Psychology Major

I’m 99.9% sure that I’m destined to be a psychology major. Yes, I know what you’re thinking and it is the same thing that everyone else says. “You know, you’re going to have to get a PhD if you want a real job, right?” “You should just be a psychiatrist, they make more money.” “Don’t go into psychology, you’ll be broke and jobless after college.” However, they don’t know me and they don’t know how passionate I am about the subject or how many opportunities there really are within this major.

psy·chol·o·gy/sīˈkäləjē/

Noun

the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context.

I feel drawn to psychology because it is so interesting and can be used in every day life. Secondly, I feel passionate about being in a career where I am helping others emotionally. Psychology is an important subject no matter what you feel passionate about, because it applies to everyone! It helps us explain how humans behave and how our biology and social environments influence behaviors. It can be used in ALL jobs and careers to better understand other people. The common misconception is that all psychology majors are either social workers or go on to get a PhD and become a clinical psychologist. This is just not true. There are so many options as far as a psychology degree goes. Here is a list of just a few careers and opportunities.

Counselors- school counselors, marriage counselors, career or financial counselors, crisis counselors, college admissions counselors, genetics counselors, employment counselors
Animal trainer or researcher
Art or music therapists
Clinical psychologist or child psychologist
Child care worker
Social worker
Correctional treatment specialist or a court psychologist
Human resources manager or advisor
Industrial/organizational psychologist
School psychologist
Forensic psychologist
Engineering psychologist
Sports psychologist
Psychology teacher
Experimental psychologist

As you can see, psychology can be combined with any number of things to fit your interests. Right now, my interest seems to be focused on kids, but I know there is a big possibility it will change once I take psychology classes in college and figure out what I really feel passionate about… that’s what college is for!

Unsure if psychology is right for you? Take the College Major Quiz

Although I’m pretty sure about wanting to be a psych major, there are always things to worry about. Because of the way psychology as a major is portrayed, I am worried about deciding to go into clinical psychology, spending all my money on graduate school, and then ending up without a job or paying off student loans forever. However, this is a viable fear for every major. Media seems to portray unemployment as almost unavoidable, but this is just not true if you really take advantage of all the opportunities colleges provide such as internships and career services.

Hope you learned something new about psychology or even decided it is something you are interested in! (: If you want to know more…

Watch this video to listen to an actual psych major!