Maltibweh Mallo (BSc Psychology with integrated Foundation, 2024)
I chose to study at The University of Buckingham as it was recommended to my parents because of its 2-year degree, but I chose to study psychology because I was interested in it. I began from foundation because although I was interested in psychology, I was uncertain if I would like it. I resumed late and I was scared I would not be able to catch up, but the lecturers were so nice, understanding and helpful which made me feel at ease and confident. With the help of my personal tutor then and other lecturers, I was able to finish my first term and the rest of the foundation year.
After enjoying the teaching throughout foundation, I chose to stay and continue to study psychology. At first everything was going well but I began to experience some difficulties which made it hard to concentrate and take care of myself while doing the workload I was given. With the assistance of the Wellbeing, Skills and Diversity team (WSD), my personal tutors and my lecturers, I can proudly say I finished with a 2:1. It may not have been what I planned for at the beginning of my course, but it was earned. I had people tell me to extend or suspend my studies as the difficulties I experienced seemed too much for someone to handle, but once I had set my mind on the task and believed that this degree was for my benefit as well as loving it, I was able to successfully complete the whole course.
I would say something that helped me was that I looked forward to going for lectures as I got excited to learn about different things from disorders to the biology of the brain. The lecture rooms provided space for everyone to sit down and comfortably listen to the lecturers. The tutorial groups were small from 4-6 individuals per group which made it easier to communicate with one another and make friends with fellow course mates. There were times when I had laptop problems, but I knew I could still get work done because of the facilities provided by the university across campus.
Although 2 years seem like a short period to get a degree, the lecturers provide so much knowledge and research training to students which gives them confidence to carry out their final research at the end of the degree. My advice to future students would be not to give up and trust that you are capable, as there were certain days I felt low, but I believed in myself and that helped me get through. There is also additional support provided by the university and it is okay to ask for help if needed. I do hope to continue to use the knowledge I have received and further my studies in one of the many psychology fields.