After taking a gap year and working full-time, I finally began my first year of college this August. This year I am juggling work and school. When I’m not busy with work, school, or my other hobbies, I’m feeding my thirst for knowledge. Being that I am a psychology major, it is important that I constantly build my understanding of the human mind.
I want to avoid taking unnecessary classes, so I plan to register for classes that will contribute to my career. I took psychology, sociology, and journalism courses in high school, so I am somewhat familiar with these subjects. This semester, I’m taking Psych 1101 to refresh my understanding of psychology in general. One major step that I have decided to take this semester is to enroll in online classes, outside of my in-person weekly classes. I was enrolled in online school from grades seven through twelve, so I am familiar with online courses.
I now understand how important learning strategies are for successfully passing a course. I find educational videos helpful, specifically videos that incorporate music and animation. I try to casually mention new information that I have learned in conversations with my family and friends. Those things aid in my retention of the information that I am learning.
A helpful tip that I have picked up, is keeping physical models of the material that I need to learn to obtain my degree. For instance, I will be purchasing a model of the human brain soon. I keep tons of diagrams and sketches in my notebook.
One piece of advice that I am taking is to have open dialogue with my psychology professor. Forming this relationship will help both me and my professor to become more involved in this journey.
I will try to apply this same concept to my math classes. Personally, I hate math, but I know that I need to become comfortable with statistics in order to thrive in this field.
Throughout these next few years, I want to preserve my enthusiasm for this subject. I try to do small things to peak my interest, such as watching true crime documentaries, which first introduced me to psychology. I love learning about mental disorders and how to treat them. It’s my goal to help erase some of the stigma that surrounds people who suffer from various mental disorders. I also plan to maintain my excitement for this subject by participating in extra-scholastic activities. I’m hoping to visit museums such as the Cummings Center for the History of Psychology in Ohio. I’ve also considered joining various psychology clubs and organizations, both at my school and other national organizations.
Within the next few years, I want to build relationships with people in this field. I think it would be a wise choice to attend various conferences relating to my major. I have plans to obtain an internship prior to my senior year. I really want to ‘get my foot in the door,’ by working in an office. I want to know what a typical day as clinical psychologist is like. I want to see learn how I can apply my background in psychology to my writing.
The last, most important thing that I am focusing on is to explore different career options. I’ve been using different resources provided by my freshman seminar professor, Dr. Trivedi, to assist me in this search. I’ve already found great career options: psychotherapy, teaching as a professor, and even journalism. These first few semesters of college should really help me weed out my options and find a career path that truly resonates with me.
