Psychology Is Not A Waste Of A Major | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Psychology Is Not A Waste Of A Major

How Your Chosen "Worst College Major" Can Become The Best

91
Psychology Is Not A Waste Of A Major
St. Lawrence University

Let us address the elephant in the room...

"I got my Bachelor of Science in Psychology."

And this was right where I was told employers would stop reading my job application.

Who told me this? Nobody specifically nor was it ever explicitly stated. No one liked to talk about it in fear of stomping on my dreams post-graduation.

Over time, I slowly came to the realization society put me into a category. The Philosophy, Music, Fine Arts, Anthropology (to name a few) major category. For sake of simplicity, we will call these "nomad" subjects. These subjects are consistently ranked as "Worst College Majors" and "Least Profitable." By no means am I insulting these areas of study or any others, for the matter. Whichever subject you chose, there is a reason ranging from future job prospects to financial reasons to the love of the subject.

"Nomad" studies differ from the others, I have found, for one consistent reason: because society groups them into the "what will you do with this major" category, these students 100 percent truly LOVE their subject. Because they found passion, they have formulated many plans post-graduation in order to continue doing what they love, with the odds against them. Why else would they be doing it?

As any interest in any subject does, I bet the progression went something like this:

Class number one: checked off one of my required classes.

Class number two: class number one was intriguing. I am a freshman. Sure why not.

Class number three: why do babies develop the way they did? How did how my parents raised me influence my decision making patterns today? How do high level athletes use sport psychology? What part of my brain is working when I recall short term memories?

Class number four: I am obsessed.

Am I right? I know I could not deny it. I adored psychology because while completing my major, I was also learning about myself. Everyday, class became a time to self-reflect. I learned more about the reasons why I acted the way I did in three hours a week than in years of reflection. Classes lead me in thought directions that I wrote down and explored later. Lastly, contrary to other subjects, this one was the only topic that I did not only want to know more, I HAD to know more.

Moral of the story: I found psychology to be the only subject that consistently helped me with every other subjects and helped me define, me.

What subject does that for you? Did you major in it? If not, how did it help you in other areas?

I took my Bachelor of Science in Psychology along with my two minors, applied to graduate school and am currently getting my Master's. No matter what subject you choose for your degree, it is important to have a plan after graduation, and important to have an answer to the, "Why did you major in INSERT SUBJECT HERE?" question. It is with this answer to this question you have the opportunity to set yourself apart in a job interview in a positive way.

Moral of the article: do what you love, despite what society dictates, but have a plan while doing it. Find a subject you love, and find a way to make that money. Have back-up plans AND think outside the box.

Open that door for the elephant in the room. Everyone loves elephants.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
ross geller
YouTube

As college students, we are all familiar with the horror show that is course registration week. Whether you are an incoming freshman or selecting classes for your last semester, I am certain that you can relate to how traumatic this can be.

1. When course schedules are released and you have a conflict between two required classes.

Bonus points if it is more than two.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

12 Things I Learned my Freshmen Year of College

When your capability of "adulting" is put to the test

4147
friends

Whether you're commuting or dorming, your first year of college is a huge adjustment. The transition from living with parents to being on my own was an experience I couldn't have even imagined- both a good and a bad thing. Here's a personal archive of a few of the things I learned after going away for the first time.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

Economic Benefits of Higher Wages

Nobody deserves to be living in poverty.

302920
Illistrated image of people crowded with banners to support a cause
StableDiffusion

Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage would not only benefit workers and their families, it would also have positive impacts on the economy and society. Studies have shown that by increasing the minimum wage, poverty and inequality can be reduced by enabling workers to meet their basic needs and reducing income disparities.

I come from a low-income family. A family, like many others in the United States, which has lived paycheck to paycheck. My family and other families in my community have been trying to make ends meet by living on the minimum wage. We are proof that it doesn't work.

Keep Reading...Show less
blank paper
Allena Tapia

As an English Major in college, I have a lot of writing and especially creative writing pieces that I work on throughout the semester and sometimes, I'll find it hard to get the motivation to type a few pages and the thought process that goes behind it. These are eleven thoughts that I have as a writer while writing my stories.

Keep Reading...Show less
April Ludgate

Every college student knows and understands the struggle of forcing themselves to continue to care about school. Between the piles of homework, the hours of studying and the painfully long lectures, the desire to dropout is something that is constantly weighing on each and every one of us, but the glimmer of hope at the end of the tunnel helps to keep us motivated. While we are somehow managing to stay enrolled and (semi) alert, that does not mean that our inner-demons aren't telling us otherwise, and who is better to explain inner-demons than the beloved April Ludgate herself? Because of her dark-spirit and lack of filter, April has successfully been able to describe the emotional roller-coaster that is college on at least 13 different occasions and here they are.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments