If the Couto family ever needs a venue for a family reunion, Bridgewater State University’s Department of Psychology may be as appropriate a location as any.
Why? Well, siblings Kevin, Michael and Caroline are all current psychology majors at BSU.
Meanwhile, the Couto clan’s ties to Bridgewater don’t end there: Cousin Tim is a 2015 graduate. And, you guessed it, he studied psychology too.
We recently asked the three Couto siblings about life on campus.
You grew up mostly on Cape Cod, but also moved around. And, you all transferred to BSU after going to at least one other school. What about Bridgewater State makes it feel like home?
MICHAEL, ’19: When I got here, I’d become friends with a group of people I’m still really close with. Having this group of friends really cemented Bridgewater as the place for me. Having someone on the faculty (Dr. Caroline Stanley) that I look up to is important.
KEVIN, ’19: It’s close enough that we can go home if we need to for extra support, and it’s a good program. All of my professors have been nothing but helpful. I have a learning disability, so the academic support is important.
CAROLINE, ’20: We’ve all kind of had the same group of friends. And now, here it’s still true. Having both of them here helped me scoot my way into that friend group. I want to finish here. I’m done transferring.
Why do you study psychology?
MICHAEL: I’m interested in the mind and monism. Life and death and consciousness are incredibly interesting to me from a philosophical standpoint.
KEVIN: I find research very interesting. I enjoy reading research articles. Particularly, biopsychology research interests me a lot.
CAROLINE: I want to go into psychiatry, the medicinal aspect of mental health. Around the beginning of high school, I just knew psychology would work for me.
(By the way, Tim earned a graduate degree in a psychology field from William James College in Newton. Kevin, Michael and Caroline, not surprisingly, are considering following suit.)
What’s the best part of having your siblings on campus?
KEVIN: You always have someone to eat with and hang out with. You’re never alone.
CAROLINE: If you ever run out of something, you can always get it.
MICHAEL: The best part of having siblings on campus is experiencing college together. I would talk about (my friends) Sarah and Matt and Bri, and it makes sense because they know these people. They get to share in my people who are now our people.
Is there a downside?
MICHAEL: You guys know everything I do. There are no secrets. (Photo also by Brian Benson)