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I've touched on this in a few threads and I have received some good advice, but I think I should create a thread dedicated to this.
To anyone who has taken Psychology (either as a major or for an elective) what did you expect from the course, but more importantly, what did you get out of the course? I'm majoring in Psychology and I haven't really decided where i'd like to go with it. Possibly a Professor, but Criminologist sounds appealing too. I have a good understanding of data management, but I am rather shoddy at Science (right now Geomorphology is kicking my ass!).
Any advice for me or just general information, much appreciated.
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Psychiatrist. You'll get to inject depressed people with drugs and call it a treatment.
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You're gonna have to go to grad school if you want a good job, so keep that in mind.
It's interesting as hell, but I bailed out because I didn't feel like goign to grad school. If you don't you've still got choices for a job, but you're limited. You can't make big $ as a psychiatrist.
Overall though, it's very interesting. If you like it, you'll get a lot out of it
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Nice joke, but anyone doing Psychology knows you cannot be a Psychiatrist, 90% of Psychiatrists are MDs first.
Personally, I'm looking at either 2ish paths. Business: The course I'm doing is Psych + Business, double major I guess you could call it if you equated it to a north american system.
Within the business path there are pretty much 2 splintering paths; Marketing, and Management. I personally am going to go with Marketing, as I find that much more appealing that management.
2nd overall path I guess would be clinical psych, more work I guess, but you'd have to make the decision personally. A classmate of mine told me he would never do clinical, stating "I could never deal with all the crazies".
I know you asked for people who have finished their degrees, but I figured I'd throw in what I execpt from my course.
Would be nice to know more indepth about what you would like to do, what you're good at, what you're bad at, what you know you don't want to do.
And one last thing: Professor? I could never teach, I personally couldn't spend HS + Uni doing schoolwork etc, and then continue to stick around for a good portion of my life teaching. I'd get out of the system ASAP.
EDIT: Seems to be a little confusion among people posting.
A Psychiatrist is a medical doctor who also has a qualification from a psychology association. They are the people who get paid big big bucks for doing therapy and prescribing drugs (practicing psychopharmacology).
A psychologist is someone who has a qualification from a psychology association. They cannot prescribe drugs. Most psychologists are not practicing clinicians, because psychiatrists absorb most of the clients. (This may not be true for your country, but it is generally true in Australia)
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infinity21
Canada6683 Posts
Being a prof isn't so bad. This one tenured prof I have teaches 6 hours a week and spends the rest of his time researching whatever he wants.
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On September 23 2008 23:15 ChaoSbringer wrote:
Nice joke, but anyone doing Psychology knows you cannot be a Psychiatrist, 90% of Psychiatrists are MDs first.
Personally, I'm looking at either 2ish paths. Business: The course I'm doing is Psych + Business, double major I guess you could call it if you equated it to a north american system.
Within the business path there are pretty much 2 splintering paths; Marketing, and Management. I personally am going to go with Marketing, as I find that much more appealing that management.
2nd overall path I guess would be clinical psych, more work I guess, but you'd have to make the decision personally. A classmate of mine told me he would never do clinical, stating "I could never deal with all the crazies".
I know you asked for people who have finished their degrees, but I figured I'd throw in what I execpt from my course.
I just want opinions from people who know what your talking about haha, so I would say your qualified.
On September 23 2008 23:15 ChaoSbringer wrote:
Would be nice to know more indepth about what you would like to do, what you're good at, what you're bad at, what you know you don't want to do.
And one last thing: Professor? I could never teach, I personally couldn't spend HS + Uni doing schoolwork etc, and then continue to stick around for a good portion of my life teaching. I'd get out of the system ASAP.
When I was deciding on what I would major in, I wrote down things I was interested in and a lot of things pointed to Psychology (or so I think). I enjoy learning and researching about the subconscious mostly, I find it fascinating how people are influenced by their environments too (I realize that this is more like Sociology, but I am also taking that too :D). Just general human behaviour intrigues me.
On the other hand, I really like Law a lot. I like the power of knowing what can and cannot be done and I also watched Matlock a lot (joking.. but seriously Matlock rules). I always thought it would be badass to be a lawyer, but I think I just like the theatrics that are in shown in movies more then the actual profession itself. (Besides, in Canada, you cannot leave the defense or prosecution table. Getting up and such isn't allowed.)
So Criminologist would be a rather good choice I think, it sort of combines both of those aspects. Psychology and law/crime. I don't know much about it though other then the brief descriptions I read, so I'm not sure whether I would really like this or not.
I don't like Science, I never have. I stopped taking Science in Gr.10, which in Canada is the last year in which it's mandatory. I mentioned it in the OP but for example Geography right now is killing me. It's not like I cannot understand it, it's just that I cannot get interested in it. On the other hand, I like Math and especially Data. Advanced probability is one of the most interesting things I ever learned about.
As for a Professor, it's just something in the back of my mind. I like teaching (I've done tutoring and mentoring before, it was great and the kids seemed to get better) but I don't think I would be satisfied with a normal teaching job at a high school or middle school - I want something more then that.
In a perfect world, I would finish my undergraduates and then work on a masters and eventual Doctorate, which I want I eventually want to obtain. It would ensure better job opportunities and I'm not going to lie, I like the power and social status that comes with earning it as well.
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I had not finished my coffe yet, half asleep =]
I meant to say that you don't make bank unless you're a psychiatrist, meaning, the extra skoooooool
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GrandInquisitor
New York City13113 Posts
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lol Is there a successful Criminologist in there?
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Hey I am in law school, and there are a bunch of psychology majors. The psych people are way smart (all were psi chi, golden key blah blah) and if you start prepping for the LSAT as a freshmen you could go to a damn good law school and make big money.
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United States24799 Posts
On September 23 2008 23:37 Salv wrote:
I don't like Science, I never have. I stopped taking Science in Gr.10, which in Canada is the last year in which it's mandatory.
What don't you like about science? Can you be specific?
As for a Professor, it's just something in the back of my mind. I like teaching (I've done tutoring and mentoring before, it was great and the kids seemed to get better) but I don't think I would be satisfied with a normal teaching job at a high school or middle school - I want something more then that. More in what way?
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United States5262 Posts
Poor job market for psych majors.
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Learned nothing I didn't already know in my first year elective psychology course. Largely because I studied it in high school. Didn't even bother going to class except for exams after the first two because it was so painfully basic.
Basically they're bird courses. I have no idea if it gets better at the higher levels, but expect no respect until you start going to grad school and actually get into the hands on stuff.
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On September 24 2008 02:30 PsycHOTemplar wrote:
Learned nothing I didn't already know in my first year elective psychology course. Largely because I studied it in high school. Didn't even bother going to class except for exams after the first two because it was so painfully basic.
Basically they're bird courses. I have no idea if it gets better at the higher levels, but expect no respect until you start going to grad school and actually get into the hands on stuff.
Yeah fair enough. Sociology seems like a _HUGE_ bird course atm. All my Prof does is contradict my other classes, so it becomes confusing.
On September 24 2008 02:04 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On September 23 2008 23:37 Salv wrote:
I don't like Science, I never have. I stopped taking Science in Gr.10, which in Canada is the last year in which it's mandatory. What don't you like about science? Can you be specific? Show nested quote +As for a Professor, it's just something in the back of my mind. I like teaching (I've done tutoring and mentoring before, it was great and the kids seemed to get better) but I don't think I would be satisfied with a normal teaching job at a high school or middle school - I want something more then that. More in what way?
I don't like Science because a lot of it usually went over my head. It wasn't fair and stupid to say I don't _like_ science, I just don't understand it now and I think I missed my window of opportunity for ever understanding it. In Grade 9 and 10 I was a really poor student so I never paid attention, in Math I could just fuck around and still be fine the next year, but with Science, it just compiled and by Gr.11 I didn't know any of the basics so all the new stuff was totally foreign to me.
It was my fault, but since then I have just stayed away from Science courses because I think I would just crushed in them -- unless it was a course in which they assumed you knew nothing or you learned the course from scratch, in which case I would give it a shot.
I know your a teacher, so sorry if what I wrote sounded idiotic or rude. What I meant was that I always wanted a job that came with a high social status; like earning an doctorate. Also i've heard the pay isn't very good until later years when your perhaps head of your department.
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United States24799 Posts
On September 24 2008 05:47 Salv wrote:Show nested quote +On September 24 2008 02:30 PsycHOTemplar wrote:
Learned nothing I didn't already know in my first year elective psychology course. Largely because I studied it in high school. Didn't even bother going to class except for exams after the first two because it was so painfully basic.
Basically they're bird courses. I have no idea if it gets better at the higher levels, but expect no respect until you start going to grad school and actually get into the hands on stuff. Yeah fair enough. Sociology seems like a _HUGE_ bird course atm. All my Prof does is contradict my other classes, so it becomes confusing. Show nested quote +On September 24 2008 02:04 micronesia wrote:On September 23 2008 23:37 Salv wrote:
I don't like Science, I never have. I stopped taking Science in Gr.10, which in Canada is the last year in which it's mandatory. What don't you like about science? Can you be specific? As for a Professor, it's just something in the back of my mind. I like teaching (I've done tutoring and mentoring before, it was great and the kids seemed to get better) but I don't think I would be satisfied with a normal teaching job at a high school or middle school - I want something more then that. More in what way? I don't like Science because a lot of it usually went over my head. It wasn't fair and stupid to say I don't _like_ science, I just don't understand it now and I think I missed my window of opportunity for ever understanding it. In Grade 9 and 10 I was a really poor student so I never paid attention, in Math I could just fuck around and still be fine the next year, but with Science, it just compiled and by Gr.11 I didn't know any of the basics so all the new stuff was totally foreign to me. It was my fault, but since then I have just stayed away from Science courses because I think I would just crushed in them -- unless it was a course in which they assumed you knew nothing or you learned the course from scratch, in which case I would give it a shot. Although there can be a lot of bs in science courses, the principles behind them (if not just scientific method in general) are a driving force of many other disciplines, including what you are interested in. It's never too late to attempt to develop a more scientific perspective. In my experience, the attitude a person has influences how that goes more than anything else.
I know your a teacher, so sorry if what I wrote sounded idiotic or rude. What I meant was that I always wanted a job that came with a high social status; like earning an doctorate. Also i've heard the pay isn't very good until later years when your perhaps head of your department.
Pay varies a lot depending on where you work etc.. I'm doing perfectly fine straight out of college, but I admit it's more the exception than the rule. As for status, I think teachers earn more street cred. when they teach in places that pay more, which is unfair to the good teachers in poorer areas but what can you do.
As for wanting a job with a high social status, I can understand that. Unless you want to move up to become a superintendent or something like that, you will never have a high class job as a teacher/chairperson. I think teaching can work in the interim while you finish up the education necessary for becoming a professor etc., and some people choose this route.
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On September 24 2008 07:12 micronesia wrote:
I think teaching can work in the interim while you finish up the education necessary for becoming a professor etc., and some people choose this route.
An option I hadn't thought of actually, thanks! I know I want to be a TA in my third or fourth year, as long as I have the grades.
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