is psychology for me?
Hello, i'm entering yr 13 soon and i'm still so confused as to what to do at uni because i really want to go. I wanted to do medicine for so long but i highly doubt i will get in so i've got to think of something new which i'm struggling with. I wanted to be a psychiatrist so i thought what if i did psychology and because a clinical psychologist?! When i spoke to my tutor she told me I was too academic (as i do bio, chem and maths for A Level). So that got me thinking, psychology is an essay based subjects and i'm not very good at that and i'd prefer to be based in a lab and do lab based things but i don't think psychology does that, but i also want to be in the mental health career because i love the brain and i'm really interested in how the brain works.
So i psychology for me? Also if you're taking psychology could you please tell me what it's like and what you actually do, what's boring and what's fun?
Thanks so much.
So i psychology for me? Also if you're taking psychology could you please tell me what it's like and what you actually do, what's boring and what's fun?
Thanks so much.
Scroll to see replies
Original post by whoami?!
Hello, i'm entering yr 13 soon and i'm still so confused as to what to do at uni because i really want to go. I wanted to do medicine for so long but i highly doubt i will get in so i've got to think of something new which i'm struggling with. I wanted to be a psychiatrist so i thought what if i did psychology and because a clinical psychologist?! When i spoke to my tutor she told me I was too academic (as i do bio, chem and maths for A Level). So that got me thinking, psychology is an essay based subjects and i'm not very good at that and i'd prefer to be based in a lab and do lab based things but i don't think psychology does that, but i also want to be in the mental health career because i love the brain and i'm really interested in how the brain works.
So i psychology for me? Also if you're taking psychology could you please tell me what it's like and what you actually do, what's boring and what's fun?
Thanks so much.
So i psychology for me? Also if you're taking psychology could you please tell me what it's like and what you actually do, what's boring and what's fun?
Thanks so much.
I am about to go to do a degree in Psychology in September. Firstly, getting into clinical psychology is extremely difficult, if not rare these days as most want to be a clinical psychologist. Clinical psychology is a great alternative to psychiatry as you essentially do everything the same in a job title but you're not permitted to administer medication. Your tutor is completely out of order saying that you are 'too academic', you can do any subject and still be academic. Also, I know a lot of people in my Psychology A Level class going into university to do Psychology with Psychology, Biology and Chemistry and Maths together. I think you will find that your combination of subjects is quite ideal as opposed to say History. In a Psychology A Level, it is heavily essay based as you have to write about certain theories and studies ect to show you have understanding. In Psychology at degree level you do get lab work but that does not come without written work. Psychology in general is really fascinating and I suggest you buy some books and get to know it some more to see if that's where your heart lies. I could recommend you some good reads. Bare this in mind, Psychology A Level isn't a true reflection of a degree in Psychology, and that's what your tutor may be going off. It's completely different in that if you take a BSc, it will be heavily science based as opposed to a BA. Do not buy into the social stigma of Psychology, it is a well regarded discipline
Original post by emilypsychology
I am about to go to do a degree in Psychology in September. Firstly, getting into clinical psychology is extremely difficult, if not rare these days as most want to be a clinical psychologist. Clinical psychology is a great alternative to psychiatry as you essentially do everything the same in a job title but you're not permitted to administer medication. Your tutor is completely out of order saying that you are 'too academic', you can do any subject and still be academic. Also, I know a lot of people in my Psychology A Level class going into university to do Psychology with Psychology, Biology and Chemistry and Maths together. I think you will find that your combination of subjects is quite ideal as opposed to say History. In a Psychology A Level, it is heavily essay based as you have to write about certain theories and studies ect to show you have understanding. In Psychology at degree level you do get lab work but that does not come without written work. Psychology in general is really fascinating and I suggest you buy some books and get to know it some more to see if that's where your heart lies. I could recommend you some good reads. Bare this in mind, Psychology A Level isn't a true reflection of a degree in Psychology, and that's what your tutor may be going off. It's completely different in that if you take a BSc, it will be heavily science based as opposed to a BA. Do not buy into the social stigma of Psychology, it is a well regarded discipline
You are an absolute star!! I feel that my heart really lies on this and i'm quite excited now!
but one question, how do you do other degrees/subjects while doing psychology? should it be psychology with ... or could you do psychology AND ....thanks again!
I myself had this problem. I'm 21 and going to study Psychology in September.
It's taken me 3 years to decide to take the plunge and go to University. I did psychology at A Level and found it incredibly interesting. It is such a broad subject. The reason I didn't go to uni after I finished was because I just didn't know what I wanted to do.
I find it very interesting. The only thing I didn't enjoy so much was the research methods side of things. I'd also advise reading some psychology books or revision guides if its something you haven't studied before.
I think it ridiculous for your tutor to say your too academic, it's not like your talking about taking Drama! It does require a lot of writing and I'm sure that's something that you will improve at with practise, if your not used to writing essays.
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It's taken me 3 years to decide to take the plunge and go to University. I did psychology at A Level and found it incredibly interesting. It is such a broad subject. The reason I didn't go to uni after I finished was because I just didn't know what I wanted to do.
I find it very interesting. The only thing I didn't enjoy so much was the research methods side of things. I'd also advise reading some psychology books or revision guides if its something you haven't studied before.
I think it ridiculous for your tutor to say your too academic, it's not like your talking about taking Drama! It does require a lot of writing and I'm sure that's something that you will improve at with practise, if your not used to writing essays.
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To get into medicine you'll need science A Levels and As at that, so your choice in A Levels seem like good fit for medicine. There are other routes if you mess up your GCSEs & A Levels, but I'm sure you're planning to ace all your subjects.
Psychiatrists and psychologists are different, in a nutshell, psychiatrists can prescribe drugs, whereas clinical/counselling psychologists work on 'talking cures', so the former is medically based, the latter is based in philosophy.
Psychiatrists trained in medicine first then specialized in psychiatry for their last year(s), IMO it's old fashioned and will likely die a death b/c there is no evidence that psychiatric disorders have any basis in the medical model (the psychologists take a different route and argue that such conditions are the result of social and environmental problems). There's so much bad press for drug side effects as well, like people committing suicide as a result of taking their prescribed pills.
I think most degrees are essay based, but you'd be surprised that psychology also contains lab/field research and subsequently report writing, there's lots of emphasis on research methods and statistics. So instead of dealing with chemicals/compounds like in chemistry, you would be dealing with people and their behaviour in a a lab setting (or in a naturalistic environment).
It's very difficult to get onto the clinical psychology doctorate, it's so competitive. The success rate is something like 15%, it is possible but you'll need the following:
- 2.1 or above from a British Psychological Society accredited course (this allows Graduare Basis for Registration, google it)
- at least 2 years experience in a relevant role, like assistant psychologist or psychological welllbeing practitioner (these roles are so hard to come by as you need lots of experience before getting these positions).
- some people have masters
- some people have loads of paid research experience
- then you can apply for the clinical psychology doctorate, which is a 3 year course, you get paid and there's a job at the end of it with the NHS
If psychology interests you go for it, but clinical psychology is a long and tough route.
I can't answer your question directly, but based on what you've said I can suggest a research career in mental health, you never know you might change your opinion on many things as you get older, psychology offers many alternative options once you graduate, most people who study psychology end up doing something unrelated.
Psychiatrists and psychologists are different, in a nutshell, psychiatrists can prescribe drugs, whereas clinical/counselling psychologists work on 'talking cures', so the former is medically based, the latter is based in philosophy.
Psychiatrists trained in medicine first then specialized in psychiatry for their last year(s), IMO it's old fashioned and will likely die a death b/c there is no evidence that psychiatric disorders have any basis in the medical model (the psychologists take a different route and argue that such conditions are the result of social and environmental problems). There's so much bad press for drug side effects as well, like people committing suicide as a result of taking their prescribed pills.
I think most degrees are essay based, but you'd be surprised that psychology also contains lab/field research and subsequently report writing, there's lots of emphasis on research methods and statistics. So instead of dealing with chemicals/compounds like in chemistry, you would be dealing with people and their behaviour in a a lab setting (or in a naturalistic environment).
It's very difficult to get onto the clinical psychology doctorate, it's so competitive. The success rate is something like 15%, it is possible but you'll need the following:
- 2.1 or above from a British Psychological Society accredited course (this allows Graduare Basis for Registration, google it)
- at least 2 years experience in a relevant role, like assistant psychologist or psychological welllbeing practitioner (these roles are so hard to come by as you need lots of experience before getting these positions).
- some people have masters
- some people have loads of paid research experience
- then you can apply for the clinical psychology doctorate, which is a 3 year course, you get paid and there's a job at the end of it with the NHS
If psychology interests you go for it, but clinical psychology is a long and tough route.
I can't answer your question directly, but based on what you've said I can suggest a research career in mental health, you never know you might change your opinion on many things as you get older, psychology offers many alternative options once you graduate, most people who study psychology end up doing something unrelated.
If you want something more medicine based you could do biomedical science. Psychology will be very essay based, but it is academic and scientific as well. However, mental health will only be a small part of any psych degree, at least until 3rd year, when it depends on what optional modules the uni offers
Original post by whoami?!
You are an absolute star!! I feel that my heart really lies on this and i'm quite excited now! but one question, how do you do other degrees/subjects while doing psychology? should it be psychology with ... or could you do psychology AND ....
thanks again!
but one question, how do you do other degrees/subjects while doing psychology? should it be psychology with ... or could you do psychology AND ....thanks again!
Yes, that would be combined a combined honours degree
Original post by SamW78
Yes, that would be combined a combined honours degree
do all universities do that?
Original post by whoami?!
do all universities do that?
I'm not sure about the specifics, I did single honours psychology, but in some classes the people I would chat to said they did combined honours.
I guess you'd have to ring around and ask them, but say you wanted to do psychology and criminology, if the uni offered both courses as single honours I can't see why they wouldn't do a combined. Ask them!
Original post by whoami?!
do all universities do that?
Not all universities will offer combined honours in psychology, also if you are considering combined honours one thing you need to be aware of is not all of these course have bps accreditation (which is needed if you wish to pursue clinical psychology), some will be but it's definitely something to look out for! Also I think some natural sciences degrees may allow you to do quite a bit of Psychology alongside science subjects although apart from Cambridge I'm not aware of any that have bps accreditation (I'm not certain on this though as it's not something that appealed to me when i was applying).
Also it's worth saying psychology departments can vary quite a lot in their specialisms and although there won't be great differences in the first two years it can make quite a big difference to the final year options. It sounds like you might be more interested in the more neuro heavy side of psychology so that could be something to look out for (indeed neuroscience might be another alternative degree choice if you want a more hard-science style degree focusing on the brain etc, although I think there is less of a clear career path to working in a therapeutic setting so may not be appropriate if this is where you would like to work).
I'm currently studying psychology (in my third year of four at Bath) and planning on pursuing clinical psychology so if you have any questions let me know
Original post by emilypsychology
I am about to go to do a degree in Psychology in September. Firstly, getting into clinical psychology is extremely difficult, if not rare these days as most want to be a clinical psychologist. Clinical psychology is a great alternative to psychiatry as you essentially do everything the same in a job title but you're not permitted to administer medication. Your tutor is completely out of order saying that you are 'too academic', you can do any subject and still be academic. Also, I know a lot of people in my Psychology A Level class going into university to do Psychology with Psychology, Biology and Chemistry and Maths together. I think you will find that your combination of subjects is quite ideal as opposed to say History. In a Psychology A Level, it is heavily essay based as you have to write about certain theories and studies ect to show you have understanding. In Psychology at degree level you do get lab work but that does not come without written work. Psychology in general is really fascinating and I suggest you buy some books and get to know it some more to see if that's where your heart lies. I could recommend you some good reads. Bare this in mind, Psychology A Level isn't a true reflection of a degree in Psychology, and that's what your tutor may be going off. It's completely different in that if you take a BSc, it will be heavily science based as opposed to a BA. Do not buy into the social stigma of Psychology, it is a well regarded discipline
Could you please post the recommended reads please! Thanks!!
Don't do psychology if you think you're going to become a clinical psychologist at the end of it. It takes years of subsequent experience and training to become one and it's ferociously competitive.
The psych degree itself is heavily essay based, with a large research component as well (lots of stats and spss).
If you actually enjoy psychology as a subject (I know you don't do it but read some psychology textbooks and see what you think) then I'd say go for it. However I'd make sure you know exactly why you want to do it and have a pretty good personal statement to supplement the fact you didn't do it at a level.
The psych degree itself is heavily essay based, with a large research component as well (lots of stats and spss).
If you actually enjoy psychology as a subject (I know you don't do it but read some psychology textbooks and see what you think) then I'd say go for it. However I'd make sure you know exactly why you want to do it and have a pretty good personal statement to supplement the fact you didn't do it at a level.
Original post by Flippin-Mad
Not all universities will offer combined honours in psychology, also if you are considering combined honours one thing you need to be aware of is not all of these course have bps accreditation (which is needed if you wish to pursue clinical psychology), some will be but it's definitely something to look out for! Also I think some natural sciences degrees may allow you to do quite a bit of Psychology alongside science subjects although apart from Cambridge I'm not aware of any that have bps accreditation (I'm not certain on this though as it's not something that appealed to me when i was applying).
Also it's worth saying psychology departments can vary quite a lot in their specialisms and although there won't be great differences in the first two years it can make quite a big difference to the final year options. It sounds like you might be more interested in the more neuro heavy side of psychology so that could be something to look out for (indeed neuroscience might be another alternative degree choice if you want a more hard-science style degree focusing on the brain etc, although I think there is less of a clear career path to working in a therapeutic setting so may not be appropriate if this is where you would like to work).
I'm currently studying psychology (in my third year of four at Bath) and planning on pursuing clinical psychology so if you have any questions let me know
Also it's worth saying psychology departments can vary quite a lot in their specialisms and although there won't be great differences in the first two years it can make quite a big difference to the final year options. It sounds like you might be more interested in the more neuro heavy side of psychology so that could be something to look out for (indeed neuroscience might be another alternative degree choice if you want a more hard-science style degree focusing on the brain etc, although I think there is less of a clear career path to working in a therapeutic setting so may not be appropriate if this is where you would like to work).
I'm currently studying psychology (in my third year of four at Bath) and planning on pursuing clinical psychology so if you have any questions let me know
are you doing a placement at the moment because if i do psychology i'd want to do a placement as i know it's very hard to get into a clinical psychology career and so i think that this experience is very vital. Also do you get paid for this placement?
Original post by whoami?!
are you doing a placement at the moment because if i do psychology i'd want to do a placement as i know it's very hard to get into a clinical psychology career and so i think that this experience is very vital. Also do you get paid for this placement?
Yes I'm just finishing my placement year. I think it is very sensible to do a placement year particularly with the job market as it is at the moment it should be beneficial even if you were to change your mind about clinical, and certainly it's beneficial for clinical. Generally placements are unpaid in psychology as they are primarily in the public sector at universities or within the NHS. There are some placements that are paid but these generally tend to be more occupational based at banks etc. Some do provide a small honorarium or cover travel expenses or whatever though. Placement years aren't that common in psychology courses so that would narrow down options quite a lot (although that's not necessarily a bad thing with I think around 100 unis offering the subject have to narrow down somehow!)
I would add to flippin-mad's post that you don't necessarily have to do a placement year if you can't afford it or whatever; I've found in my department at least that researchers are very keen to take on student RAs during the summer or bits here and there in term time. There are also often external internships for all sorts of areas (including clinical) being advertised on part-time bases, if research RAing isn't your thing.
Also worth considering is that,as other people have said, clinical is really competitive, and a lot of people nowadays as I hear it are not only needing to get crazy good experience before they can apply but are also doing PhDs in clinical areas before they even try togove them that extra edge. I'm sure there are exceptions to this but we were also told by one of the most senior clinical reseachers in our department that although supposedly you can get into it on a 2.1 in reality people don't tend to because there are so many applicants that they just don't need to take anyone except the absolute best.
Peychology is great though! And honestly such a broad field (including things I'd never even really thought of being part of it) that I know lots of people, myself included, who came into the degree wanting to do clinical who have changed their mind and are now trying to get into other fields (not trying to put you off mind!).
Also worth considering is that,as other people have said, clinical is really competitive, and a lot of people nowadays as I hear it are not only needing to get crazy good experience before they can apply but are also doing PhDs in clinical areas before they even try togove them that extra edge. I'm sure there are exceptions to this but we were also told by one of the most senior clinical reseachers in our department that although supposedly you can get into it on a 2.1 in reality people don't tend to because there are so many applicants that they just don't need to take anyone except the absolute best.
Peychology is great though! And honestly such a broad field (including things I'd never even really thought of being part of it) that I know lots of people, myself included, who came into the degree wanting to do clinical who have changed their mind and are now trying to get into other fields (not trying to put you off mind!).
Original post by whoami?!
You are an absolute star!! I feel that my heart really lies on this and i'm quite excited now! but one question, how do you do other degrees/subjects while doing psychology? should it be psychology with ... or could you do psychology AND ....
thanks again!
but one question, how do you do other degrees/subjects while doing psychology? should it be psychology with ... or could you do psychology AND ....thanks again!
It's no problem at all!
You can do joint honours if you wish by combining two subjects of your choice, regarding they are compatible which may differ between universities. However, you have to make sure that your course is accredited by the BPS if you're doing joint honours if you want to have a career in Psychology which you may not find in dual honours such as Psychology and Philosophy which tends not to be accredited by the British Psychological Society.Original post by Ąямєиίєζ
Could you please post the recommended reads please! Thanks!!
Some books I have read which I would recommend are the majority of Oliver Sack's books such as The Mind's Eye, The Private Life of the Brain by Susan Greenfield is excellent, I bought Games People Play by Eric Berne last year which I am still yet to read and How The Mind Works by Steven Pinker is another interesting and thought-provoking book
Original post by whoami?!
You are an absolute star!! I feel that my heart really lies on this and i'm quite excited now! but one question, how do you do other degrees/subjects while doing psychology? should it be psychology with ... or could you do psychology AND ....
thanks again!
but one question, how do you do other degrees/subjects while doing psychology? should it be psychology with ... or could you do psychology AND ....thanks again!
If you want to combine psychology with something, the flexible combined honours at the University of Liverpool is great, I looked into it and there are so many things you could combine it with
[QUOTE=
Some books I have read which I would recommend are the majority of Oliver Sack's books such as The Mind's Eye, The Private Life of the Brain by Susan Greenfield is excellent, I bought Games People Play by Eric Berne last year which I am still yet to read and How The Mind Works by Steven Pinker is another interesting and thought-provoking book
Thank you very much!!! I better get started then...
Some books I have read which I would recommend are the majority of Oliver Sack's books such as The Mind's Eye, The Private Life of the Brain by Susan Greenfield is excellent, I bought Games People Play by Eric Berne last year which I am still yet to read and How The Mind Works by Steven Pinker is another interesting and thought-provoking book
Thank you very much!!! I better get started then...
Original post by Amy943
If you would rather be based in a laboratory then maybe you should look into Neuroscience as a degree, it is more biological based and it could even be combined with psychology if you'd like
I found a degree which is psychology with neuroscience which i'm really interested in! however it's in sussex and i went to the open day and didn't really like the place. Does anyone do this degree? (this degree is also accredited by the BPS which i'm so happy about!) or does anyone go to sussex in general to try and persuade me?
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