Stacie's time at Teesside has led to her continuing her studies in psychology.
My degree has nurtured my skills and helped me develop new ones.
My decision to go to university was led by my passion for learning and pursuing my career. I attended an open day, spoke to the course tutors and I was impressed by the practical facilities at Teesside which would help me to gain an insight into the real-life practice of a psychologist. I chose Teesside due to the course content, and the British Psychological Society accreditation.
I have a keen interest in the mental and physical mechanisms that influence individuals' behaviour. This course offered the opportunity to learn and gain a broad understanding of the different aspects of psychology. I am also interested in theory and research, which underpins the teaching of this subject.
I have enjoyed every module and the lecturers are excellent, approachable and supportive, and draw in on their own practice which gave a real life element to what we were learning. The university's facilities also allow you to gain practical experience, bringing the subject alive and giving you an insight to what the role would entail professionally.
I think Middlesbrough is great, and the location of the university means that you are only a short walk from local amenities. These include a variety of shops, cafes and restaurants, a cinema, and the shopping centre. I really enjoy hiking so I appreciate that the North York Moors National Park is just a short drive away.
I wanted to fully immerse myself into student life, so I joined the Psychology Society, became a student rep and a student ambassador.
The Psychology Society was a great way to meet like-minded people. I enjoyed Psychology in the Pub which was talks delivered by psychologists on their area of expertise, held in pubs.
I thoroughly enjoyed being a student rep. I believe that every voice should be heard and being a student rep allowed me to relay questions and concerns back to senior lecturers and course leaders.
My role as a student ambassador has been one of the best employment experiences of my life so far, and our coordinators are brilliant - you could not ask for any more support from them. I initially starting off working at careers fairs and events to promote the university, which led to delivering activities and workshops.
I also did a mentoring role, where I mentored students in groups and individual settings with the aim of raising future aspirations. I also did a placement at a specialist education school, and worked with children with social, emotional and mental health challenges, and autism. The experienced I gained was invaluable and enabled me to develop my skills to be utilised in a therapeutic setting.
My degree has nurtured my skills and helped me develop new ones. Through group discussions and assignments, I have developed my teamwork and leadership skills. My verbal and written communication skills have vastly improved. I am now confident in my ability to research and critically evaluate evidence, in addition to collecting, analysing and reporting data.
The wide variety of module content allowed me to explore different psychological perspectives. This, along with personal and professional experiences, has consequently shifted my career ambitions from forensic psychology to health psychology, and I am now studying the MSc Health Psychology at Teesside.
I would 100% recommend Teesside University. The course modules offered a wide variety of content. Lecturers often drew upon their own practice, and there was participation in practical activities, I felt like I was really being prepared for the next stages of my career.
My advice for anyone thinking of coming here is, be open-minded. There is a diverse range of module content to engage with. You may have a firm idea of your areas of interest but be open to exploring alternative ideas and exploring new avenues. Alternatively, if you don’t know where you want your career to head, be open to different ideas and enjoy the journey.