psychology

[3Styler]

what's the best english university for studying psychology and what is it preferable to have studied before doing a course in pschology?

Also im studying chemistry at the moment but everyone else around me studying chemistry wants to become a doctor, im better at them than chemistry but i dont want to be a doctor, is there anything these guys aren't telling me? i feel like they all know something i dont, and is psychology not a good degree to have, because everyone gives me funny looks when they ask me what i want to study at uni?

[MargeB]

Hi,

It's nice to have a life science (esp. Biology) before studying psychology at university. English is good, because so much of good psychology relies on effective communication. Chemistry is pretty good, I think its quite a rigorous subject and teaches you a certain discipline of thought. Psychology is ok to study at A level, some say it may skew your idea of what undergrad study involves.

Best english Unis (in approximate order) are Oxf,Cam, Warwick, York, UCL, Royal Holloway.

You could always to to Scotland (St Andrews, Edinburgh, save on some fees and give yourself more time (2 years) to make up your mind. Don't do St Andrews if you hate the "small town" feel.

A psychology undergrad single honours opens the doors to a vast array of different careers, but to exploit the psychology fully you need to top it up with at least one year of a Masters program, and for clinical it's many many more.

Good luck.

[stevie21]

Glasgow's a great uni for a Psychology degree. I've no idea which English uni's are good or bad.
If you feel you have some kind of noticeable attraction to or ability in Psychology then stick with it. Most companies will employ people with any degree and it is far easier to get a great result in a subject you enjoy.

More and more of psychology includes brain chemistry and anatomy so anything of this nature that you can pick up beforehand will help.

In saying that, I think the entire subject, without exception (in every minute detail) is utter rubbish and you'd be better off studying law. Or origami.

[3Styler]

thanks very much people, will bear it all in mind

[MargeB]

I disagree with stevie21. There are whole sections of psychology (psychology of attraction, psychochemistry of hormones, etc) that have definitely helped me pull, not to mention the cognitive behaviour therapy which helped me get over my beer goggles.

There are lots of degrees which people enjoy doing, but that ultimately are not that useful, it has to be said. Sure, go and study philosophy, archaeology, mediaeval history, art history. Enjoy it, and love it. Just don't expect ever to find the job openings available to a lawyer, engineer, doctor, psyhologist, etc.

My overall advice? Do something you love, but do be pragmatic about it. I have mates, for example, that did engineering degrees. Graduate at 22, job by 23, by 28 they have solid experience and are working in a field where they are always building on that knowledge.

All degrees are NOT the same. I have so many friends that did the soft soft subjects (whoop whoop, dahling, I got a degree tooo). No, you didn't. You wasted daddy's money for 4 years looking at the odd van gogh picture, and you would have been far better off not going to uni at all, stacking shelves at tescos, at least showing the world you could get your hands dirty.

For your sake 3Styler, I'll be honest. Psychology is NOT a load of junk. It IS a science, IS rigorous (at most universities), IS hard work but interesting, WILL open up a lot of doors and DOES teach you a lot of transerable skills and the experimental method and stats is useful in a WIDE range of careers. 40% of graduates go into jobs not directly related to their careers, but still, if the position you are trying to fill requires someone with a bit of nous, and you are faced with a psychology grad and an art history grad, who ya gonna pick?

Good luck.