Psychology Society fights back… in more ways than one

GCU Students’ Association’s Psychology Society is back once again – and better than ever. 

After a year’s hiatus due to the pandemic, the dedicated bunch have dramatically expanded their member and committee count, while also offering students everything from quiz nights to self defence classes.  

We caught up with Psychology Society President, Vincent Waters, to find out more: 

So, tell me a bit about what’s been happening with the society? 

“I was in the Psychology Society in my second year but last year there basically wasn’t one because of coronavirus. I was then approached by staff at the end of the last academic year, who asked if I would be up for helping to get it going again. I approached another one of our fourth year students, Zainab,and we decided to try and gather some interest. Our main focus was if people were actuallyupfor being a part of it. We didn’t want to have a standard boring committee and were more interested if people were up for coming along to our events that we planned on holding.  

Thankfully the uptake we got was a lot more than we expected! We are now sitting with a committee of 16, which is the biggest in the history of the society. When I initially got involved there were only four of us! We also have 74 members and we’ve never managed anything like that before.”

Why do you think there was such an interest? 

“I think a lot of people are pleased to be back. Everyone is wanting to get that “University experience” but that’s not possible when you’re sitting at home, alone in your bedroom. You need to get on campus and be amongst your peers – especially on a course like Psychology.  

It doesn’t matter what year you’re in; if it’s first or second year, then they might not have been on campus beforeandif they’re in fourth year then they’ll be keen to make the most of their experience before they finish up.” 

What are the plans for 2022? 

“We’re looking to do things a bit differently, while also not getting too adventurous! Historically the society would do an academic and a social event in each trimester, so we’ll definitely do that, but there will be more as well! 

We’re going to hold an academic talk, which will be from an interesting speaker discussing different psychological aspects. They’re not all going to be strict psychological theory based; for example, the first person coming in will be talking about nutrition and its impact on psychology and mood. 

In terms of social activity, we’re going to have our staff/student quiz, which is a bit of a society tradition for us! Socialising with staff is always something that we like to do. There’s always a staff quizmaster and the questions are always fun – it’s a great event!"

You’re also supporting students on campus – tell us a bit about that? 

“We actually surveyed psychology students and one of the things that kept coming up was that they didn’t really know much about the campus. So, quite simply, we just decided to run some tours. We showed them the building and things like that but we also gave them some helpful tips. We taught them things that they probably wish they knew – like the quickest way to get from building to building and quiet study spaces where they won’t be disturbed. It’s great because it gave them the chance to talk a bit about the course, socialise and get some advice.”

What else can students expect?  

“In the next trimester, we’re going to be offering sessions in Krav Maga – which is basically Israeli self defence and originally started by their armed forces. Initially, we’re looking to offer it to female students and we’re doing that with a view of self-protection in the world outside University. We were particularly thinking about the spike in incidents across the UK and the current climate females find themselves living in. The idea is to give them a taster and help them feel empowered, safe and feeling like they don’t have to constantly be looking over their shoulder.” 

In general, what do you view as the role of the society? 

“The job of the society is to enrich the experience of primarily Psychology students, but also any student that want to join from GCU. Also, in partnership with the staff, we want to help create a real sense of community. We’re now just hoping that all of our planning pays off!”  

You can find out more about the Psychology Society on the GCU Students’ Association website and on their Facebook page. 

By Ross Clark  
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or message me on Twitter