Theo is in the placement year of her Psychology with Clinical Psychology and a Placement Year BSc degree at the University of Kent.<\/p>\n
What attracted me most to Kent was the placement programme. I have always valued the opportunity to get real life\u00a0<\/span>experience, and<\/span>\u00a0gaining such experience with clinical psychology is extremely difficult as an undergraduate student. As a result, when I was looking for universities<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0I wanted one that offered opportunities to gain real life experience. The ability to choose what type of placement I wanted was also a key factor. Other universities\u00a0<\/span>would allocate specific placements to students, whilst the University of Kent offers a\u00a0<\/span>wide<\/span>\u00a0variety of placement<\/span>s<\/span>, including but not limited to clinical, research, and developmental.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m currently doing BSc Psychology with Clinical Psychology and a Placement Year<\/span>, and it\u2019s going well so far!\u00a0<\/span>The lectures have all been very interesting and insightful, and the assignments really help us build our knowledge. This course has also developed my\u00a0<\/span>interest in<\/span> Psychology even more. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “This is because when I studied it in sixth form<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0there was very little emphasis on having students apply their knowledge to real life,<\/span>\u00a0but<\/span> whilst studying here every lecturer encourages us to do so.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n I am currently doing my\u00a0<\/span>placement<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and have started developing my research topic for my research project, for which I am very excited to begin!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The lecturers are fantastic<\/span>. T<\/span>hey made me fall in love with studying here more. They always try to use new techniques to teach us, such as clips and data from their own experiments,\u00a0<\/span>showing us how to use\u00a0<\/span>different<\/span>\u00a0equipment in lectures, or even leading lecture-wide experiments. They are also very supportive and friendly with us.\u00a0<\/span>Most of o<\/span>ur lecturers are doing their own research,\u00a0<\/span>so\u00a0<\/span>they are very passionate about what they teach,\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0are very willing to answer any additional questions we might have. We are\u00a0<\/span>also\u00a0<\/span>encouraged to email<\/span>\u00a0and contact them outside of our contact hours, as they always want to make sure we understand what we are learning.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One can feel a real sense of camaraderie <\/span>within our cohort. We have a very diverse group of students within the Psychology department, and everyone is extremely friendly and supportive of each other. Group chats are often made where we discuss issues that the entire stage may have experienced, or even to just share memes. If there is a big issue affecting the stage or the entire undergraduate cohort, everyone gets involved with providing feedback and telling staff members.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I am currently doing a year in industry. I am working with the\u00a0<\/span>NHS<\/span> and my team works with older adults with dementia. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been very rewarding so far.<\/span><\/p>\n “I have been able to shadow people doing initial assessments, visit <\/span>psychiatric\u00a0<\/span>wards, and\u00a0<\/span>work with dementia service user groups<\/span>.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n This has given me a deeper insight into what working in a clinical setting is like, something I cannot gain from only being at university.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Not only have I learnt about how the NHS works, but it has also given me an opportunity to learn what a psychologist\u2019s day-to-day life may be<\/span>\u00a0like<\/span>. It made me realise how busy\u00a0<\/span>they<\/span>\u00a0can\u00a0<\/span>be and<\/span>\u00a0helped me develop skills such as time-management and team-working in a professional setting. It has also provided me with the opportunity to reflect on whether I want to continue working in a clinical setting in the future. I would highly recommend students to take a year in industry, because the experience in incomparable and can help you decide your future professional career.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We have Venue, our campus club which opens on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. They host several events throughout the year, and sometimes invite guests to DJ.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “We also have a lot of clubs, pubs, and bars in town; or if that\u2019s not what you\u2019re interested in<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0the town is a gorgeous place to have a walk and explore. Can<\/span>terbury has a lot of restaurants and events that take place throughout the year.”<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Joining a society is also a great way to enhance your social life. You can meet a wide range of people from different courses, and societies often host events throughout the year. During the pandemic, most societies have adapted to creating online events, such as the Psychology society hosting an online escape room and online quiz night.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I have used our Careers and Employability Service, and they have been very helpful. They offer a range of workshops, such as how to develop your CV, how to develop your graduate attributes, and so on. You can also book one-on-one sessions to develop such skills. They also host\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>n<\/span>\u00a0Employability Fair each year, where students can speak to employers from all around the UK to seek summer jobs or internships.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “I hope to become a clinical psychologist in the future<\/span> after I graduate, with the main goal of normalising talk about mental health.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Although society is moving forward in accepting and normalising discussions about mental health, many cultures still stigmatise it, some more than others. Although becoming a practising psychologist won\u2019t necessarily have a global change, I hope that I can help those with psychological conditions understand that it is ok to have them, and that there are people who will be <\/span>willing<\/span>\u00a0to help them overcome any challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n Outside of studying and\u00a0<\/span>doing a\u00a0<\/span>placement year, the School of Psychology\u00a0<\/span>actually offers<\/span>\u00a0a lot of opportunities to gain experience. As part of our\u00a0<\/span>course,<\/span>\u00a0we must take part in the Research Participant Scheme, in which we take part in different studies. These can be experimental or completing questionnaires. Taking part in experiments is extremely interesting, because you can see the equipment that we learn in lectures, such as brain imaging and brain stimulation equipment, work.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Research Experiences Scheme (RES) is also another way of gaining experience. With RES, you help researchers, often our lecturers, collect data for their research.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “I was able to assist in a virtual reality project and it was fascinating to see behaviours change right in front of your eyes, almost like magic.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n If you want to be involved with sharing student\u00a0<\/span>opinions<\/span>, students can become student representatives. As a student representative, you attend different meetings and forums to share\u00a0<\/span>the\u00a0<\/span>student voice to better our university experience. Through the rep system, we have established changes such as creating hoodies for the School of Psychology and opening an undergraduate common room. You can also work with the Psychology society and help organise different events, such as our annual Christmas party.<\/span><\/p>\nHow is your course going?<\/b><\/h3>\n
How would you describe your lecturers? What do you think about the level of support in your studies?<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/b>How would you describe your fellow students?<\/h3>\n
Have you been on a year abroad or taken a year in industry? If so, how was the experience? Do you think it will help you in your studies and your future career?<\/h3>\n
What about the social life?<\/h3>\n
Have you used the University\u2019s Careers and Employability Service?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
What kind of career do you hope to follow when you leave, and why?<\/h3>\n
Is there anything else you would like to share about your time at Kent?<\/h3>\n