Is this course for me?
Until you try it you won’t know! If you enjoy thinking about why people behave in the way that they do or if you want to understand yourself better, then this course will be of interest. You will learn about your memory, stress, psychological disorders, obedience and conformity and will study a range of other topics. Since all jobs involve dealing with people, having some understanding of human behaviour is going to be an advantage! Psychology is a well established course at Helston Community College and has remained a consistently popular choice for Post 16 students because they find the course interesting, challenging, satisfying and fun!

What qualifications do I need?
You will need at least 5 grade 4's in GCSE subjects (not equivalents), successful students tend to have  at least 2 grade 6's from English, Maths or Science. It is also advisable to study the Core Maths qualification alongside this subject.

What does the course involve?
A wide range of teaching methods alternating between teacher-centred and student-centred lessons. Students will find out about: the attachment between babies and parents, the effects of extreme neglect upon a child’s development, how their memory works, and ways to improve it, how other people can influence them to carry out atrocities such as the holocaust, stress, its effects and ways to cope with it, as well as psychological disorders such as schizophrenia and anorexia. Additionally students can study, relationships and aggression. Students also learn to analyse theories and investigations in a critical way and develop the skills to carry out their own psychological investigations.

How will my work be assessed?
For the complete A2 course there will be three different examinations.

• Paper 1: Social Psychology, Attachment Memory & Psychopathology
• Paper 2: Approaches to Psychology, Biopsychology & Research Methods
• Paper 3: Relationships, Schizophrenia, Aggression and Issues & Debates
  
  

What can I do afterwards?
If you think you will end-up working with people or animals then this is a relevant course!
Psychology has grown to be one of the largest subjects taken at A Level. Part of the reason for this is the subject’s popularity amongst students but it is also due to both Universities and employers recognising the value of the course and the skills it encourages students to have. Students with degrees in Psychology can enter a whole range of graduate professions and after additional training can become clinical psychologists, diagnosing and treating those with mental illness