Everything I've loved about my psychology degree

Final-year psychology student Louise looks back at her time at ARU and picks some course highlights, from varied modules to practical experience.

As I approach the end of my third year studying psychology, I have decided to look back at the elements that have been a highlight for me. If you're preparing for university, hopefully it’ll help you get excited about what the next years will bring.

So, let’s begin...

Diverse topics and lectures

One thing I always knew that I would enjoy about psychology is that the subject areas are so diverse. I enjoy the fact that one lecture could be about statistics and the next could be about human behaviour.

In the first and second year ARU provided us with a general overview of the essential topics such as social psychology, biopsychology and cognitive psychology. Then, in the third year you are able to choose smaller disciplines within these areas, which is really helpful as you are able to study what you enjoy. I have chosen Consumer Psychology, Workplace Psychology and Social Psychology.

Psychology modules

Another element that encouraged me to pick a degree in psychology is that the modules are not only interesting but can also lead to a wide range of careers.

I love the fact that many aspects of psychology can be applied to real-life situations. For example attachment theory, clinical psychology and consumer psychology all involve case scenarios of everyday situations and people. This is why I find it amazing to learn about concepts and theories and then be able to apply it to my own life.

Assessment

Although it may seem strange for a student to enjoy assessment... sometimes it can be quite interesting! I really enjoy the fact that my lecturers are constantly finding ways to keep up our interest and provide different types of assessment that we can be enthusiastic about. For example, this trimester I have been set an assignment to analyse the attachment style of a famous person of my choice. It has been really fun as I am applying what we’ve learnt in lectures to subjects that I have an interest in in everyday life.

Also, for Consumer Psychology I must write an essay suitable to pitch to a retailer, explaining advertising techniques they could implement to help improve their brand – and I can’t wait to get started!

Dissertation

As I am in my third year I am currently collecting data for my dissertation.

One aspect of this that I have really enjoyed is the fact that I have not just read about previous psychologists' work, I have actually conducted my own research using ARU’s wide range of advanced resources. This has made my dissertation so interesting and has allowed me to gain first-hand experience of what it means to be a psychologist – and I have been able to choose the topic on an area that I am interested in and have developed myself.

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you enjoy your course as much as I do!

By Louise Kelly
BSc (Hons) Psychology student

Louise's course is just one of our undergraduate psychology degrees which include Psychology, Psychology with Clinical Psychology and Psychology with Criminology.

If you're fascinated by human behaviour, and the science behind the way we think, come along to an Open Day to find out more about studying at ARU in Cambridge.