Reasons to study psychologyThere are many reasons to study psychology, from career prospects to personal interest. Show
Psychology is a fascinating area of study. It will help you understand human behaviour and mental processes and allow you to better understand how we think act and feel. If you are considering studying psychology you probably already know what an interesting subject it is to study. Our psychology courses look at some of the important questions such as why do people act the way they do? What shapes our personality? How do we learn and change throughout our life? If you are interested in a deeper understanding of the human condition you should consider studying psychology. This is a good enough reason in itself but there are several other reasons why you should consider a course in psychology. Career prospectsA psychology degree is one that is increasingly valued by employers who value the analytical and reasoning skills it gives you. Caroline Kennedy, Careers & Opportunities Officer at NCI, has remarked: “The psychology course has proven incredibly popular because of the sheer range of options that it opens up to graduates. The PSI accreditation means that graduates can pursue further professional training in any number of areas, depending on their particular interest – anything from clinical, educational to occupational psychology, and more. Not every graduate will go on to become a practising psychologist, but they will gain all manner of transferable skills and knowledge, that will be attractive to any employer. With strong research and communication skills, and an understanding of why people act the way they do, graduates could end up working anywhere from marketing, management and HR, to sports or healthcare – it’s a degree that gives you a huge variety of options.” Further studyStudents who choose the BA (Honours) in Psychology at National College of Ireland have two study options: Once you complete your undergraduate degree, you can complete further graduate training in areas such as: Organisational Psychology, Educational Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology and more. Psychology can help you better understand people around youOf course a psychology degree won’t give you an absolute understanding of every interaction you have with people. We are quite a complex species after all. However, the insights you gain about peoples’ motivations, perceptions and behaviour will perhaps give you a different perspective on why people react in the ways they do and help you to understand people a little better. Psychology can help you better understand yourselfThe insights you gain into motivations, thought processes, the influences of groups you interact with and many other aspects of human behaviour will all help you gain a better understanding of yourself. Many students find that as they study language, emotion and other topics that they become better communicators as a result of studying psychology. We have a range of events and open evenings that can give you an insight into studying psychology at NCI. Cite this document (“Why you chose Psychology Major (Personal Autobiography) Essay”, n.d.) (Why You Chose Psychology Major (Personal Autobiography) Essay) “Why You Chose Psychology Major (Personal Autobiography) Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/creative-writing/1492984-why-you-chose-psychology-major-personal-autobiography.
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As a psychology major, I am often curious as to why people behave the way they do. That makes sense, right? I mean psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and behavior, so why would I study it if I weren’t curious? My initial decision to major in psychology was rationalized with the idea that I could use my degree to help people, but after further consideration I came to a pretty mind-opening realization: Can’t you say that about a lot of majors? Think about it, why do people study education? To teach people. Medicine? To heal people. Political Science? To improve the world. I realized I wasn’t studying psychology to understand why people behave the way they do; rather, I subconsciously wanted to understand myself. After freaking out at my selfishness, panicking about my future, and finally accepting that I am studying what I love, I did what I do best and tried to figure out why I made the decision I did. My friends suggested it was just my personality, but what does that even mean? How can you measure personality? I’ve been told by some that I’m Type A, others think that is crazy and say I’m 100% Type B. How was I supposed to figure out how I made my decision to pursue this major when I couldn’t even figure out what my own characteristics were? After extensive research on personalities, reading pseudoscience, online tests, and trying to implicitly recognize what exactly makes me, me, I finally decided to take a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). For those of you who don’t know what an MBTI is, it’s an assessment that measures your psychological
preferences on how you perceive the world and make decisions. It then uses those preferences to create your personality type. There are 16 possible personalities based on this test that are made up of four dichotomies to fully capture who you are as an individual. I’m not going to go into specifics regarding the four preferences or individual types (if you are curious, Google the test and you can read all about it), but I am going to tell you my results (spoiler: I’m an INFJ) and hopefully along
the way I will be able to solve the mystery of why I chose to pursue a degree in psychology. I’m going to preface this by saying that I was very skeptical whilst reading my results and tried to take everything with a grain of salt. I don’t necessarily trust overgeneralized personality readings. I typically feel like I’m reading my horoscope, you know the ones that are just broad enough to apply to pretty much everyone? Surprisingly though, I do agree with a lot of what the test said about me, and I do think it helped me recognize why I made the “selfish” decision to study psychology. INFJ stands for Introversion, iNtuition, Feeling, and Judging. People who fall under this personality type recharge and get their energy while they are alone. We make decisions based on thinking things through while also seeing the big picture, and are concerned with morality and people’s emotions on certain issues. Finally, we are either extremely decisive (which I’m not) or prefer to have everything planned (me to a T). Being able to think idealistically and morally while also planning ahead gives INFJs the ability to take clear steps to achieve their ultimate goals. With this unique combination of traits, INFJs feel the need to help others and have the burning desire to find the root of all issues. After reading through these preferences I thought back to my initial reasoning behind choosing psychology, but realized that I already rationalized that my pure intention wasn’t actually to help people, so what gives? I thought this test was supposed to give me answers, not leave me more confused. It turns out that another key quality in INFJs is that we sometimes focus so much of our energy on trying to resolve other people’s issues and inequities that we forget to take care of ourselves. We stress about problems and our future but are also extremely sensitive (I guess that’s the reason I freaked out over my “selfish” motives). After further consideration I think I figured out the answer to my internal quarrels. I study psychology to understand myself because by understanding who I am and being able to both comprehend and label my emotions, I am able to better understand the actions of others. I know what rage feels like and how I would react to it, and I also know what love feels like and the things it can make someone do. Studying psychology has given me the ability to understand the science behind my actions and behaviors, thus giving me the capacity to help others solve their problems by putting me in their shoes. I am by no means saying that I could possibly feel someone’s emotions in their entirety, but I am saying that by recognizing specific behavior, patterns, and emotions that I experience, I am able to empathize and help solve someone else’s issues as if they were my own. I study what I love. I love understanding. I love being able to see things through a variety of lenses and I love finding solutions, but let’s be honest here, this article wasn’t about my major, what being an INFJ means, or what a personality test can say about your degree or life. This article was me getting to the root of my decision -- a clear sign of a true INFJ -- and most importantly, a clear illustration of who I am, with or without a label. Report this ContentThis article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator. Subscribe to our NewsletterWhy did you choose psychology as your major?A Few Reasons to Major in Psychology
A desire to learn more about the human mind and behavior. An interest in helping others. A passion for research. Interest in going to graduate school.
Why do I like psychology?Studying Psychology Helps You Understand Yourself & Others
Students also learn about the complex relationships between human behavior and the world in which we live, how culture impacts us, what motivates us, how our personalities influence our daily actions, and so much more.
Why do we need to study psychology essay?The theoretical and practical understanding of the basics of psychology can help with decision-making, critical thinking, stress management, time management, better understanding of others, improving communication, and even achieving goals and objectives, all components that allow someone to be more successful ...
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