Studying psychology is a full time job it will take you 40 hours a week on average. Attending lectures, tutorials, work group sessions and practicals will take about 14 to 16 hours these are the contact hours. The rest of the time you will study independently preparing for the lectures and work group sessions, writing assignments and essays, and reading. The first year consist of 12 courses, divided over two semesters, and a semester is divided into two blocks of 8 10 weeks. For successfully completing each course you get a number of credits, and one credit represents 28 hours of studying. introduction to psychology you will learn about the most important schools of thought in psychology and you will be given an overview of the various subdisciplines. history of psychology this course represents the ideas about psychology as a science and the psychological functioning of people change over time.

What is science and how do our ideas about science develop? a historical overview. academic skills tutorial you will be trained in academic skills. And you will learn how the library works, what you can find there, and how to put together a bibliography or a reference list. psychology and science the e prospectus will give you a list and description of all first year courses, as well as important details click on the name of the course.

Leiden university uses many digital tools to support our teaching and your studying. You enrol for exams and will get your results through the university leiden community network ulcn . Our blackboard will give you online access to materials posted by lecturers and to messages or documents posted by your fellow students. Remember, you should be striving to demonstrate that you've accessed and used the highest quality academic material in relation to the essay question. However non peer reviewed articles and textbooks may be used as supplementary references. Non peer reviewed references, secondary sources provide adjunct support for your argument, but your main conjectures should preferably be supported by the citation of peer reviewed, primary references.

Can the textbook be cited? yes, but remember that the textbook is not a primary source, i.e. Access and cite primary references as much as possible, but you can use the textbook as a supplementary reference. However, it would also be desirable for meeting the theory and research requirements that you demonstrate familiarity with recent/current literature.

how many references should be used? what really matters is not the number of references, but rather their quality and also how well they are used to help address the topic / answer the question. References that are directly related to the topic, are relatively recent, and are based on theory and/or research from peer reviewed sources which are used to support support the essay's claims would be far preferable to a relatively large number of somewhat tangential or low quality references which are dumped into the essay rather than integrated into the argument. For those who want a more precise rule of thumb probably each paragraph should include one or more references and/or roughly use at least one reference per 150 words.

presentation 20%

overall impression neatness layout minimal use of quotes written in third person not i/me/my/us/we/our/you/your spelling, punctuation, and grammar paragraph construction and quality of written expression followed apa style before you write your essay it's important to analyse the task and understand exactly what the essay question is asking. It is possible your lecturer will give you some advice pay attention to this as it will help you plan your answer.

At this stage it's not crucial to have a robust understanding of key theories or studies, but you should at least have a general 'gist' of the literature. This plan could be in the form of a mind map, a summary table, or by writing a core statement which encompass the entire argument of your essay in just a few sentences. After writing your plan conduct supplementary reading and refine your plan and make it more detailed. It is tempting to skip these preliminary steps and just write the first draft while reading at the same time. However, reading and planning will make the essay writing process easier, quicker, and ensure a higher quality essay is produced.

a global structure structure the material in a way that allows for a logical sequence of ideas. Each paragraph should comprise a main theme which are illustrated and developed through a number of points supported by evidence. knowledge and understanding recognise, recall and show understanding on a range of scientific material that accurately reflects the main theoretical perspectives. critical evaluation arguments should be supported by appropriate evidence and/or theory from the literature. quality of written communication writing clearly and succinctly with appropriate use of paragraphs, spelling and grammar. In the main body of the essay every paragraph should demonstrate both knowledge and critical evaluation. Most students make the mistake of writing too much knowledge and not enough evaluation which is the difficult bit.

Themes are illustrated and developed through a number of points supported by evidence. Choose relevant points only, ones that most reveal the theme or help to make a convincing and interesting argument. Don't make the mistake of writing all the information you know regarding a particular topic. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences. Each paragraph should have a purpose / theme, and make a number of points which need to be support by high quality evidence. It would be useful at the beginning of each paragraph if you explicitly outlined the theme being discussed .e.g.

It is more appropriate to use original content to demonstrate your understanding. Psychology is a science so you must support your ideas with evidence not your own personal opinion. If you are discussing a theory or research study make sure you cite the source of the information. Note this is not the author of a textbook you have read but the original source / author s of the theory or research study. For example: bowlby 1951 claimed that mothering is almost useless if delayed until after two and a half to three years and, for most children, if delayed till after 12 months, i.e. There is a critical period. maslow 1943 stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs.

When one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fullfil the next one, and so on. as a general rule make sure there is at least one citation i.e. Don't make the mistake of simply writing everything you know of a particular topic, be selective. John bowlby developed and refined the concept of attachment over a number of years, he drew on ideas from psychodynamic theory of sigmund freud and from ethology the study of animal behaviour to create a theory about a bonding relationship that develops between parents and their children, and the disruption to that relationship which can occur through separation, bereavement or emotional deprivation. He argued that affectional ties between children and their parents or caregivers have a biological and evolutionary basis. There is a predisposition in babies to maintain proximity t their caregivers and to behave in ways that attract their attention and engage their involvement.

First Year Psychology Essays Text

presentation 20%

Help Writing An Abstract