Here’s four words I’ve always wanted to be able to say – “I’m a psychology student”.
Something about psychology always fascinated me when I was younger. Similar, I suppose, to the way that philosophy did. Much as I enjoy science and empirical proof, I love those subjects where interpretation is subjective and so changeable. I loved studying philosophy, hard as it was, for the fact that I could read something by Descartes and legitimately question his work (and/or sanity) without being ‘wrong’ and I think psychology is going to go a similar kind of route.
It’s early days in my DSE141 module of course, but so far it’s gone into depth about the psychological determinants which may cause someone to do harm to another – is it their inherent personality traits and/or characteristics or is it more to do with just following orders or imitating others (it discusses Nazi leaders and authoritarianism at length).
I’m loving it. Absolutely loving it. It’s the yang to my social policy yin and in fact I’m already so incredibly excited about getting to study DD307, as I started it once before and had to drop out, so I know how brilliant it is. Social psychology is a definite area of strong interest for me and it was part of the reason I chose to do this second degree in Criminology and Psychological Studies.
One of the ever endearing features of the OU for me was that I was able to study whatever I wanted and come out with a qualification – no set pathway, no modules I didn’t want to do or thought looked boring, I just cherry picked modules one at a time until I finished the degree. Well, despite not being able to do that now and actually having a set path to follow I must admit – it ain’t all that bad on this side!
'Five out of the six modules for this degree are set in stone and the remaining free choice is a no-brainer for me as it gets me another qualification in addition to this one but I don’t feel like I’m trapped in the qualification at all'
Five out of the six modules for this degree are set in stone and the remaining free choice is a no-brainer for me as it gets me another qualification in addition to this one but I don’t feel like I’m trapped in the qualification at all. Every one of the modules sounds interesting and worth studying and they’re exactly the kind of topics I’d have chosen myself anyway so this, for me, is like a dream degree! My only problem at the minute is which order to do them in to a) have them not overlap too horrendously with my MA, but b) get the degree finished as quickly as I can.
I’d rather not have anything overlap my MA at all but to qualify for the transitional arrangements I have no choice. It’s doable though, the worst time will be from next June through to October when I have to write my dissertation, however, it works out quite nicely that whichever module I study next will finish in June 2013 anyway and the next one won’t start until the October. Works out brilliantly doesn’t it.
Surely I can’t be the only student concerned with overlaps though? Am I the only person studying for more than one qualification at a time? Please, someone, tell me I’m not the only module masochist at the OU?
