Getting the grades for Oxford

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Hello! I'm also called Amy and would love to do a psychology degree in the future! I was just wondering if you had any voluntary work or work experience to do with any aspect of psychology as I am struggling to think of things that are possible to do? Congratulations on your offers and good luck! Xxx

Hi Amy, I didn't have any work experience that was really related but I think psychology is one of those that is quite difficult to get specific work for - I live near an mental health institution but I couldn't get experience before the deadline for UCAS as you have to be over 18 to volunteer (it's medium security so pretty understandable!). What I did do was do some drama workshops in primary schools and a bit of maths tutoring with younger students which I then talked about as being useful for understanding child development. I've also seen people doing volunteer work in care homes, nurseries etc - basically working with people. Just make sure you can write about how it's relatable in your personal statement. I don't think they mind if you don't have any experience as it's quite difficult, but you can do extra reading and go to public lectures which shows your enthusiasm.
Thank you and good luck to you too!

Reply 21

tryingandfailing

Apologies again for the lack of updates, I've been ill so I spent the most of yesterday and Friday evening in bed! I did get some psychology essays memorised on Friday though, so that was good. I've slept in this morning instead of doing revision but on the bright side I'm feeling better so hoping to get another few psychology essays memorised - I've got a mock this week so I need to at least know the theories and the studies. By the real exam I'm hoping to know everything really in depth. My plan for today is to write out from memory one essay from each of the sections, and I've also got an english essay to write.

Reply 22

Tiger-lily15

Great thank you so much! Thank you x

Reply 23

tryingandfailing

So yesterday I didn't get those psych essays done - mothers day and all that - so I did them this evening. I chose the harder essays from each section to write and managed to do them mostly from memory, just using my cue cards for extra details. I was over time though so I'll just need to practice loads so I know the essays inside out and can get them written fully detailed in the time allowed. I then spent a bit of time doing some core 4 revision from chapter 5. I know monday is meant to be my maths day and I wanted to do a core 3 paper a week, and since I haven't done one today I'm going to do it tomorrow in my double free instead.

Reply 24

tryingandfailing

Actually got everything done today I wanted to, yay! I did the jan 2008 core 3 paper in my double free and I've just been rewriting some of my unit 5 biology notes, condensing everything we've learnt into one page for each topic (and making it pretty of course!). I like doing this to help me go back over what we've learnt and I also have really clear notes to revise from then.

78 days to go (aka 11 weeks tomorrow)....

Reply 25

tryingandfailing

I spent last night revising psych biorhythms for an exam-conditions essay practice today. It went pretty well, I'm finding writing the essays and recalling the knowledge much easier now so by the real thing I should be pretty confident. I'm spending tonight revising aggression for another essay tomorrow, and I'll try and write up some notes for another couple of biology topics - unit 5 has so much content I've realised it's going to take me a while to get them done! We still haven't finished learning the content which is a bit annoying, but hopefully we'll be done before Easter so I can start doing some past papers.

76 days now I think??

Reply 26

Ara8311a

Original post by tryingandfailing

A countdown??? Why, oh why! When it gets down to single digits, it's going to be terrifying.
You've been really productive tho in the last few days! Now I just have to get in gear too! :smile:

Reply 27

tryingandfailing

Original post by Ara8311a

A countdown??? Why, oh why! When it gets down to single digits, it's going to be terrifying.
You've been really productive tho in the last few days! Now I just have to get in gear too! :smile:

A countdown makes me more productive - I work harder under pressure!! I'm hoping by the time it gets to single digits I'll be feeling more confident, and my first exam's an AS resit which is so much easier now I've done the A2 content so at least it's a nice one to start!
Thank you, I feel like I have been pretty productive for me since I'm literally the worlds biggest procrastinator.. Good luck with your revision too!

Reply 28

Ara8311a

Original post by tryingandfailing

Same here. I'm doing a lot more now I'm counting the weeks down in my planner.
If you think you're a procrastinator, you should meet me. :tongue:

But thank you!

Reply 29

tryingandfailing

Okay so there's a bit of a pattern going on here... my blog goes quiet on weekends and I'm going to admit it's because I get hardly anything done. I'm pretty disappointed in myself because its an opportunity to do some concentrated revision but I end up wasting my time PROCRASTINATING as always. So from now on I am officially procrastination free at the weekends! I'm going to make sure I have something in this blog every day so I have to do something to write about it!
On the bright side, my psych revision is going well - I got an A* on my biorhythms essay, the aggression one went well and now just eating behaviour to do on Thursday. I spent today at York uni on a biology trip doing DNA fingerprinting - it was really interesting and inspired me to get a load of notes written up for unit 5 this evening.

72 days!

Reply 30

tryingandfailing

I feel like I've been pretty productive today - I did half a core 3 paper in a free and then I've written out notes from about 2 1/2 chapters of unit 5 biology (all the synapse/muscle contraction//homeostasis stuff). More maths tomorrow, an english essay and then a bit of psychology revision for a eating behaviour essay on Thursday. I also have a ton of EPQ to do, we're supposed to have it finished for next week but we haven't been given our marked dissertation work back yet so I have no idea if what I've done so far is right or not - I'd honestly rather have not had any taught sessions as they've just been so unhelpful and a pretty great waste of time. Ugh. Anyway, 71 days left now..

Reply 31

tryingandfailing

Ugh, today was pretty stressful. I've got behind on maths work so ended up having to do 3 papers today - a core 3, a mechanics and an end of chapter paper for core 4. Not good..
I'm still not happy with core 3. I've always found maths relatively easy but core 3 I just can't seem to get the method for working out harder questions on my own. I'm feeling pretty stuck because I do practice from the textbook and get it, then try and do a paper and I struggle. I guess I just need to keep practicing until I start to recognise questions more easily but it's hard when I feel like I get it and then don't seem to be doing any better.
We've finally finished the biology spec today though so that's a positive. I'm not a stressy person but the feeling that these exams really count and will affect my future is starting to get to me a bit more. I'm planning on talking to my maths teacher about what else I can do - anything to help me feel more confident that I can get the grades in the summer. In the meantime, I'l just keep ploughing on - hopefully 2 weeks of solid revision over Easter is going to make me feel better!
70 days/10 weeks *internal screaming*

Reply 32

tryingandfailing

More computer issues - so much for posting every day! But the last two days have just been some generic revision for psychology and biology. I'm feeling pretty confident on PSYA3 after getting good marks (averaging an A* over all my essays!) in our practice. I'm posting a bit early because I'm going out tonight, but today I've been doing frantic EPQ - the deadline's by Thursday, and I still have to finish my discussion, abstract, introduction, conclusion and do the presentation. I've managed to do about 3000 words on my discussion in 4/5 hours, so that's a start at least! I'm going to try and get the discussion finished today so I can do the other bits and pieces tomorrow and through the start of next week.

68 days now!

Reply 33

Ara8311a

Original post by tryingandfailing

Well done for the test result on biorhythms (or something like that)... What's your EPQ based on? I'm sure you'll wow everyone with your presentation but good luck anyway! :smile:

Reply 34

tryingandfailing

Original post by Ara8311a

Well done for the test result on biorhythms (or something like that)... What's your EPQ based on? I'm sure you'll wow everyone with your presentation but good luck anyway! :smile:

My EPQ's on the psychological stimuli causing criminal behaviour - I've found it really interesting but I just haven't been very good at keeping up with all the work! I haven't got to do the presentation until after Easter so I have plenty of time to get that sorted, but thank you! :smile:

Reply 35

tryingandfailing

I'm so close to having my EPQ discussion finished, and after that there's not much at all! Just one bit left to write which I can get done tomorrow, then I just need to do all those other little bits like the conclusion and abstract. Revision-wise, I have a core 2 resit mock on Wednesday and a biology unit 5 mock on all the neurones/homeostasis stuff so that'll be my priority. I'm then going to start putting together an Easter revision plan to get as much done as possible.

67 days..

Reply 36

tryingandfailing

I haven't updated the last couple of days thanks to frantic EPQ work to get it finished before the deadline - it wasn't a good idea alongside 4 A-levels! But I've got all the main bits done, just the evaluation to finish and the presentation to do now and then its DONE - yay! I've managed to put off my core 2 mock until after Easter as with my EPQ deadline I haven't had time to revise, so it wouldn't be very representative of my summer grade (hopefully). I'm looking forward to getting this done so I can get back to revision and exam prep - 65 days now!!

Also, today we finished core 4, exciting times.. Just need to finish the psychology spec and the last act of White Devil in English Lit and then I've learnt everything for my A-levels... weird feeling!

Reply 37

Ara8311a

Original post by tryingandfailing

That sounds really interesting! How did you work on it? Did you speak to people and get out there, so to speak, or did you primarily use the internet?
I'm wondering whether I should do it next year so I'm interested in how other people have gone about it. :smile:

Reply 38

Sandtrooper

Volunteer Team

Good luck!

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 39

tryingandfailing

Original post by Ara8311a

I used books, journals and the internet, there was a really good TED talk on it and a few tv documentaries as well. It was a pain to do and pretty stressful but then again if you keep up with the work over the time you do it it should be fine! Good prep for uni style work as well.