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What is the hardest part of getting a degree in psychology?
I have heard that the psychology is a difficult major because of the mainly essay based assignments, but I'm wondering if it is worth the effort.
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Sha’s Answer
Psychology has a wide range of topics that are interesting and informational. One of the wide and challenging areas in psychology is undertaking a research project, whereby you have to begin with a proposal then proceed to the project. This is a very demanding area for your degree,as you will proceed with a research thesis in your Masters and even Doctorate level.
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Kennedy’s Answer
Hi Angela, great question! Similar to other answers, I think the level of difficulty in obtaining a degree in psychology will vary based on your personal interests and skill set. I very much enjoyed the more theoretical courses and discussion based seminars I took which allowed me to explore niches within psychology such as cultural psychology and abnormal psychology. They were also particularly challenging in that there was a high workload for those courses that required lots of reading and dissection of studies. They were immensely rewarding in that I was able to engage in fruitful discussions with my professor and classmates about the pitfalls, implications and validity of the various studies. There are also opportunities to take more research based courses which will be more hands on and potentially carried out in a lab setting. The pros of these courses is you really are able to be a participant in the subject by carrying out studies or assisting a professor. However, they probably require an even larger time commitment than the discussion based courses. Finally, there are typically a good amount of psychology lecture courses that occur in a larger lecture hall that is more memorization and regurgitation based. These are usually 100 level classes that help to solidify your foundational knowledge of psychology. Overall, I would say the most challenging aspects of studying psychology is the synthesis of dense readings and the participation in external labs or statistical courses. It was immensely rewarding, however, and I would highly recommend exploring your course options in college.
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Patricia’s Answer
The psychology courses varies by individual, as it often depends on one's interests, academic strengths and previous exposure to related material. Courses that synthesize a wide array of information, such as those combining biology and statistics are often cited as particularly challenging; but you never give up. Psychology is a wonderful career.
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Melissa’s Answer
Hello Angela,
Studying psychology is indeed a fascinating journey. It's essential for you to delve into the specific area that sparks your curiosity. While many associate psychology primarily with therapy or counseling, it's just one aspect of this vast field. There are numerous other intriguing sub-fields such as Industrial/Organizational Psychology, which focuses on business psychology, and Human Factors Psychology, which explores the interaction between humans and machines, along with Experimental Psychology, and many more.
Assignments in this field often involve research, including essay-style tasks that can enrich your understanding and knowledge. It's also worth noting that to truly thrive in many psychology-related careers, a Master's degree is often a prerequisite.
Studying psychology is indeed a fascinating journey. It's essential for you to delve into the specific area that sparks your curiosity. While many associate psychology primarily with therapy or counseling, it's just one aspect of this vast field. There are numerous other intriguing sub-fields such as Industrial/Organizational Psychology, which focuses on business psychology, and Human Factors Psychology, which explores the interaction between humans and machines, along with Experimental Psychology, and many more.
Assignments in this field often involve research, including essay-style tasks that can enrich your understanding and knowledge. It's also worth noting that to truly thrive in many psychology-related careers, a Master's degree is often a prerequisite.
Hey Melissa, this is helpful info but doesn't directly answer the learner's question. Do you think it's difficult to obtain a psych degree?
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Gurpreet Lally
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Gurpreet’s Answer, CareerVillage.org Team
Hi Angela,
I graduated with my BA in psychology and can, hopefully, shed some light on the difficulty of the degree. There will be a ton of reading and essay writing for this major (and for many majors such as history, econ, and philosophy) but that shouldn't discourage you! Many universities have writing centers where you get support in essay writing and even have folks proof-read your work before you turn it in. Another thing to remember is when you first try something new (like writing papers), it will feel hard but overtime, you will have enough practice and begin to get better at it.
Funnily enough, the classes where I struggled the most had nothing to do with essay writing! As a psychology major, you need to take a few statistics and research methods classes which were rather difficult but again, most schools have support systems in place (ex: tutoring centers, test banks, and office hours) to help you.
Overall, I thought the degree was worth it because I truly enjoyed everything I learned and while I don't work as a psychologist, I still utilize the concepts I learned.
I graduated with my BA in psychology and can, hopefully, shed some light on the difficulty of the degree. There will be a ton of reading and essay writing for this major (and for many majors such as history, econ, and philosophy) but that shouldn't discourage you! Many universities have writing centers where you get support in essay writing and even have folks proof-read your work before you turn it in. Another thing to remember is when you first try something new (like writing papers), it will feel hard but overtime, you will have enough practice and begin to get better at it.
Funnily enough, the classes where I struggled the most had nothing to do with essay writing! As a psychology major, you need to take a few statistics and research methods classes which were rather difficult but again, most schools have support systems in place (ex: tutoring centers, test banks, and office hours) to help you.
Overall, I thought the degree was worth it because I truly enjoyed everything I learned and while I don't work as a psychologist, I still utilize the concepts I learned.
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Charles’s Answer
Hello Angela, speaking from personal experience, studying Psychology and graduating from College has a lot of rewarding opportunities. and a career in Psychology opens amazing doors of opportunity in this fast-changing world meeting people who can connect you with the right resources and tools to improve your career goals and aspirations is one of the amazing benefits of studying for a degree in Psychology.
Your biggest motivation at this point should be outlined in these five questions below.
1. What career can I choose with a degree in Psychology that aligns strongly with my goals and aspirations?
2. What impact can I make in the lives of people in my community through my knowledge in Psychology?
3. What are my strengths and weaknesses and how I can use my skills to excel in the University?
4. What sort of opportunities can I open up through my knowledge of Psychology?
5. What is my why and how does it align strongly with my goals?
Once you answer these questions, getting through college could be much easier, purposeful and exciting.
You got this Angela.
Your biggest motivation at this point should be outlined in these five questions below.
1. What career can I choose with a degree in Psychology that aligns strongly with my goals and aspirations?
2. What impact can I make in the lives of people in my community through my knowledge in Psychology?
3. What are my strengths and weaknesses and how I can use my skills to excel in the University?
4. What sort of opportunities can I open up through my knowledge of Psychology?
5. What is my why and how does it align strongly with my goals?
Once you answer these questions, getting through college could be much easier, purposeful and exciting.
You got this Angela.