Introducing the Scottish Psych-Com Student Committee

This is a collaboration between the school of Psychology and Counselling and the Students Association’s and 1st ever nation specific Psychology Committee! Scotland is leading with this project and the plan is to establish committees in the four home nations. This committee has been set up and is student led by Scottish Psychology students. 

We think it’s important for all psychology students studying at the Open University to have somewhere to talk about psychology and have a space to build a sense of community with other students. Any student from any faculty who has studied or is studying a module in Psychology can join the group.

We have a number of aims but the main ones are:

• To build a strong and student led psychology community in Scotland
• Meeting your peers (we do like to help each other), giving the chance to meet other psychology students
• To have somewhere to chat to others who are just as interested in psychology as we are!
• To support with the psychology hubs and to arrange online meet ups. When permitted we then look forward to help support students in arranging more face-to-face events. 
• The committee is in the process of establishing ourselves as a club, which runs on Facebook, but we also looking to set up other social media accounts. We are also working with the Student Association to set up an OU style forum for members.

We were initially stared in 2021, but due to the ongoing pandemic was put on hold until now. The committee is made up from psychology students at all levels from across Scotland and we are keen to get as many psychology students involved as possible.

Our launch event is being planned for the 21st of April 2022. 

This will be an adobe event, giving students and staff a chance to come along and meet the committee. This hour-long event will also see the launch of the Facebook club, where students will have the chance to interact with other students and to start the process of building a stronger psychology students’ community in Scotland. 

More information about this event will be posted in the Hoot as well as on module/student homepages, in the news sections.

Let us introduce ourselves as the new committee:

Billy (Student Lead)

Hi, I graduated in 2021 with my honors degree in Psychology and have been both an elected and appointed student rep with the student association for about 6 years. 

As student lead, my role is to work with all the committees as they are set up across the 4 home nations. I have a passion for both student voice and student lead projects. 

Lisa 

Hi! I’m a 1st year psychology student. I run my own coffee and cake business and generally have a very busy lifestyle as the OU is stuck in there too—but I LOVE it and wouldn’t have it any other way! 

I decided I wanted to be part of the committee because to me it’s new and different, and bringing people together and helping each other is something that is very important to me.

Paula

Hi! I’m a final year criminology and psychology student.  I work full time as a prison officer as well as volunteering at my local foodbank so I lead a very hectic life with the OU on top of everything but I love it and its just who I am.  I became part of the committee as I noticed that there wasn’t a lot of places for us psychology students to meet and to help each other with what comes next, so I wanted something that can help students socialise and get a better understanding with the next stage.

Joann

Hiya, I started my journey with the OU in 2013, I graduated in 2017 and I’m currently in second year of my second undergrad degree. Since I’ve learned a lot of study and time management skills from my first degree, I wanted to spend time helping other people this time around. 

Students have mentioned over and over again that the biggest disadvantage of studying with the OU is the lack of social interaction with other students, and so I joined the committee to help create something where students can socialise with each other. 

Anna

Hey! I’m a second year Forensic Psychology student having previously completed a bachelors in another field at another university, then completed the MSc Psychology with OU and loved it so much I wanted to come back and do the undergraduate here as well. 

My background is in youth work and I’m a Scout leader in my spare time. I love being outside, camping, hiking and catching up with friends and I’m also a crazy dog lady! I’m an unpaid carer too, which is a large part of the reason I wanted to be part of this pioneering project as it can sometimes feel lonely studying online so think it’s important for us to create an active community of Psychology students to give everyone a space to engage with each other.

Jamie

I’m a Coaching Psychologist currently working on my MSc Psychology with the OU. I’m also an OU Student Association Volunteer and Student Representative for the School of Psychology and Counselling Board of Studies.

I enjoy long distance walking and I’ve completed the 500-mile Camino de Santiago in a month, the 150-mile Whithorn Way and the 100-mile West Highland Way so far. I’ve also done a few virtual distance walks of the British Isles during lockdown!

I like to write from time to time, and last year I was runner up in the BPS Poetry Competition! I also enjoy travel and languages and am currently doing my best to get to grips with Contemporary Chinese in Glasgow.

We have our own email address: 

ScottishPsychologyCommittee@gmail.com

You can contact us for more information, or with ideas and share to your thoughts on how best to develop the committee and community. 

We look Forward to meeting you all and developing a strong, supportive, and inspiring Scottish Psychology Students Community.