Why Study Psychology?

Satchit Ghimire- Psychology is one of the most sought after undergraduate majors all around the world. Why is psychology so popular? Because it’s easy, or having a degree in psychology helps you to land a lucrative job, or psychology is fun? There is not a single answer to this question.

Here are some of the good reasons to study psychology.

1. Understand the functioning of the brain

Your brain is arguably the most complex matter in the entire universe. Have you ever wondered how the 3 pounds piece of meat can do amazing wonders? From discovering gravity to composing a symphony, inventing penicillin for treating diseases to writing captivating literature, the human brain is the source of these unbelievable accomplishments. How does the physical object, i.e., the brain, can give rise to conscious experiences?

The answer to these questions will be searched and discovered by the brain itself. Psychology (along with neuroscience, cognitive science, and others) is among the few disciplines that will help us to understand the functions of the mind. The field of psychology is big and diverse. Psychologists study various cognitive processes (memory, thinking, learning, attention, reasoning, problem-solving), social interactions, behavior, and so on.

2. Psychology is fun

Learning psychology is exciting and fun. It is very satisfying to study how the human mind works. Why people act or don’t act in a certain way? The knowledge of psychology is applicable in our daily life, and if you love various problems that people encounter in their everyday life, then earning a degree in psychology might be very fulfilling for you. Similarly, the area of psychology is big and diverse, and students can choose to focus on specialty areas according to their interests.

3. Opportunity to work in a variety of settings

Psychotherapist taking notes of the patient. (Picture Courtesy- freepik)

Psychologists are employed in various settings. Knowing psychology is useful for any job that requires an understanding of human behavior. A degree in psychology helps offers you career opportunities in various disciplines. The graduates can apply their expertise in different work environments such as education, marketing, academia, health care, organizations, sports, and so on.

4. Many options to explore

Psychology being a highly interdisciplinary subject, relates to many other disciplines such as forensics, welfare, human resources, neuroscience, cognitive science, medicine, anthropology, philosophy, linguistics, sociology, and so on. The knowledge of psychology and behavior helps you to understand the traits that can allow you to work more successfully in different environments.

5. Better understanding about yourself and the people around you

A psychologist is the one who seeks to studies about the thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behavior of the people. Studying psychology helps you to understand more about the people around you and yourself better. Why people behave as do, they do? Why are they upset or happy? What motivates them? How and why they respond to the world around them? Studying psychology will make us ask many such questions. In the pursuit of answers to these questions, we will discover the various ideas linked with people’s mental processes and behavior.

6. Can be easily coupled with another major or minor

Psychology is a highly interdisciplinary discipline and relates to a wide range of disciplines. Psychology can be paired with another major subject to complement your core course of study. Study of cognitive processes (thinking, learning, memory, etc.) and the behavior of people, as well as interaction among human beings, gives you an advantage in many careers like business, nursing, social work, law, neuroscience, cognitive science, and so on. Generally the minor in psychology requires about 16 credit hours (in the United States) in psychology.

7. Develop critical thinking and other analytical skills

The science of psychology depends upon the experimentation and systematic observation rather than speculation. Studying Psychology equips you with excellent training in scientific research methods, critical thinking, and so on. Critical thinking is a highly important skill and is often a requirement in education, employment, and so on.

8. Help other people

If you like to help other people and make some differences in the life of people, then psychology might be the perfect choice for you. With your novel scientific approaches, you can help other people overcome their difficulties and ensure their well-being and help them to achieve their potential. Psychology also helps to solve many real-life problems that people encounter in their daily life.

7. Evolving field

The field of psychology is growing. The demand for psychologists in various fields such as marketing, business, health services, criminal justice, and so on are expected to grow. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States, the employment of psychologists is projected to grow at 14 percent from 2018 to 2028, which is faster than the average for other occupations.

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