Daniel Ford
Applied Psychology and Criminology BA(Hons)
Monday
Monday mornings I have my critical criminology lecture. This particular session was an in-depth analysis of the UK policing system and was followed up with a seminar with my tutor group. The seminars are a chance to put forward your opinions but also to address any misunderstandings you may have. I had lunch with some friends in the campus restaurant before heading home to go food shopping. Shopping on a student budget can be difficult so I always make a list of the meals I want to eat that week and ensure I stick to it! Fortunately, this week I managed to resist the lure of the luxuries and stuck to my budget. My course has reduced contact time compared to other courses but requires me to do a lot of reading so I try to do a little every day. After that I settled down for a relaxing evening with a good movie.
Tuesday
Brighton feels like a big city but it’s situated within a relatively small area. Due to the university being located on several campuses, students live in many areas across the city. I live on the outskirts near Hove and travel to the Falmer campus on the bus. The transport system in Brighton is great for wherever you need to get to whilst the Moulsecoomb and Falmer campuses also have their own train station which runs direct and regularly from Brighton station. I had a later lecture today but went to the library to change some books, and print off the preparatory lecture notes from my tutors which make it easier to make notes during the lecture. Today's psychology sessions concentrated on social constructionism and gave me plenty to mull over on my journey home later that afternoon!
Wednesday
Wednesday's allow me to catch up with any outstanding work as I don’t have any university contact time. I spent the morning reading (after my lie-in of course!) before heading into the North Laines in the city centre. The Laines host a selection of independent retailers and are a great place to meet up with friends over a coffee. Wednesday afternoons are generally reserved for sport for the university and I attend the Taekwondo club at Moulsecoomb. I signed up to the club at the Freshers Fair when I started my course and there were a huge variety of other clubs and societies that I could join too. Joining these are a way to meet new and like-minded people. After dinner, I headed out for the evening with friends for a few drinks at the Students' Union official club night at Oceana.
Thursday
The third year of my course requires me to write a dissertation on a topic relating to my course. The choice of subject matter can be extremely flexible when you enrol on a joint honours degree, so you can choose to investigate an area that you have specific interests in. I am looking into what people define as fear and the psychological theories surrounding emotion. I prepared my interview questions and finalised my methodology today in preparation for starting my research. After, I treated myself to a relaxing walk along the seafront, taking in the scenery and listening to some tunes on my iPod!
Friday
If your course allows you the time, it is worth finding a part-time job to help fund your time at university. Brighton is noted for being one of the best cities to find part-time work. I work as a Student Ambassador for the university, giving campus tours, talks at colleges and attending UCAS fairs to represent the university – I might have met you at some stage! Today I showed a group of prospective education students around our Falmer campus. After work I did some of my course reading on the beach and then went home to prepare for a well-earned relaxing weekend, a very easy thing to do when you live in Brighton!
