The first psychology class I ever took was my senior year of high school.
In all honesty, I just had a strong appreciation for the teacher teaching the class and the only experience I had with the subject beforehand was purely watching “Psychological Facts” on YouTube from time to time.
But after only a couple lessons, I really began to be invested in learning more. My teacher's enthusiasm and love for the subject really got through to me as well as how intriguing psychology is. At the end of this class, I felt very dedicated to keep studying psychology in college.
At Whittier, I’ve been able to take a number of psychology courses with amazing professors. So here are several reasons why I think every student should take at least one psychology class during college.
Understanding People
First off, psychology is the study of how our human minds work and how they function. In these courses, you are taught a number of things, from terms used in the field, to theories of how the mind works and the people who helped develop these theories. When connecting the dots to how our minds can work in different situations, most students start to correlate what they learn with the outside world. Understanding how and why people act the way they do can give a new or even deeper perspective on how to handle these situations.
Understanding Yourself
Along with trying to apply these studies to what I was seeing around me, I also began to apply certain things to myself. You begin to learn the why behind certain behaviors, how personalities are born, how the people around you impact your own thoughts, etc. This can create a very introspective view and help you dive deeper into your own thoughts and mannerisms. Especially since college is a great time to experience growth, learning these things can be great for understanding oneself.
It Could Be the Major for You
Within psychology, there are many different branches you can take. For example, there is cognitive psychology, which focuses on internal mental states. There is also developmental psychology, this deals with how people change and grow throughout life and can also specialize in different periods of life. Forensic psychology has also started becoming more popular, which focuses on issues related to psychology and the law; those who work in this field apply psychological principles to legal issues. These are just some of the pathways that the subject can lead you on.
New Skill Set
Along with learning various facts about the human mind, these classes can also help give you new skills. Studying subjects such as emotion can help you with interpersonal communication skills. By learning more about these things, you can gain a greater understanding of other people and what they are trying to say. And understanding
how our mind works can help you with studying effectively, relating to others, and even improving your lifestyle.
