Alongside his master’s in clinical psychology, Daniel has volunteered as a research assistant and worked with Southampton psychologists on current research. He explains why these experiences have been important and helped him grow as a person.
In addition to the formal ‘learning’ side of my degree, the University has given me the chance to experience what being a researcher is really like day to day.
I was lucky enough to take part in the Voluntary Research Assistant scheme, where I worked in the Centre for Homeless Research and Practice. Because of this experience, I applied for – and got – a summer internship looking at qualitative data describing the experiences of physiotherapy patients.
Part of the team from day one
My role as a research assistant involved helping to research and write sections of a research paper that focused on the experiences of different service providers for people experiencing homelessness with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse conditions.
An important part of what I did included presenting my research to the rest of the team and explaining its importance in the context of the wider literature on simultaneous health conditions and homelessness.
I worked closely with Nick Maguire, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Dr Stephanie Barker and PhD student Jennifer Tarabay in the Centre. They all helped me develop my research skills and advised me daily.
The paper I helped write will be published soon, and I’m getting the chance to present our research results at a conference in March.
Seeing the difference I could make
During my summer internship, I assessed the experiences of patients while they had physiotherapy. I did a thematic analysis of 16 patient transcripts to uncover common patterns and experiences.
My research experience has allowed me to ‘test drive’ a future career and gain confidence in interviews and assessments.
My passion for psychology started at A level. When I did a tour of Southampton, I spoke to a few of the lecturers and they were down-to-earth and friendly, which made me feel at home.
I decided this was the place I wanted to dig deeper into psychology and loved it so much I stayed for postgraduate study too.
Both my degrees have increased my knowledge of the stigma associated with homelessness and the issues facing this group today. One day, I hope to develop a way to reverse the negative perceptions towards people experiencing homelessness.
Changing as a person
When I came here as an undergrad student, Southampton was a new challenge for me, being so far away from home. But I think I actually enjoyed that and have benefited from meeting so many unique people who are able to challenge me and help me grow. I’ve changed enormously since college, with thanks to the social circle I developed here.
I believe I’ve developed many skills during my time at university. I’ve learnt how to make and retain friends; I now have a very close-knit group of friends and I’m confident they’ll be with me throughout my life.
I’ve also had to learn how to be financially responsible, which is a key life skill, and I’ve become very adept at budgeting and managing finances.
I think the person I am today, 4 years on since first joining the University, is more professionally and socially aware. I feel ready to enter adult life and start my career.
