Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow to DecideWhy Major In PsychologyPlan for the FuturePotential DisadvantagesHow to Explain Your ChoiceWhat Are Your Next Steps?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How to Decide
Why Major In Psychology
Plan for the Future
Potential Disadvantages
How to Explain Your Choice
What Are Your Next Steps?
Close
Why did you choose psychology as your major? If you’re a psychology major, it’s a question that you might hear fairly often. The fact is that people often have many reasons for majoring in psychology, including an interest in the subject, a desire to help others, and wanting to learn more about themselves.
Choosing a college major can be a challenging task, especially if you are torn between competing degree options. Psychology might interest you, but you also need to consider if related subjects like education, sociology, or even something like anthropology might be a better fit.
At a Glance
Even if you are starting to question whether psychology is right for you, be sure to look at some of the many different career options that are available, or try apsychology career quiz. As you learn more, you might just find the career path that is perfect for you.
Picking a major is a critical crossroads in your education, so it is important to spend some serious time learning about your options and reflecting on your own interests, goals, and career plans.
First, explore some of the best reasons to earn a psychology degree, including the opportunity to learn more about yourself and others and the chance to study a challenging yet fascinating subject.
Next, learn some of the major factors you should considerbefore you decide to major in psychology. All college degrees come with pros and cons, and psychology is no different. Thinking about what you will do with your degree after you graduate is a great place to start.
If you are keeping an education and career research journal, this is a great opportunity to write down some of your thoughts and the information you learn about yourdegree options.
Consider starting a list of all the pros and cons of majoring in psychology and see if your observations impact your decision.
Reasons Why You Might Major In Psychology
In addition to offering a tremendous opportunity for personal growth, majoring in psychology opens up many career opportunities.
A few otherreasons why you should consider majoring in psychologyinclude:
Majoring in psychology can be a great chance to make positive changes in the world.
It’s also a major that offers graduates plenty of transferable skills, whether or not they decide to go on to graduate school or work directly in the field of psychology. It helps students build critical thinking skills, develop scientific literacy, and build interpersonal and communication abilities.
80+ Jobs in Psychology to Consider
Consider Your Future as a Psychology Major
As any high school senior or college freshman can attest, choosing a college major can be a nerve-wracking decision. If you are interested in the field of psychology, there are a number of things you should consider before you choose a psychology major.
If you are seriously considering earning a degree in psychology, then be sure to check out a few more of the things you need to think aboutbefore you major in psychology.
A Few Reasons Not to Major in Psychology
Psychology can be an exciting degree choice that opens up a lot of options for students, but that does not mean that it is the right choice for everyone. What are a few of the reasons why you might want to avoid this major?
Potential for Stress and Burnout
If you struggle to cope with stress, then psychology might not be a good choice for you. Careers in mental health naturally involve stress and high-pressure situations.This risk is higher among therapists who have poor work-life balance and who don’t have sufficient self-compassion.
If you fear that dealing with these challenges will eventually lead to burnout, you might want to consider a different career path.
Graduate School May Be a Necessity for Many Psychology Careers
If you absolutely do not want to go to graduate school, then you might want to consider some non-psychology undergraduate majors. The reality is that many careers in psychology require at least a master’s degree, and many require a doctorate degree.
If you don’t plan on devoting the time, money, and effort toward graduate education, then psychology might not be the right choice for you.
Why Did You Choose Psychology as Your Major?
Share your thoughts onwhyyou want to major in psychology:
Explain Why Psychology Interests You
Explain why you are interested in psychology. Psychology might be a good choice if you enjoy learning about the human mind and behavior, have an interest in psychology research, or love working with people.
Focus on Career Options
Describe specific career options you have already considered.Be sure to spend some time researching different psychology careers in order to get a good idea of the different opportunities that are out there.
Explore Your School’s Career Resources
Visit your academic advisor or campus career center and discuss any insight you may have gained from the experience. Students sometimes overlook the many resources that are available through their own college or university. An academic advisor can help you assess your strengths and interests to determine which college major might be best.
Now that you have explored some of the great reasons to earn a psychology degree as well as the major factors you should consider before deciding to pursue one, it is time to reflect. Do you still feel like psychology is the best choice for you? Are you starting to get a clearer picture of what you want to do in your future career?
Don’t worry if you are starting to question your decisions. It is totally normal to feel undecided. The key is to keep researching your options and exploring your own interests to gain deeper insight.
6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Center for Education Statistics.Fast Facts: Most Popular Majors.American Psychological Association.A psychology major opens doors.American Psychological Association.The superpowers of the psychology major.Simpson S, Simionato G, Smout M, et al.Burnout amongst clinical and counselling psychologist: The role of early maladaptive schemas and coping modes as vulnerability factors.Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy. 2018;26(1):35-46. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01897Kotera Y, Maxwell-Jones R, Edwards AM, Knutton N.Burnout in professional psychotherapists: Relationships with self-compassion, work-life balance, and telepressure.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(10):5308. doi:10.3390/ijerph18105308American Psychological Association.Careers in psychology.
6 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Center for Education Statistics.Fast Facts: Most Popular Majors.American Psychological Association.A psychology major opens doors.American Psychological Association.The superpowers of the psychology major.Simpson S, Simionato G, Smout M, et al.Burnout amongst clinical and counselling psychologist: The role of early maladaptive schemas and coping modes as vulnerability factors.Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy. 2018;26(1):35-46. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01897Kotera Y, Maxwell-Jones R, Edwards AM, Knutton N.Burnout in professional psychotherapists: Relationships with self-compassion, work-life balance, and telepressure.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(10):5308. doi:10.3390/ijerph18105308American Psychological Association.Careers in psychology.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Center for Education Statistics.Fast Facts: Most Popular Majors.American Psychological Association.A psychology major opens doors.American Psychological Association.The superpowers of the psychology major.Simpson S, Simionato G, Smout M, et al.Burnout amongst clinical and counselling psychologist: The role of early maladaptive schemas and coping modes as vulnerability factors.Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy. 2018;26(1):35-46. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01897Kotera Y, Maxwell-Jones R, Edwards AM, Knutton N.Burnout in professional psychotherapists: Relationships with self-compassion, work-life balance, and telepressure.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(10):5308. doi:10.3390/ijerph18105308American Psychological Association.Careers in psychology.
National Center for Education Statistics.Fast Facts: Most Popular Majors.
American Psychological Association.A psychology major opens doors.
American Psychological Association.The superpowers of the psychology major.
Simpson S, Simionato G, Smout M, et al.Burnout amongst clinical and counselling psychologist: The role of early maladaptive schemas and coping modes as vulnerability factors.Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy. 2018;26(1):35-46. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01897
Kotera Y, Maxwell-Jones R, Edwards AM, Knutton N.Burnout in professional psychotherapists: Relationships with self-compassion, work-life balance, and telepressure.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(10):5308. doi:10.3390/ijerph18105308
American Psychological Association.Careers in psychology.
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