![Roxanne Smith student story](/sites/default/files/styles/event_blog_news_mobile/public/media/images/webimage-60CDAA3B-3605-4C64-B7F0791C0A74E78A.jpg?itok=sEoUSPiU)
![Roxanne Smith student story](/sites/default/files/styles/event_blog_news_mobile/public/media/images/webimage-60CDAA3B-3605-4C64-B7F0791C0A74E78A.jpg?itok=sEoUSPiU)
Roxanne's MSc Health Psychology Master's showed her how much she can achieve by stepping out of her comfort zone
I really enjoy education and wanted to continue learning about psychology as it鈥檚 something I am passionate about and have loved for as long as I can remember.
Postgraduate study appealed to me as a chance to develop my skills and consider whether I wanted to go further in my degree area. I was awarded the Master鈥檚 Scholarship and will also be funding my studies with the postgraduate loan.
As a university, Portsmouth is fantastic for Psychology and teaching in general. It is the only course in the south that offers a work placement as part of a credit bearing module. They help you to find a placement and you are assessed on the skills you learned and developed whilst working there. I don鈥檛 think I would have got a placement position as Honorary Assistant Health Psychologist without studying this course at Portsmouth.
![Roxanne Smith student story](/sites/default/files/styles/statement_mobile/public/media/images/webimage-35AA2C08-C486-4CAB-8CB0C33B50DB78E1.jpg?itok=TQDn0VcO)
As a university, Portsmouth is fantastic for Psychology and teaching in general. It is the only course in the south that offers a work placement as part of a credit bearing module.
Roxanne Smith, MSc Health Psychology
At Portsmouth, I鈥檝e learnt that I can achieve much more than I tell myself, that I am actually good at the thing I study, and that by getting out of my comfort zone and doing things that I might have said 鈥渘o鈥 to 5 years ago I can really thrive and be successful.
Portsmouth has really good services such as the Student Wellbeing Service and Careers and Employability. I owe a lot to the Wellbeing Service who helped me to become more resilient and ready to tackle the academic year. I think that the University as a whole has really helpful, friendly and supportive staff - from librarians to department technicians, supervisors or the admin team for the course. It is a really encouraging and positive environment.
You are never alone with services like Wellbeing, the Student Finance Centre, and Careers and Employability. The services that the uni offer are so valuable and I would recommend utilising them if you ever need to - everyone is really friendly, helpful and impartial and have a vested interest in your wellbeing.
I love the city. Living by the sea was a huge appeal coming from a small town in the countryside. It鈥檚 a city that has a lot going on but isn鈥檛 overwhelmingly busy. It definitely feels like home.
I have been a team captain for a sports club, a course rep and I have volunteered with local charities such as Citizens Advice Portsmouth. There are loads of extra-curricular opportunities to improve your CV alongside studying.