Interview with an Educational Psychologist

1) How would you describe an average day? 

Average day. Busy and tiring.

 2) How did you get into this particular career?

I got into it by accident. I was studying languages but needed a subsidiary subject so chose psychology and I kind of got the bug. At the time Educational Psychology payed better but that is no longer the case.

3) What’s the best thing about your job?

I work for myself so am independent and can turn down work I don’t fancy. Apart from that as always it is the people I meet who make it interesting and challenging.

 4) What’s the worst thing about your job?

The worst thing about my job is coming up against bureaucracy and administrative systems

 5) Is it enjoyable?

It is mostly enjoyable.

 6) What advice would you give to someone who is looking to enter this particular field of Psychology?

The way educational psychology is now I would say look to another branch of the subject.

 7)  What qualities do you need for your job?

Qualities needed are patience, a willingness and ability to question absolutely every assumption.

 8) How is the current economic climate affecting your job?

I work for myself so can be flexible but there is no doubt that most people cannot afford to access my services in the current climate.

10) Is it a competitive field to get into?

Yes I understand that nowadays it is very competitive at all stages ie getting onto a degree course, getting onto a postgraduate professional training course and then persuading someone to employ you.

Interview by James Crane

Studying Psychology at University. What’s it like?

Francesca Russo – Ex-Notre Dame student, now in her second year of studying at Psychology at Leeds University.

What was your first year like?

My first year was an amazing experience; I got to meet so many new people and became more independent. First year was a good way of easing us into the university system as the grades you get in your first year do not count, so if you made mistakes you had the opportunity to learn from them to improve your grades next year.

What made you choose Psychology?

I’ve always been interested in the way people think and why people behave in different ways even if they are placed in the same situation. Doing a Psychology degree meant that I was able to spend the next 3 years studying something I really enjoyed.

Is it a big jump from A-Level?

I found the biggest jump from A-Level to University is that you are expected to do a lot more independent work. At A-Level you are taught everything on the syllabus and told exactly what to learn whereas at University you are expected to read around each topic as there will be things on the exams that you do not learn in lectures. The content is also a lot harder, at A-Level you learn case studies and perspectives whereas at degree level you use case studies as evidence but focus on theories and the science.

What do you learn about?

Because the psychology course at Leeds is BPS accredited, you learn a wide range of different psychological topics such as cognitive, social and developmental. We also have the opportunity to pick a psychology module in first year and I picked Forensic Psychology, which I found really interesting as it is what I have always wanted to learn more about.

What do you want to do for a career as a result of your time at University?

I want to do a postgraduate in Psychology however I haven’t decided what I want to focus on yet as I am really interested in child development, forensic social and abnormal psychology and neuroscience. There are a lot of opportunities at Leeds University to get involved with psychological research as we have the RESUS scheme where students can gain experience with working on research projects with members of staff.

What are the advantages of choosing Psychology over any other course?

Psychology is such a good degree to do, even if you’re interested in the subject but don’t want to pursue a career in the field, because being a Psychology graduate gives you lots of transferrable skills which employers find desirable. Doing a Psychology degree you learn analytical and numerical skills as well as learning how to communicate and evaluate so this degree really makes you stand out in a competitive job market.

Does it help you understand the reality of life?

Lots of people think doing a psychology degree means you’ll be able to read minds and body language but that’s not true. Psychology is really useful to understand everyday life though; it makes you understand why people act certain ways in social situations and for example why eye-witness testimonies are not always accurate. It is really interesting to look at people’s everyday behaviour with a psychological perspective.

What is it like to go to lectures?

Lectures are a lot different to learning in a classroom; you sit in a lecture theatre with around 170 other students on your course listening to a professor. I tend to bring a laptop with me as I find it quicker to type. It’s different to learning in a classroom as even though you can ask questions, it’s not the same as being able to ask a teacher to go over something or explain it again. Lecturers also don’t give you all the content, names of different psychological theories are often given but you’re expected to learn about this yourself by reading textbooks.

What is the work load like?

There is a lot more reading at University than you would do in sixth form. For each lecture you’re expected to read a couple of chapters from a textbook and maybe a research report, but this increases each year. You don’t get homework but I had about 5 lab reports to do over the duration of a year which really helps as you have to do a lab report for your dissertation.

Interview by Matthew Russo