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Was pursuing psychology worth it?
How has taking psychology benefited you in your day to day life, and is it worth it (career wise, as a major, lifestyle) after nearly a decades worth of education? I'm asking this as a junior in high school, I've already taken an honors psychology class, and I'll be taking a proper behavioral statistics class over the summer, with aspirations that I can be a forensic psychologist.
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Jose’s Answer
Hello Aryan,
Although I'm still in my second year of Psychology, I dare say it's worth it.
From a personal perspective, studying Psychology helps you understand your own and others' thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, enhancing the development of key skills and attitudes for your personal, social, and professional success.
Studying Psychology is worthwhile both as a primary and complementary training. In my case, although I don't expect to apply it directly in my professional career in the short or medium term, I do believe it's useful for developing emotional intelligence, teamwork, and empathy as a common denominator in any interpersonal relationship, whether personal or professional.
As a specialty, after studying Business Administration and Management and Law, it also seems like an ideal option for its applications in Human Resources, Marketing, and Sales in the business world, as well as in the evaluation of testimony, motivation, and culpability in the legal field.
In conclusion, studying Psychology is worth it, so enjoy the process!
Although I'm still in my second year of Psychology, I dare say it's worth it.
From a personal perspective, studying Psychology helps you understand your own and others' thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, enhancing the development of key skills and attitudes for your personal, social, and professional success.
Studying Psychology is worthwhile both as a primary and complementary training. In my case, although I don't expect to apply it directly in my professional career in the short or medium term, I do believe it's useful for developing emotional intelligence, teamwork, and empathy as a common denominator in any interpersonal relationship, whether personal or professional.
As a specialty, after studying Business Administration and Management and Law, it also seems like an ideal option for its applications in Human Resources, Marketing, and Sales in the business world, as well as in the evaluation of testimony, motivation, and culpability in the legal field.
In conclusion, studying Psychology is worth it, so enjoy the process!
Thank you for the specific details on how psychology is helping you, it gives me a better perspective on what I'm getting into and to see that the education is useful for you even as you're studying it. The advice is really appreciated, especially seeing how you can apply it to your personal life and career.
Aryan
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Alexia’s Answer
My goal in high school was also to pursue psychology to be a forensic psychologist. I started my college journey as a psychology major. I had an incredible professor who took the time to talk about realistically how we could use our degrees. I learned to be successful in forensic psychology, it would require A LOT more schooling than I thought - doctorate level psych degree and potentially even law school depending on the path you want to pursue. I knew I didn't want to spend that much time (and money) pursuing my career, so I opted to switch into Marketing. In my mind, marketing was like the psychology of business. I did end up getting my Bachelor of Science in Marketing. Today, I do not work in the marketing field at all. I am a Strategic Change Management Consultant. I do use psychology principles in what I do. There is quite a bit of psychology behind developing strategy for how organizations should approach large scale changes (which employees are often resistant to). I believe I get to use my interest in psychology every day. That being said, I am not sure a formal degree in psychology would have allowed me to get to where I am today. So, know that if you would like to pursue a promising career in psychology, it will likely require a lot of time in higher education. You could also opt to pick another major and have a psych minor if you were looking to jump into the workforce sooner.
Thank you for taking the time to write this out and the advice, it's reassuring to see that you were able to pursue other career fields since the forensics side didn't work out for you, because I'm not sure about the amount of money needed to pursue an advanced degree. I appreciate your seasoned input on the topic, it's helpful to see how you went about this!
Aryan
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Ryan’s Answer
Your mindset and reasons for doing things determine if something is "worth it." Psychology has helped me a lot in my job in Food & Beverage Management. By using emotional intelligence, I understand people's feelings, views, and reasons better. This helps me manage my team, communicate well, and be more patient. It's definitely a big positive. Remember, having a positive attitude will take you far in life.
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Carly’s Answer
Yes, definitely! I studied Psychology, and even though I didn't become a therapist or psychologist, my degree has been very helpful in my career. Now, I'm a corporate recruiter, so I interact with people all the time—both job seekers and company leaders. My psychology studies taught me a lot about how people think and act, which helps me connect with others, ask good questions, and build strong relationships. These skills are really important for my job. So, even if your career path changes, your degree can still be a big help in your journey!
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Jobin’s Answer
Psychology is one of the greatest field that can be applied in any fields of work. I graduated from a psychology school, even though I didnt pursue my further studies, I could support the differently abled people in counselling them to manage their stress and improve their performance. Psychology is offcourse vast and has different kinds, find out what interest you the most and join a program that goes well with it. Learning psychology is a life saver that helps you in any situation and any field to be a better person,manager, co worker.
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Marielle’s Answer
Hi Aryan,
It is definitely worth it to deepen your understanding of human behavior, and you can apply that in your personal and professional lives. One "watch-out" is to make sure you're not only interested for very personal reasons, but really because you have a passion for understanding and helping others. Some people go into psychology because they are trying to solve issues in their personal lives, and then once the issue is resolved their interest in psychology disappears and they're stuck finding a new direction. It sounds like you've been interested in it for some time and well on your way to picking an area of specialty with forensic psychology, so I'd say keep it up!
It is definitely worth it to deepen your understanding of human behavior, and you can apply that in your personal and professional lives. One "watch-out" is to make sure you're not only interested for very personal reasons, but really because you have a passion for understanding and helping others. Some people go into psychology because they are trying to solve issues in their personal lives, and then once the issue is resolved their interest in psychology disappears and they're stuck finding a new direction. It sounds like you've been interested in it for some time and well on your way to picking an area of specialty with forensic psychology, so I'd say keep it up!
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Kelsey’s Answer
Hi Aryan! Great question.
My undergraduate degree is in Psychology, my MA is in Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychology, and my entire career revolves around I/O Psychology now, as I do Human Capital Consulting specific to I/O work - so to me, it was definitely worth it!
Once I realized I loved figuring out people and wanted to pursue some kind of psychology, I started out taking general psychology classes to figure out which branch best suited me. It wasn't until nearing the end of my Junior year I realized I wanted to combine people, science, and business and pursue a career in I/O Psych. That being said, I'm glad it took me the majority of my undergrad to find my area of expertise! Even though I don't practice other areas (such as forensic, clinical, etc.) the things I learned in those studies take me even further as an I/O Psychologist, as I feel well rounded in knowledge.
One thing to note is that while having an undergraduate in Psychology is a great start, most often if you would like to make a career out of being a specific kind of Psychologist, you should be prepared to pursue an advanced degree. However, even if you don't end up pursuing a career specific to psychology, I think those who studied to psychology to some degree have an upper hand when it comes to people connection and understanding reasonings.
My undergraduate degree is in Psychology, my MA is in Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychology, and my entire career revolves around I/O Psychology now, as I do Human Capital Consulting specific to I/O work - so to me, it was definitely worth it!
Once I realized I loved figuring out people and wanted to pursue some kind of psychology, I started out taking general psychology classes to figure out which branch best suited me. It wasn't until nearing the end of my Junior year I realized I wanted to combine people, science, and business and pursue a career in I/O Psych. That being said, I'm glad it took me the majority of my undergrad to find my area of expertise! Even though I don't practice other areas (such as forensic, clinical, etc.) the things I learned in those studies take me even further as an I/O Psychologist, as I feel well rounded in knowledge.
One thing to note is that while having an undergraduate in Psychology is a great start, most often if you would like to make a career out of being a specific kind of Psychologist, you should be prepared to pursue an advanced degree. However, even if you don't end up pursuing a career specific to psychology, I think those who studied to psychology to some degree have an upper hand when it comes to people connection and understanding reasonings.
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Jessica (Loccisano)’s Answer
I majored in Psychology in college and went on to get a Masters in Social Organizational Psychology afterwards. Both have helped my career in Human Capital Consulting. Right now, I focus on how organizations manage change - through majoring in psychology, I learned a lot about how people behave in groups and how they manage change / the support they need to undergo large scale transformations.
Psychology provides you skillsets that can be transferred across a variety of areas.
Psychology provides you skillsets that can be transferred across a variety of areas.
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Jessica’s Answer
Aryan,
I started as a Psychology major and have worked as a Counselor, in Higher Education, and now as a Human Capital Consultant. The things I learned in Psychology are really helpful in my job every day. Even if you don't want to be a psychologist or therapist, there are many other careers you can explore with a Psychology background that involve understanding people. You can study Psychology in college and don't need extra degrees unless you want them. A good tip is to use LinkedIn to find people who studied Psychology and see what jobs they have. Make a list of these careers and research them to find what interests you. This will give you many options to consider!
I started as a Psychology major and have worked as a Counselor, in Higher Education, and now as a Human Capital Consultant. The things I learned in Psychology are really helpful in my job every day. Even if you don't want to be a psychologist or therapist, there are many other careers you can explore with a Psychology background that involve understanding people. You can study Psychology in college and don't need extra degrees unless you want them. A good tip is to use LinkedIn to find people who studied Psychology and see what jobs they have. Make a list of these careers and research them to find what interests you. This will give you many options to consider!
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Phylicia’s Answer
Aryan,
You're doing great by already taking an honors Psychology course. I studied Psychology in college too, and it really helped me understand human behavior and how best to work with others. Going to a liberal arts college made me more well-rounded, and it can do the same for you. You have the freedom to explore many paths in the future, like languages, business, or law. Keep up the good work, and good luck!
You're doing great by already taking an honors Psychology course. I studied Psychology in college too, and it really helped me understand human behavior and how best to work with others. Going to a liberal arts college made me more well-rounded, and it can do the same for you. You have the freedom to explore many paths in the future, like languages, business, or law. Keep up the good work, and good luck!