Michelle Byrne recently graduated from the BA (Hons) Psychology Programme at DBS. Below are her views on the programme and her time in the college.
As a mature student, returning to third level education can be a daunting path to endeavour; my journey with DBS began with undertaking the Diploma in Sports Psychology on a part time basis when I returned to Ireland from living in Australia for two years. Coming back home brought with it many challenges but I found this gradual transition back to full time education both profoundly exciting and highly rewarding. One of which was warmly supported by the student services at DBS, making the once feared concept of returning to college whist juggling a part time job and having personal commitments a lot easier to grasp and take on.
Throughout my three years studying the BA (Hons) in Psychology, the student focus and support from every lecture across each module was fantastic and extremely reliable. I found the level of encouragement, one to one tuition, challenges set in place and opportunities to grow as a student, constant.
Not only does undertaking this journey broaden one’s knowledge and understanding of the diversities across human behaviour, it offers students the opportunity to engage with one of the most exciting and rapidly growing areas in research; bringing to the fore highly interactive class discussions, supported by the on-going expertise from the lectures across every module.
Covering a myriad of core areas in Psychology in alignment with QQI requirements, DBS offers a unique aspect unlike most colleges in Ireland, in that it provides students with significant volume of Psychoanalysis throughout the degree. Having no previous knowledge of this aspect to Psychology, I was immediately gripped by the clinical relevance Psychoanalysis has to offer when treating various dispositions.
Becoming a member of the Psychological Society of Ireland, attending workshops and guest speaker events that were held throughout Dublin City across different Universities, provided me with practical insight into the areas I could further my career as a student of Psychology outside of the classroom. These avenues where made easily assessable by being a member of the Student Psychology Society in DBS.
Since completing my undergraduate at DBS, I have been offered a three-year scholarship with the University of Dublin, Trinity College to undergo my PhD studies on the hidden prevalence of New Psychoactive Substance use and what psychological factors one considers prior to their decision to use drugs.
This opportunity is a prime example of how effective reaching out to research lectures at DBS can be, which I did in my second year and as a result was fortunate enough to gain voluntary research assistant experience in Trinity College throughout my time studying in DBS. This is but one of the many accolades I have to thank the lectures at DBS for.
Achieving an honours degree from DBS in Psychology not only brings you opportunities across a diversity of academic avenues to further explore upon, it instils a great deal of self-belief and understanding of one’s own well-being, which you can carry with you into the next chapter of wherever your journey may take you.