In Support of the Psychology Students | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

In Support of the Psychology Students

Whether or not we know what your weird dream actually meant, we deserve credit.

20
In Support of the Psychology Students
Day Donaldson/Flickr

“10 Worst Undergraduate Majors”

With baited breath, I click the link and scroll through the ad-infested list of ostensibly “bad” college majors. I’m relieved when I find mine didn’t make the cut. Perhaps, every now and then, having outside confirmation that majoring in psychology wasn’t a mistake helps my sanity... even if it’s from a website as reputable as a Geocities webpage made by a conspiracy nut.

In a number of schools across the United States, psychology programs are among the largest on their respective campus. A discipline that is (arguably) not as analytical or logical as engineering or computer science, or (again, arguably) not as applicable and skill-based as accounting or applied health, we get grouped in with other “laughing stock” majors. What do we even do, anyway? Act as personal therapists to our friends? Diagnose people with mental illnesses as soon as we complete the intro course? Of course, students majoring in psychology will happily tell you about their interest in studying behavior and thought processes, but that’s where people relegate it to a “useless” major - assuming we just really liked that one cool dream interpretation class and decided it was what we wanted to devote our entire life to.

But I’ll let you in on a secret: even though you joke about us wanting to analyze and diagnose your otherwise normal behaviors, not all of us actually want to do that for a living. In human factors psychology (an area of with ties to engineering and computer science occupations), cognitive psychological theories, as well as theories related to perception and sensation, are used to improve performance and fix human error. Industrial and organizational psychology focuses on applying theories in personality and motivation to enhance work environments for businesses and employees. Admittedly, I couldn’t really tell you what specific disorder that character on that one sitcom has, but I can tell you about extraversion and its relation to leadership success.

There’s a reason there are so many psychology majors: psychology is a broad, all-encompassing discipline, and the necessity for understanding how people work will never become obsolete in any occupational field. Psychology is the root to what we study in art, language, politics, and even economics. It gives us a basis to figure out what makes people spenders or savers and why certain goods and marketing strategies appeal to consumers. It is knowing what we perceive and how we translate it to prose or onto a canvas, and why others interpret it the way they do.

Needless to say, any student needs to consider the implications of what they want to study in college. There are programs you are more likely to find work upon graduation with and that won’t require extended education - psychology is not one of them. But that shouldn’t scare anyone away, especially when it does come to the jobs in clinical psychology. We’re beginning to acknowledge more than ever the importance of mental health care and treating mental illness. We need psychologists to study the impact of PTSD in our military personnel and to help us learn what makes certain people so susceptible to destructive behaviors and how to solve it - after all, America’s gun problem isn’t just the guns, right?

I am honestly often afraid to admit to people I’m a psychology major, but in good conscious, there’s absolutely nothing foolish about choosing any major when you’re aware of what it entails and can utilize it to master critical job skills. Moreover, there's no reason to discourage students from pursuing a major as pertinent and relevant as psychology, even if a PsyD isn't on the horizon. Simply put, there are many avenues to success, but the avenue to life satisfaction is understanding how people work, how to communicate with them, and how to help them to be satisfied with their lives, too.

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

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

185312
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

11570
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

455484
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

25114
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments