8 answers
Elaina
Student
Elk River, Minnesota
6
Questions
Asked
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What college did you go to and what impact did it have on your career?
What schools have good psychology classes and what colleges do you recommend?
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8 answers
Martha Kramer
Corporate Training, Communications
335
Answers
Stamford, Connecticut
Updated
Martha’s Answer
Great questions, Elaina! Fortunately, most colleges and universities have some kind of Psychology major. I couldn't find a definitive list of the best undergraduate psychology programs, although this article is helpful - https://www.collegeadvisor.com/resources/best-universities-for-psychology/.
However, US News & World Report has been evaluating college programs for a long time. Here is their most current list of top Psychology graduate programs - https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/psychology-rankings.
I went to Princeton University, starting in the first few years that they admitted women. It had an immense positive effect on me, starting with a very challenging, but rewarding, education. It improved my ability to synthesize information, read critically, write, and speak. It also broadened my ability to relate to people from different backgrounds and my idea of possible career paths. Succeeding there gave me confidence in my ability to master new material, which has been important throughout my career. And many years later, I have friends from college as well as other friendships formed through alumni activities.
I hasten to add, though, that you can gain a terrific education and meaningful experience at many colleges/universities. My children each went to different places and loved their college experiences. If you research your choices carefully, visit to check for comfort, and take advantage of opportunities presented, you will, too.
Good luck!
However, US News & World Report has been evaluating college programs for a long time. Here is their most current list of top Psychology graduate programs - https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-humanities-schools/psychology-rankings.
I went to Princeton University, starting in the first few years that they admitted women. It had an immense positive effect on me, starting with a very challenging, but rewarding, education. It improved my ability to synthesize information, read critically, write, and speak. It also broadened my ability to relate to people from different backgrounds and my idea of possible career paths. Succeeding there gave me confidence in my ability to master new material, which has been important throughout my career. And many years later, I have friends from college as well as other friendships formed through alumni activities.
I hasten to add, though, that you can gain a terrific education and meaningful experience at many colleges/universities. My children each went to different places and loved their college experiences. If you research your choices carefully, visit to check for comfort, and take advantage of opportunities presented, you will, too.
Good luck!
Thank you, this is really helpful.
Elaina
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity => Self-Actualization.
6182
Answers
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Hey there, Elaina!
Guess what? Back in 1975, I was one of the first students to attend the newly opened Griffith University in Brisbane. It was such an exciting time - we were the pioneers, the very first undergraduates to step foot on campus. Fun fact: my student number was 878!
In our first year, we had three main subjects in the School of Science: Foundations of Science, Foundations of Mathematics, and a really interesting one called Science, Technology, and Society. But that's not all - Griffith University was also home to three other schools: Modern Asian Studies, Australian Environmental Studies, and Humanities. A diverse range of subjects, right?
Oh, and by the way, here are three top-notch reference publications you might find useful:
1. American Psychological Association (apa.org)
2. U.S. News & World Report (usnews.com)
3. National Center for Education Statistics (nces.ed.gov)
Take care and God bless,
James.
Guess what? Back in 1975, I was one of the first students to attend the newly opened Griffith University in Brisbane. It was such an exciting time - we were the pioneers, the very first undergraduates to step foot on campus. Fun fact: my student number was 878!
In our first year, we had three main subjects in the School of Science: Foundations of Science, Foundations of Mathematics, and a really interesting one called Science, Technology, and Society. But that's not all - Griffith University was also home to three other schools: Modern Asian Studies, Australian Environmental Studies, and Humanities. A diverse range of subjects, right?
Oh, and by the way, here are three top-notch reference publications you might find useful:
1. American Psychological Association (apa.org)
2. U.S. News & World Report (usnews.com)
3. National Center for Education Statistics (nces.ed.gov)
Take care and God bless,
James.
Michelle M.
Entertainment Industry
1879
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Elaina !
I believe that the advice you will receive for this inquiry will surely be exciting, interesting and encouraging.
I went to California State University, Sacramento as a Theatre major. The program was so thorough that I was introduced via courses in every aspect of theatre. Although I was a student of Acting, there were many requirements above and beyond attending classes, both in acting and for the technical end. I look back on those years with great fondness and they will always be a part of me, so I guess you can say that the college years were very profound and influential.
Some people think it's a strange thing to get a Bachelors Degree in: Theatre. But I knew that for me to apply what I learned I had to move to either L.A. or New York, so I moved to Hollywood where the work is. In about four months time I obtained full time employment working for major professional theatres doing audience relations and coordinating ticket sales. A big part of my job was to sit in at rehearsals, know every detail about the plays and be able to cordially and accurately discuss the plays with both the general public as well as top name celebrities of that era. I credit my education at Cal State with the skills and my personal love for the job being two elements that made the job fabulous ! Whenever I would obtain jobs thereafter, the Bachelors Degree carried weight. My work in Acting was basically through auditions and did not require a college degree.
Some colleges in your state are Capella University in Minneapolis, Crown College in Saint Bonifacius, Saint Cloud University in Saint Cloud, Gustavus Adolphus University in Saint Peter and Minnesota State University in Mankato. I offer these suggestion, not as recommendations because I am not familiar with these colleges. I just wanted to mention them here because they have psychology programs and they are within your state. This is a list to start with and I advise that you explore these and many other colleges before making a final decision. Think about whether you want to go for a Bachelors or Masters degree, stay in state or move away for college. Since you will be making the final choice, you will have to gather all of the information directly from the colleges and decide based on your plans.
I wish you all the best and hope that you choose a school that you really love.
I believe that the advice you will receive for this inquiry will surely be exciting, interesting and encouraging.
I went to California State University, Sacramento as a Theatre major. The program was so thorough that I was introduced via courses in every aspect of theatre. Although I was a student of Acting, there were many requirements above and beyond attending classes, both in acting and for the technical end. I look back on those years with great fondness and they will always be a part of me, so I guess you can say that the college years were very profound and influential.
Some people think it's a strange thing to get a Bachelors Degree in: Theatre. But I knew that for me to apply what I learned I had to move to either L.A. or New York, so I moved to Hollywood where the work is. In about four months time I obtained full time employment working for major professional theatres doing audience relations and coordinating ticket sales. A big part of my job was to sit in at rehearsals, know every detail about the plays and be able to cordially and accurately discuss the plays with both the general public as well as top name celebrities of that era. I credit my education at Cal State with the skills and my personal love for the job being two elements that made the job fabulous ! Whenever I would obtain jobs thereafter, the Bachelors Degree carried weight. My work in Acting was basically through auditions and did not require a college degree.
Some colleges in your state are Capella University in Minneapolis, Crown College in Saint Bonifacius, Saint Cloud University in Saint Cloud, Gustavus Adolphus University in Saint Peter and Minnesota State University in Mankato. I offer these suggestion, not as recommendations because I am not familiar with these colleges. I just wanted to mention them here because they have psychology programs and they are within your state. This is a list to start with and I advise that you explore these and many other colleges before making a final decision. Think about whether you want to go for a Bachelors or Masters degree, stay in state or move away for college. Since you will be making the final choice, you will have to gather all of the information directly from the colleges and decide based on your plans.
I wish you all the best and hope that you choose a school that you really love.
I appreciate this, thank you for the advice.
Elaina
Marino Mugayar-Baldocchi
Applied Organizational Scientist
4
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Marino’s Answer
Great question, Elaina!
I am from Brazil, grew up in Australia, and went to the College of Charleston in South Carolina. I was looking for a university/college experience that would allow me to learn about what I was interested in (Psychology) but in a location where I would be able to mature and focus on this often overlooked, yet extremely important and formative part of the experience. I chose Charleston because of the class sizes, the affordability of South Carolina, the Honors program, the weather, and the overall size of the college. I wanted something with around 10,000 students but not driven by Greek life or sporting teams. I wanted a town that had a mid-sized airport and that had beaches.
In other words, I was setting up both my education and my personal growth journey by paying equal mind to them as I knew they would be complementary parts of my development. My maturation in Charleston and the incredibly dedicated professors I had, who all knew who I was and what I wanted to do, allowed me to apply to PhD programs, get into one, and eventually start my work as an applied organizational researcher. The entrepreneurial skills I learned and the resilience to never quit something I believed in got me into both my PhD program and my current job as aspects that distinguished my application. Additionally, the dedicated mentoring I received allowed me to learn a lot about my potential future career and what it would take for me to make an informed decision about what I wanted to do.
I am from Brazil, grew up in Australia, and went to the College of Charleston in South Carolina. I was looking for a university/college experience that would allow me to learn about what I was interested in (Psychology) but in a location where I would be able to mature and focus on this often overlooked, yet extremely important and formative part of the experience. I chose Charleston because of the class sizes, the affordability of South Carolina, the Honors program, the weather, and the overall size of the college. I wanted something with around 10,000 students but not driven by Greek life or sporting teams. I wanted a town that had a mid-sized airport and that had beaches.
In other words, I was setting up both my education and my personal growth journey by paying equal mind to them as I knew they would be complementary parts of my development. My maturation in Charleston and the incredibly dedicated professors I had, who all knew who I was and what I wanted to do, allowed me to apply to PhD programs, get into one, and eventually start my work as an applied organizational researcher. The entrepreneurial skills I learned and the resilience to never quit something I believed in got me into both my PhD program and my current job as aspects that distinguished my application. Additionally, the dedicated mentoring I received allowed me to learn a lot about my potential future career and what it would take for me to make an informed decision about what I wanted to do.
Christopher Hemm
Management Consultant
3
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Christopher’s Answer
Hello Elaina,
I had the opportunity to study at the University of Chicago, where I dove deep into the fascinating fields of Economics and Data Science. The most valuable takeaway from my college years was the chance to explore various subjects that piqued my interest. Although not all the knowledge I gained is used in my day-to-day life, it taught me to think critically and fostered a curiosity for new subjects. This, in turn, keeps life intriguing and invigorating!
I had the opportunity to study at the University of Chicago, where I dove deep into the fascinating fields of Economics and Data Science. The most valuable takeaway from my college years was the chance to explore various subjects that piqued my interest. Although not all the knowledge I gained is used in my day-to-day life, it taught me to think critically and fostered a curiosity for new subjects. This, in turn, keeps life intriguing and invigorating!
Jerome Dees Jr.
Sales Professional and Networking Expert
607
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Jerome’s Answer
San Francisco State University for my BA in Psychology. I thought the program was well done and having a melting pot of different people with different perspectives and approaches added to the experience in my opinion.
Victoria Strauss
Communications
2
Answers
Limerick, PA
Updated
Victoria’s Answer
I went to Penn State University, which not only has a large student population but also the largest alumni association in the world (so they say!). I never pictured myself at a university with more than 50,000 students on campus. However, it was the greatest choice, and I will never regret it. I had access to a lot of resources at Penn State and students from around the globe to learn from and collaborate with. The alumni association proved to be important five years after graduation. A Penn State connection introduced me to the current company I work for. This woman and I were involved in the same professional student orgs, which helped her have a sense of my work ethic. We stayed connected after graduation and when a role opened on her team, she thought of me for the job. Regardless of the university you select, networking will take you far!
E. C Zephon
Either fall or grow!
127
Answers
Saint Cloud, Minnesota
Updated
E. C’s Answer
I attended Kean University in Union, NJ it wasn't even on my list of colleges when I did entertain the thought. Seton Hall, Rutgers and or Farleigh Dickinson. I ended up transferring there from a community college and I had my ups and downs about it throughout the semesters. My fall semester as a sophomore year is where I started to notice the magic around me and started to let go of the Seton Hall or Rutgers bus. As you know you have the electives and cores I majored in Communication at the time which coincided with Journalism. One of my cores was to be on one of the campus' newspapers where I got to see how the stories were dissected, edited and then published.
I already had a bit of a journalism background from the community college so I already knew about the 5 W's and the H as well as setting up the structure of the opening. The middle is where the most important and current information went that is also where you would have most of the quotes. Finally the conclusion is where you would tie in the contact information. I also co-founded a club that only lasted four more years after I graduated but it taught me how to dedicate my time into creating something as well as the politics of older organizations being big fishes and wanting the guppies to join their established schools.
I overall had a great time but I still had no direction into what I truly wanted to do career wise so I ended up minoring in public relations. There were not that many lucrative options in the Communication department you had to have a passion for this area of study and figure out how you would survive after. Radio, newspaper reporting, magazines etc were dying out and were not known for having millionaires. Blogs had just began to make a buzz and there was no such thing as podcasting or using social media as a platform for advertising, branding and sales.
I graduated and hit the real world like a sack of bricks I learned that for certain majors or careers you would have to move into regions where it was more valuable. I also learned that a college degree did not guarantee you a salary within six months of attaining it. I can go on and on about my many disappointments but I never forgot the experiences. I am from a generation that has learned we can be multi dimensional and not stationary to one job or career as our parents and their parents were.
Although I am no major column expert or news reporter or even an author. But if someone came to me on the warehouse floor and asked me if I could help edit a PSA or write a summary about the company and positions I would have no difficulties. Even if someone wanted me to take a picture of the employees operating their forklifts I could spare a few things I remembered from photography class. If a company wanted a better presentation for orientations I could recommend a few programs as well as brainstorm on the who, where, what, why and when not to forget the how if needed. In due time I can even use these things in creating my own company or branding whatever hobby is calling for its merits in due season.
College does not measure when or where you will make and leave your mark on the world but it should give you a well rounded guide into how to critically think, analyze, be strategic and how to formulate, calculate, execute and conclude. Its like motor boating everything comes full circle keep your hand steady on the tiller dont turn the throttle too far as you head through channels, estuaries, waterways even making a few stops at lagoons, shores and maybe the ocean's face. Once you get a handle on your surroundings now you can begin to slide the adjustment handle as the tides, currents and waves come your way. You'll be able to pull in, dock and tie your line on a log or etched beam and make your way on the wharf until get to your proper destination.
I already had a bit of a journalism background from the community college so I already knew about the 5 W's and the H as well as setting up the structure of the opening. The middle is where the most important and current information went that is also where you would have most of the quotes. Finally the conclusion is where you would tie in the contact information. I also co-founded a club that only lasted four more years after I graduated but it taught me how to dedicate my time into creating something as well as the politics of older organizations being big fishes and wanting the guppies to join their established schools.
I overall had a great time but I still had no direction into what I truly wanted to do career wise so I ended up minoring in public relations. There were not that many lucrative options in the Communication department you had to have a passion for this area of study and figure out how you would survive after. Radio, newspaper reporting, magazines etc were dying out and were not known for having millionaires. Blogs had just began to make a buzz and there was no such thing as podcasting or using social media as a platform for advertising, branding and sales.
I graduated and hit the real world like a sack of bricks I learned that for certain majors or careers you would have to move into regions where it was more valuable. I also learned that a college degree did not guarantee you a salary within six months of attaining it. I can go on and on about my many disappointments but I never forgot the experiences. I am from a generation that has learned we can be multi dimensional and not stationary to one job or career as our parents and their parents were.
Although I am no major column expert or news reporter or even an author. But if someone came to me on the warehouse floor and asked me if I could help edit a PSA or write a summary about the company and positions I would have no difficulties. Even if someone wanted me to take a picture of the employees operating their forklifts I could spare a few things I remembered from photography class. If a company wanted a better presentation for orientations I could recommend a few programs as well as brainstorm on the who, where, what, why and when not to forget the how if needed. In due time I can even use these things in creating my own company or branding whatever hobby is calling for its merits in due season.
College does not measure when or where you will make and leave your mark on the world but it should give you a well rounded guide into how to critically think, analyze, be strategic and how to formulate, calculate, execute and conclude. Its like motor boating everything comes full circle keep your hand steady on the tiller dont turn the throttle too far as you head through channels, estuaries, waterways even making a few stops at lagoons, shores and maybe the ocean's face. Once you get a handle on your surroundings now you can begin to slide the adjustment handle as the tides, currents and waves come your way. You'll be able to pull in, dock and tie your line on a log or etched beam and make your way on the wharf until get to your proper destination.
Thank you so much!
Elaina