Welcome to Psychology: New Student Information and Welcome Week Timetable

Start by registering for university IT access at this webpage. This will let you access all the necessary platforms and systems that the university uses.

Please visit this webpageLink opens in a new window to learn more about what IT tools you will need for your course.

Check your laptop against the recommended psychology IT specs.Link opens in a new window You will need a laptop (not a tablet) to run certain programmes).

---

Key Digital Platforms

Moodle: Moodle hosts your Pyschology Handbook and each module will have a dedicated Moodle page where readings, tasks for each week, and assessment information will be uploaded.

Please note that you will not be able to see anything on Moodle until you've registered for your course (including right to study checks, should that be applicable).

Tabula: You will use Tabula to see your coursework deadlines, electronically submit assignments and download marking feedback.

Core Modules

The individual elements of your degree are known as modules (or courses). Each module has a different focus.

The majority of First-Year modules are core, which means that they are non-optional. (Only full Psychology students have any optionality).
Although your grade at the end of First Year does not count towards your final degree grading, you are required to pass all core modules in order to continue into your second year.

Outlines for your first-year modules are available at Psychology Module information. This includes information on any set of texts and other reading.

To learn more about your first-year modules, including options information for all degree combinations, click here.

---

Outside Modules

You will have the option of taking an outside module (a module from a department that isn't psychology). For Psychology students this can replace PS123 and/or PS124 'Psychology in the Real World' modules.

All Psychology and joint degree students can request take an outside module in addition to the core modules - this is known as an overCAT.

If you are interested in outside modules, you can find information on each individual department's webpages. Some modules are open to all students, but some are reserved for home department students – it is always a good idea to have a talk with the module convener to check.

You will get more information in your first week, and won't be expected to register for optional modules straightaway.

---

Reading List

Remember that there is no need to buy books until you get here!

Check out your suggested Reading ListLink opens in a new window.

Basic reading for first-year modules can be from general textbooks, with additional reading coming from more specialised texts and journal articles. Any of the textbooks here would be suitable basic reading in the first year. They will be available in the university bookshop or to borrow from the university library.

Personal tutors will arrange an initial 1:1 meeting with their tutees in week 1. You will then attend group tutorials once per fortnight for the remainder of the term, finishing with another 1:1 meeting in Week 10.

Group tutorials with your Personal Tutor are designed to:

• help you to get the most out of lectures, seminars, practical sessions and the library;
• help you to organise and write essays and practical reports;
• explain the various assessment procedures;
• generally to discuss all aspects of the course in an informal setting.

Your Personal Tutor is also there to help you with any problems which may arise throughout your time at Warwick, so you are free to arrange additional meetings with them as required.

The Library is available 24 hours for all students to use as needed. You can find a huge variety of resources, both online and in-person. All your required course reading will be available from the library.

Click here to learn more about the services offered.

The library also offers specific academic support to Psychology students, including guidance on referencing and useful databases. Visit their webpage here.

Your degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), so if you achieve a 2:2 or above, you will be eligible for the graduate basis for chartership in psychology (GBC) from the BPS. As such, we have clearly aligned your degree to these external requirements.

All assessments have specific objectives, which are directly linked to the learning outcomes at the module and course-level. Your modules contain a mixture of both summative and formative assessments, a diverse range of tasks, rigorous quality assurance mechanisms and individualised feedback. Assessments can take the form of exams, essays, class tests, presentations and group work, etc.

For more information on our Assessment and Feedback models, please click here.

Who is my Personal Tutor?

• Each student is allocated a Personal Tutor at Warwick. Usually, this is a member of the academic staff in your department.
• Details of your Personal Tutor will appear on TabulaLink opens in a new window in due course.

What is their role?

• Your Personal Tutor is your first point of contact within the department to discuss any issues that arise, whether pastoral or academic.

• If you go to them with a concern they may signpost you on to the most appropriate specialist support, as they are not a counsellor.

• You can draw on their experience and expertise as and when you need – they are your ongoing individual face-to-face relationship within the department and are here to support you throughout your time at Warwick.
• They are also the most obvious person to provide references for you after you graduate, so it is worthwhile investing time into developing a strong working relationship.

When will we meet?

• Personal tutors will arrange an initial 1:1 meeting with their tutees in week 1. You will then attend group tutorials once per fortnight for the remainder of the term, finishing with another 1:1 meeting in Week 10.
• You may request additional meetings as and when you need them.

How will we meet?

• Your group tutorials will take place in a free space on campus. This will be shown on Tabula in advance of the meeting. Any 1:1 meetings are most likely to take place in your Personal Tutor’s office.
• You can find room locations, contact details & office hours for your Personal Tutor on the Psychology Department's People pages

Find out More

Senior Tutors

Each department at the University has a Senior Tutor. These are experienced Personal Tutors, whose role is to assist you with any problems that arise regarding personal tutoring.

In 25/26, the Senior Tutor for First Year is Dr Hester Duffy
Email: .

For a more in-depth look at your wider departmental support options, please click here.

---

The Director of Student Experience and Progression (DSEP) will be your first port of call regarding issues that affect your cohort as a whole (e.g. concerns about lecture timetabling, general organisational issues etc).

Your Director of Student Experience & Progression (DSEP) is Dr Jagjeet Jutley-Neilson (jagjeet.jutley-neilson@warwick.ac.uk)

Your deputy Director of Student Experience is Dr Gemma Gray (g.gray@warwick.ac.uk).  

---

The Directors of Undergraduate Studies (DUGS) are responsible for the overall academic running of your Psychology degree. You can meet with the DUGS during office hours (no need to book an appointment) or email for a specific meeting time.

Your DUGS is Dr Elisabeth Blagrove (E.L.Blagrove@warwick.ac.uk).

Your deputy DUGS is Dr Gitit Kadar-Satat

Gitit.Kadar-Satat@warwick.ac.uk

---

The Head of Department’s role includes improving student experience, ensuring a diverse and inclusive environment for staff and students, and maintaining the Department’s reputation for internationally recognised research.

Your Head of Department is Professor Fiona MacCallum (Fiona.MacCallum@warwick.ac.uk).

Your deputy Head of Department, with teaching focus, is Dr Adrian von Muhlenen (a.vonmuhlenen@warwick.ac.uk)

Your deputy Head of Department, with research focus, is Professor Adam Sanborn (A.N.Sanborn@warwick.ac.uk)

For a more in-depth look at your wider departmental support options, please click here.

The Undergraduate Programmes Team deals with the administration of your undergraduate degree. If you have any questions not covered during Welcome Week, please drop by the office in GF.57, Psychology Building.

For all general enquiries, please contact psychology@warwick.ac.uk.

Key contacts:

Emily Biggs (Teaching & Learning Manager);

Alice Parkes (Programmes Coordinator);

Jody Roche (Senior UG Programmes Officer, including admin for Intercalated Year and Visiting Students).

TBC (UG Programmes Officer)

Reine Walker (UG Programmes Officer)

The Department of Psychology runs a Peer Mentoring scheme, which will match you with a second or third year student, who will act as your Buddy Mentor.

They can assist you in making the most of your time at Warwick, giving you those inside tips to help you settle in to university life. This can be anything from navigating the Students’ Union & meeting other students on your course, to time management & making the most of your modules.

You can apply for a Buddy Mentor here.Link opens in a new window

Your Buddy Mentor is not a replacement for your Personal Tutor, but rather their role is to provide you with a ‘student’s view’ of studying at Warwick, as well as signposting you to the support or services available.

Before signing up to the Mentoring Scheme, please make sure you have read the Code of ConductLink opens in a new window.

For a more in-depth overview of Peer Mentoring within the Psychology Department, click hereLink opens in a new window.

SSLC stands for Student-Staff Liaison Committee. There are SSLCs in each department in the University that feed into both the Students' Union and the University administration.

SSLCs are committees made up of elected student representatives and members of staff. They are student-led and provide an area for students and staff to discuss ideas and solve problems connected with teaching, learning and student support.

If you're interested in the work of the SSLC, or have an issue you would like to be discussed, you should speak with one of your Course Representatives. If you have questions about the running of the SSLC, you should speak with the SSLC Chair.

Check out the Psychology SSLC - Course Rep pages.

Find out more on the Warwick SU SSLC webpage.Link opens in a new window

The webpages cover course information from the department and university, but the Student Tips GuideLink opens in a new window is here to offer you some hints and tips from your peers to help you, both as you get started and through your degree.

---

Tips for writing polite and professional emails

We are all used to communicating in lots of different ways in our day to day life and each form of communication has its own quirks and conventions.

For instance, when emailing staff think about how you are addressing them, e.g. check if they are a Doctor or Professor and use more formal email starters such as To/Dear.

Brush up on your email writing etiquette using this handy guide writtenLink opens in a new window by fellow students (and checked by the staff you'll be emailing!).

Moving to a new country for university can bring a whole host of questions and challenges but there is lots of support available and our International Student webpagesLink opens in a new window are a great place to start.

After completing course registration, all international students requiring a visa to study in the UK will need to attend an in-person right to study check. For students arriving during the main arrivals window in September, you'll be able to book your right to study check via the Welcome Week Timetable, and will be prompted to do so when you log in.

We're also running various sessions throughout the Arrivals Period and Welcome Week for international students, including advice on digital banking, day trips to take in the UK, adapting to UK culture and lots more. Head to the Welcome Week Timetable and use the "Filter by event type" and tick "International Students" to find out more!

You can also complete the International Orientation Course which has been designed with International students who have studied at Warwick and provides guidance and insights on what to expect from your time here.

Warwick has a wide range of disability support available which you can learn about via the disability services webpagesLink opens in a new window.

If you have declared a disability during your application, someone should reach out via email, Please follow up with them as soon as you receive this.

If you have a disability please do reach out, whether or not you've declared it in the process of applying as there are reasonable adjustments that can be put in place in order to ensure you get the most out of your time here.

Warwick offers lots of societies, and the Societies fair during Welcome weekLink opens in a new window is a good chance to see what you are interested in.

The Students' Union (SU) also organises meet-and-greet socials for all ethnic minority students such as Let's Talk Liberation Meet & Greet: Connect with other minority ethnic students and learn about liberation work on campus (Wednesday 1 October, 2:00–3:30 pm Kevin Gately Room, SUHQ)

These are just some of the societies our students have joined:

African & Caribbean Society (ACS)

The ACS is a central hub for Black students and hosts exclusive social events during Welcome Week to help you connect with others such as Look out for updates on their social media

Warwick ADHD society

A society run by Students with ADHD, for Students with ADHD! We hope to provide Students with ADHD a safe space to socialise and discuss, as well as holding regular socials, events, and informational sessions surrounding ADHD!

Autism at Warwick 

A society set up by and for autistic students at the university. We run socials and campaigns, and are home to a lively Discord group chat where members can discuss anything from films to baking, as well as providing a safe space for peer support and autism-related discussions.

PsychSoc

PsychSoc is an academic society for students of the psychology department and anyone else with an interest in the subject. As well as organising Psychology focused events (debates, speaker sessions, society collaborations etc) and regular socials, they also host larger events such as Psychology Ball in Term 2.

Are you going to be living off campus in your first year? Explore the centralised Living off-campus webpagesLink opens in a new window which have been produced in collaboration with staff and students to be a comprehensive guide to moving to, living in, and exploring the local areas.

Sections include Local Areas, Off-Campus Living Advice, Health and Wellbeing Off Campus and Safety and Support Off Campus.

Particularly useful sections:

• There is a very handy Moving TimelineLink opens in a new window, with all the different steps and things to think about in the off-campus living advice section to help you identify where you are in you journey of moving!
• Additionally, there are some self-guided toursLink opens in a new window to help you get to know the local area and a 'register your interest' for events relating to sharing information about the local area!

Psychology Student Opportunity

Several of our degrees offer workplace or industry experience as part of the course, and all students have the option of applying for a voluntary year out to undertake work-based learning, or Study Abroad. We can help you source work experience placements, including internships.

There are also many opportunities to work or volunteer on campus. Our temping agency, Unitemps, shares vacancies and can help to find you a job that fits around your study. You can access support at any time through the Student Opportunity Team.

For a more detailed view of Psychology Student Opportunity, please click here.

---

Careers Team

The Warwick Careers team are here to support you throughout your time at university, and after you graduate. They offer in-person and remote services, flexible to your needs and other commitments.

Find out more on the Student Opportunity: Careers webpage.

---

Skills Team

The central Skills team helps ensure all Warwick students are ready for life after graduation - and equipped with the skills they need for a successful future.

They run programmes and interventions that give students opportunities and support for recognising, developing, reflecting on, and articulating their full range of skills.

To see the range of opportunities available, visit their central webpages Student Opportunity: Skills webpage.

Check out 'Skillscast' (their podcast about developing your skills while at University).

---

Where can your degree take you?

The Psychology degree at Warwick is British Psychology Society (BPS) accredited. It develops specific skills which graduate recruiters welcome, and which are transferable to a wide range of sectors.

Psychology opens a number of specialist career paths such as Clinical, Forensic, Educational, Counselling psychology as well as being valuable in a huge range of other sectors, e.g. data analyst marketing, management and finance roles.

To find out more about where your psychology degree could take you, visit our page on the Warwick Careers hub.