Natalie Woods

 

BSc (hons) psychology

Graduated 2012

I left school without sitting my final exams and left with two GCSE. I returned to study when I was thirty and a single parent to two very lively children. I completed an access course at Amersham and Wycombe college, and I started at Bucks in 2009 studying a degree in Psychology. Upon completion of my degree, I was employed as a Research Assistant from 2012-2016 on two PhD projects, a project which was partnered by the NHS to investigate an app which measured the level of pain with people with chronic illness and the organisation of a three-day conference in Turkey on type two diabetes in children. Between 2015-2017 I was employed as an Associate Lecturer in criminology and supervised nine students through their final year dissertation.  After leaving the university I undertook the long-distance study of my Post Graduate diploma in Social Research methods at Ulster University which was completed in 2019. I worked in a further education college for four years. I returned to Bucks in 2025, due to having a level seven qualification I was able to teach on an MSc course in child protection and adult safeguarding. This includes teaching, supervising student dissertations and marking assignments.

 

What are your memories of being a student at BNU?

I was a mature student, and a single parent to two young children when I studied. The biggest struggle was having to deal with issues in my private life which impacted on my studies. 

I have very positive memories of the supportive and understanding tutors and the faculty staff. Having tutors which supported me enabled me to pass the course. 

Graduating was one of the happiest days of my life and I felt a real sense of achievement. It was lovely to go on a work in the university and to have different relationships with my old tutors.

What advice could you give to recent graduates who want to get ahead?

Network! Find out what research interests your tutors have and ask them about it! Throughout my time at university, I was very keen to research in alcohol abuse. Looking through my tutors’ profiles I became aware that one of my tutors was involved with the local drug and alcohol charity. It was this tutor who remembered me two years later and put my name forward for the PhD research. I was advised by David that they may not be able to pay me (they did) but I would get a publication out of it. Through networking in the university as a postgraduate, I met my current line manager Brenda Brown, who offered me the position of Associate Lecturer on the MSc course in 2025.

How did your degree at BNU impact on your career?

Having studied research methods for three years at an undergraduate level, this was the main impact that it had on my career. Despite struggling throughout my course with research methods, and with the full support of my lecturers, I was able to get through the course. As most of my research methods were qualitative studies, I found it a very hard module to pass. I should say when I studied quantitative research methods as a postgraduate, I still hadn’t got my head around it and scrapped through the module with a basic pass. So, coming into an academic research project which applied qualitative date, I really found the process of working on a project using these methods very different and it brought the research process alive, and my love of research methods blossomed. 

The biggest impact has been inspirational tutors. People who have had a massive impact on my career such my first-year research lecturer, Dr David Shaw who put my name forward at the end of my final year to a PhD student as a researcher post investigating the culture of alcohol use in undergraduate students. This study was very exciting as for three years we interviewed a cohort of students looking at how their alcohol consumption changed over the years (it did).

During the years of this study, I took part in several research projects, which meant furthering my network and developing professional relationships. I am lucky to have a close professional relationship with all the people who I worked with, especially the colleagues which I have travelled with.

Why did you join the course?

I studied psychology as I was interested in understanding how childhood experiences shape the adult. Due to living in proximity to the university I was able to manage childcare/schools with my commitments to my studies. 

What aspects of your studies did you enjoy the most and why?

Inspiration lecturers who made hard topics such as biopsychology and quantitative research understandable. 

I was lucky with my cohort, and we all got on well. Out of nearly one hundred students who started the course only twenty of us were left who graduated. Graduating and seeing my peers celebrating their achievements was the highlight of my studies.

Which parts of your student experience were the best preparation for your job?

I would say familiarity with the university, having studied there for three years. This made me feel safe and supported in my job. Many of my lecturers have become personal friends and have helped me during my time at the university after commencing my studies.

What are your major careers milestones since completing your studies?

My posts as Research Assistant and Associate Lecturer at the university and completing my post graduate diploma in Social Research Methods.

Working with some amazing lecturers in criminology and social work and assisted, to the completion, of two PhD studies in nursing. Being acknowledged in both these theses made me proud of my contributions to the study, especially working with Dr Jane Wright for four years on the alcohol research. 

In 2016 as part of an international team myself, Firas Sarhan and Rafid Al-Khannak organised a three-day conference in Turkey with educational providers. This involved two trips to Cappadokia (eleven days) in June and July and a week in Duisburg Germany. Cappadokia is a lovely place in the middle of Turkey, and we stayed in a cave hotel. Before leaving for Turkey my line manager Firas commented that this would be a trip of a lifetime and it was! Our Turkish hosts were wonderful and when we had finished working for the day, we were taken to all the various historical sites. We were invited into the homes of our partners and met with their families. It really was a trip of a lifetime.

Travelling for work, for the first time, was an eye opener. I got to know my colleges in a more personal way which enabled us to have a deeper relationship also and strong bonds of friendship were made. The highlight of this trip would be conducting a seminar at the conference and taking a hot air balloon ride, at sunrise, with my colleague/friend Firas. 

Due to my research interest in peace and conflict studies, I studied long distance learning at the University of Ulster. Completing this course enhanced my knowledge and understanding of the different types of research methods and how they were applied to different types of study, especially ethical implications for sensitive research in divided communities. During this study I achieved, for the first time, several firsts in my assignment and the one module overall. 

What are your future ambitions?

This would be to study for a PhD in philosophy. I am interested in how victims of state violence are depicted and represented in political debate in the UK parliament. I would love to be offered a place at Queens University and potentially moving to Northern Ireland for the duration of my research. 

I hope to be able to gain more experience of teaching at the university and my role as an AL is offering that opportunity. Having undertaken my first online class, I hope to become more confident in my teaching.

What advice would you give to a student considering the course or looking to get into a career in your sector?

Again network, I was lucky that I met the right people who offered me fantastic opportunities at the university. 

Have a passion for learning and read extensively. When you find a subject which interests you investigate the different academic research. Reading is the key to being an AL and having a love of gaining deeper knowledge. Read all the papers and gain deeper insight into your topic. As a researcher I live with my work and there is no separation between my personal and professional life -though I am able to hide it away in a box in my study!. As new research is being published undertaking a search of databases such as google scholar regularly so that way you are aware of the current research. 

Reach out to academics who are researching in your subject area, if you enjoyed reading an academic paper let the authors know. I did this once and got a lovely reply from the author saying she was glad that someone was reading the paper. 

Working as an AL means that you are dealing with several different topics at the same time. This means reading the academic literature and having a solid knowledge of the topic, whether that be alcohol use, why people donate blood or the relationship between a social work assessor and the student in practice. 

Be dedicated to your studies, have a passion for learning new things, attend conferences. I went to a three-day conference in Hertford College in Oxford on Irish history, I was the only one at the conference who wasn’t a doctor and at times felt way out of my depth! This was a wonderful conference, where I heard inspirational speakers and met the academics who were researching in the field of conflict in Northern Ireland. I attended two conferences at Queens University, in the subject of the legacy of the conflict. This enabled me to network and meet new people who are researching in your subject area. On the first night of the conference at Oxford, we dined by candlelight in Hertford college dining hall. Have confidence in your abilities, sitting next to people at dinner, who you don’t know is very challenging, but have confidence in your voice and your knowledge. Swop emails with people who you have met at the conference and try to build a research-based relationship with this person. Take the time to send emails to the conference organisers telling them how you enjoyed the conference, this enables more contacts.

Look out for public seminars, most are free but there are some that charge. This will give you more opportunities to network with people. 

Gain a concise knowledge of your research area and really having a passion for it. Enjoy what you do.

Start writing, think about potentially getting your research published in a journal.