Natasha Ong

Why did you choose to do a psychology work placement?

I hoped it would be a good experience. I talked with the placement advisor and they explained how it was a good idea to do a placement as you can get more experience so that when you graduate you are more likely get a job offer.

Did you enjoy your placement?

I loved my placement experience. I got to experience a lot of things that I wouldn't normally get to experience. I worked with a lot of mental health patients and getting to interact with them is really important. It has opened my eyes to how mental health affects different people in different ways.

Did you learn new things during your placement?

I learned a lot during my placement – particularly about metal health, the behaviours and characteristics of people with different conditions, and how to work with them. I was given a lot of responsibility and had to do a lot of administrative work in the office too so I learned a lot of new skills. I also had to teach so I learned how to plan and organise lessons.

How did you find your placement job with PEP?

I was originally looking for a placement in London and applied for one but wasn't successful so I decided to look for a placement in Scotland as my family live there. Mental health has always interested me so when I heard about PEP I thought it would be a good idea to apply directly myself.

What was it like getting your placement approved by the University?

It was pretty easy to get the placement approved. I told the University about the placement I wanted to do and they emailed me the forms I needed. I filled them in and the university were quick to contact me to say it was ok to do my placement there.

Would you recommend work placements to other psychology students?

I would definitely recommend it. You learn so much more than you can from a text book and you get to work in real life, one-to-one with other people and that is a great experience.

Has the experience affected what you want to do after you graduate?

It has really opened my eyes to the different paths that I could take. Before I started the placement I only really thought about psychiatry or counselling, but this has opened my eyes to the other careers I could have.

Did your course prepare you for the placement?

We learned about mental health and autism, learning difficulties and other things during the course, so I was able to apply that to my placement. I helped out with the literacy group on my placement, so I found the things that we'd learned very helpful. I hope that everything I've learned on placement will help me improve at University too.