Single-honours psychology students at an English university were asked about their expectations and experiences at the start and the end of their first year. Students without a pre-university (A-level) qualification in psychology (n = 37: 22%) felt less well-prepared for studying psychology than students with an A-level qualification (n = 132: 78%) at the beginning of the year. Both groups felt equally confident about their understanding of psychology at the end of it. Specific difficulties with research methods, statistics and the scientific nature of the course were common to both groups, and both groups reported considerably more difficulties with studying at the end of the year than they did at the start. Some possible ways of alleviating these difficulties are discussed. (Contains 5 tables.)