Psychology

[bagandcoat]

If your dc did psychology A-Level, did they enjoy it on the whole?

And if they studied Psychology at uni, did the course meet the expectations and what sort of profession or further study did they go onto?

I think you need to view it as either 1. A general academic degree like History, Languages, Politics etc which can lead to a general grad job - so it’s going to be competitive but Psychology won’t disadvantage you over English or anything else (and will probably give you some extra transferable skills) or 2. An entry point to related jobs in mental health / healthcare which will all require further training of some sort, but would require even more training if she did an English degree instead. Eg clinical psychology will require a DClinPsy - but if she did English, and then wanted to be a psychologist she’d have to do a conversion masters first. Occupational therapy will require a masters - but probably wouldn’t be possible with a non-science first degree like English.

So if related careers may be of interest, Psychology keeps that door open. If a general grad job is the aim, then Psychology does no harm.

I’m biased as I am a psychologist though I didn’t do it as a first degree (Masters then doctorate). My niece took it for A’level alongside maths and Spanish and psychology was her favourite subject. She’s now doing actuarial science.

Yes daughter enjoyed Psychology A Level. Degree has quite some focus on maths and stats. She did masters in Consumer Psychology. Now working in market research.

Please explain why I am 'laughably' out of touch?

Same here, except I actually enjoyed the statistics. I loved the subject, I also found it fascinating. I went into nursing and I found every aspect of psychology useful.

Mine did! Loved it! Went on to do mental health nursing then 3 post grad qualifications and is currently working for herself in private practice earning £10k a month!

DD did this at A level. Didn’t like it, found it dull, memorising lots of stuff. I thought the content was quite didactic and rigid, but I suppose it’s the fundamentals and needs to be known. I think at this age they don’t have enough general knowledge and life experience to draw on, or at least mine didn’t. Hopefully she’ll get the B she needs. Her sister didn’t like it either.

I don’t know where on the thread you got the idea it’s not ‘academically rigorous’ as others. There was a deleted post - mentioned in that one only? People are good at different things - you might be attuned to math but find essay writing hard. So for you Maths is ‘less academically challenging’ than History. My DD did Psychology A level and found it less challenging than History because the writing style is different. But she got an A star in both (her third was Art, also A star). She was interviewed for Cambridge so they must think Psychology is academic enough.
I think the issue is while we as a society are crying out for more counsellors and psychologists, there are few clinical experience placements available as there is no money to pay for them.
It’s a popular degree but there’s not enough jobs for graduates to go in the field.

I studied Psychology at degree level way back in the 1980s - and even then the vast majority of graduates didn't go into clinical psychology because of the high grade requirements. One did go into educational psychology and a couple into academeic psychology. Most of the rest us used the degree as a non vocational spring board.

I believe the combination of stats (3 units in my case), essay writing and working with the scientific process is a very strong basis for many careers. I worked in health care management / project management for 12 or so years after graduation and now run my own business so it's given me a good grounding. I also really enjoyed the course (other than the stats which initially scared the bejesus out of me).

There are a lot of different career opportunities for the psychological professions. This map helpfully explains the different options: https://ppn.nhs.uk/resources-url/careers-map
Becoming a qualified psychologist is a long and effortful (albeit rewarding) journey but so are most other high profile careers e.g. law, medicine etc. It's very doable for someone who is passionate and hard working. Statistics can feel like a chock when people start their degree but when it's applied to something interesting including your own research project then people often say that it suddenly becomes really interesting. For someone less interested in research it is probably better to work towards one of the other psychological professions like CBT therapist/systemic therapist or similar, as it doesn't require you to have a clinical Doctorate.

Currently studying Psychology and counselling degree with the OU but I don't plan to take on further study. I wanted to study this particular degree because as others mentioned already there are many skills you have to work on during the degree. It is maths heavy at times (this has been challenging but I won't give up!) And I know that overall it was a great choice to fill up my CV before looking for work in the third sector (charity) once I graduate. Not looking for a high paying job, just something I enjoy with hours that fits in with family life. The degree broadens your horizons and I enjoy the content of it. I have no regrets so far. About to start year 4 of 6 in September!

I have degree in it. My modules Inc Occupational psychology. Clinical Psy. only one option of many. Loads different types psychology. Some love criminal.
Load of people on my course went into related fields or general people mgt positions. I loved it. DD is taking it at A.
It combines science maths and humanities imo

It’s a great degree. Super interesting but more maths ( statistics ) than some students realise. Not everyone likes that part of it .

A poster said it wasn't as academically rigorous. As per my original post, I am not very familiar with Psychology A-Level or degree and and interested to find out more. Lots of posters have been kind and generous to share their views and experiences.

I am still interested why @LarissatheDragon thinks I am ridiculously out of touch. While the condescending tone isn't helpful I am interested in a variety of views and would like to know what I'm missing, which hopefully will help overcome being out of touch 😉

"Going by the feedback on this thread it doesn't sound great. Not as academically rigorous at A-level and little carer opportunities after a degree. Dd is trying to chose between English Lit and Psychology. She isn't really interest in counselling or mental health but in the workings of the human mind."

Your posts make little sense @LarissatheDragon. I gave you the benefit of the doubt despite your rude post. I hope this will not derail this thread.

I found psychology A level very academically rigorous. Along with being able to write a good essay, the course demands critical thinking and includes a good grounding in understanding research methodology.

It was me who deleted a post and then explained I'd posted in the wrong thread. My post before that was about my dd's experience of a levels. She finds psychology to be by far and away the least demanding of her four.
A friend who was a uni prof said a llevel psych wasn't considered as rigorous as other subjects as it is a broad brushstroke introduction...not even a requirement of taking the subject at degree level.

I taught Psychology A level for over 20 years. Many of my students have gone on to become Doctors, researchers, worked as Clinical Psychologist and Psychiatric Nurses and Counsellors for NHS others have gone on to more generic careers such as HR, accountancy, or run their own businesses. You need to consider when choosing a Psychology degree course whether it is BA Psychology or BSc Psychology. The latter will have more biological modules. Both have a heavy statistics workload and dissertation.

I know three people who did Psychology degrees. All ended up becoming teachers!

Not my dc but me.
I didn't do Psychology at school but studied it at university (and modern languages). I also studied History I first year.
At university, Psychology involves at lot of easy writing so if your child is good at essay writing subjects they should be fine. The content is quite diverse. Psychology can cover - Social, Developmental, Clinical, Health, Sport, Evolutionary Psychology and more!

P.S. I am now a teacher!