The Summer Psychology program at RIT Croatia

RIT Croatia Summer Programs offer a chance to learn and explore Croatia and nearby European countries. Several engaging summer studies abroad programs offer academic, professional, and personal advantages. These programs provide a unique opportunity for students to extend learning beyond the classroom, developing skills crucial for success in a rapidly evolving global society. Summer programs are more relaxed than full-term study abroad options, allowing students to immerse themselves in local culture through organized activities. These programs are designed to help students achieve their academic goals while enjoying their study abroad experience.

The Summer Psychology program in Croatia is intended for RIT Henrietta Campus students from various study programs and offers a unique blend of academic learning and cultural exploration. This year, most students were from the Physician Assistant program, with some from Psychology and IT majors. Students listened to two courses from Dr. Ana Havelka Meštrović: Positive Psychology and Psychological Disorders. After a couple of weeks of classes at the Zagreb campus, Dr. Ana Havelka Meštrović traveled with students to Vienna and Munich to visit the museums of Sigmund Freud and Viktor Frankl as well as Dachau concentration camps. “Students can enhance their knowledge of resilience, trauma, optimism, and anxiety by visiting these sights“, said Dr. Havelka Meštrović. Visiting museums gave students an insight into the life and work of the most popular psychology and psychiatry professors. “Psychology students learn how the psychoanalytical theories started and how today's experts follow some postulates of Freud's theories“. The trip is an opportunity for students to connect and exchange thoughts and emotions about study abroad experiences. The courses they studied at RIT Croatia enabled them to understand the meaning of resilience or growth from Positive Psychology and showed them how psychological disorders influence someone's life.

Julia Zelvinsky’s experience during the Summer Program

Julia Zelvinsky, an RIT student from Cleveland, Ohio majoring as a Physician Assistant came to our Zagreb campus to expand her knowledge. “I chose this program because I knew I wanted to study abroad and because I wanted to complete a psychology minor”, said Julia. Having a small class made it easier for Julia to develop a personal connection with the professor. “I did not feel intimated to share my thoughts with the class”.

When comparing a study-abroad trip to regular classroom learning, Julia says that most of her classroom learning is sitting in lectures and taking notes then having to take an exam and have that be her entire grade. “Here, my professor took what we learned and tried to apply it to the real world. We got to visit psychology labs and further expand our knowledge about the concepts we learned in class”.

All the students had a city pass and a lot to see in Vienna and Munich. Julia’s favorite part of the trip was going to the Vienna State Opera House where she watched Swan Lake Ballet live! Besides the ballet experience, one of the most memorable moments for her was making lifelong friends and traveling somewhere new every weekend.

“I would recommend this program to future students. I thought it was a very good learning experience in and out of the classroom. In the classroom, my professor pushed her students to think about concepts from a different perspective. Out of the classroom, we got to explore other countries and their cultures. After this program, I feel more knowledgeable about the world around me”.