Hamed Rahmani

Choosing Surrey

I attended an Open Day and knew straight away that this was where I wanted to be. I spent the day exploring the campus, listening to talks about the University and hearing what students had to say. I really appreciated how welcoming and safe Surrey’s campus felt – I got a real sense of community and belonging. 

The University is also widely recognised by employers, both within the UK and globally, for providing students with key tools and experiences that allow them to successfully thrive in graduate work.  

My course

Learning about people’s behaviours and how the mind operates has fascinated me for many years. One of the most appealing aspects of psychology to me is that you don’t just learn about other people but also about yourself, such as why we make the decisions we do, how we interact with people and understanding human behaviour in various contexts.  

I really enjoy my course due to the wide range of modules available. Every module has its own assessment methods and not all of them are not essay-based. This means you can practise core skills such as teamwork and communication when creating posters or presentations in group projects.  

Surrey has the best facilities for its students. The School of Psychology has lots of labs you can book and use for projects, and the computers have the software needed for the course, such as Jamovi. There have been opportunities to use brain imaging techniques, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and learn about brain stimulation techniques, such as transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). 

My Professional Training placement

I completed my Professional Training placement year at the Oasis Nurture Project, managed by Oasis Charitable Trust. Oasis Nurture is an innovative embedded structure within a school setting that provides holistic, child-centred services for children through psychotherapy-based activities, mentoring, educational support and positive experiences.  

I had the opportunity to lead and co-facilitate group sessions, provide academic support and host a series of lunchtime clubs. After a period of shadowing the clinical director and receiving specialised training, I was able to run my own one-to-one sessions with students and work with them.  

I’d definitely recommend doing a placement! I got to apply and practise the academic learning I’d done at Surrey to topics such as attachment and behaviour theories and child development. Most importantly, I identified my strengths and weaknesses, not only as a student but as an employee. 

Looking back

My time at Surrey has been a critical period of my life – it’s allowed for a smooth transition into early adulthood and finding who I truly am.  

Find out more about our Psychology BSc.