university of Southampton and UCL opportunities

so I had a chat with one of my aunties and she graduated from imperial a long time ago, she was saying how the uni you go to is more important than the course your doing, she said how someone with a degree in chemistry got into a finance even though chemistry and finance have no overlap, so I was wondering how strong the career support and networking opportunities are at university of Southampton and UCL? Is that true there, and are there a lot of opportunities like that? id love to hear from someone who's perhaps studied psychology in either of those unis! I'd appreciate it

so I had a chat with one of my aunties and she graduated from imperial a long time ago, she was saying how the uni you go to is more important than the course your doing, she said how someone with a degree in chemistry got into a finance even though chemistry and finance have no overlap, so I was wondering how strong the career support and networking opportunities are at university of Southampton and UCL? Is that true there, and are there a lot of opportunities like that? id love to hear from someone who's perhaps studied psychology in either of those unis! I'd appreciate it

Hi there
I’m a student in university of Southampton here and I have friends from psychology and education (joint degree) that I met in lecture. So I think I can provide you with some honest answer here.
Studying Psychology at the University of Southampton feels like the perfect choice for your future career and honestly, it’s more than just about the course. The degree is fully accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), which is super important if you want to go into areas like clinical or educational psychology later on.
What makes Southampton really stand out is how hands-on and research-focused the course is. They have amazing facilities like a VR lab, eye-tracking tech, and even a mobile research unit, and there are real chances to get involved as a Voluntary Research Assistant. This is great for gaining experience and building your CV. The course also helps you grow useful skills like critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and data analysis, all of which are helpful whether you stay in psychology or explore other career paths. Plus, what I think is the best is the Careers and Employability Service that they offer. It supports you and even after you graduate, which makes things feel a bit less overwhelming.
And to be honest, I just really like the vibe of the city. It’s friendly, affordable, and safe, and the campus has a nice balance of energy and calm. Being part of a Russell Group university like Southampton means I’ll get a respected education while still feeling supported. It seems like the kind of place where as a student can grow both personally and professionally.
Please let me know if you got more question on anything! I’m happy to answer all.
Best Wishes
Junfan student ambassador

so I had a chat with one of my aunties and she graduated from imperial a long time ago, she was saying how the uni you go to is more important than the course your doing, she said how someone with a degree in chemistry got into a finance even though chemistry and finance have no overlap, so I was wondering how strong the career support and networking opportunities are at university of Southampton and UCL? Is that true there, and are there a lot of opportunities like that? id love to hear from someone who's perhaps studied psychology in either of those unis! I'd appreciate it

I think your auntie lived in a different time and things have moved on. But, chemistry and finance have a lot of overlap. In fact chemistry has historically been strong feeder into finance - it is seen as a 'hard' degree so you are clever, plus the transferable maths skills like analysing complex data, statistical modelling, and the critical thinking and analysis are very relevant.
Going back to if the uni you choose matters, recruitment (especially in big corporations) is starting to become institution blind so the person or AI assessing your application doesn't see what uni you went to, but where it isnt blind there are some bias (I'd say that UCL has a better reputation than Southampton in that regard).
Psychology is a subject with lots of transferable skills so you are right that the most important thing is choosing a university that will support your next steps and support you in being able to identify and sell all your skills when it comes to finding a job after graduation, but more importantly one that you will be happy in, because the grade you get will also be important!