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Course review
Review by: Lauren M
University: The University of Essex
Course: Psychology
Year of study: 2nd
Level of Study: Undergraduate
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The course in general
How many contact hours do you have in the average week?
10
Ideally, what 3/4 subjects would you recommend doing in order to be in the best position for your course?
Psychology, English, Biology.
Why did you decide to study your degree programme?
It is the subject which has interested me the most from a young age,something I want a career in and I always enjoyed reading about the mind.
Explain the things you wish you'd known about your degree before you applied:
I wish I known what topics we would learn. I had no idea there would be so much biology involved and didn't know which psychologists we would be studying.
Describing your average day
Explain how your day is made up. For example, do you have labs/seminars/tutorials/lectures?
In the second year we have two hour lectures for each module and one hour lab for some modules and one hour tutorials for others.
How much extra work/reading are you required to do out of lectures?
Reading is recommended, we each have a list of books for recommended reading, sometimes reading is recommended of lab papers.
Is there anything else you think is relevant or that you would like to add in respect of your course?
I would like to add the fact that psychology has personal advisors, academics who have a group of 5 or 6 students to "look after". These people are your first point of call if you need any help about the course. I think that is a great idea.
The best and worst parts of the course
What do you like best about your degree programme?
I like the organisation the best, the lectures are very easy to follow and the labs or tutorials after the lectures are always a follow up of the previous lecture so you can go in to some more depth about something you may have quickly covered in the lecture.
What do you like least about your degree programme?
The amount of biology involved but that is just a personal thought since I don't like biology and find a lot of the learning of how each sense works a bit unnecessary for psychology.
Academics and course content
What do you think of your university's academics and facilities?
The psychology department has good up to date computers and there are enough computers for everybody which is very handy when analysing data. The academics will always email you back within twenty four hours if you have a question and they will always try and find time for an appointment with you if necessary.
Explain how you expected your course to be and how it compares to how it actually is. Give an outline of the content of the course.
The content at first is very biological. There is a lot of biology involved which doesn't seem very relevent to the course since it was about the sense rather then about the brain. In the first year the course is very basic and just gives an over view of psychology, it's more of an introduction to it.
There isn't really a set teaching method, you have your lectures which are given by powerpoint presentation and you have a copy of the notes too. The follow up classes differ depending on who is taking that class as it sometimes changes.
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Other reviews for Psychology
Hannah M, 2nd Year doing Psychology and Criminology at University of Lincoln
Ben R, 3rd Year doing Psychology at York St John University Jess M, 2nd Year doing Psychology at Aston University Birmingham Alicia S, 1st Year doing Psychology in Education at Lancaster University Abi P, 1st Year doing Childhood and Youth with Psychology at The Manchester Metropolitan University Kitty K, 1st Year doing Psychology at University of Glasgow Sophie P, 1st Year doing Psychology at University of Leicester Amy C, 2nd Year doing Psychology at Bangor University Bryony H, 2nd Year doing Psychology and Criminology at The Manchester Metropolitan University
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University review
Review by: Lauren M
University: The University of Essex
Course: Psychology
Year of study: 2nd
Level of Study: Undergraduate
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Describing your university
Sum up your university in one paragraph:
The university of Essex is a friendly campus university with a community feel. There is a great social life on campus so there is not much of a need to go in to town since there are a range of events for everybody to enjoy. Both the research and the teaching at Essex is at a good standard with friendly staff who treat their students like equals.
What is the academic life like at your university?
The academic life is very good, Essex is one of the top universities for research, many teachers are doing their own ground breaking research.It is nice to listen to their research and be a part of it.
Describe your Freshers' Week - was it as you expected, better or worse? Why?
Fresher's week was a very good experience, the university made Freshers feel very welcome and there were good events, on campus to encourage people to go out and meet new people.
Are there any other notes you would like to add about life in general at university or anything else which would be relevant to a prospective student?
Life in general at university is what you make it. The first year is for finding your feet so it is a great year to discover who you are and to grow up a bit without relying on your parents.
What is the best and worst thing about your university?
The best thing about Essex is that it is a campus university so you get a real community feel. The worst thing about it is resources, such as certain drinks in the SU bar or certain meals in the food outlets are not always available, they always tend to go very quickly. For example the campus shop always runs out of milk very early.
Sport and extra curricular
What are the sport and other activities on offer like at your university?
There are numerous sports teams at the university, too many to maybe count and they all regularly play matches against other teams. The university also has its own gym complete with climbing wall. We also have tennis courts and an all weather pitch so it is very easy to get in to sport activity at Essex.
The social scene
What is the social scene (and/or nightlife) like at your university? Is it particularly alcohol orientated?
The univeristy has numerous bars and one club on campus, there is at least one big event on campus every night.There are also themed events weekly such as International night and Alternative night so there really is something for everyone. Alcohol isn't really advertised on campus, the main focus is on the events themselves rather than alcohol but with the cheap prices and the numerous bars it is very hard to get away from alcohol, not that I am complaining.
What do you think of the city your university is based in or near (as a city)?
Essex is not near a big city as such, the nearest city is London but that is a bit of a long train journey. Essex is situated in Colchester.The town itself does accommodate students well in part, but because it is Britain's oldest recorded town, it tries to hang on to some of the history leaving some parts undevelopped.
Accommodation
Do you live in a halls of residence or a student house (or college)? What would you suggest is best in your opinion?
I lived in halls in the first year and it was the best experience of my life. Only first years are allowed in halls, so I have since rented my own house with three of my friends. It is best to stay on campus for the first year in order to have the best Fresher experience to make sure you don't miss out on great deals, nights out and offers.
If you are in a hall or college, is it catered or self catered? Which is better for the first year in your opinion and why?
It was self catered in halls which was best I feel because then you can eat what is to your tastes and also it gives you a chance to manage your own money and be responsible for something.
Approximately, what is the average cost of accommodation per week in your first year for catered and non-catered halls/colleges?
About £64pw self catered: En suite accommodation £93-£96pw.
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