Psychology: GCSE to Qualified. What, When and How?
-- This is still a work in progress, I shall finish it tonight to cover university and beyond. ---
I have created this guide to hopefully help with some of the anxieties and misconceptions that I've seen in a number of threads. It should compliment the existing FAQ’s on 'Psychology at University' and 'Clinical Psychology'.
I am focusing on what to do, what is important and where to go at each stage of Psychology (GCSE to Postgraduate).
As this is based on my knowledge, experience and biases, I feel I should tell you where I am:
10 GCSE’s - 4 B’s and 6 C’s
2 AS Levels – Biology (C) and Psychology (D)
3 A-Levels – Business (B), History (C) and ICT (C)
BSc Psychology (2:1) – Bangor University
MSc Forensic Psychology (Merit) – Surrey University
Volunteering (minimal) with the Youth Offending Service
4 years (part/full time) work as a support worker with Autistic young people (2nd year -> Master’s)
3 years work as an Assistant Psychologist with the NHS
I am aiming to become a Clinical Psychologist
I’ll be assuming that everyone is heading towards a Psychology degree; the first question is:
What do you want to do as a career?
There are a few main options:
Practitioner Psychologist (clinical, forensic, counselling, educational, occupational, sports, etc.
)Research Psychologist (University based, NHS based, private/specific research projects)
Therapist roles (IAPT/PWP, CBT therapist, Psychotherapist)
Similar career, by completing a masters (Social work, Teacher, Occupational therapist, SALT) – not covered here
Something completely un-related (you might just want to get a degree) – not covered here
Obviously, most people here are 13-21 and thinking about GCSE’s, A-levels and degrees. It is a massive thing for you to answer that question, what career do you want?
How are you supposed to know that at age 16 and make the right choices?
Unfortunately there is no easy answer, because there is a brutal, harsh reality to Psychology. If I get on to the doctorate in the coming years intake, I will be qualified in three years – aged 30. That will make me pretty much bang on average (maybe one year over). I don’t say this to scare you, or to show you that it is ‘pointless’, but to be open and honest about the level of commitment needed to qualify. This is for clinical, all the other fields are (mostly - except educational) self funded, so can be done quicker (provided you have the money), becoming a researcher can be done straight from uni (after picking up a PhD usually) and can be much quicker. Other therapy roles or professions can be done quicker as well, IAPT for example is a one year (funded) course.
The main thing is that Psychology is competitive, but you can decide on the specific route after university, so don‘t worry too much about exactly what you want to do.
But if you do have a good idea, it will help you tailor your choices as you move through:
GCSE
If you are currently deciding on your GCSE’s or studying them, then the main thing to remember right now is: Don’t worry.
I’ve just had a brief look at the AQA specification and it looks like it covers a lot of the standard ‘pop’ Psychology topics (those studies that everyone has heard of). You’ll not need GCSE Psychology in order to study the A-level (at least, I hope not!) and you’ll definitely not need the GCSE in order to get onto a degree. Your sole focus at GCSE is just getting the best grades you can in whichever subjects you take (thus take the ones you can do the best in).
Your GCSE’s might (some/many universities will want certain grades at Maths/English/Science) be useful for getting into university, beyond that, no one will ever care what they are – I’m not even sure the list I gave at the top is right.
If you’re a super keen bean and want to start on your relevant experience early, then there are some options available. Two things hold you back: age (under 18’s can’t have as much client contact) and competition (there are lots of people older than you who will be going for the same things). Look at volunteering in older people’s homes, charity work and youth/church groups. This experience is mostly going to give you some insight into working with others, the differing needs others have, being spontaneous, solving problems and being adaptable. It’ll be helpful in getting part time jobs and to discuss on university applications.
A-Level
There is a lot of discussion on this forum about which subjects to take, which is tied to which universities to go to. If we jump ahead for a bit, if you’re looking to be a practitioner or other therapy role, then the choice of university won’t matter too much (as in, beyond individual peoples biases – which you will never know and can’t account for – I have never heard of an assistant or qualified psychologist getting asked about where they went to university and whether it was a Russell group one or not). If you’re going into research, then those with more prestigious research reputations may well give a boost in terms of your research output at the university and in applying for research based jobs. Going back to the A-levels, there are two guides on which subjects to take 1) which can you get the best grades in and 2) based on your expected grades, which universities do you want to go to and which subjects do they recommend and insist on (some will require 2 sciences, while others will have no required subjects - be mindful of excluded subjects as well)? Essentially you’re balancing getting the best mix of subjects with your ability, because taking Maths, Statistics, Psychology and Biology will be great, right up until you get 4 D’s and end up in a worse university than if you’d taken English, French and Chemistry.
A-levels can be used at various points, most applications for jobs and postgrad want you to record them; the Newcastle clinical doctorate even awards points for them. But in the vast majority of cases it is the GRADE they care about, not the SUBJECT. Your focus at A-level is to get the best grades you can.
The voluntary experience on offer is pretty much identical to before, which is why it can be so difficult to get it at a younger age. But you definitely want to start looking at getting some if you can, once you're 16+, it is slightly easier than before.
Degree
The single most important thing is to ensure your degree is accredited by the BPS, granting you GBC. There are a myriad of courses out there, lots of straight Psychology with a range of joint honours. I honestly can't tell you whether doing Psychology with Sports Psychology will make it easier to become a Sports Psychologist in the end, but it certainly won't preclude you and it is increasingly common to do a Master's anyway. If you have a massive desire to study a particular area of Psychology, then go for it. It'll probably neither help nor hinder.
GodspeedGehenna's FAQ deals with much of the details of Psychology at university, so I'll not go into loads of detail here.
I think the number 1 source of anxiety I've seen is about which university to go to. I am not a researcher and I am not immersed in that world, so I can't speak from experience. I'm sure that attending a top tier university with a good reputation will definitely help you, you might be more likely to publish your undergraduate dissertation this way. But I would say that if you're going to be a world renowned researcher then you'll probably achieve that, wherever you go. If you want to be a practitioner, of any kind, then I would say that the university doesn't really matter (again, you can't control for individual interviewers/shortlisters biases). This is not to say that you shouldn't try and get into the best university you can, of course you should. I am saying that you shouldn't beat yourself up if your university is #15 or even #45; what is important is having GBC and your GRADE. If you get a 2:2, you are (more or less) doomed, no matter where you went. Factor in the location, campus/non campus, social life, proximity to family/friends, cost etc. into your choice, if you aren't happy, you'll perform worse. If you end up with BCC (as I did), that's fine, pick the best university you can get into and get the best grade you can – it will be perfectly fine.
Just to re-iterate. The grade is vital. With a 1st, doors fly open, a 2:1 will open most while a 2:2 will close all but a few. If you get a 2:2, do a Master's and nail it. Having said that, don't work yourself into a oblivion, remember, you're a budding Psychologist, remember your work/life balance!
Here is where things get interesting, your real chance to set yourself apart from the rest and make serious in-roads to your career. Let's tackle research first.
You'll be doing lots of mini research stuff throughout your degree, mostly it's just bumf to get you familiar and practised in the scientific way of working. The only piece of work with real potential is your dissertation (unfortunately, in my experience, this depends on the university and your supervisor). You want to try and get it published. That's going to come down to picking a decent topic (i.e. not the 'how does music type affect recall on a memory task) and having a supervisor who is dedicated to helping you get it to that level. It doesn't have to be a super, flashy journal, it could be one of the student friendly publications that are out there. If you can't get it published, deliver it at a conference as a talk or a poster (lots of student ones). Outside of this, you want to make friends with the research team – most of your lecturers are researchers. Go and talk to them, ask if they have anything you can do – data entry, photocopying, transcribing – it's all dull, you'll hate it, but it works. Over three years you can build a good relationship and hopefully you'll do enough work on one paper that gets published to get your name tacked onto the end – that's your holy grail. Universities also like to recruit their Master's and PhD students from those they know, this will give you the edge in applying for these. You can move straight from undergraduate to masters and onto PhD and be working there full time by 25 or so. I stress the 'can' in that sentence though.
For practical experience there are two main types: paid and voluntary. The hardest to get? Voluntary. They will never have spaces, stuff you can/want to do and will make you jump through loads of hoops. Paid work is excellent as it gives you money! You want a healthcare role ideally (support worker, healthcare assistant, nursing assistant, drugs + alcohol, homelessness etc.). My advice is to get an NHS role, they are well used to part time/student workers, you can go in on the bank and work when you want, working for the NHS makes you an internal candidate for future jobs and you get the pension. But private work is perfectly fine (and what I did). Work in term or holiday time, or both if you're still a keen bean/poor. This will be fantastic experience for you, a lot of this work is hard, challenging and tiring (and occasionally dangerous) and you'll learn a lot. It'll really help your future applications. There are loads of similar voluntary roles, but you can also do befriending, mentoring, childline, nightline, youth offending teams, youth work and so on. I would definitely recommend getting as much experience as possible at university – it will put you well ahead of those who just get drunk.
I have created this guide to hopefully help with some of the anxieties and misconceptions that I've seen in a number of threads. It should compliment the existing FAQ’s on 'Psychology at University' and 'Clinical Psychology'.
I am focusing on what to do, what is important and where to go at each stage of Psychology (GCSE to Postgraduate).
As this is based on my knowledge, experience and biases, I feel I should tell you where I am:
10 GCSE’s - 4 B’s and 6 C’s
2 AS Levels – Biology (C) and Psychology (D)
3 A-Levels – Business (B), History (C) and ICT (C)
BSc Psychology (2:1) – Bangor University
MSc Forensic Psychology (Merit) – Surrey University
Volunteering (minimal) with the Youth Offending Service
4 years (part/full time) work as a support worker with Autistic young people (2nd year -> Master’s)
3 years work as an Assistant Psychologist with the NHS
I am aiming to become a Clinical Psychologist
I’ll be assuming that everyone is heading towards a Psychology degree; the first question is:
What do you want to do as a career?
There are a few main options:
Practitioner Psychologist (clinical, forensic, counselling, educational, occupational, sports, etc.
)Research Psychologist (University based, NHS based, private/specific research projects)
Therapist roles (IAPT/PWP, CBT therapist, Psychotherapist)
Similar career, by completing a masters (Social work, Teacher, Occupational therapist, SALT) – not covered here
Something completely un-related (you might just want to get a degree) – not covered here
Obviously, most people here are 13-21 and thinking about GCSE’s, A-levels and degrees. It is a massive thing for you to answer that question, what career do you want?
How are you supposed to know that at age 16 and make the right choices?
Unfortunately there is no easy answer, because there is a brutal, harsh reality to Psychology. If I get on to the doctorate in the coming years intake, I will be qualified in three years – aged 30. That will make me pretty much bang on average (maybe one year over). I don’t say this to scare you, or to show you that it is ‘pointless’, but to be open and honest about the level of commitment needed to qualify. This is for clinical, all the other fields are (mostly - except educational) self funded, so can be done quicker (provided you have the money), becoming a researcher can be done straight from uni (after picking up a PhD usually) and can be much quicker. Other therapy roles or professions can be done quicker as well, IAPT for example is a one year (funded) course.
The main thing is that Psychology is competitive, but you can decide on the specific route after university, so don‘t worry too much about exactly what you want to do.
But if you do have a good idea, it will help you tailor your choices as you move through:
GCSE
If you are currently deciding on your GCSE’s or studying them, then the main thing to remember right now is: Don’t worry.
I’ve just had a brief look at the AQA specification and it looks like it covers a lot of the standard ‘pop’ Psychology topics (those studies that everyone has heard of). You’ll not need GCSE Psychology in order to study the A-level (at least, I hope not!) and you’ll definitely not need the GCSE in order to get onto a degree. Your sole focus at GCSE is just getting the best grades you can in whichever subjects you take (thus take the ones you can do the best in).
Your GCSE’s might (some/many universities will want certain grades at Maths/English/Science) be useful for getting into university, beyond that, no one will ever care what they are – I’m not even sure the list I gave at the top is right.
If you’re a super keen bean and want to start on your relevant experience early, then there are some options available. Two things hold you back: age (under 18’s can’t have as much client contact) and competition (there are lots of people older than you who will be going for the same things). Look at volunteering in older people’s homes, charity work and youth/church groups. This experience is mostly going to give you some insight into working with others, the differing needs others have, being spontaneous, solving problems and being adaptable. It’ll be helpful in getting part time jobs and to discuss on university applications.
A-Level
There is a lot of discussion on this forum about which subjects to take, which is tied to which universities to go to. If we jump ahead for a bit, if you’re looking to be a practitioner or other therapy role, then the choice of university won’t matter too much (as in, beyond individual peoples biases – which you will never know and can’t account for – I have never heard of an assistant or qualified psychologist getting asked about where they went to university and whether it was a Russell group one or not). If you’re going into research, then those with more prestigious research reputations may well give a boost in terms of your research output at the university and in applying for research based jobs. Going back to the A-levels, there are two guides on which subjects to take 1) which can you get the best grades in and 2) based on your expected grades, which universities do you want to go to and which subjects do they recommend and insist on (some will require 2 sciences, while others will have no required subjects - be mindful of excluded subjects as well)? Essentially you’re balancing getting the best mix of subjects with your ability, because taking Maths, Statistics, Psychology and Biology will be great, right up until you get 4 D’s and end up in a worse university than if you’d taken English, French and Chemistry.
A-levels can be used at various points, most applications for jobs and postgrad want you to record them; the Newcastle clinical doctorate even awards points for them. But in the vast majority of cases it is the GRADE they care about, not the SUBJECT. Your focus at A-level is to get the best grades you can.
The voluntary experience on offer is pretty much identical to before, which is why it can be so difficult to get it at a younger age. But you definitely want to start looking at getting some if you can, once you're 16+, it is slightly easier than before.
Degree
The single most important thing is to ensure your degree is accredited by the BPS, granting you GBC. There are a myriad of courses out there, lots of straight Psychology with a range of joint honours. I honestly can't tell you whether doing Psychology with Sports Psychology will make it easier to become a Sports Psychologist in the end, but it certainly won't preclude you and it is increasingly common to do a Master's anyway. If you have a massive desire to study a particular area of Psychology, then go for it. It'll probably neither help nor hinder.
GodspeedGehenna's FAQ deals with much of the details of Psychology at university, so I'll not go into loads of detail here.
I think the number 1 source of anxiety I've seen is about which university to go to. I am not a researcher and I am not immersed in that world, so I can't speak from experience. I'm sure that attending a top tier university with a good reputation will definitely help you, you might be more likely to publish your undergraduate dissertation this way. But I would say that if you're going to be a world renowned researcher then you'll probably achieve that, wherever you go. If you want to be a practitioner, of any kind, then I would say that the university doesn't really matter (again, you can't control for individual interviewers/shortlisters biases). This is not to say that you shouldn't try and get into the best university you can, of course you should. I am saying that you shouldn't beat yourself up if your university is #15 or even #45; what is important is having GBC and your GRADE. If you get a 2:2, you are (more or less) doomed, no matter where you went. Factor in the location, campus/non campus, social life, proximity to family/friends, cost etc. into your choice, if you aren't happy, you'll perform worse. If you end up with BCC (as I did), that's fine, pick the best university you can get into and get the best grade you can – it will be perfectly fine.
Just to re-iterate. The grade is vital. With a 1st, doors fly open, a 2:1 will open most while a 2:2 will close all but a few. If you get a 2:2, do a Master's and nail it. Having said that, don't work yourself into a oblivion, remember, you're a budding Psychologist, remember your work/life balance!
Here is where things get interesting, your real chance to set yourself apart from the rest and make serious in-roads to your career. Let's tackle research first.
You'll be doing lots of mini research stuff throughout your degree, mostly it's just bumf to get you familiar and practised in the scientific way of working. The only piece of work with real potential is your dissertation (unfortunately, in my experience, this depends on the university and your supervisor). You want to try and get it published. That's going to come down to picking a decent topic (i.e. not the 'how does music type affect recall on a memory task) and having a supervisor who is dedicated to helping you get it to that level. It doesn't have to be a super, flashy journal, it could be one of the student friendly publications that are out there. If you can't get it published, deliver it at a conference as a talk or a poster (lots of student ones). Outside of this, you want to make friends with the research team – most of your lecturers are researchers. Go and talk to them, ask if they have anything you can do – data entry, photocopying, transcribing – it's all dull, you'll hate it, but it works. Over three years you can build a good relationship and hopefully you'll do enough work on one paper that gets published to get your name tacked onto the end – that's your holy grail. Universities also like to recruit their Master's and PhD students from those they know, this will give you the edge in applying for these. You can move straight from undergraduate to masters and onto PhD and be working there full time by 25 or so. I stress the 'can' in that sentence though.
For practical experience there are two main types: paid and voluntary. The hardest to get? Voluntary. They will never have spaces, stuff you can/want to do and will make you jump through loads of hoops. Paid work is excellent as it gives you money! You want a healthcare role ideally (support worker, healthcare assistant, nursing assistant, drugs + alcohol, homelessness etc.). My advice is to get an NHS role, they are well used to part time/student workers, you can go in on the bank and work when you want, working for the NHS makes you an internal candidate for future jobs and you get the pension. But private work is perfectly fine (and what I did). Work in term or holiday time, or both if you're still a keen bean/poor. This will be fantastic experience for you, a lot of this work is hard, challenging and tiring (and occasionally dangerous) and you'll learn a lot. It'll really help your future applications. There are loads of similar voluntary roles, but you can also do befriending, mentoring, childline, nightline, youth offending teams, youth work and so on. I would definitely recommend getting as much experience as possible at university – it will put you well ahead of those who just get drunk.
(edited 8 years ago)
A couple of things to add that I can think of off the top of my head - educational psychology is also funded, and some universities want (or prefer applicants) with two science A Levels, including psychology. Also, some unis specify a particular grade in maths GCSE
Original post by *Interrobang*
A couple of things to add that I can think of off the top of my head - educational psychology is also funded, and some universities want (or prefer applicants) with two science A Levels, including psychology. Also, some unis specify a particular grade in maths GCSE
Thanks for the comments. I was not aware that educational psychology was funded, so will update that - out of interest, do you know why that field managed to secure funding?
Yeah, some universities do want specific things, I think I mentioned that you should check what your choices of university say - but I'll clarify that a bit.
Original post by _Sinnie_
Thanks for the comments. I was not aware that educational psychology was funded, so will update that - out of interest, do you know why that field managed to secure funding?
Yeah, some universities do want specific things, I think I mentioned that you should check what your choices of university say - but I'll clarify that a bit.
Yeah, some universities do want specific things, I think I mentioned that you should check what your choices of university say - but I'll clarify that a bit.
It's been funded for years - I guess because education is statutory and they all used to be employed by the government (not the case necessarily now). Also, you have to do the straight doctorate, rather than a one-year masters and then get a job to top it up, like with forensic and health (or something along those lines)
The Educational Psych doctorate is funded by the Department for Education - this has been secured for 2016 and 2017 intakes and 2018 is currently being discussed. The Association for Educational Psychologists has worked with the DfE, as well as the National College for Teaching and Leadership and the Education Minister Edward Timpson in order to continue this funding.
Basically a lot of SEN reforms are being put in place and they obviously need a stream (although not that many!) of newly qualified EPs in order to carry them out
Hope this helps
Basically a lot of SEN reforms are being put in place and they obviously need a stream (although not that many!) of newly qualified EPs in order to carry them out
Hope this helps
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