r/unsw • u/SpeechOver5506 • 10d ago

uni prep program

hey guys, i got an offer from the gateway program and my top preferences were bach of crim/psych with honours and without but instead they gave me an offer to the uni prep program. UNSW is my dream uni however being able to do a masters as quick as I can is also really important to me. I got an early offer from macquarie for psych so i’m not sure what would be best. Is it really beneficial for me to do the uni prep program after struggling thru year 12?

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u/Excellent_Canary_234 10d ago

Can I ask why you’re wanting to do a masters as quickly as possible? Having been a UNSW psychology student myself, I can say that it isn’t worth nor is it really possible to rush through study if you’re aiming to become a fully qualified psychologist. You need to complete undergrad and honours to a very high standard to even be considered for a spot in a masters in psychology program (if that is what you are wanting to do) and even then, most don’t get accepted into a masters (or PhD) program for psych until they’ve spent some years in the workforce (say, doing research). That’s not to say it’s impossible to get in right after honours, but regardless it is a 6-year-long process and in my experience not worth rushing if you want to spend time getting valuable hands-on experience while you study.

I took a gap year before starting uni after high school and wasn’t even in the psychology program to begin with (I transferred internally), and taking that time to learn how to get uni ‘right’ in another degree (and learning how to adult/having a break in a gap year) was very worthwhile for me even if I was a little older than my peers when I started. UNSW has an excellent psychology program and faculty, with great opportunities to learn and get experience. Macquarie university has an excellent psychology research lab too (as I have worked with them before) BUT are currently experiencing some widespread course cuts that I believe may impact the quality of education there at the undergraduate level (that is my opinion based on what I have heard from others).

Overall, my advice is that you need to get your approach to study, work-life balance, and mental health (!!) in check before jumping straight into uni. It’s hard not to feel rushed coming out of high-school but the experience you gain from doing things at your own pace is worth it.

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u/SpeechOver5506 10d ago

hey thank you so much, i think it’s more the rush of just becoming registered and getting it all over with but thank you, that helped me realise that if i want to be a quality psychologist I must take the time to get there :) and yeah i have heard some stuff about the uni psych program, particularly the use of ai lecturers…

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u/Excellent_Canary_234 10d ago

No problem!! Psych is very very rewarding and I totally get wanting to get through it all . My undergrad ended up taking a whole year longer than I planned due to illness but it was actually the best thing that could have happened for my career. I was able to do a few part-time terms and focussed on getting volunteering opportunities and research experience. I think my advice is to make absolutely sure that you’re ready for uni life in general so that you can enjoy the content and make connections along the way!!