Psychology work experience
hi everyone!!
i am in year 12 and i have an interest in psychology with the hopes of possibly pursuing it in university. i was wondering if people could give general advice on how psychology is at university, what universities look for in your personal statement/ucas, and the steps into securing a job in the field of psychology after university?
also do universities really care about work experience, and if so, what work experience would be best for psychology?
i am in year 12 and i have an interest in psychology with the hopes of possibly pursuing it in university. i was wondering if people could give general advice on how psychology is at university, what universities look for in your personal statement/ucas, and the steps into securing a job in the field of psychology after university?
also do universities really care about work experience, and if so, what work experience would be best for psychology?
Original post
by AN2009hi everyone!!
i am in year 12 and i have an interest in psychology with the hopes of possibly pursuing it in university. i was wondering if people could give general advice on how psychology is at university, what universities look for in your personal statement/ucas, and the steps into securing a job in the field of psychology after university?
also do universities really care about work experience, and if so, what work experience would be best for psychology?
i am in year 12 and i have an interest in psychology with the hopes of possibly pursuing it in university. i was wondering if people could give general advice on how psychology is at university, what universities look for in your personal statement/ucas, and the steps into securing a job in the field of psychology after university?
also do universities really care about work experience, and if so, what work experience would be best for psychology?
Psychology can be really interesting, I've definitely enjoyed many aspects of my degree and many of the modules offered at my university. However, people tend to be tripped up by how much biology content there is on psychology. I personally don't mind, having taken it at A-level and actually liking it a lot, but many people seem to dislike that aspect of psychology. The other thing that people dislike (and this thing is pretty much universally hated by all psychology students) is statistics. There's an awful lot of statistics in psychology, and it can be difficult to wrap your head around it. But it's not so bad after a while once you get used to it. I would put a big focus on how statistics is taught when looking at universities - at my university, we get taught what can be charitably described as the shallow treatment, they basically are happy teaching us how to use a statistics software called SPSS and to be able to independently decide when we need to carry out what test, but I have a friend at another university in which they actually had him learning and explaining the (absurdly long and complicated) formulas for statistical tests, and also getting him to learn R, which unlike SPSS you have to code things yourself (sounds bad, but then you learn how to code, which is a mighty useful transferable skill). Both types of teaching have its pros and cons, up to you to decide what sort of thing you like and would favour in a university.
In terms of what they are looking for in your UCAS application, they just want you to meet the grades for your offer and to demonstrate interest on the subject in your personal statement. Finding work experience actually for psychology in sixth form is basically impossible so it's not too important, but it's always nice to get some sort of work experience anyway. Anything where you're interacting with people will do. And you can get a good idea as to what people write on their psychology personal statements by checking the student room's own personal statement library here! Although of course do make sure to make it personal, talk about yourself, why you want to study psychology and what specifically about psychology tickles your fancy.
Securing a job in psychology after university is a convoluted mess, but essentially you need to achieve a 2:1 or above (the grades in university do not use letters and instead are, from best to worst: 1st, 2:1, 2:2, 3rd, and fail) in your degree in order to pursue the further education you'll need in order to actually become a psychologist, and also have relevant work experience, which is infinitely easier to arrange once you're 18 and studying psychology at university.
Hope this was a useful comment, please ask away if you have more questions
Reply 2
Original post
by AN2009hi everyone!!
i am in year 12 and i have an interest in psychology with the hopes of possibly pursuing it in university. i was wondering if people could give general advice on how psychology is at university, what universities look for in your personal statement/ucas, and the steps into securing a job in the field of psychology after university?
also do universities really care about work experience, and if so, what work experience would be best for psychology?
i am in year 12 and i have an interest in psychology with the hopes of possibly pursuing it in university. i was wondering if people could give general advice on how psychology is at university, what universities look for in your personal statement/ucas, and the steps into securing a job in the field of psychology after university?
also do universities really care about work experience, and if so, what work experience would be best for psychology?
Hi,
While I’m not a psychology student, universities generally look for genuine interest in the subject and an understanding of what the course involves.
Work experience isn’t usually required, as universities understand it can be difficult to obtain in psychology. However, you can still talk about transferable skills from voluntary roles such as charity shops, care homes etc in your personal statement. These demonstrate communication skills, empathy, teamwork and responsibility, which are all very relevant to psychology.
You could also look into virtual experiences, such as psychology courses on Springpod, and read further around areas that interest you.
After graduating, there are different paths within psychology, including teaching, clinical, educational, forensic and occupational psychology, so it’s worth researching these early on as many require postgraduate study.
At LJMU, our BSc (Hons) Psychology course is accredited by the British Psychological Society and includes opportunities for placements and practical experience alongside academic study. It’s three years full time, or four with a placement year. Looking at things like modules, placement opportunities and facilities can help you compare universities more effectively. For more information on the course https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduates/2026/35654-psychology-bsc-hons
Hope this helps, good luck with your studies!
Tayba
Student Rep
Reply 3
10
Original post
by AN2009hi everyone!!
i am in year 12 and i have an interest in psychology with the hopes of possibly pursuing it in university. i was wondering if people could give general advice on how psychology is at university, what universities look for in your personal statement/ucas, and the steps into securing a job in the field of psychology after university?
also do universities really care about work experience, and if so, what work experience would be best for psychology?
i am in year 12 and i have an interest in psychology with the hopes of possibly pursuing it in university. i was wondering if people could give general advice on how psychology is at university, what universities look for in your personal statement/ucas, and the steps into securing a job in the field of psychology after university?
also do universities really care about work experience, and if so, what work experience would be best for psychology?
Reply 4
Original post
by AN2009hi everyone!!
i am in year 12 and i have an interest in psychology with the hopes of possibly pursuing it in university. i was wondering if people could give general advice on how psychology is at university, what universities look for in your personal statement/ucas, and the steps into securing a job in the field of psychology after university?
also do universities really care about work experience, and if so, what work experience would be best for psychology?
i am in year 12 and i have an interest in psychology with the hopes of possibly pursuing it in university. i was wondering if people could give general advice on how psychology is at university, what universities look for in your personal statement/ucas, and the steps into securing a job in the field of psychology after university?
also do universities really care about work experience, and if so, what work experience would be best for psychology?
Hello @AN2009,
That’s great to hear you are considering studying psychology!
What is psychology like at university?
I’ve really enjoyed my time studying psychology and have loved how flexible and diverse it is at Southampton. We covered such a wide range of topics, and the psychology community has been great.
Personal statements
In my personal statement, I focused on doing further reading from books, podcasts and MOOCs and reflecting on these. But I would recommend getting advice from your teachers for this!
Work experience
Personally, I didn’t get any work experience directly relating to psychology when I applied. However if you want to do this, lots of things can be applied to psychology if involves people. For example, working in schools, retail, or any other part time jobs.
Jobs in psychology
Many people aim for an assistant psychologist job after their undergraduate course, however these can be competitive. Lots of jobs within the field of psychology require further education/training so it’s good to look into this.
I hope this helped and let me know if you have any more questions!
Poppy, 3rd Year Psychology
Reply 5
Original post
by AN2009hi everyone!!
i am in year 12 and i have an interest in psychology with the hopes of possibly pursuing it in university. i was wondering if people could give general advice on how psychology is at university, what universities look for in your personal statement/ucas, and the steps into securing a job in the field of psychology after university?
also do universities really care about work experience, and if so, what work experience would be best for psychology?
i am in year 12 and i have an interest in psychology with the hopes of possibly pursuing it in university. i was wondering if people could give general advice on how psychology is at university, what universities look for in your personal statement/ucas, and the steps into securing a job in the field of psychology after university?
also do universities really care about work experience, and if so, what work experience would be best for psychology?
Hi there,
It's great that you're interested in applying for Psychology - I'm a second year Psychology student at Durham, so thought I'd tell you a bit about my experience!
At Durham, the 3 years of study run like this. In first year, you’ll do 4 core modules:
In first year, you’ll do 4 core modules:
1.
Introduction to Psychology 1: Cognitive and Biological Psychology
2.
Introduction to Psychology 2: Developmental and Social Psychology
3.
Introduction to Psychological Research
4.
Academic Skill Development for Psychology
5.
One optional module
In second year, all modules are compulsory, as this ensures the course meets BPS accreditation. This includes clinical and differential psychology, cognitive and biopsychology, contemporary and conceptual issues in psychology, advanced research methods and statistics, and social and developmental psychology.
In third year, you’ll do the 7000 word dissertation and then 4 optional modules: topics might include mental health, forensic psychology, and evolutionary psychology. Students are also provided with guidance about modules that fit well together thematically and how these map onto potential future careers or interests, which will ensure you can tailor your course to what you enjoy.
Studying Psychology can open you up to a range of careers, which you can check out here: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/psychology. The jobs directly related to the degree often require further study (a Masters degree, a PHD, doctorate), however you definitely can get roles around Psychology without this. Your university will likely have a careers team who can help you secure jobs, and identify what areas you might want to pursue.
I wouldn't say universities have a large focus on work experience, especially entering as an undergraduate - I had only a week of experience in a law firm when I applied for university, and think my extracurriculars/interest in Psychology was more valued. That being said, it wouldn't harm your application, so it's up to you! 😊 Work experience is generally more important when applying to post-graduate courses.
I hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions about studying here at Durham.
-Rosie (DU Representative)
Quick Reply
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