I’ve now been a Sussex student twice. I’m originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the US, and did my BA at the University of Rochester in New York State, majoring in brain and cognitive science.
Studying abroad had always been a goal of mine, so I decided to take the leap and spend a study abroad year at Sussex – I loved the location, and the psychology programme was a great fit for me. My year away in the UK was wonderful: I settled in pretty quickly, made friends from all over the world and became a proper tea-drinker.
Because I’ve always wanted to work with children, a specialist postgraduate degree was the logical next step after graduation. I was excited to find out about Sussex’s MA in childhood and youth studies, which focuses on issues affecting children and young people. It’s an interdisciplinary degree with an international focus, bringing together anthropology, education, psychology, law and sociology. The course was exactly what I wanted, with the bonus of giving me the chance to come back to Sussex.
Although it was great to be back in the familiar surroundings of the Sussex campus, I had a few adjustments to make to postgraduate level study. There was more independent learning, and classes were smaller – and longer – so I was challenged to participate more and come up with my own critiques, insights and questions.
I was already used to psychology research but had to get better at researching in other areas, such as sociology. By working closely with the course tutors, I was able to develop as an independent thinker and researcher.
My dissertation examined transitions to adulthood for young people with learning difficulties, examining the shifting context of adulthood. I did this by interviewing young men who were active in the charity MENCAP, discovering more about their daily lives, leisure activities and their own understanding of adulthood. It even won that year’s Cathy Urwin prize for the work with greatest impact on practice, which I wasn’t expecting but was honoured to get.
Postgraduate study is all about keeping an open mind – seeing things from multiple perspectives and trying not to have a fixed expectation of what your outcomes will be. I learned to have trust in the discovery process, rather than aiming to get to a predetermined conclusion. My communication skills developed immensely, so now I’m much more confident in my writing and in interviewing other people.
I finished my master’s a year ago and I’m now working as a research coordinator at the University of Texas Health and Science Centre in San Antonio. I’m part of two practice-based research networks in family medicine and dentistry that aim to bring research directly to clinical practice to improve patient experience. The idea is that by conducting research in practices, rather than an academic centre or research facility, interventions and improved outcomes can be better realised and translated to patients and patient experiences.
I’m gaining more expertise in practical, on the ground research using real findings, which has been a great experience. Eventually I’d like to do more child-focused research, so I’m keeping an eye out for career opportunities in that area.
Even though I’m far away from Brighton these days, I’m still in touch with my friends at Sussex – and I know what I learned there will always be with me.
