I was a psychology major in my undergraduate degree. I would suggest that you either go into a PhD program right away or pick a different major. The jobs for psychology majors at the BA/BS level are very low paying. I love psychology but you really need to further your education to make a psychology degree worthwhile. The pros are
I was a psychology major in my undergraduate degree. I would suggest that you either go into a PhD program right away or pick a different major. The jobs for psychology majors at the BA/BS level are very low paying. I love psychology but you really need to further your education to make a psychology degree worthwhile. The pros are: it gives you a solid background to continue in your education, some of your coursework will help you interact with people regardless of your career, the material is interesting. The cons are really the career options at the BA/BS level. I would still choose this major, but go straight for the PhD.
This can be a very lucrative field, but it can be difficult to get started in. Psychologists can make a lot of money by doing specialized personality testing for companies. Owning your own practice and establishing a client base can sometimes be difficult. It is a relatively new field, so we are still learning more.
I have heard it is a very difficult field to get into if you want to have your own practice. It can be very lucrative though, especially if you are doing personality testing for corporations.
I majored in Psychology just because it seemed like an interesting thing to study. I still like reading about it. However, I never planned to be a psychiatrist or counselor of any kind. Unless you have a very specific idea about what you would want to use your psychology degree for, it's not very practical. Also, a bachelors degree in psychology doesn't qualify you for anything; you have to get advanced degrees to be a psychologist, counselor, or psychiatrist.
I absolutely love what I do. In order to be successful in the area of cognitive experimental psychology you have to be dedicated and passionate about what you are studying. The best thing about this area is that if you find a good professor to work with you can stduy whatever interests you. Usually you can work when and where ever you want to as long as you get your work done. The best thing for me is that I get to wake up every morning and be excited about going to school because I love it so much. Just the thought of discovering or figuring out something that no one has ever thought about before is awesome. The only con is that you really have to be passionate about it because while you are in school you dont make that much money.
I enjoy psychology and think it is a very interesting topic to study because it attempts to explain human behavior. I would recommend people to concentrate in one area of psychology because it is such a broad subject. In order to excel in psychology it is important to be an expert in one particular area while understanding other theoretical perspectives. I would recommend studying psychology if you have a definite plan for the long run because a Master's degree is definitely needed and a doctorate degree is recommended. I would probably not choose this major if I had to do it over again because the job market for psychology isn't good in all areas of the country. It is a good major if you love doing research or teaching in a university setting. Now that new technologies are emerging the area of neuroscience and bio-psychology, these areas are a growing field that can offer large opportunities.
Psychology is a very interesting major. Particularly interesting to a lot of college student are Psychology classes like Psychopathology where much of the coursework is related to reading stories of individuals who exhibit abnormal behavior. I appreciated the fine balance between teaching psychology as and art but also a science. I would encourage anyone who is interested in working with and helping people to pursue Psychology as a major.
Psychobiology was an excellent major and perepared me well for my career as a neuroscientist. I would suggest to other major in this area to try and obtain as much technical expertise with molecular and celluar techniques as possible as that is the direction the field is going. Psychobiology majors are in high demand especially if you have an extensive background in research.
If you are intrigued by the mind and how it affects people than psychology is a great avenue to pursue. There is not a lot of money in this industry unless you are willing to go on to get a masters or doctorate degree in the field however social work and counseling can be very rewarding.
I think Psychology was a good degree for me because I knew I wanted to continue my education after my first degree. I would suggest if someone was interested in the field of Psychology, they research the career opportunities and education levels attained for those careers before they decide on a major in Psychology. I would recommend studying this if you are an educationally minded person who doesn't wan to rush through a degree and get a job immediately. A benefit to a Psychology degree is that you will understand people much better than before and it is beneficial for almost any career path you may take. the down side to majoring in Psychology is that it is hard to find a job relating to Psychology after a Bachelors degree. Usually, students need to get a Master's degree before they can make enough money to live on. If I were able to choose my major again I probably would have just chosen a specialty within my Psychology degree and a good minor such as business, to make me more marketable after I received my degree,
I only completed my B.A. in psychology with a concentration in clinical psych. This meant, that the studies were only theoretical. This is to be expected; more practical aspects are learned when doing a master's or doctorate. One critique I have of the way my university approached -- and I believe this is true of other colleges as well, based on numerous talks I have had with other students -- is that the overall preparation for the subject matter is poor. People go into this major expecting big ideas. They tend to see the big picture of psychology. However, academic psychology is the study of small, often minute, details. What is lacking in this major is a series of lectures aimed at explaining how the study of "minute details" work to build the ideas we have about clinical psychology.
First of all, if a student chooses this major they should be told that for them to get a job doing psychology they will have to further their education. A bachelors degree will not allow a graduate to get a job in the field of psychology. If the student is ok with that notion then I would defiantly say this major is worthwhile. You learn a lot of interesting things from the past and how it connects with current psychology. You also learn a lot about the the anatomy of the brain, vision, physiology of cells within your body, personality, and psychopathology. All of this links to how psychology works. If I could do college all over again I would have picked psychology sooner. I waited until I was a sophomore to have psychology as a major. If I would have picked it earlier I could of graduated with a minor as well. The pros would include developing a background for graduate school and being able to have a minor easily since psychology does not require an overabundance of credits to graduate. The cons would be that you cannot get a good job with a psychology bachelors degree, you must further your education.
I truly enjoyed this major because the human psychie has always been of great interest to me, but from a career stand point I haven't used or really worked in this field since graduation. So knowing what I know now I probably would have majored in something I would see more of a future in.
Psychology is one of the most versatile and applicable degrees. Our everyday relationships, both business and personal, rely on our ability to understand those around us in order to deal with them in a more effective manner.
The only con that I have encountered in having a BA in General Psychology is that in order to really succeed, an advanced degree is almost necessary and a specialization would be helpful. I would; however, do it over again.
I would only suggest this field if Psychology is what your passion is really about. There is no money in the field unless you become a Psychologist with a PHD or Psy.D. I would not recommend this field if you are looking for money. If I had to do it over again I would still choose this field. I love Pyschology, but it was never about the money for me. A big CON is MONEY. There are many Pros...You can finally read your husband, help your kids learn as early developers and maybe even learn about genetics in your own family.
I would recommend this major to anyone who is interested in the workings of the human mind and is willing to work hard. If you want to actually make money with this major you have to be willing to pursue a doctorate. If not willing, there are other fields that a bachelor in Psychology can be of assistance such as school counselor, marriage counselor, social work. I find this field of study incredibly interesting and rewarding.
Be prepared to work hard. It's a fascinating subject. If you're going to study psychology, find a program that is research intensive. While it's a lot of work, it'll benefit you in the long run. I think a psychology major is a good background for just about any field you want to go into, but the main con is that to continue with a career in psychology, you're probably going to need a masters degree.
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