BSc (Hons) Psychology (all fields) course preparation

To help you feel prepared for your BSc (Hons) Psychology studies, we’ve put together some tips on how to prepare for your transition to university. Read on to find out more.

Where your learning will take place:

You’ll be based in the Law & Psychology building which provides contemporary teaching and learning facilities for students in the School of Law and Criminal Justice. In this building, you’ll find:

a 250-seat lecture theatre
seminar and tutorial rooms
social learning areas

You’ll also find Psychology resources, such as:

state-of-the-art eye trackers
transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) methods
transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)
near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for examining cognitive functioning and brain activity.

As well as other specialist laboratories:

group testing lab
‘bar simulation laboratory’ (for alcohol research)
health psychology suite
coaching clinic
audio-visual suites

Prepare for university

We know that you’re aware that you’ll be putting in hard work to study for your course when you arrive. But it’s not just academic skills that you’ll be using once you’re here. And there are a few skills that you might want to start to build now so that you’re a pro when it comes to the start of your studies in September.

Time management – you may have conflicting deadlines as well as other personal activities to consider. So you’ll want to make sure that you manage your time well so that you can do everything you’d like to do. But, there may be times when you can’t do it all but managing your time well will help you to prioritise which activities are necessary and which you have to miss out on.
Critical thinking – it’s important to show your true understanding of the topics you cover in lectures. And for some of this, you’ll need to critique the work you’re studying in a professional, academic manner. You may already be completing tasks like this in your current studies, so university will be a chance to enhance these skills. Don’t be afraid to share your opinions.
Teamwork – some modules may require you to work with others on your course to complete tasks and discuss analytical findings.
Independent work – in contrary to the above, it’s also important to be able to work independently. The majority of your work will need to be submitted individually so it’s important to take ownership of your learning. And if there is something that you don’t understand, make sure to ask your tutor.
Self-motivation – you’ll be encouraged to work more independently which means that you won’t have a teacher that chases you up to make sure you’ve completed a piece of work on time. So it’s important that you hold yourself accountable and make the decision to put the work in.

To remind yourself of your modules, please visit your course page:

Students during a class in the Law and Psychology lecture theatre

If you’d like to complete any preparatory reading, you can search for any reading related to your course on our online reading list.

Useful resources:

Go Cognitive. This is an online resource that provides resources relevant to cognitive psychology, one of the core areas of psychology. There are a number of fun demonstrations of classic psychological phenomena such as ‘change blindness’ that you can take part in. There are also a number of interviews with notes psychologists (such as Professor Alan Baddeley) that cover key areas of cognitive psychology that are studied at undergraduate level. Such as language, attention and decision making. These are also topics linked to the research interests of many members of our department.
Listen to the PsychCrunch podcasts. In each episode of this podcast from the British Psychological Societ’s research digest, they ‘explore whether the findings from psychological science can make a difference in real life. Just how should we live, according to psychology?’
Introduction to Psychology Mastery by gWhiz. This is an app that can be downloaded via Google Play or from the App store. The free version will give you access to practise questions and give some basic metrics on your progress.
Watch these animations of some of Dr Linda Kaye’s recent studies.

Materials you may need:

It’s a good idea to wait until you start your course to buy any books or specific equipment as your tutor will be able to provide more details about what is essential. And our library may be able to provide you with reading materials. But there are a few things you may want to consider.

Academic diary – a staple to help you with your time management as well as upcoming tasks in both your academic and personal life.
Notepads and pens – some people prefer to do this digitally rather than on paper, whichever you prefer, make sure you have the resources to complete any notes you’d like to take. If you like to write on a physical notepad, consider an A5 size so that it’s easier to carry around.

And of course, anything else that you like to use for your academic studies, like highlighters, flashcards and folders.

Before you arrive, you’ll be notified of our UniSkills sessions which will help you to build academic skills to use throughout your time with us and beyond. Keep an eye on your emails to find out more about this.

You may also want to watch the following Ted Talks:

What your emoji say about you – A TEDTalk by Professor Linda Kaye, who works in the department
How do drugs affect the brain?
How quickly do you judge a face?

A student sat with a staff member in a Catalyst meeting room. They are reviewing paperwork together whilst talking.

Making friends

We understand that sometimes it can feel daunting when you join somewhere new for the first time. But we’re here to reassure you that whatever you’re feeling is normal and perfectly ok. Once you arrive, you’ll be able to find out what activities and clubs/societies are available for you to get involved with. These are the perfect way to meet like-minded individuals who share your passions. Make sure to use our Student Life Portal to keep up to date with all the student events happening at Edge Hill.