Welcome to the new Newcastle University School of Psychology Hub!
The Hub is a place for Newcastle’s Psychology students and staff to connect and share their thoughts. Amelia Hooper and me (Hannah Cave) are both final-year psychology students. We both did professional placements last year and thought how amazing it would be for students and staff to help each other with advice and reflections in a dedicated blog. With the support of the Student Staff Committee and excellent IT support we are ready to go live.
Here it is! We hope you’ll use it both for your writing and reading.
Why I chose Psychology at Newcastle:
Both of my parents met at Newcastle, so we would often come up for the weekend so they could revisit the city. I have very fond memories of those trips and Newcastle always felt like home. It’s a city known for its nightlife and culture, and yet it’s neither big nor overwhelming. I studied Psychology at A-Level, and absolutely loved it, and decided that’s what I wanted to pursue here.
The fabulous Dame Margaret Barbour Building (DMBB), opened in 2021 was conveniently ready just in time for my first in person lecture! The year before was an odd one with lots of COVID-19 disruption but the lecturers still managed to make the subject fascinating.
It is a brand-new building in the heart of the campus with a large lecture hall, several working spaces, nutrition labs, bookable spaces, and a police grade interviewing suite. It was definitely a contributing factor when deciding my final university choice.
The staff here are very supportive and the collaboration between staff and students brings a real sense of community. Psychology Society is a great one to join when you arrive, as they hold so many fun events to get involved in such as bake offs, quizzes, pub crawls, movie nights and, of course, summer/winter balls!
Professional Placement:
Amelia and I both did yearlong placements in our third year. We hope the hub will be used to encourage others to do the same and make people aware of the benefits.
Amelia was a Sports Psychology Research Assistant here in the DMBB. I got a placement as an Honorary Assistant Psychologist in an NHS tertiary care centre for individuals with mood disorders. Where I worked, new revolutionary drugs were being trialled in controlled studies on patients with mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
The placement year comes at the perfect point in the degree to make sense of and put to practice what you’ve learnt so far. There’s a massive range of placements on offer. For me it was important to interact with real participants and patients and see how they responded to treatments, because I am aiming for a clinical psychology position in future.
Others I know have worked with the police, child psychologists, in labs and forensics, just to give a few examples.
What is the purpose of this blog?
Amelia and I really hope you’ll find the Hub useful and that you’ll contribute to it.
This Hub is a space for people to write about their psychology experiences, whether that be to do with module choices, achievements, work experiences, placements, mental health, or anything in between!
We aim for an inclusive space where aspiring psychologists can come together and share their process to inspire others on their paths.
The guidelines for writing a blog post are available here . Please get in touch with Amelia or me in the first instance if you are interested in writing a blog. We will direct you to the appropriate editor who will advise you and decide whether to publish your submission:
Amelia Hooper: A.hooper1@newcastle.ac.uk
Hannah Cave: H.l.cave2@newcastle.ac.uk