Hello everyone, and welcome to Adventures in Academia, the podcast for older-than-average university students. I'm your host, Kristie Bradfield.

Well, I'm still in a holding pattern this month and don't know where I will be heading for Psychology Honours next year. As suggested by my uni, I applied widely; I applied to 12 universities. I've received one rejection and four offers so far. I've accepted one of the offers. I'm thankful to be in my position because I know how frustrating and worrying it is to wait for offers. I won't lie; it really has been an excruciating process. If you're also waiting for Honours or Masters offers, I'm sending you my most positive thoughts. It's a frustrating time, and I've never refreshed my email more than I have this past month, and I know I'm not alone. In a few short weeks, I'll know where I'm headed, so I'll share the details in next month's podcast.

But for now, let's talk about this month's episode. Today, I'm sharing everything I wish I had known when I started my Bachelor's degree. For those who are new, I recently completed a Bachelor of Psychology, Criminology and Justice, which is a Psychology and Criminology double major. I was an online student for all but one unit, which I did in my very last semester. I have learned a lot over the course of my degree, and hopefully, these lessons will help you avoid some pain if you're starting your degree in 2024.

So let's get started.

I wish I had known more about the process before I started. This is a big one. I was the first person in my immediate family to go to university, and I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing, which made the early years of my degree challenging because I made a lot of mistakes that impacted me later. I didn't have anyone to advise or point me in the right direction when I was struggling, and this meant that I made some avoidable mistakes. My family didn't really understand why assignments or lectures had to cut into our family time. There wasn't an understanding of why I would put study first. My Mum asked me several times if it was worth it, putting in all the effort and being super disciplined and almost miserly with my free time. Of course, I wish I had had more time with my Mum, but my studies helped me get my life back, and I think she began to understand that as the years went on, and she saw the positive changes happening in my life because of it. Being first in the family to do anything means you are a trailblazer, and hopefully, I've shown the younger members of my family that you can reach your goals if you work hard. 

Another aspect of knowing more about the process relates to how long the process actually takes to become a psychologist. In Australia, general registration involves at least six years of study and training. So that's three years of a Bachelor's degree, one year of Honours or a GDPA, one year of Masters and one year of supervised practice. It is a long, long road and a challenging journey. There is also a misconception about progressing through these higher levels of study. Once you've completed your three-year Bachelor's degree, you're not guaranteed entry to Honours or beyond; in fact, it becomes really, really competitive at this point. There are limited Honours and Masters places, and you are competing with students from all over the country and international students as well. For Honours, your grades are the most important factor; the higher, the better. For Masters, there are other considerations, including work experience. I've talked to a few people who finished their Bachelor's, couldn't get into Honours and are now having to reevaluate their way forward. They did the hard work and completed their Bachelor of Psychology, but that is where their journey ends and it is heartbreaking. The GDPA is an option, but I believe it is double the cost of Honours, which is a real barrier for some people. It's frustrating knowing that there is a real need for Psychologists all over Australia, but becoming one is so hard. I am not advocating making the course any easier or shorter, but it would be great if universities had more places available for honours and masters.

My advice: if you want to be a psychologist, understand the process. Understand the time commitment needed and aim as high as possible with your grades, even if that means doing your Bachelor's in five or six years rather than three so you're doing a part-time load. Consider getting some work experience in the mental health field as an undergrad because it will be helpful when interviewing for Masters.

Moving on.

I wish I knew not to change my major multiple times. I began my studies with no idea what I wanted to do aside from studying Psychology. I started my degree doing a Psychology major with a minor in Addiction Studies. I then moved to a straight Psychology major and finally settled on a Psychology and Criminology double major. What I didn't know is that when you switch courses, you lose your WAM. So, the units I studied in my Psychology and Addiction Studies course aren't counted in my Psychology and Criminology WAM. It's not a huge deal, but it did become a pain when applying for Honours. Instead of just having to supply one transcript, I had to provide five because of my course changes and also because I had advanced standing from cross-institutional study and another university. Transcripts cost money. So, try not to change your course if you can avoid it.

I wish I had known to do my units in order. This was another thing that made life harder for me as I went along. I made the mistake of doing units that I thought sounded really interesting first rather than doing them in order, and this was a big mistake. Units are designed to teach you skills that will be useful when you move on to the more advanced stuff. What I did a few times was I went directly to the hard stuff without having any foundation to work with. I'll give you an example: I did Developmental Psychology in my last semester, so I've just finished it. I should have done it years earlier because it introduced the concept of performing research, how to structure lab reports, and how to analyse data. I went straight to the hard stuff without having any of this knowledge. Don't do what I did. Do your units in order. You will be infinitely better off than I was if you do.

I wish that I didn't put off doing things that sounded hard. So, research methods units are a part of any Psychology course. In my course, we had to do three research methods units. I was so scared of doing research methods units because they involved statistics, which involved math. I had some horrible experiences in math classes in high school, especially in upper school. I had a teacher who thought my math anxiety was funny. He was the first person to make me feel really stupid. It got so bad that I came close to failing math in year 11 because I would quite literally go to the guidance counsellor during math, so I didn't have to do it. I lost all confidence when it came to numbers, and that fear and anxiety continued into adulthood. So, the first research methods unit scared me, and I put off doing it for a few years. When I finally got my confidence up to take the unit in 2019, my lecturer said that I know that many people have some concerns about doing this unit, but I want you to know that a high distinction (so that's a grade over 80%) is possible in this unit. On the accompanying slide, he put a picture of a man gazing at the sun rising from a misty mountaintop, and in the distance were the letters HD. For some reason, that image stuck in my mind. I can still see it in my mind to this day. I decided then that I was going to get an HD for my first research methods unit, and I would work my butt off to achieve it. Week by week, I used that mountaintop as inspiration. I watched YouTube videos, read about the different concepts, and spent hours each week trying to understand the material. I was determined. I worked so hard, and I got that HD. I also got marks in the 90s for the other two research methods units. It turns out that I love research methods. While it may take me longer to understand concepts, I know if I work hard, I will 'get' it. And that is a fantastic feeling. 

My advice: Don't be put off by experiences of the past or things that you think are hard. In my experience, getting those things done and out of the way is a relief, and you might be pleasantly surprised when you do better than you expected to. We are always learning new things, even if we don't realise it, and who you were when you finished high school is not who you are now. Don't be tethered to those things in your past that stop you from realising who you are becoming.

I wish I had known that the marks I got didn't reflect who I was as a person. It took years of therapy to unravel the connection I had created between my marks and my self-esteem, and truthfully, I haven't completely put this one to bed. I still struggle when I get a mark back that's lower than I expected, but now I don't automatically jump to the negative self-talk. In many ways, I'm a perfectionist, and I expect a degree of perfection for myself that is unrealistic and exhausting. I'll admit that. I'll push myself really hard to do things as well as I possibly can because I respect the people teaching me and know that this education is a privilege that not everyone gets and I want to make the most of it. I was raised that way. I was raised to always give 100% in whatever I do. So, when my marks don't reflect this effort, I don't handle it well. I tend to spiral. In semester one this year, I got a distinction for an assignment, and I should preface this by saying, yes, I know how ludicrous it is to spiral about a distinction. But, when I received this mark, because of all the therapy and work I'd put in over the years, I was able to take a deep breath, counter the dismissive thoughts that popped up, and adjust my thinking from "I'm a failure" to "I tried my best, and this experience will be a catalyst for change." I saw the mark as an opportunity to learn and do better next time, which showed how I've changed my perception of grades and self-worth. 

Which brings me to my final point. I wish I had known that I would change in significant ways. As I've mentioned before, I was not in a good place when I began my degree, and my world was very small. Studying helped me see the world differently; it expanded my world in ways that I never could have imagined. Every unit I've completed has challenged my thinking and my understanding of the world. Before I started my degree, I thought I knew a lot. I had strong opinions about things that I knew very little about. I thought those opinions were correct. My thinking was very black and white. It was dualistic. Things were either right or wrong. But, as I've learned more, I realised that there is a lot of grey in the world, and my thinking has become more relativistic. My thought is more nuanced. I use the things that I've learned to inform my opinions and understanding of the world around me. When people ask me for my views, I think more; I try to take in different perspectives and different frames of thought. Even though I know I've learned a lot, I feel like the more I learn, the less I know, and I think that's a good thing. Because I don't think it's a good thing, necessarily, to think that you know everything. I'd rather have a student's mindset and be willing to look at things in different ways rather than be set in my ways.

So, let's recap.

Firstly, if your career goal is psychology, ensure you understand the process. It's a long road, and it requires dedication and perseverance. 

Secondly, make informed decisions about your course and understand that changing your major may impact you later in your degree. Speak to an advisor if you need help.

Thirdly, the order which you do your units matters. Build your foundational knowledge, and you'll set yourself up for success later. 

Fourthly, don't let past experiences or perceived challenges hold you back. Embrace difficulties and work through them; you might surprise yourself with your achievements.

Fifthly, grades don't define your worth or your value as a person. They're just grades, nothing more. 

Finally, embrace all the changes that come your way. You might be amazed by the person that you become.

Thank you so much for joining me for this month's podcast. 

I would love to hear from you if you're an older-than-average student. You can send a voice memo about anything to do with university study to memos@adventuresinacademia.com. And while you're at it, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review.

In the next episode of Adventures in Academia, I'll be sharing all things Honours. If you're considering applying for Honours in the coming years, I have plenty of information to share about the process. I hope you consider listening in. Until next month, happy studying!