Rachael Mears

Psychology – BSc (Hons)

Rachael was worried that she would struggle at university due to her mental health but BCU’s support services helped her receive a diagnosis and the support she needed. Now, she’s on the path to helping others. 

“After struggling with my own mental health and having brothers with autism, I realised I wanted to find out more about these conditions and help others through a career as a psychologist in the NHS. I did some research and realised the best route was to study a psychology degree.

I found this daunting as I was the first person in my family to consider university. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I saw that BCU’s psychology course offered modules that would help me on my chosen career path.

I was worried it would be difficult to access the mental health support I needed at university, but it actually couldn’t have been easier. I sent the mental health team an email and I had my first appointment within a week. The team helped me receive a diagnosis and get the right support. Without them, I’m not sure I would have been able to access the right support I needed throughout my degree.

I’ve had a lot of one-on-one support from the lecturers on my course too. I’ve found that this has really impacted my grades and made a huge impact on my academic experience. My lecturers are always around in their offices and on campus, so I always know I can visit them to talk. Having lecturers that are easily accessible and approachable when you need them makes a big difference.

My course and lecturers have really helped me prepare for my future career. We have the opportunity to work with the British Psychological Society to gain hands-on experience and gain knowledge of the different roles available to psychology graduates. I’ve developed lots of key skills such as communication and teamwork.

The university have also provided the experience to hear from people working as Assistant Psychologists. This was helpful as they were able to explain step by step what they did after university to get the role. They also told us about their day-to-day tasks and their experiences in the sector. I’ve decided that after I graduate, I want to apply for an assistant psychology role and hearing other people’s success stories has given me the motivation I need.

As well as my course, some of the societies at BCU have helped me gain key skills I can use as an Assistant Psychologist. I’m the president of the psychology society, which helped me connect with lots of people and learn to communicate with people of different backgrounds. Last year I was secretary of the ‘put the kettle on’ society. The society encourages people to come and talk about their mental health. It was great to be able to help others and direct them to the support services that could make a huge difference in their lives.

To me, ‘I am BCU’ means being part of a community, which has helped me become so much more outgoing and confident.