海角黑料

Photo by Joshua Reddekopp on Unsplash

By Camelia Foo, a third-year psychology student

I'm Camelia, a third-year psychology student who transferred from the Malaysia campus to the UK.

Through the Nottingham Advantage Award (NAA), I've taken modules across both campuses, including Introduction to Securities and Investment and Optimising Your LinkedIn Profile in Malaysia.

This insight focuses on my experience with the Introduction to Coding module, which I completed on the UK campus.

One thing I love about the NAA is that you can join modules without prior experience, and each campus offers a variety of different modules as well.​

Why the Introduction to Coding module

As a psychology student, coding is not part of the syllabus and is not typically a necessary skill.

However, I've always been fascinated by how apps, systems, and everyday digital tools actually work. I knew coding played a huge role behind the scenes, and I wanted to understand the basics and learn how code is written.

My favourite part of the module was its flexibility. It's fully self-directed, with each topic taking one to two weeks to complete.

Without in‑person classes or attendance requirements, I could work through the content whenever it suited my schedule, which helped me stay engaged and actually enjoy the learning process.​

What did I expect from it?

To be honest, I thought we'd be learning how to write code in MATLAB or Python to gain hands-on experience, but the module was different from what I expected.

However, it turned out to be far more helpful than I imagined.

• The content starts simple and gradually builds into deeper concepts. We began with basics such as strings, functions, loops, and arrays, and moved on to more complex ideas like different languages, procedural programming, and bubble sort.  

• Everything was explained clearly, step by step. Something I rarely experience in online courses, which often assume you already know the basics. As someone starting from zero, this foundation was exactly what I needed.

By the end, I felt much more confident to attend other coding courses on my own because I finally understood the underlying logic.

What did I gain from the module?

This module wasn’t just about passing an exam - it was genuinely useful.

• Each topic came with an interactive activity where we could try things out, make mistakes, and learn from peers.
• The lecturer gave thoughtful feedback, not just “right” or “wrong,” but explanations that helped me think more deeply.
• The lecturer frequently gave encouragement when we answered questions and explained concepts from scratch, including how to write code.

The reflective essay was meaningful as well. It pushed me to think about why I chose the module, what I learned, and how others’ contributions in the activity sessions shaped my understanding.

It made the learning feel purposeful, not just academic.

​How does it relate to my future career?

I’m particularly interested in health psychology, where digital tools and applications are increasingly used to support behaviour change. For example, apps that track weekly alcohol consumption - something that combines psychological insight with simple coding.

So even within psychology, coding can be incredibly useful. This module gave me the confidence and strong foundation I needed, and it has encouraged me to explore these possibilities further.

​Advice for future students

If you’re expecting hands-on experience with writing code in MATLAB, Python, or other software, this module probably isn't the right fit.

However, if you want a clear and supportive introduction that helps you build a strong foundation in coding, it's a great place to start. Especially if you've struggled with online tutorials before.

It's a very welcoming course for anyone curious about coding, no matter your background.

Discover more about the Nottingham Advantage Award and the different modules on offer.  If you have any questions, contact the NAA team.