"So far one of the most interesting and practical aspects of my study has been a lab report we did in Developmental Psychology that used data from the student cohort and generated interesting, unexpected results. I appreciated the focus on gaining practical knowledge about psychological research so early on in the course."
Charity studied a Bachelor of Science, and after working full time, decided she wanted to explore her interests in psychology. As a current student of the Graduate Diploma in Psychology, she's had her eyes opened to the many career pathways within the field.
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Why did you decide to study the Graduate Diploma in Psychology?
I have always been interested in mental health and understanding why we are the way we are.
I studied a Bachelor of Science majoring in Biochemistry and Immunology, but couldn’t see myself working in the field and so I took time off to figure out what I’d like to do. After working full time for a while, I found that I kept leaning toward counselling/psychology as an area of interest. I finally decided that I would like to pursue a career in the area, as I wanted to be able to understand myself and the world around me a bit better and potentially help others along the way.
What I found most appealing about the Grad Dip at Melbourne was that it offered on-campus learning, which was important to me. It is also a highly respected course and university so I thought it would be a good place to start my career in psychology.
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What do you like most about the course?
What I have enjoyed the most so far into the course is that I am with a group of kind, driven and open-minded people. I have found great comfort and reassurance, as well as community in the Graduate Diploma cohort. I also really appreciate the staff - lectures, tutors and course coordinators.
They are all passionate and supportive and provide a lot of insight into the field of psychology. After having some time off studying I am glad to say have (re-)acquired the skill of learning new concepts and applying my understanding in the form of the assignments throughout the course.
Another skill I feel I have also gained is a healthy skepticism that allows me to more readily discern whether scientific findings and claims are showing what they are purportedly showing. This has been very helpful in understanding how it is that we develop knowledge around psychology through a robust scientific framework.
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What kind of work integrated learning, practical experience or academic enrichment activities have you participated in your degree, and how have they impacted your development?
So far one of the most interesting and practical aspects of my study has been a lab report we did in Developmental Psychology that used data from the student cohort and generated interesting, unexpected results. Working with real data was very interesting and made the work feel relevant and applicable to our own lives. I appreciated the focus on gaining practical knowledge about psychological research so early on in the course.
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What are your future career goals?
I am not entirely sure where I want to go or what career/s lie ahead of me, but at this point in time, working with schools and potentially councils and governments around policy and availability of services is a big interest of mine. However, I am also very interested in psychopharmacology, research and private practice. So far, this course has opened my eyes up to many different areas of work that I had no idea even existed prior to starting this course.
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What advice do you have for future and current students who are interested in studying the course?
My advice to future/current students would be to give yourself time to figure out where your passion and interests lie. I can feel a big difference in how I am engaging with the Grad Dip compared to my undergrad. In my undergrad I was doing what I thought I was supposed to do and not necessarily what I was interested in.
Now that I am studying something that interests me deeply, I find that I am able to engage with the difficult aspects of academic study with more ease and passion, whilst also feeling that I am slowly making my way toward a career that appeals to me.