The Psychology Essay in Durham University

Writing the psychology essay could be part of getting an accredited degree in Durham University. The accredited degree is required if you want to proceed to professional courses in clinical, educational, occupational or other areas of psychology to lead to a chartered status. Hence, you can be required to write essays in cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, individual differences, psychobiology, social psychology and research design and quantitative methods. This is together with the examinations and practicals.

You need to develop and apply statistics and experimental work skills in your studies which you will demonstrate in your psychology essay. You will learn modules through lectures, small group seminars and practicals. As an example, one module can usually take one lecture every week with one or two hours each and two seminars every school term. You will be assessed through multiple choice examinations, essays, practical reporting and surprise quizzes. The classification of your degree will be finalised based on your marks in the second and third year which will have weights of 40% and 60% respectively. To review, that is, you will have a psychology essay, examinations and practicals for each school term which you must aim to ace.

For your first year, you will have three core modules for which you will demonstrate your knowledge through psychology essays, examinations and practicals. These are (1) Cognitive and Biological Psychology; (2) Developmental, Social and Abnormal Psychology and (3) Introduction to Psychological Research which has twice the weight of the other modules. You can also add one of additional optional modules which are Classic Papers: A Tutorial Introduction to Psychological Science and two elective modules from any other department in the university. For the latter, you just need to successfully gain admission by meeting their entry requirements. Then, you should also see to it that you can still manage your time especially considering your compulsory modules and that the elective modules from should be two.

Related Topic:  Tips in Writing Psychology Essays: Choosing the Topic

Try Solitude for Your Personal Statement Writing

Solitude is a state of isolation or seclusion. You can try it for your personal statement writing. The purpose for using this is to gain wider and deeper insight about yourself. The insights can help you know what really is it you want to do in your life and to explore ways on how to write your personal statement.

In using solitude in your personal statement writing process, you can think clearly and objectively. When you are alone for a certain period of time, you will not be affected by outside factors. These factors can disturb your thinking or influence you and your thoughts in the wrong manner. Being alone, you can meditate on what is it you will truly aim in your life.

To be able to use solitude in your personal statement writing, you should keep yourself away from any body. If you are living with other persons, inform your housemates that you will be interacting with them in the minimum to be able to think and write better. Tell them that this is serious and you need their consideration. This way, you can avoid them inadvertently making fun. Otherwise, if they do so, it will be a bad start for the process.

Thus, you can start by keeping your room closed if you are there. You need to be alone wherever you will go. This includes your room which is very important. It is in this place that you are at your barest self. This means, what you value in life you can discern in your room.

If your writing process schedule permits, try being in solitude for two full weeks. After gaining enough insight, you can now look for the appropriate writing samples to fit what you have deliberated upon. You can also apply this to help you on how to write assignments, only the difference is the very short time period.


Related Topic: A Deeper Essence of Personal Statement Writing

Stylistic Stools Shown in an Example of Personal Statement

An example of personal statement is a useful tool for a student who is having difficulty writing a personal statement. Personal statement writing is different from other academic writing styles such as essays, reports, case study analyses and research papers because a personal statement only discusses information about a single subject: the writer himself. There are no strict guidelines when it comes to personal statement writing because what is ideal to be discussed by a student wishing to enroll in a degree program of a particular university may not be applicable for the student applying in a different degree program on a different university or country. Therefore, personal statement writing has to leave some form of individuality and creativity that students can explore.

A good example of personal statement should be able to inspire students to write their own. Of course, any student would do good to use an example of personal statement written by a student who has been admitted into his or her intended degree program.

There are general rules in writing personal statements. One is to use appropriate words and phrases to express what the student wishes to communicate. This involves using the student’s skill in using language and a rhetorical approach to express an idea clearly and in a manner that will interest the reader. One way to use language in a personal statement is through the use of stylistic tools such as the following:

• Listing famous personalities who have studied the same subject that the applicant wishes to study or even enrolled in the same university that the applicant is aiming for. This will usually not work because it is like saying that the applicant is already placing himself or herself among the ranks of these famous individuals.

• Using words or phrases that blatantly solicit sympathy from the reader, such that the university admissions officer or tutor would find it funny or overwrought. 

Related topic Using an Example of Personal Statement