Why Study

Read about a variety of university courses from OCs who are currently studying

PSYCHOLOGY WITH FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENT

By Charlotte Pearson (OC 2010 – 2017)

WHY? I have always found humans to be fascinating. The way each person thinks and behaves in response to situations is so complex yet comes across so simple. This is where my interest in psychology began, and it developed when I started studying A level Psychology – thanks to my teacher Dr Avery who sparked my curiosity further. I was particularly drawn to Forensic Psychology, which is the study of the criminal justice system and criminal behaviour. The reason why criminals behave the way they do is a question I have always wanted to investigate further. I believe better rehabilitation programmes can be developed, which would have a huge positive impact on society.

WHERE? Choosing my university was very daunting, there are so many factors to consider…Do you study somewhere with amazing academic opportunities? A great reputation for social life? Near all your friends? These were all questions I was facing.

I decided to consider which universities offered the best course for what I was interested in. While many universities are higher ranking for psychology, the University of Kent offers the best Forensic Psychology degree, due to the large number of academics it has based there. While this was scary as I knew no one, it was the best decision for me, as it has given me the opportunity to work and learn from some of the top forensic psychologists around.

ANY CLUBS/SOCIETIES? Unfortunately, this is an area I have not been able to fully embrace at university, and a piece of advice to anyone starting university would be to take full advantage of this area. Due to difficulties with my student loan, I had a part time job the whole time during my studies. This has been challenging at times, as I had to balance more than I thought I would have to at university. While a job has restricted me from doing clubs and societies, a lot of my friends are doing them and enjoy them so much, as they give you a break from study and offer you a different group of friends. You have flat mates and course friends, but societies allow you to have another set of friends to enjoy your interests with.

WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE? Firstly, make sure you are studying a subject you know you enjoy. Yes, there are degrees with more job opportunities once you finish, but university is very challenging. No one is telling you to go to class or revise in the way that school does. Therefore, it is important to have the inner motivation to want to do the work, then even when it is hard, at least you have a genuine interest in what you are doing.

Each year gets harder, but each year I learnt that to do well I needed to do something I had not done the previous year.

Have fun but at the same time remember why you went to university. Embrace every opportunity you are given and make friends with as many people as possible, because the people you meet at university do become your family and your support network especially when you are away from home.

Finally, do not ever give up, you will face so many challenges, if you get a bad mark it is not the end of the world. All you can do is grow from it.

AFTER YOUR DEGREE? I am currently in my third year doing my dissertation. The topic I have chosen in forensic psychology is looking at new technology to diagnose and help sexual offenders. This has highlighted my interest in rehabilitation programmes and issues with those currently being used in the judicial system. I hope to become both a practitioner and researcher in forensic psychology. This will allow me to develop new programmes that will help offenders and prevent reoffending. For me to reach this position I will be continuing at the University of Kent to undertake a Master’s in Forensic Psychology. After this I hope to go on to complete a PhD. These combined will allow me to develop my knowledge, and enable me to make an impact in forensic psychology and ultimately in society. 

WHY? For a long period of time I was unsure which of my A Levels (Geography, Music or Psychology) to study at university. I settled on music because it is my passion. I wanted to throw myself fully into my degree, and by doing a subject I loved, I would work harder for it. Being a creative subject, doing the physical ‘work’ doesn’t feel like a chore and is an enjoyable process.

WHERE? Nottingham offered the most interesting and diverse module choices for music compared to any other university, which was important to me, as I wanted to experience a broad range of modules. It is a vibrant city with lots going on; it is big enough so you don’t feel lost, but small enough so you can explore everywhere during your time.

ANY CLUBS/SOCIETIES? I am in a number of societies, but the one I am most involved in is A Cappella Society, where I am Musical Director of the group RadioOctave, and Vice-President of the overall society. I joined A Cappella Society because with over 100 members, it is a large society where I could meet many like-minded people. Through the society I have met my closest friends at university.

MUSIC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM

By Henry Chappell (OC 2012 – 2017)

WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE? Take every single opportunity you are presented with –especially in the first couple of years. The university environment is so different to any other you will experience in your life, from the people you meet to the opportunities you will have. By trying a wide range of new activities, you will undoubtedly make many friends and enjoy your time more.

AFTER YOUR DEGREE? I am currently applying for graduate schemes with the NHS, Civil Service and a number of consultancy firms – all of which are in either HR or General Management. Although none of these are directly related to music the majority of jobs on offer don’t require a specific degree, so I would encourage anybody to choose a degree which they are passionate about. Nearly all degrees have transferable skills that you can showcase to potential employers, alongside any extra-curricular involvement. 

WHY? I knew early on that I wanted to take my interest in Business further. However, having studied two languages (French and Spanish) at A Level, I didn’t want to leave my love of languages behind and believed that taking a language forward would open so many more amazing job and travel opportunities in the future. Having travelled to Spain many times, I decided to study solely Spanish, instead of both languages as I felt that giving my full attention to perfecting one language would be better for me. Therefore, I decided to combine both subjects together to get the best of both. I was drawn to this specific degree as I would be able to do a year abroad, which would allow me to fully practice my Spanish and gain work experience that would benefit me after graduation.

WHERE? When deciding on what university to go to I had no idea where to start my research as I didn’t really know what I was looking for. I went to many university open days but none of them really grabbed me. For me the location was most important when visiting each university, as after researching my degree, I found that most universities offered very similar courses. After visiting Nottingham, I was set on the fact that I wanted to go there. I loved that it is a campus university, that the city centre is so nearby, everything is so easily accessible, and that it isn’t too far away from home!

SPANISH AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM

By Riha Patel (OC 2002 – 2017)

ANY CLUBS/SOCIETIES? I went to many different society taster sessions during Freshers, but slowly narrowed down to a few I went to weekly. In my first year, I regularly attended dance classes and played badminton occasionally. I would definitely recommend joining or even trying as many societies that look good to you in Freshers as it’s the best way to make friends and meet people with similar interests to you.

WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE? I recommend visiting universities before applying. It’s so easy to just apply somewhere based on advice you hear from other people, but everybody’s experiences and perspectives are personal. Also make sure you’re going to university for the right reasons, not just for the experience. Your course is the biggest part of your life at university; there is no point in going if you’re compromising on the choice of your course so take time in deciding exactly what you want to do. Finally, I would say when you get there make the most of your time because it goes so fast! Next year will be final year and I do not want to leave!

AFTER YOUR DEGREE? I am still unsure of exactly what I want to do after my degree as I still have another year and a half to go. Currently I think I want to explore the HR and Business Development field more and potentially find a job there. Ideally, somewhere I would be able to use Spanish in a business environment. 

ART HISTORY AND VISUAL CULTURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

By Jessica Calcutt (OC 2015 – 2017)

WHY? In all honesty, it wasn’t actually until a month before results day that I even found the course. I had originally applied to do history, but the more I thought about it the more I thought I wanted to do a subject which involved a bit more creativity – so when I found this course it ticked all the boxes.

WHERE? The moment I visited Exeter I knew it was the right place for me. I had visited other universities and although I had liked them none of them clicked, and I hadn’t felt excited about the prospect of going there. From the moment I stepped foot on Exeter’s beautiful campus, I felt at home and knew Exeter was where I wanted to be.

ANY CLUBS/SOCIETIES? Horses have always been a big part of my life, both as a hobby and competitively, so after a gap year and a break from competing I knew I wanted to get back into it and Exeter Uni Riding Club has been the perfect place to do it. Competing on BUCs teams has been a highlight of my university experience so far and I really couldn’t recommend getting involved in uni sports teams more!

WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE? My advice would be don’t settle for what you don’t feel is quite right. I realised history, although I did love it, wasn’t quite the right fit for me. Therefore even when I had finished my A Levels and had applied I kept looking for something and I eventually came across my course – which I love. The same goes for which uni you go to, don’t settle until you’ve found the one which feels right for you.

AFTER YOUR DEGREE? This is possibly the hardest question to answer, but at the moment I’m planning on doing a Masters, ideally in Art Business and Law, and then hopefully getting involved in art dealership from there. Or maybe go travelling again, we’ll see… 