Talk to me about psychology degrees

[lovewillfindit]

DD in y12 doing A levels French, History and Biology - of which she prefers the last. Has said she might like to do a degree in psychology. I've looked and it seems you can do this with biology A level - but are people with just one science at a disadvantage?

She's a high flyer, straight 9s at GCSE and I'd be surprised if she wasn't on track for three A stars plus an A star in EPQ. Where would a good place to apply? She suffers from severe anxiety (hence interest in psychology) and I think needs to be in a smallish and academic environment to thrive - she is NOT a party girl. She's anti Oxbridge as she thinks she'd find it too stressful but where else could offer a similar-ish experience because I think she'd hate unstructured days or would all courses be quite full on? And what kind of things does she need to read/participate in this year to put on a PS?

No, my DDonly had one science. It surprised me with the amount of maths in it.

I agree. She won't have difficulty with just one science and her 9 in maths will be an advantage.

Most psychology degrees are quite similar in content. The main differences are the options for a year abroad or in industry. Some offer the integrated masters which might be worth looking at.

My daughter has a psychology degree. She was very keen on a campus university. Exeter and Birmingham were her two favourites and she visited both twice before deciding on Exeter. It's a lovely smallish city that feels safe and friendly, is close to the sea and is surrounded by beautiful countryside.

My daughter loved it, especially the first year which was the only one unaffected by Covid.

I think the best thing is just to make a shortlist and visit as many as you can.

Thanks both, how structured are the courses? Is there a lot of free time because not sure dd would like that!

as a general rule there aren’t a huge amount of contact hours in a psychology degree, would be nothing like school. But that is the case for most degrees with the exception of clinical courses. Straight STEM also have more than humanities but again with a lot of free time.

To be successful at uni your daughter would need to be able to build her own structure to manage her workload and revision.

In terms of her PS for psychology she could do further reading or short courses. Volunteering with mental health charities, that kind of thing. Things which demonstrate her interest and consolidate her knowledge.

And can you apply to defer for psychology - or do unis like you to go straight from school?

At a number of universities, you can do psychology as either a BA or as BSc. The BSc has more teaching and will have biology courses included, which might be the better fit for your DD than the BA.

I don't think deferring will make a difference if she has grades that are better than required. Applying directly a year later will be better than applying with a deferral, I would guess. A lot of universities don't like to guarantee deferred places as there was so much of it during covid that it affected the year group numbers.

My dd did Biology, Maths and Psychology A-level and is doing a degree in psychology.

She's not keen on chemistry and has found that the chemistry studied in the biochemistry topic at A-level has been fine. Bio isn't a requirement but it made year 1 easier and her offer was a little lower because she studied a science at A-level.

My dd deferred and worked for a year because she wanted a break from studying but couldn't apply for the MSc course which didn't allow deferral.

That's a little concerning tbh. Uni study requires a lot of self directed learning. Even science courses have less than 20 hours timetabled a week - she will need to learn to use her non timetabled hours constructively. No one* will be sitting there saying 'your lecture finishes at 11, you should spend the following two hours in library reading Freud.'

*students with executive function difficulties should however talk to the disability office with a view to claiming DSA - someone may well have that sort of conversation each week if they qualify.

Have an older dc just started a humanities subject at a so-called top university who for now does bugger all work and has oceans of free time every week (a party animal and perfectly happy with this set up), so I'm checking psychology is leaning into the STEM category as this lot do seem to be busy-ish. DD doesn't need to be nose to the grindstone 9-5 but I can't imagine her like her sibling rattling around, filling the days having coffees with friends. It's a shame you can't really apply to defer as dd definitely needs a gap year to realise there's more to life than exams, which consume her, but she refuses to do a post A-level application as she says she'd find it too nerve-wracking going into A levels without grades to aim for (I think she's hoping for a really low offer but I would have thought offers are quite high for psychology anywhere half decent)

No issue to defer at most unis.

Goodness OP it's barely mid-October - too soon to conclude that your DC's entire uni life will look like what it is now!
The first term is about settling in and finding their feet, first year about building the basic foundation for the next few years. The workload ramps up exponentially in second year.
Also, a humanities degree has a heavy workload with all the additional readings, some people don't do it then regret it come exam time but that's their own fault, not the course's. Less 'hands on' in STEM doesn't mean easier.

In second and third year alongside their degree they should be exploring careers, getting work experience (running clubs and volunteering count as well). Employers these days won't hire graduates who have done nothing but study, they'll fail all the competency based questions for a start.

Your DC days will be packed, truly.

Also never underestimate the importance of getting to know other students especially for a degree without a set career path. I got put onto mine by a senior and advice from people who have been through the recruitment process, already worked in certain firms etc can be invaluable. All these people are good professional contacts and it's worth maintaining relationships.

We're told, throughout school to pass exams and it's all that matters but the world of work is about who you know. Really. Yes I needed my intellectual skills but it was my networking that has helped me greatly, the confidence to build relationships with new people, get their insights, etc. I was a shy girl and would never have had the balls to ask, ask, ask (and get!) if uni hadn't forced me out of my shell.

Of course I am not saying to waste all your time partying, there must be a balance, but really as long as you get decent grades. Getting the 'top' grades are useless unless you want to be an academic.

I was being slightly facetious, older sibling is already deeply involved in several societies and using time to the max. Thanks for everyone's input re psychology

@lovewillfindit Psychology is offered nearly everywhere. As few students go on to be psychologists, I’d choose a uni and city she will thrive in.

She won’t get structured days. She has to structure her own. It’s important she realises the difference between school and uni and prepares for self directed study. Of course she can defer. Psychology isn’t particularly competitive so look at grades required and go from there.

If you can, visit a few cities and unis. Read the details of the courses. Would a smaller city be good? Eg Surrey at Guildford, Bath, UEA, Exeter, Kent etc are very “safe” unis. Haven’t checked courses but they are good places to start.

I went to Warwick and loved it there. There is a large part of the course that is research methods and lab classes. If she enjoyed Biology and she's fine at Maths I think she would enjoy Psychology. In the second and third years there are loads of optional modules to choose from.

My first thought when I hear someone doing psych is that it is surely the degree 'du jour'! What is she thinking of doing after?
And as @TizerorFizz says - you structure your own days. Eight hours contact a week might be it but the rest of the time is not free to just do societies and coffee breaks - one should treat it like a job. Put in 9-5 (or 2-10pm or whatever) and get the reading done. You should prepare BEFORE lectures - often a professor will have posted slides or reading in advance. No one will chase you if you miss lectures. The amount of posts on here and WIWIKAU about resits will tell you how many students mistakenly thought the first year didn't count and they spent too much time not working enough.

It's early days gif your son and he may yet buckle down and get a routine going, but great he is taking advantage of societies and the wider uni experience!

Thanks all, @TizerorFizz yes, I think Bath would be a front-runner, reasonable size and not too far from us, which with dd's history of mh issues is important. @caringcarer Warwick is another one that might well tick the boxes. Oxbridge would also suit her but atm she's anti though that may be because she thinks she doesn't stand a chance (obviously odds are stacked) so I am not pushing it and will see ow she feels in the summer. @mondaytosunday She wants to be a psychologist rather than just study the subject for the sake of it, though of course she's young and may change her mind.

As for my older child, I'm delighted at how he's doing and not remotely worried - he's involved in dozens of extra curriculars and made a ton of friends in the first month. He's pretty academic so when the time comes he will work but there is just virtually no obligation to atm, which I think surprises him after A-level slog but he's making the most of it. Obviously the workload will ramp up. But his experience would not suit his sibling who is far less confident and more academically focused

I studied psychology at undergrad and masters level at ’top’ unis. A few things to consider- if shes interested in pursuing a career as a psychologist, it’s important to make sure she picks a BSc course that is BPS-accredited as this is a crucial requirement (she could do a masters conversion course in the future otherwise but would be easier to just do an accredited BSc). In my undergrad we had a lot of contact time and lots of reading to do in our own time, so she will be more than occupied. I would also look at aiming for a course that has a placement year as psychology degrees are a dime a dozen and it’d really help her to stand out from others with the same degree and to also get a feel for what area of psychology she would be interested in pursuing (most people like clinical but other routes include forensic, educational and counselling). She should be aware it’s a long and competitive process as a BSc does not qualify you as a psychologist, a doctorate is needed. However as all of the clinical and educational psych doctorates are fully funded they are extremely competitive and only offer a small number of places each year at selected universities, so it is important to try and gain experience whilst doing the degree if possible (e.g. TA work or support work with an agency is always a good starting point). When I applied a few years ago bath looked great but I had an offer of A*AA from them with Maths, Chemistry and Psychology as my subjects (however that was about 5 years ago and they might have lower requirements now!).
Also, I mentioned gaining experience while studying - this is not necessary if she doesn’t mind taking more time after completing her degree to gain experience, however it could help her to gain a place onto the doctorate more quickly, or even an assistant psychologist role. If you have any more questions I’d be happy to help :)

@Susanamay Thank you so much, that's all incredibly helpful advice! :)

@lovewillfindit I would be careful about Oxbridge. There are others that are great but deciding if you really want to be a psychologist or it’s the degree of the moment for you is quite important. Bath, for example, has great management degrees where she could keep
going with French. So what might she actually do post degree?

@tizerorfizz - For sure, but she definitely doesn't want to do something like management, not her style at all. She's very altruistic and wants to help people. I can actually see her being an academic - there are a few in the family. Oxbridge only if the courses there are right for her and she wants to go down that road, despite her academic record she has no self confidence and doesn't believe she'd stand a chance. By the end of the year she may or may not feel differently (though she still might well not get in) - I saw my older dcs' friends change beyond recognition over the course of the sixth form.

@lovewillfindit The pace of the work at Oxbridge is fast and I was thinking about stress levels. The big problem with psychology is deciding what to do with it if you don’t get further training and it’s a long haul. Lots of grads do end up in management jobs! Others as social
workers or counsellors. Helping others is quite broad. My DD is a family barrister. She helps others all the time. Or does her best! So I would look a bit more broadly at careers and keep an open mind.

Yeah it's the sexy degree at the moment but it's surprisingly difficult. The statistics scared the living shit out of me 😆

I do work in a psychology related field though!

Our DD4 went to Warwick for psychology too, with Biology, Psychology, Maths and sociology in addition to extended project.. She was very academic and not very confident and in fact was exactly as you describe your DD . Warwick was great for her although she struggled to adapt to being away from home during the first term. The mistake we made was requesting a quiet flat as DD was definitely not a party animal. She found herself in a flat of reclusive overseas students which was far from ideal. However, she eventually found her tribe and had a great time in the end. Leamington is a brilliant place to live after first year halls and is the hub of Warwick student life away from campus. She got a first changed direction and applied to Med School at Warwick where again she excelled. Now an extremely competant and confident medic in her field. Good luck to your DD whatever she decides. I understand that York is equally good for psychology so she may consider there perhaps?

I’m a psychologist. Agree with all the above helpful advice.

she’ll typically do around 10-12 hours lectures. She’ll then likely need a MSc or lots of experience in clinical or research settings (3-6 years) before either doing a phd in psychology if she wants to do an academic route and go into research or lecturing or a doctoral course if she wants to practice as a psychologist in the nhs or similar.

I did all options so that meant studying for 4 degrees.

i have absolutely loved the flexibility, the passion for both academia and clinical work & very recently the pay ☺️

Would highly recommend if she wants to devote 15 years to making it happen. I’m now 39 and “made it” about 4 years ago.