Claire Rogers

Claire from West Lothian in Scotland graduated with a BSc Psychology in 2022 and is starting a MSc Clinical Health Psychology at the University of Strathclyde.

What drove your decision to study an undergraduate degree in Psychology?

I loved Psychology when I was in school and took up volunteering as a sleep mentor and a befriender during my final year. I discovered that I have a passion for helping people, specifically in the mental health field, and decided that I wanted to pursue this as a career in Psychology.

What was that made you want to study psychology at Heriot-Watt?

First, I loved the degree itself and the opportunities Heriot-Watt have for Psychology. I was drawn to specific courses within the degree as I really wanted to study Neuropsychology and Mental Health. Secondly, I fell in love with the campus. I loved how green and beautiful the grounds are – I could see myself studying here and knew that it was somewhere I would feel comfortable and at home.

Can you tell us about a course or courses that you particularly enjoyed?

Psychobiology because we were introduced to the underlying biological processes in the brain and body involved in specific functions. I found it exciting to learn as it was something new that I was interested in.

I also really enjoyed Cognitive Rehabilitation as we studied hypothetical cases of brain injuries and their rehabilitation and given the opportunity to form our own hypothetical rehabilitation plan for a patient.

These courses were a great mix between theory and practicality which made them very enjoyable and really appealed to me.

Did any lecturers make a particularly positive impact on your studies?

There are so many lecturers and tutors who have made a positive impact to my studies. To name a few, Dr Louise Delicato has made a big impact in my studies as I volunteered as her Research Assistant through the Voluntary Research Assistant scheme and completed an internship with her as supervisor. Dr Alan Gow, my dissertation supervisor, supported me through my final year and his support and encouragement made me feel confident in my abilities as a student.

I also found the tutoring system excellent at Heriot-Watt. My personal tutor was Dr Monica Tamariz and she was always just an email away and made me feel so welcome when I came into my 1st year very nervous and unsure. Even if I was not having an issue with anything, it is comforting to know that personal tutors are easily contactable and that they can direct you to where you can get support if they aren't able to help. The tutoring system makes the experience feel a little less daunting and gives a sense of comfort whilst you're studying.

Can you tell us more about the Voluntary Research Assistant scheme and the experience you gained through it?

I was involved in the VRA scheme from my 2nd year. I initially took part in a PhD project with student, Aliki Papa, playing a confederate role in her research. I then completed some literature reviews for Dr Mel McKendrick's research.

In 2020, I began volunteering with Dr Louise Delicato, assisting with her study about the Sensitivity of People to Different Identities and Emotions (SeDIE) in different age groups. I assisted with this project through the COVID-19 outbreak online, which included the initial testing of the study and recruitment.

In 2021, I completed an internship with Louise for the ChIMES project (Characterising the role of Identity, Memory, and Emotion in Super-recognisers). During the study I was involved in the initial testing, recruitment, data collation, and data processing, and afterwards I assisted in the analysis and write-up, and also presented the study in seminars.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience through this scheme as not only did I develop skills, I gained experience in different areas of Psychology.

How would you describe the student experience in Edinburgh and at Heriot-Watt? What advice would you give to future students coming to study here?

I loved my experience, and the student union made it very enjoyable. There are so many academic and social opportunities, especially with so many societies to join and the city centre being so close.

My advice for future students would be to put yourself out there and don't be afraid to just be yourself – university is a very inclusive environment and although you're here to study, you're also here to have a bit of fun and discover more about yourself. So if you want to go to a society event or go out into the city centre, go for it! It's a great experience and you will meet wonderful people.

Can you tell us about your plans now that you've graduated?

I am going to Strathclyde university to pursue a MSc in Clinical Health Psychology as my career aspiration is to be a Clinical Psychologist. I realised this is what I really want to pursue through my studies as I took great interest in this area of Psychology. My experience in the VRA scheme and through my internship has thoroughly prepared me for further study as I feel confident in my abilities and feel capable of taking this next step in my Psychology career.

If you are interested in studying Psychology at Heriot-Watt University please visit our Psychology subject page to find out more and browse degrees.