{"id":947,"date":"2020-08-13T15:07:33","date_gmt":"2020-08-13T15:07:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/ioppn-students\/?p=947"},"modified":"2021-02-03T16:11:19","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T16:11:19","slug":"top-10-tips-for-starting-the-bsc-psychology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/ioppn-students\/2020\/08\/13\/top-10-tips-for-starting-the-bsc-psychology\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 tips for starting the BSc Psychology"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

So you\u2019ve decided to study the BSc Psychology at King\u2019s, congratulations! Although we can all agree we are currently living in extremely strange times, I can assure you the next 3-4 years are full of exciting new experiences!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Here are some top tips I wish someone had given me ahead of embarking on the student life. Hope they come in handy and just remember, this is YOUR time, so make the most of it and enjoy!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

1.Make the most of first year<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

University is definitely a step up from school in terms of workload and effort required. However, something I only realised half-way through my first year is that all 3 years are not evenly weighted. At King\u2019s, first year is worth 11% of your final grade, second year is 33%, and final year makes up the remaining. So, although I\u2019m not suggesting you completely write off first year, definitely make the most of it as it\u2019s the most relaxed time in terms of academics. Also, people will be more willing to explore new things, meet new people, and go on all sorts of adventures, so soak it all up.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

2. Make friends, many friends<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

One of the most exciting prospects of starting university was all the new people I\u2019d meet, and I was not disappointed! Uni is an incredible time to widen your social circle and get to meet people from all around the world with similar and also completely different interests. Don\u2019t close yourself off and don\u2019t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Also, be mindful that although freshers may be slightly overwhelming with the amount of people you meet, you don\u2019t need to stop making friends after first week. So keep an open mind and meet as many people as possible, life-long friendships are bound to be formed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

3. Sign up to clubs & societies<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Did you know there are over 300 weird and wonderful societies and clubs at King\u2019s? Have a niche interest?\u00a0KCLSU<\/a>\u00a0might have a society just for you! I was amazed to discover the vast range of groups on offer. From Cheese & Wine society to Harry Potter. Truly anything you could wish for and more. I\u2019d highly recommend having a browse through the catalogue of options and making a note of those you\u2019re interested in. Come freshers fair you can go and visit their stand and find out what they\u2019re all about. Who knows, you might meet people as strange as yourself!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

4. Be strategic with nights out<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This is a bit of a random one, but never underestimate the power a strategic planning when going out. First of all, pre-drinks are key. You don\u2019t want to end up spending loads of money buying overpriced drinks in London bars\/clubs if you can avoid it. Secondly, keep an eye out for free or student-night events. There are tons! And they\u2019re decent prices which won\u2019t unbalance your whole monthly budget the day after. And last but not least: Drink. Water. Before. Bed. After several horrendous hungover seminars I learnt the game-changing tactic that is downing a pint of water (or even Lucozade\/Aquarius\/electrolyte drink) before going to sleep. It won\u2019t magically cure your hangover, but I can assure you will feel a whole lot better the day after.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

5. Put yourself out there, try something new<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This kind of links back to joining societies and clubs, but I want to really hone in on its importance. When I started my degree I had no clue what I wanted to do when I finished (who am I kidding, I\u2019m still in the process of figuring it out). However, being exposed to an endless amount of new people, experiences, and opportunities, I started to discover what I\u2019m truly passionate (and less passionate) about. In my case, in halls I lived door to door with a massive fan of Louis Theroux. Through her, I started watching loads of documentaries, something I hadn\u2019t done before, and have now come to realise I want to work in the TV and media industry! Never underestimate the power of trying something new, you never know where it may take you.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

6. Timetable<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It can be tricky to balance all the socialising, working, exploring, and studying. That\u2019s why timetabling properly is a major asset. I personally swear by my To Do lists and weekly planner. However way you like to do it, it\u2019s extremely useful to map out all the activities you\u00a0want\u00a0to do, and all the responsibilities you\u00a0have\u00a0to do, to make sure you have time for everything and nothing gets compromised.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

7. Keep an eye out for work experience opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

One of the most useful things I did during my degree was getting involved in a number of research and work opportunities. For one it helped build my CV, and for another also helped out my finances by giving me an extra income. The Psychology department offers research assistant opportunities throughout the year which are an amazing chance to experience academic research. There are also plenty of opportunities to participate in research (as a participant) and get paid. Finally, you could consider working for the Student Union or becoming a board member of a society. All these things will look amazing to future employers while also exposing you to new experiences.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

8. Budget<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The eternal struggle that are student finances. I\u2019m not going to lie, being a student in London involves being tight on money a lot of the time. But don\u2019t fret! There are simple hacks and strategies you can use to make finances straightforward and, dare I say it, manageable. Try creating a monthly or weekly budget which takes into account phone bills, gym memberships, transport, food, etc. but also the money you want to allow yourself to spend on drinks and socialising. This will make your life so much easier in the long run, trust me!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

9. Keep in touch with people back home<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It\u2019s easy to get carried away with all the new people and activities that London and King\u2019s have to offer. However, don\u2019t forget that your support network back at home is still incredibly important. Try scheduling weekly or monthly calls with friends and family to update them on how it\u2019s going. I bet they\u2019ll love hearing what you\u2019re up to and you will probably find great comfort in hearing from those you love.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

10. Don\u2019t forget down-time<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Feeling overwhelmed? Don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s completely natural. University is a massive change and can get tough sometimes. That\u2019s why it\u2019s essential to make sure you\u2019re making time for yourself. Try making a point of scheduling at least one session you \u2018you time\u2019 a week. In the same way you make plans to meet friends, go on dates, etc. make a plan with yourself! You can relax watching your favourite show, read in a park, treating yourself to a meal out, or doing some yoga. Whatever tickles your fancy. It\u2019s easy to forget, but we should be our own main priority, and after all the fun, games, and hard work you deserve a break!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So that\u2019s it from me! Hope you find some of these tips helpful, and most of all, I hope you have an incredible and well deserved summer!\u00a0<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So you\u2019ve decided to study the BSc Psychology at King\u2019s, congratulations! Although we can all agree we are currently living in extremely strange times, I […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":789,"featured_media":364,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[15],"class_list":["post-947","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-undergraduate","tag-undergraduate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/ioppn-students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/947","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/ioppn-students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/ioppn-students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/ioppn-students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/789"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/ioppn-students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=947"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/ioppn-students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/947\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":948,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/ioppn-students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/947\/revisions\/948"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/ioppn-students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/ioppn-students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=947"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/ioppn-students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=947"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kcl.ac.uk\/ioppn-students\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=947"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}