Psychologists of the Future Inspired by St Mary’s Academics

Psychologists of the Future Inspired on Campus by St Mary’s Academics - as the University also celebrates British Science and Brain Awareness Weeks

Students from Waldegrave School and The Holy Cross School have completed work experience this academic year with the Psychology Programme at St Mary’s University, Twickenham. March has also seen primary and secondary school students welcomed to campus for workshops and lectures from the wider Sport, Allied Health and Performance Sciences Faculty.

Work experience opportunities, coordinated by Dr Lori Minini, PhD, saw students integrate themselves within St Mary’s academic team, attending lectures and learning how to use software, such as SPSS, JOS and GORILLA, to undertake advanced statistical analysis and build complex online experiments.

Dr Lori Minini commented, “It is a pleasure to welcome students from our fantastic local schools to campus. Our team are dedicated to encouraging young people to further their studies – whether that’s with us at St Mary’s, or further afield. We have enjoyed working alongside such bright young minds, and look forward to hearing where their passion for Psychology takes them.”

St Mary’s has a number of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes within this field of study, including Psychology BSc and Sport Psychology BSc. Psychology degrees at the University, which are accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), aim to provide students with transferable skills, including the capacity for self-directed, reflective learning and project management, alongside furthering their academic knowledge.

The University has also invested in its outreach programme, for students of all ages, by hosting a number of events coinciding with British Science Week and Brain Awareness Week.

Primary school children in Year 6 visited campus on Tuesday (14th March) to complete three workshops: Make a Brain with Plasticine; Review a Scientific Paper; and Food Detectives. The workshops were designed to complement the curriculum, but also to give younger children what is likely to be their first experience of university.

In the same week, nine St Mary’s academics delivered a 10-minute lecture each on different areas of research, from the psychology of performance and nutrition, to sport sciences and injury prevention. These short talks gave an insight for secondary school students into university-level discussion, with the event designed for young people with a particular interest in Psychology, Sport Psychology, Sport Sciences, Health Sciences and Social Sciences.