Meet Isabella - who studied BSc Psychology

Tell us about your career path since graduation. How did you end up where you are?

My post-graduation story is not straight forward or made up exclusively of happy endings. It's a story full of twists and turns, rejections and rejoicing and, most of all, academic and professional development. 

Moving to Scotland, I completed an MSc in Research Methods in Psychology hoping to gain a place on a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) in Edinburgh. I’d continued with the interests that I had developed whilst at Royal Holloway - student engagement, politics, volunteering and writing, as well as championing student voice working with the Students Union and as PGT Representative for Psychology. Despite everything I did not get offered a place at Edinburgh, which broke my heart and academic confidence for a long time. But as my thesis took shape, I eventually decided to apply to as many positions with clinical experience as possible.  

The jobs market was extremely tough and I did think it was a lost cause at a certain point. Almost on a whim I applied to Penumbra to be one of their Mental Health and Wellbeing Workers at Milestone (a rehabilitation service for individuals diagnosed with Alcohol Related Brain Damage). I did not think I had a chance - so many applicants were interested and my academic self-confidence was at an all-time low. However, the manager seemed eager and set up an interview with me. We talked, we laughed, I described my previous experience working in healthcare settings, and thirty minutes after the interview had concluded, the manager called to offer me the job – and so began my journey into my work in substance misuse. A journey, which I had not planned, did not expect, but has somehow gripped me in ways I did not think possible. 

What do you enjoy most about your work? 

Within two months of working at Milestone, I was promoted to Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner and subsequently headhunted by NHS Lothian to be their Honorary Assistant Psychologist for their substance misuse team. I love my work: the therapeutic 1-1 sessions, the psychometric assessments, the development of our service users over their 12-week stay and the growth that my budding career has offered me. 

I am allowed to explore my interests in writing and have started a service newsletter as well as contributed articles to The British Psychological Society, and I am permitted to unfold myself creatively, socially, and professionally.

What was it about your time at Royal Holloway that has most benefitted your career or influenced your path since graduation?

My time at Royal Holloway was shaped by both the Department of Psychology and the extra-curricular activities present on campus. The friends I made participating in societies, getting involved with the RH100 panel, my School of Life Sciences and the Environment Presidency and my experience as peer guide and student helper have followed me into my career and have set me up with a network that can never be replaced. I still keep in touch with friends from Holloway (I even attended two of their weddings this summer), and it is a bond that keeps me grounded and healthy. 

What do you think Royal Holloway provided that you would not have got anywhere else? 

Soon after starting my postgrad degree I realised that the wealth of knowledge I had gained whilst studying at Royal Holloway was unmatched at my current institution. I reached out to Head of Department and my previous statistics lecturer with a huge ‘thank you’. Without the academic knowledge that had, so carefully, been handed over to me, I would not have succeeded in the way that I did on my master's course, nor would I have the clinical and academic skills required in my current practice.

What would you say to potential students considering studying at Royal Holloway? 

If you would like a campus which feels like home, and if you would like to attend a university which allows you to create your own family and close-knit community during the time of your studies, Royal Holloway is an excellent choice. Student voices are truly heard and students are included in important decision making - this is not the case across the academic board and is a quality that is somewhat unique to Royal Holloway. 

What advice would you give to students thinking about a career in your sector?

To students thinking about a career in psychology, I would urge careful consideration. Psychology is a huge field and there is a large difference between research-focused pathways and clinical pathways. I would advise anyone considering a career within the field to sit down and truly think about what they would like to do. 

• Are you most interested in clinical practice? Educational psychology? Social psychology?
• Would you prefer to do research?
• Are you dead-set on working for the NHS or would you consider a private company? 
• What type of clients would you like to work with and why? 

These are all questions that will need answered before you commit to a pathway and questions you will be asked in potential interviews, so do make sure you have reflected on them beforehand.

What did you love most about your time at Royal Holloway? 

MY FRIENDS! 

I speak to the friends that I made a Royal Holloway every single day, despite us all being spread across the globe and working in vastly different fields. I didn't realise it at the time, as I was too focused stressing over coursework, but the sheer amount of time I had available to spend with my best friends is time I would now give everything to have back. The voices of my friends ring through me and influence every decision I make, and they are the first ones to support me in my every endeavour. Royal Holloway made that kind of community possible, and I thank the heavens every single day that I was lucky enough to get to experience such true love. 

What's your favourite memory of Royal Holloway?

My favorite memory can be split into two: academic and social. Before and after lectures, my course-mates and I would often meet and hang out and catch up. These are the academic memories - meeting up with my friends and sitting in sunny Founders Square, talking about the upcoming lecture, before settling into our seats in Windsor Auditorium for two hours, only to then go to the Packhorse Pub for a post-lecture pint.

Societies were also a huge part of my university experience, and I was lucky enough to sit on the Dance Society committee. Spending time with my friends from there, socialising, rehearsing and going on the annual Dance Society holiday. That’s my favourite social memory.