If you have been working in the same job for a while, you might be thinking about going back to college and making a career change. These days it’s easier than ever to retrain as an adult thanks to the availability of part-time and online degree programs, and it’s far from unusual for female professionals to juggle their studies with their existing career or family life as a mature student. That means the trickiest part is often deciding what you want to study! There are a wealth of interesting subjects out there, however, if you are fascinated by human thoughts and behavior, then psychology could be the perfect choice for you. Here’s why.
What is psychology?
In essence, psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. It examines how different biological, social and environmental factors influence our thoughts, feelings and actions in order to enable us to better understand ourselves, other people and society. This in turn can help us to address many of the problems facing the world today. There are a huge range of degree programs and specialisms within the subject to choose between, making it an extremely interesting and varied field to study.
What are the benefits of studying psychology?
In addition to the fact that it’s a fascinating subject to study, there are lots of advantages to getting a degree in psychology. Firstly, it can prepare you for a rewarding career in the field. There is a growing need for mental health professionals, and PsyD programs in Los Angeles can train you to work with patients suffering from difficulties ranging from anxiety and depression to addictions and eating disorders. Other options include specializing in child psychology, sport psychology or forensic psychology. You could also work in academia, conducting research studies and publishing your findings. This broad range of possibilities gives you the enviable opportunity to carve out a job that perfectly aligns with your personal interests, strengths, and career aspirations.
Studying psychology can also help you to develop a wide range of transferable skills that will be useful to you no matter what career path you choose. These include communication (both verbal and written), critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, research skills, and analytical thinking. This is in addition to the subject-specific knowledge that will boost your understanding of other people. By knowing more about human behavior, emotions, and motivations and so on, you will be able to improve your relationships with everyone from friends and family to colleagues and strangers.
Finally, studying psychology can also be a way to better understand yourself. Knowing why you feel a certain way or take certain actions can be useful for countless reasons. For instance, you could learn how to boost your motivation to achieve your goals, how to cope with challenging situations or deal with difficult emotions, how to overcome your innate biases, how to make better decisions, and how to live a more fulfilling life. You can even learn tactics for improving your memory, managing risky situations, and being more productive.
Need we go on?