Student Ambassador Update - February 2024

Hey Student Ambassadors, we hope you are doing well.

Thank you very much for sending us your updates, as usual it was lovely hearing about what you have been up to.

We have shared great examples of your work below. If you have met with your branch representatives, we hope you have found this useful and are working closely with them to give a student voice to their initiatives.

Student Ambassador Activity

This is the space where we provide you with an update of each branch region's activities.

Gemma Wood - Arden University

Gemma has been busy running regular drop-in sessions online for Arden students where they have the opportunity to ask any BPS related questions.

These sessions have great attendance and students have been using their membership benefits more. Gemma has also created a form where students can anonymously submit questions.

Kimberley Tedds – Coventry University

Kim delivered two talks alongside the Careers Service to first years and master's students about how BPS student membership can support them in their career planning to work in professional psychology.

Sana Rehman – Royal Holloway University of London

Sana set up a BPS Cafe event for all psychology students. BPS careers resources were shared, and students engaged in careers related discussions over some tea and coffee.

Tom Scourfield – Swansea University

After sharing enthusiasm for a dedicated room purely for Psychology students, Tom's wish has been granted! The current focus is to advised students of what is available to them – there has been quite a lot of interest already. The space has been used by final year students for drop ins and Tom has utilised the space to hold meetings with staff and class representatives. Looks like the Swansea Psychology community may have found its home. 

Tom has shared issues of The Psychologist magazine and has created slides to circulate information regarding student membership. Student reps are also reviving the University Psychology Society. Tom is also planning a talk to advise fellow students about all the new developments

Chloe Lam – University of Southampton

Chloe organised a Lunar New Year event where students from different cultures came together to share their traditions. Chloe shared BPS careers resources, student made paper lanterns and tried various East Asian snacks. Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about what the BPS can offer students whilst connecting with fellow students.

Megan Barker – University of Sussex

Megan has created a BPS Student Ambassador Newsletter which will be distributed around the university. Great way to circulate information, take a look some of the newsletter below.

Saud Alrashidi – University of Bristol

Saud held a stall at the university psychology careers fair. Saud was able to share the BPS careers resources with many students. Saud found that students who were enrolled onto a non-accredited psychology master's programme were extremely interested in the resources and wanted to understand more about accreditation and career paths.

Vlad Makar – University of Leicester

Vlad has been involved in several activities. During the refreshers fair Vlad promoted the BPS and the university psychology society. Key focus was to educate individuals about the importance of accreditation. Vlad was also given an opportunity at a university event aimed at the importance of volunteering. He spoke about his voluntary experience of being a BPS student ambassador.

Updates from the careers team

Recruitment for new ambassadors starts soon

On 13 May our applications will open for new BPS volunteer student ambassadors to join you.

We are extremely excited to have more enthusiastic ambassadors onboard, and will need your support to spread the word.

If you could start to think about how you could do that over the next couple of months, that would be appreciated.

Call-out from the social media team

 We would love to receive content from you! Some examples of what you could create and send our way are below:

• Videos, photos, or a short-written description of the activities you have carried out for us to use in our student newsletter/magazine
• A day in the life of a student ambassador/psychology student
• Top tips for revision or any other kind of student content
• Quotes from yourselves regarding your experience as a Student Ambassador.

Please send them to [email protected] and [email protected] – thank you in advance!

Events for you to promote within your university

Hidden Histories: Critical and Reflexive uses of the History of Psychology

Date: 1 March, 1–5pm

Location: Online

Cost: Free

The event is open to section members and interested members of the public to discuss critical and reflexive uses of history. Presentations with time for discussion will be from the Chair of the Historical and Philosophical Psychology Section, Professor Gavin Sullivan, and members of the Challenging Histories group of the BPS History of Psychology Centre.

DCoP Wales - Networking Series 2024

Date: 21 March, 12.45–1.45pm

Location: Online

Cost: Free

The Division of Counselling Psychology Wales Committee are pleased to announce their 2024 Networking Series and are delighted to host conversations with Owen Hughes, Sarah Butler-Jones and Ruth Crowder.

These networking sessions will also include a research presentation.

Details of the research presentations will be added to the website in advance of each session.

If you are a member of The Division of Counselling Psychology based in Wales and would like to present your research at one of our networking events please let us know by contacting [email protected].

BPS Scottish Branch 2024 Undergraduate Conference

Date: 30 March, 9am–5pm

Location: University of Aberdeen, Kings College, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX

Cost: Free

The BPS Scotland UG conference celebrates the rich diversity of undergraduate research in Scotland. This conference provides a forum for final year psychology students to deliver a conference talk based on their final year thesis project, whilst also providing an opportunity to meet students from other universities and learn about their work.

Over an extended lunch break the Futures Fair hosts representatives from all the major Divisions of the BPS (e.g. Clinical, Health, Occupational etc) where you can meet practitioners to discuss their profession and to get careers advice.

Situated along the northeastern shore, the School of Psychology at the University of Aberdeen is excited to welcome you to its historic campus. We look forward to welcoming you to Aberdeen for this celebration of outstanding undergraduate research in psychology.

• You can submit an abstract to present a short (10 min) talk based on your thesis project –  great for your CV!
• Registration is open to all students in any year of study to simply attend without presenting
• There will be prizes awarded for best student presentations
• Future's Fair – get careers advice from BPS Divisional practitioners
• Free lunch.

Inspiring Careers in Counselling Psychology

Date: 11 April, 6–8pm

Location: Online

Cost: Free

The Division of Counselling Psychology Scotland invite you to their annual Inspiring Careers Event 'Changing Lanes, pathways in Counselling Psychology'.

This event will offer attendees the chance to hear from Counselling Psychologists within different career settings:

• NHS
• Private Practice
• Academic
• Portfolio
• DPsych student perspective.

Once the panel explains their journey and their work, attendees can ask the panel questions.

March theme - working closely with your university Psychology Society

We'd like you to get in touch with your psychology society on campus.

Share ideas with each other and start having conversations around planning activities. Collaborate and support one another. Possibly find ways of working together for the duration of the academic year.

If there is not a Psychology society at your university, you might want to consider creating one yourself.  

Your next drop-in session

The Student Ambassador catch up will be on Monday 26 February. Please find details below including joining instructions:

Date: Monday 26 February 2024

Time: 5–6.15pm

Location: Teams

Joining details: Please see below

Topic: Mental health

Agenda:

• Introduction to the team and the catch up
• Discussion around ideas and what we have created so far
• Questions and answers

Pre-attendance

This month's session is around mental health. We will be joined by Jack Lowe, Mental Health Lead for the Student Committee. Jack will go through ideas/plans he has within the committee and any collaboration opportunities available.

Once we've discussed this, we'll have time for you to ask questions you might have or any ideas you would like to share.

As always, these sessions are optional, and we will record it for anyone who cannot attend.

We look forward to welcoming you to the session.

Student newsletter / PsychTalk Magazine

As a reminder, we love to share your work across our communication channels.

If you have carried out an activity within your student ambassador role that you are particularly proud of, please send over a short description of the type of activities you have been doing within your role so far, and perhaps some accompanying photos, to [email protected].