Natalie | St Andrews Senior Highlights 2024

Take us through your IB experience. How has the IB Diploma Programme been for you?

I took Psychology, English, and Biology for my HLs (Higher Levels), and for my SLs (Standard Levels) I took Business, Mandarin, and Maths AA (Analysis and Approaches). I think the IB Diploma is a very diverse programme – it prepares us for the real world and it provides us with opportunities to discover our various interests. So, it doesn’t restrict us to one pathway in life; it expands our opportunities to look at other possible careers.

If I wanted to go into Business, I could. If I wanted to pursue Bioengineering, I could as well. The programme doesn’t limit us in finding what we want to do in life, which I think is really good.

Why have you chosen Psychology for your Bachelor’s?

Psychology is something that has sparked my interest since I started learning about it. I really like the real-world applications that psychology has led me to discover. I think it really expands my critical thinking skills, because it makes me think of real-life implications; how it applies to real situations in life.

So, I’m so happy to accept my offer in Bath, because I also applied for a work placement. I’ll do two years of study in the course, then my third year will be in a work enviroment, and then my fourth year will focus on my dissertation. 

Any idea of what you want to pursue after your Bachelor’s?

Currently, I’m not too sure. I like Psychology, but I don’t know where I want to go with it yet. If I were to become a psychologist or psychiatrist, I would have to study for four more years after my Bachelor’s. I might go into the biological perspective in psychology; I really like Biology in the IB. Neuroscience is a possibility. But I haven’t really decided if I want to be a researcher or a practitioner in the industry, so, I’ll see. Just go with the flow!