Ruth Anderson: Psychology

4th year

I decided to do Psychology even before leaving school as I did voluntary work with children with learning difficulties and found I was very interested in how these difficulties were diagnosed and the different teaching strategies such children require. Understanding how and why psychology can be applied in instances like this was the main attraction of studying at Heriot-Watt where the course material always encourages application of theory.

The Psychology department is small compared to other universities I considered, which is another big attraction. Being a small department, there is a really friendly atmosphere and it is easy to approach anyone with any queries and interests. I also like the campus at Edinburgh, which has a really good atmosphere for new students and is great for getting to know people.

I feel I have picked up good critical analysis skills from evaluating psychological theories and concepts, as well as improving my learning techniques, especially how to communicate and motivate others more efficiently. These seem really important abilities to develop and those with a psychology degree stand a good chance of having most of the core skills that employers are looking for.

I hope my degree will take me onto further education in psychology, either an MSc in Clinical Psychology or an assistant clinical psychologist post. Both are quite competitive but I am keen to carry on with a psychology-based career.

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