It is widely known that psychology is the study that recognizes and understands human thoughts, behavior and actions. Due to the fact that it is not easy to understand humans, the branch of psychology is very broad and includes several areas such as development, health, social behavior, and human cognitive processes.
Studying psychology looks complicated and challenging. However, it has ups and downs, just like everything in this world. In this post, you will be able to find the disadvantages of majoring in psychology. Make sure to read the post until the end if you are interested in taking psychology as your major.
Disadvantages of Psychology Major
According to Kampus Psikologi, there are a few disadvantages of majoring in psychology. All of them are as follows:
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- If you are not a people-person, psychology might not be for you
Psychology is known as a very people-oriented study. It means almost every job opportunity for psychology graduates involves a lot of interaction and collaboration with other people. Some of the most popular professions include counselors and psychologists. These two spend more of their time with people. They usually have to deal with clients face to face or discuss with fellow therapists.
Majoring in psychology can be challenging for those who like to be a alone, independent type, and prefer a job where you can be lost in your own thoughts rather than interacting with people. While it is true that it can be challenging, it does not mean there is no chance of you working in this field. In fact, there are also some psychology professions that do not require you to be directly involved with many people.
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- Do you prefer something practical? Think again before entering a psychology major
Almost everything that is learned in psychology is theoretical in nature. For instance, you will learn about the topic of depression. However, it will be limited to the definition, types and types of therapy. After graduating, you cannot go straight into practice to deal with clients directly as you have no experience dealing with someone who has dealt with depressive disorder.
Before deciding to take psychology as your major, ask yourself some questions such as “Do you like reading”, “Do you like psychology?”, “Are you found with studying theory continuously during the four years of your bachelor’s degree?”, “Are you ready to go to school longer if you want to enter the world of practice?”, and so on.
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- Usually, a bachelor’s degree is not enough
Those who hold a bachelor’s degree in psychology can get a decent job. The possible jobs include therapist, content specialist, freelance writer, and many more. Besides, it is also possible for you to work as a HR or Human Resources in startup companies.
However, you will need to get a master’s or doctorate if you want better job prospects and higher pay. A master’s degree is usually required to work as an organizational psychologist, school psychologist and health psychologist. If you are dreaming of becoming a clinical psychologist who treats people with mental disorders, you will need to have a master’s degree as well as an internship that takes two years.
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- The risk of burnout is high when becoming a counselor, psychologist and therapist
While it is true that burnout can be experienced by anyone regardless of their job, a job as a counselor, psychologist, or therapist has a high chance of experiencing it because they have to deal with other people’s issues on a daily basis. They not only have to carry their own issues, but also the ones that belong to others. Aside from that, they also have to work on administration matters that must be done before a certain deadline.
As the pressure is high, working in the psychology field requires good stress management or emotional management skills. While these skills can be increased, you are not suggested taking this path if you are the kind of person who cannot deal with the situations that drain your emotions on a daily basis.
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- Do you want to get into psychology for money? Maybe this one is not right for you
If earning a decent amount of money, if your main aim is to work, then psychology is not for you because there are psychology-related jobs with low salaries. To earn a good amount of money, you will usually need to finish higher education. Actually, education level is not the only aspect that determines the salary. Some other ones include the place where you work, your experience, and the place where you live.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
