(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Natalie Portman had never walked down the street by herself until she went to university.

The Hollywood actress enrolled at Harvard University in 1999. The 30-year-old star studied psychology while still working as an actress, and completed her bachelor's degree in 2003.

Despite being 18 when she started university, Natalie was shocked by the level of independence she had to maintain.

"College was a good transitional experience for me, because I was really babied and taken care of by my parents," she told Psychologies magazine.

"I'd never walked down the street on my own until I went to Harvard. I'd never even had my own set of keys."

Natalie says her educational experience made her less worried about what people thought of her. The brunette beauty revealed Harvard softened her defensive side.

"I've always been the kind of girl who wanted to please people, to get along, to not give the impression that I'm internalising all the confusion and craziness of my profession," she explained.

"When I went to Harvard, I was able to unlearn a lot of that defensive-protective side. I'm still learning to be more myself and have fewer masks. Of course you can't forget that deep down I'm an actress." (C) Cover Media