Mollie Clay

MSc Psychology

“My advice for current undergraduates considering postgraduate study is definitely speak to a member of staff in the faculty or course where you show interest for postgraduate study”

I started at Oxford Brookes in 2016 studying for my undergraduate degree in BSc Accounting and Finance. During my third year, I started to think about postgraduate study and pursuing MSc in Psychology. As I enjoy studying and was interested in people and learning about the mind which appealed to me about the course.

When choosing my primary research area, I was interested in studies on elite gymnasts’ vs non-athletes and its connection to problems with sleep. I wanted to address the middle ground and observe those at an intermediate level. The research area also gave me the opportunity to do primary research of my own, which was an important part of the course for me.

When researching the MSc Psychology, I met with one of the staff members at Oxford Brookes and the course sounded like it would support my subject interest. Through the course, I have been able to focus my research into looking at sleep problems in female gymnasts training and competing at an intermediate level, which was fantastic.

Changing subjects from a BSc in Accounting and Finance at undergraduate to MSc Psychology was a steep learning curve for me. The writing style is particularly different and rather challenging. I improved my writing style by making use of the opportunities to meet with the lecturers to understand what they are looking for in an essay.

The support services are excellent at Oxford Brookes, and they are great at supporting students, I’ve had beneficial experiences within the disability service myself. In my course, each student has an academic adviser who can listen and advise you if you are unsure or struggling, or to talk to about your positive progress!

My advice for current undergraduates considering postgraduate study is to speak to a member of staff in the faculty or course that you’re interested from. They will guide you through the course and what to expect. They may even put you in contact with current postgraduate students on the course who will share their experience.

Don’t forget to take advantage of the 10% discount on postgraduate study available for previous Oxford Brookes students.

Following the completion of my postgraduate degree, in the short-term I will stay in Oxford and later move to America to explore opportunities in my field of study