You are probably at a time in life when you are thinking about what university degree to do and have considered studying psychology because you love the human mind and all the secrets it hides (Universidad Internacional de Valencia, 2018). Without a doubt, it is a great option (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). This is because the psychology career aims to train professionals who understand human thinking and who can work to achieve the well-being of the population and lasting mental health.
In the same way, in correspondence with the Universidad Internacional de Valencia (2018), the career of psychology is one of the most demanded today, given that many people are curious to understand human behavior and because the knowledge aquired in the carreer of psychology can be applied to many fields, and as a result, there are many job opportunities.
How Long Does the Degree in Psychology Last?
A career in psychology generally lasts 4 to 5 years or 8 to 10 academic semesters, however, the pace of each person is different (Regader, n.d.). According to Regader (n.d.), the duration of the career depends on many factors, such as the motivation of each person, the capacity and the time available, this is because, possibly, the study can be completed in a shorter or in a longer time.
Is studying psychology easy or difficult?
All students have asked themselves this question before beginning to study behavioral science (Regader, n.d.). In correspondence with Regader (n.d.), everyone feels the need to ask themselves if the interesting career that was presented to them as an opportunity at hand could, at some point, surpass them due to its difficulty and demand.
However, like all careers, the difficulty depends, to a large extent, on each person, their interests, their willpower and their ability to overcome them. In short, according to the Universidad Internacional de Valencia (2018), there are no easy or difficult careers, but people who are really interested.
What Qualities and Abilities Must Have the Person Who Wants to Study Psychology?
People who want to study psychology must be emotionally intelligent, decisive and tolerant of frustration. In the same way, students must be aware of their own needs, both social and emotional. Similarly, they must be interested and sensitive to the needs of others, they must have communication skills, and they must have the ability to listen to others. In the same vein, students must be creative and curious, and lastly, they must be empathetic.
What does it take to be a good psychologist?
Many times, the difference between being a good psychologist or a bad psychologist is found in attitude, in following a series of principles or habits that improve good professional work (Corbin, n.d.). Therefore, the first thing that a person must have to be a good psychologist is a passion for psychology, especially when the person is committed to helping individuals who present themselves in the office (Matos, n.d.). In correspondence with Matos (n.d.), it should be noted that this is a complex task, since the psychologist is constantly emotionally exposed to very complex stories.
On the other hand, to become a good psychologist, the professional must be well trained and updated, since they must know the technologies that really work and why they work (Matos, n.d.). This is because society is constantly changing and technological progress changes the way in which each person interacts with the environment (Corbin, n.d.). Therefore, to understand the current reality, it is necessary for the therapist to constantly update his knowledge. In short, according to Corbin (n.d.), education is essential to continue improving and growing at a professional level.
Will I Be Able To Handle Other People's Problems?
|In the last semesters of the psychology degree, students will have the opportunity to carry out a professional practice in the field of their choice (Regader, n.d.). According to Regader (n-d.), this is done in order to help students assess their suitability for professional interaction with other people, since these roles are often impressive.
What Topics are Studied in the Career of Psychology?
The first years of the psychology degree are organized in a basic cycle of general and complementary training. Then, you must participate in a specialization cycle, which has optional topics in various fields. These can be, for example, clinical psychology, educational psychology, legal psychology, work and organizational psychology and social psychology.
History of Psychology
To become an excellent psychologist, you must first have a good theoretical foundation (Corbin, n.d.). For this, it is necessary to understand the history of psychology and find out what it is, what are its fields of research, what are the main problems and which are the most used schools. According to Corbin (n.d.), some of the characters that every good psychologist must know to understand the historical background of the development of the discipline are Plato, Descartes, Socrates, Freud, Aristotle, Skinner, Watson, Bandura, among others.
Biological Basis of Behavior
The biological bases of behavior is an indispensable field of research in the career of psychology, since in this class, the students learn how mental processes are produced, such as memory, learning and language (Corbin, n.d.) . Likewise, according to Corbin (n.d.), students learn which are the main units that transmit nerve impulses, brain communication and what is the connection between the different parts of the brain and the body.
Developmental Psychology
This branch of psychology is responsible for studying the behavior and psychological changes of people throughout their life cycle, that is, from birth to death (Corbin, n.d.). In correspondence with Corbin (n.d.), when analyzing these changes, different fields of research will be considered: the physical, from which the determinants of stability, biological changes and physical growth are analyzed; cognition, from which intellectual capacity and its relationship with human development are analyzed, finally, the social and personality, which focuses on individual differences and social relationships in childhood, adolescence, in adulthood and old age.
Group Psychology
Although group psychology was part of the social psychology curriculum, many universities, aware of its importance, are teaching compulsory courses in this subject (Corbin, n.d.). Today, as research in this field becomes increasingly important, many graduate studies focus on this topic, since many human behaviors cannot be understood without group members. According to Corbin (n.d.), the focus of group research is to understand and explain the group process, the relationship between group members and between different groups, group formation, roles, norms, group cohesion, communication, among others.
Statistics and Psychometrics
Although many psychology students do not like numbers, the use of statistics is an important part of this science, because it is used to achieve the objective of predicting and intervening in human behavior (Corbin, n.d.). In addition, it is important that any psychologist master psychometry, since this is a discipline that involves the methods, techniques and theories to measure and quantify psychological variables. In short, according to Corbin (n.d.), psychometric tests are an essential tool for any psychologist.
Social psychology is a branch of psychology that analyzes the psychological processes that affect the functioning of society, such as, for example, social interactions, the social processes that regulate the personality and characteristics of each person (Corbin, n.d.). According to Corbin (n.d.), in the field of social psychology, topics such as leadership and prejudice are studied and important research in this field is reviewed, such as the Stanford prison experiment of Philip Zimbardo and the experiment of Milgram.
Clinical Psychology
Since the beginning of psychology, clinical psychology has been one of the most important fields of the discipline (Corbin, n.d.). In this area, all elements related to mental disorders are studied, and in general all elements related to mental health are studied. Therefore, according to Corbin (n.d.), clinical psychology performs all the tasks of evaluation, diagnosis, prevention and therapeutic intervention of people suffering from a certain type of mental disorder or maladaptive behavior, in order to restore psychological balance and improve people´s health.
Ethics in Psychology
In addition to acquiring theoretical and practical knowledge to promote proper career development, psychologists must understand the ethical principles that guide their professional development throughout their career, and they must also understand resources and limitations (Corbin, n.d.). Similarly, according to Corbin (n.d.), psychologists must respect the dignity of patients and safeguard and guarantee the maintenance of basic human rights. Therefore, some of the psychologist's duties are to use their knowledge to promote human well-being and to maintain professional secrets.
Neuropsychology
Neuropsychology is discovered in the field of neurosciences (Corbin, n.d.). This is a discipline that studies the relationship between the brain and behavior, not only for people with certain dysfunctions, but also for people with normal behaviors. This area of research uses experimental techniques and examinations to provide images of brain regions, such as CT, MRI, PET, and fMRI. According to Corbin (n.d.), some questions answered by neuropsychology are: what are the functions of neurotransmitters? and what causes aphasia?
Specialty (Sports Psychology, Organizational Psychology, Legal Psychology, Among Others)
The previous points mentioned different disciplines or fields of compulsory and basic knowledge in psychology, but there are different specializations in psychology, and each specialty requires specific knowledge to be able to practice the specialty in the best way. Therefore, once the degree is completed, different master's degrees will be carried out to continue developing at an academic and professional level and obtain a master's degree in a specific field of behavioral sciences.
What is Learned in the Career of Psychology?
Empathy
For psychologists it is very important to have empathy, that is, to have knowledge of the thoughts of another person and to know how to "put in their shoes" (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018) .In this way, in correspondence with the Centro de Estudios Superiores of Tapachula (2018), psychology professionals can analyze the problems that people face, thus making it possible to guide patients, and in this way, help them improve their lives.
Although all people have a certain degree of empathy, this is a very complex skill to develop (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). Empathy is very useful in daily life, since it can help people understand interpersonal relationships and avoid conflicts with others. According to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), it should be noted that psychologists without empathy are unlikely to be successful, since this career is based on kindness and caring for patients.
Listening
Listening seems an easy thing, even, more than one person thinks that there is nothing special, but when it comes to learning to listen in psychology, this type of action has a very professional meaning (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018) . Many people who turn to psychologists take the initiative to do so, however, our subconscious often prevents us from being clear about our problems for fear of being judged. According to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), as human beings, we are afraid of being judged and opening ourselves up completely, much more when faced with a stranger.
To solve people's problems, professionals in the field must be trained to maintain an unimpeded dialogue and distinguish between what is real and what is not (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). According to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), knowing how to listen is one of the main foundations of psychology, which is why those who study this profession must be very patient and very careful with active listening.
The Special Ethical Criterion
Psychology requires that its graduates have a professional practice closely related to ethics (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). The subtlety of the confessions that people make in the office means that psychologists have a great responsibility. According to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), during most of the career, they talk about the importance of maintaining ethical behavior in professional development, otherwise, they may even lose their work permit.
Affective Communication
Psychology is complicated for a reason: it studies and treats human beings, beings who think and reason, but above all who feel and make us feel (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). These human abilities can be very beneficial at times and can cause harm at other times. As a psychologist, according to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), you have to establish a relationship of trust with the patient, but you also have to be very careful with what you say to the people who you attend the office.
If precise words are not used or misunderstood gestures are made, a person's life can be changed in a negative way, specifically, by the influence and power of the psychologist's words (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). So, the ability to communicate affectively is one of the skills learned in this career. According to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), this experience allows psychologists to have a positive impact on the people with whom they communicate.
The Capacity for Analysis and Interpretation
Psychology students must develop analytical and explanatory skills (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). According to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), as much as various professionals can perfect this skill, psychologists are more interested in it, since a small detail can completely change a diagnosis, and consequently, change a person´s life.
Therefore, the knowledge and skills that are acquired during the psychology career allow the student to analyze and explain everything that is in front, for example, the attitudes, gestures and reasoning of the patient (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018 ). Analysis and interpretation skills put the psychology student one step ahead of people studying other careers, since a higher degree of concentration is required. In the same way, according to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), this skill can be useful in daily life.
The Ability to Channel People's Problems
As in any career, psychologists also have their limitations, they are not Superman or Wonder Woman (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). According to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), psychology professionals do not always know how to intervene in all cases encountered in life, however, they do have the necessary knowledge to channel problems and guide the patient towards the best solution.
Unlike doctors, who know exactly which part of the body should be cared for, the study of human behavior and thought requires more research and diagnosis, and consequently, this requires constant reconsideration (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). Some patients need psychologists specialized in certain fields, while others need psychiatric care. However, in correspondence with the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), if there is one thing to be sure of, it is that if a person studies psychology, they will be prepared to respond effectively in most situations that arise.
Introspection
One of the advantages of studying psychology is that you have the opportunity to grow on a personal level (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). According to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), as a psychologist, you can analyze and distinguish certain behaviors and states that can cause problems, in addition, by understanding the importance of dealing with such situations or disorders, you learn to examine and to seek the help of another psychologist.
This helps professional development, since it is not only learned from the career in the third person, but also as a patient (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). This helps the student to understand new methods and to improve their treatment. Finally, in correspondence with the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), it should be noted that studying psychology does not make people immune from the pathology.
Identify Pathologies
An important skill for psychology professionals is the recognition of pathologies, in other words, diagnosing and paying attention to the problems that can be found in the office (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). In correspondence with the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), it is not easy to identify a disorder or a pathology, since there are many factors that influence the occurrence of unhealthy states in the human brain, such as genetics, stress, traumatic events, major life changes, and even physical problems.
However, according to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), a career in psychology provides the future professional of psychology with all the necessary tools to have the ability to understand, analyze, diagnose and respond to this type of situations in the daily lives of millions of people around the world.
Identify Behaviors of the Society
In general, when a person thinks about the field of psychology, they imagine the typical doctor-patient routines, however, the profession has many variants and fields of research that complement each other to provide a broader panorama of knowledge (Centro de Estudios Superiores from Tapachula, 2018). According to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), one of the areas that is learned to master is social psychology, a branch that attracts many people and, due to its usefulness, acquires more and more importance in the professional field of the profession.
Understanding social behavior is not easy, especially as human beings become increasingly complex (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). For example, there is a lot of research that comes from this discipline and that has changed the paradigm of the way in which people think and develop in society. In correspondence with the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), social psychology studies topics such as sexism, social prejudices and stereotypes.
Social Skills
For many people, talking to someone or establishing a bond can be an odyssey (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). This is a normal phenomenon, since no one is born with a social manual that tells us how to behave to adapt to society. However, in correspondence with the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), an advantage of psychology is that understanding it helps students to develop social relationships, which can be complicated for many people.
Finally, the characteristics of the profession make it a tool for people to get along with each other (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). If one person finds it difficult to communicate with another, shortly after studying psychology, people find that they do things that were once very complicated and are now very simple. Even, according to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), people seek to build these social relationships, since when they are a psychologist, all relationships are a source of practice and professional learning.
Develop Scientific Content
As a social science, psychology never loses its scientific character, therefore, one of the purposes of the research is to continue generating knowledge to help people overcome their obstacles or psychological problems (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). According to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), like all science, psychology is based on the scientific method and encourages the generation of rigorous and socially significant knowledge, which has a purpose and is not only the search for satisfaction of the individual's ego.
According to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), this type of research can be observed in all branches of psychology, however, it is more evident in clinical psychology or neuropsychology, since these areas are the ones in charge of studying the elements involved in people's behavior and mental health.
Attend Crisis
This is a fundamental characteristic that can explain why psychologists are so important in today's society (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). In correspondence with the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), the knowledge and skills of psychologists allow them to face crises, from the smallest situations, such as a bad attitude of a person, to situations larger, such as a suicide attempt due to depression.
Psychologists have knowledge to resolve conflicts and facilitate conciliation, which is very useful, for example, for those companies with different internal problems due to pressure (Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula, 2018). In addition, according to the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula (2018), this skill can take care of a person who is on the verge of collapse and requires someone to help him find a solution that he cannot find.
Tips for Future Psychologists
The first thing is to love the study of the brain and the knowledge of the relationship with human behavior, since, in the carreer, subjects such as biological bases, neuropsychology, sensation and perception, psychological processes and other disciplines are seen. Likewise, it is recommended to train to handle descriptive statistics, statistical procedures and research methods, since, for the profession to have the scientific rigor required in the process of conducting research on human behavior, an element of quantification is needed.
In the same vein, it is recommended to understand that any contribution of psychology is not only for the people who surround a patient, but that these principles, methods, strategies and techniques can and should be applied, mainly, to oneself, to seek their own happiness and quality of life. Finally, it is recommended to keep constantly updated, since recent studies help people to better understand the complexity of human behavior.
Referencias
Centro de Estudios Superiores de Tapachula. (2018). 15 cosas que aprendes en la carrera de psicología | Blog CEST. Retrieved 26 October 2020, from https://www.soycest.mx/blog/index.php/15-cosas-que-aprendes-en-la-carrera-de-psicologia/
Corbin, J. 10 características esenciales de un buen psicólogo. Psicologiaymente.com. Recuperado 3 August 2021, a partir de https://psicologiaymente.com/psicologia/caracteristicas-buen-psicologo
Corbin, J. (s.f.). 21 temas que debes estudiar para ser un psicólogo excelente. Retrieved 26 October 2020, from https://psicologiaymente.com/psicologia/temas-estudiar-psicologo-excelente
Matos, J. (s.f.). Amo mi profesión: Ser psicólogo es lo mejor que me ha pasado nunca. Retrieved 26 October 2020, from https://enequilibriomental.net/amo-mi-profesion/
Regader, B. ¿Es difícil la carrera de Psicología? 8 psicólogos opinan. Psicologiaymente.com. Recuperado 3 August 2021, a partir de https://psicologiaymente.com/psicologia/dificil-carrera-psicologia
Regader, B. (s.f.). ¿Por qué estudiar Psicología? 10 puntos que debes valorar. Retrieved 26 October 2020, from https://psicologiaymente.com/psicologia/por-que-estudiar-psicologia
Universidad Internacional de Valencia. (2018). 7 cosas que debes saber antes de estudiar psicología | VIU. Retrieved 26 October 2020, from https://www.universidadviu.com/7-cosas-debes-saber-estudiar-psicologia/
