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Psychology - Edited

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Homeless and battling a drug addiction, John seemed destined to fail-at least, according to statistics. Most available data predicted that he would never overcome his drug habit, find stable employment, or obtain permanent housing.

Yet, John defied the statistics: he successfully completed treatment and is no longer homeless.

As a voluntary Homeless Specialist for a summer in Manchester, I worked daily with John and other clients to help them enter treatment and find housing and jobs. Many grappled with substance abuse; some were mentally ill. While many requested assistance, rarely did someone overcome his addictions or illnesses and re-enter society.

For every individual such as John, hundreds of others fail to complete the recovery process. Yet, during that summer, my thoughts kept returning to the ones who beat these discouraging odds. Many of my clients had set goals, but only a few achieved them-why? What gives a person the strength to make a decision, whether it involves a serious matter, such as fighting a drug habit, or a more benign goal, such as giving up snack foods? What then allows them to follow through on that decision? How can we truly become our own masters?

In pursuing a psychology degree, I seek answers to these questions. A thorough examination of the psychology behind human decision-making could alleviate societal problems, including the ones encountered by my homeless clients. While knowledge of psychology will certainly better the social services system, I also maintain a passion for politics for that same reason. Political science appeals to me because it teaches us how to act" - how to implement sound policy, how to form a capable government, and how to provide effective social services.

When I cracked open my first A-level psychology textbook, I immediately noticed that the two subjects complemented each other. I fell in love with psychology because it explains, through the study of human behaviour, why certain political systems, communities, and policies work and others fail. My introductory psychology course exposed me to the thoughts of developmental and social psychologists and the theories of Community Psychology. I spent many hours reading the works of {Names of authors}. I began to apply their ideas to the spheres of policy and law.

By combining these disciplines into a dual degree program, I can pursue my professional goal of doing education and military policy work for the government and perhaps teaching at university level. My experience as a Homeless Specialist has not only equipped me with an intellectual foundation for my future studies but has also supplied me with my career plans. After gaining knowledge of both psychology and political techniques at the highly regarded Manchester University, I plan to work for social services to use my knowledge of human behaviour to aid members of the public.