balance college, a full-time job and family life, but I always felt a need to keep pushing forward. I found the course incredibly interesting and as I get closer to the final year it really feels like everything is starting to connect into a more structured academic framework with an emphasis on critical thinking. The thought of my final year thesis really excites me and the progression just fuels me up to learn more and possibly continue into a masters in the future.

How has the course benefited you professionally?

Every day we interact with people in our lives and being able to understand why people take specific actions or think in specific ways differently to me is definitely an eye opener. The psychology course really helped me to better myself and develop even more empathy and understanding towards other people's point of view and way of thinking. Understanding human psychology provided me with an an additional pillar of self awareness and better understanding of other people.

Does the course help in your current role?

I have been working within the social digital industry for many years and the course definitely helps me with day to day human interactions with my work colleagues and my clients.

Where are you currently working? 

I work for Twitter in Dublin.

What did you feel was the best thing about studying in DBS?

I really like the structure of the part-time modules, it works very well with my full-time job, long commute and family life balance. For me it was also very important to study in a college that provides a strong academic framework. The lecturers for the past three years have been supportive and amazing, and are an integral part as to why I am so passionate about psychology. I always felt that DBS lecturers were there for us when we had any questions or any academic challenges. It is also important to mention my class colleagues, as for the past three years we have had some great laughs and there is always mutual support.