Wholehearted Ramblings Of A Psychology Major

"It is not primarily our physical selves that limit us but rather, our mindset about our physical limitations" - Ellen J. Langer

When I began college at (insert horrible school name here, as I cannot say it without risking liability), I decided to become a Psychology major.

Said major involved intensive struggles, working on bypassing the idea that this is a career nobody even wants. What do I mean by that?

Well, for starters, I have found in my time as one (now venturing to Marketing, not quite walking away from this major but rather, running from it in terror), it is a saturated career.

A 2017 study found that around 3.5 million Americans withheld a Bachelor's degree in this major, and only 14 percent held graduate degrees.

Less than 2 percent hold the nit-and-grit of the discipline, where it is insinuated that one will become a Counselor. This is the misconception I was guided toward.

What can you do with a Bachelor's in Psychology?

Nothing, Sort Of...

My Psychiatrist, among many other naysayers, stated something that I do not quite know as factual: ninety percent of Psych majors in California work at car washes.

Whether this piece of information is true or not, the point is clear: Psychology is the fourth most sought degree in the United States.

What this means is more than we assume. Rather, it is a daunting statistic: what do all of these Psychology majors end up doing? Well, more (perhaps less) than you may think.

The Discovery Of Attribution

Little story first: I entered college relatively later than most. As a high school dropout at the age of seventeen (and, in following, a self-made entrepreneur within less than two weeks of dropping out), the only class I recall enjoying was AP Psychology.

I was the only kid in the AP Psychology class, and I had "As" when failing all else.

(Yes, that includes English, which, suffice to say, is where I belonged).

In 2016, I Began My Experience

When I entered that first college experience in 2016, I was warned by professor after professor to diverge from this career path, as it is true: it is saturated to the point of disbelief.

Roughly speaking, a Bachelor's in Psychology can lead to other endeavors, and that is (I guess) the point of this 90 Day Content Challenge input: that Psychology is applicable elsewhere; that Psychology is not a worthless degree if you know how to use it...

Why Psychology Exists

After eight (yes, eight) intensive years of studying this discipline, confronting topics ranging from Biology to Theories, to Personality, to Behaviorism, I learned more in those eight years than I would have ever learned if I had gone to school for something else.

Psychology is the advent of Sir Sigmund Freud, who broke the sound barrier with his topic on the id, the ego, and the superego. For those not familiar with this, the "id" is the internal distraction we all hold, bound by instinct. When you want sex, your id is active.

When we discuss the ego, we are talking about the morals you have learned about society, life and what our parents or teachers taught us.

Then, the superego is the mediator of the two, trying to keep them in line.

The superego is much like a bouncer at a club: it has to regulate the mincessive "id" from overpowering the "ego," and vice versa.

This Has A Point, I Promise

The point is rather simple: many Psychology majors end up in varying careers that have absolutely no merit in the realm they were trained in, and this is not the student's fault.

Rather, it is that of society's.

We seem to be bred on this mindset that college is more than just a place to grow. It is a place to learn. If you can pay attention long enough in a Psychology class, you actually will learn some great things such as the manner in which the human brain works; the fathoming of consumer behavior; the breeding ground that we call: "intuition," and so much more.

What Many Do, And What Many Don't

As stated, many go into a Bachelor's program with an intention of becoming a doctor, or a Psychologist, or a School Counselor, and indeed, if you can withstand the pressures of the career choices you have ahead of you, you will succeed in this chosen path.

But there is something much more among this all: it leads one to believe that the knowledge one obtains through this major cannot be attainable in any particular field.

Think about it: a Psychology major (one that pays attention, anyway) learns the way the human brain works; the way consumers think about a service or a product; the manner in which human behavior coalesces into society, marking its territory like a cat in heat...

The Idea That We Must Acquire

The notion of the Psychology major is: 'I will be a Psychologist," but there is so much more to it than that! It is a career one can do a lot with in lieu of a Bachelor's degree.

The first day on my campus at my new home, Florida International University, I attended a lecture on "What You Can Do With A Bachelor's In Psychology."

The bodies they buried that day were countless, as the speaker distinctly discussed the following career choices, and no, I am not in any way joking:

* Dolphin trainer

That was it, really. Dolphin trainer. Excuse my beckoning, but who the heck wants to be a Dolphin Trainer? I soon found myself wondering: is this right for me?

Then I Started Changing Things...

It was around my second year at FIU (which, for the record, is not the "horrible school" I did not mention the name of, as much like Harry Potter, that which we do not speak about shall not be named) that I began to think outside of the box a bit.

I joined a few school clubs, engaged in the college experience, and felt right at home.

However, as the graduation date approached, I worried I was about to enter into a career path I did not enjoy. In fact, I have seen through the chatrooms of busy Psychology majors making a dire attempt to succeed that many did not get into Graduate programs.

Leaving their choices as "dolphin trainer" or "retail associate."

I began to see a light at the end of the tunnel when my Psychiatrist/Mentor told me simply: "Marketing is the psychology of selling something."

Of Course, Marketing!

It hit me like a brick of cautiously-thrown stones: I would enter a graduate program for Marketing, and yes, I was accepted. Bit of advice for students: bug the recruiter.

If you really want to get into a good program, apply early.

Anyway, back to the topic:

You see, the point of all of this is to simply say: we are limitless in our choices. We have the ability to understand human behavior, for Christ's sake.

Thanks to what I have learned in Psychology classes, I can tell when somebody is lying to me; I can recognize a man or a woman as confident without even saying a word to them; I can listen and bounce ideas back and forth among friends...and I can market.

The Lesson Here Is Simple

If you are among the Psychology curriculum or not, you have choices here aside from behavioral modification of say, a dolphin. Rather, you have the knowledge of how the human mind works, and to me, that is an endless stream of potential.

This was originally meant to discuss the failures of Psychology degrees, but I seem to have found a loophole in the equation: Psychology is actually the most effective career path one can make. In fact, I urge any student to take at least one glance at a Psychology book.

You will not regret it.

There Is A Loophole

That loophole, mind you, is very difficult to find. One must bypass the idea that Psychology is a deathtrap. Instead, and for those hiring for new workers or for those looking for some direction in life, this one is for you: go into a program Psych-focused, and you cannot possibly fail (unless you are among the masses who forget to pay attention).

A Psychology major is the most valuable person of your team, to be honest.

They learn that people primp their fingers in a steeple-like shape when confident; they learn that communication is more than just the spoken word; they learn social aspects no other degree would ever provide. I urge you, if you are a hirer, consider a Psych major.

Discussion

Now, if this has not provided enough substance, take yet another story: Psychology may be the fourth most sought major, but that does mean there is competition.

Of the four hundred members of my school's "Psi Chi" Chapter (i.e. the Honors Society for Psych majors, which has a chapter in almost every school), all applied to the same grad program. They failed, obviously, but not because they had chosen a bad career.

Rather, they had made a brutal mistake: they relied heavily on one program. Remember, school is not about a degree. At least, that is my opinion. If you can embrace your career choice as perhaps the wrong one, but still stick with it for the sake of knowledge, you can always continue school in another degree. I, as an example, chose marketing, which is:

"The psychology of selling something" - My Psychiatrist

(Ironic twist of fate: he is an Adjunct Professor at the campus I go to, and I have seen him around, but for the sake of not commingling interests, we pass in the hall and do not talk.

It is quite awkward: this man that saved my life over and over again can only be spoken to on a patient-doctor notice, i.e. I cannot even nod at him when I see him).

The Value Of A Psych Major

Now, this is where I divulge from the topic at-hand and instead, focus on something much more broad: can a Psychology major do anything they so desire? Yes.

An example I found was Life Coaching. If you have been following my many articles, you will see that every post is tagged with my company: Valiance Coaching.

Valiance Coaching started in 2010 when I decided I could become a Psychologist without the degree, and I still urge Psych majors to pursue this.

A Life Coach may have meant more in 2010 than it does now, where just about everyone calls themselves one. A study in 2022 found that the number of Coaches between the years of 2016 and 2019 rose by 33 percent, which is a drastic change.

How many of them are really doing their job is probably much, much lower.

However, It Withholds An Example...

This does not mean a Psychology major cannot become one. In fact, if you really want to get your juices flowing with a Psych degree, venture into areas unknown to the career.

When we decide to siphon our Psych-degree brethren as less than worthy, we are failing as a society. It is the most useful degree you can ever come across. We learn human behavior; we learn consumer behavior; we learn how to save lives, to be frank.

In Conclusion For Today

So, I entered this article startled by the notion that Psychology is a useless degree. As I began to write about it, I realized halfway through that there is more to it than that.

So, I will conclude by saying simply:

Give them a shot.

Whether you are a recruiter, a marketer, or a digital media specialist (or a lost soul wandering the LinkedIn Newsfeed), consider learning some Psychology of your own.

The only way to go is to learn. Knowledge is priceless, and we cannot confine that to simply, the knowledge we have at present. Do something for yourself today: go on Amazon and buy a book called "Theories On Personality" and get started.

And stay tuned for my upcoming book on this topic.

Like, share, repeat, and read a Psychology textbook today

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