There are things only psychology majors understand, and I'm not talking about Freud's stages of development and Pavlovian conditioning. We often come across challenges not many other majors have to deal with and questions that are so common yet so difficult to answer. Here are the top twenty things only a psychology major would understand.
1. Registering for classes? May the odds ever be in your favor.
Everyone on campus tries to get into psychology classes, you even have to fight off other people in your major, better get ready to start sending some emails.
2. You never not have to get the textbook.
It doesn't matter if you never use it in class, somewhere down the road there will be a test question about something in the textbook.
3. Say goodbye to mindless thinking.
Nothing is a mindless thought anymore, your time spent looking at the ceiling while laid out on your bed goes from "I wonder who invented mattresses" to "I wonder which experimental method they used to study the effects that mattress firmness has on sleep".
4. You try not to diagnose people you talk to.
It is so hard not to blurt out a diagnosis when talking to someone, especially when they need to hear that they totally have some major disorders going on.
5. Every conversation is a study opportunity.
Not only do you want to diagnosis everyone, but just talking to a person gets you thinking if a person knows how much they're helping you study. You got to review some symptoms, good job!
6. You've tried out at least one psychological theory or experiment on people you know.
Or even yourself. You send them to take a personality test or you ask them vague question from an experiment you read, they don't know what you're doing but you do.
7. Everyone will ask you why you picked a "dead-end" major.
News flash, it's not a dead-end. Without psychology we wouldn't be able to predict behavior, explain emotions, or link the body and the brain together. So you're welcome.
8. Not all of us are planning to be teachers after this.
Teaching is great, they are great people. But not all psychology majors want to teach. Some of us want to be researchers, clinicians, therapist, or even doctors.
9. That one professor that becomes everyone's therapist.
Every campus has one, that one professor that's just a parental figure for everyone and helps you get through the semester with a minimal amount of break-downs.
10. Only your psych professors understand the influences life can have on your academics.
Psychology professors deal with this for a living, they know how much life events can hinder learning and responsibilities but they also know that not everything is an excuse.
11. You read research articles for fun by the time you're a senior.
Non-majors watch a commercial with some statistics and move one, psychology majors look for evidence, and it's fun!
12. You find yourself making a research question out of the smallest interactions.
"Does hallway congestion have an impact on grades?" "How about slow-walkers and anger issues?"
13. You can't read minds (sadly).
Why does everyone think we can read minds? We're psych studies not psychics.
14. People are surprised when you tell them your exams are always more than 50 questions.
Disclaimer: psychology isn't easy and neither are our exams.
15. You only know how to cite in APA.
MLA? What's that?
16. Child development killed your desire to have children.
Because tiny humans are scary enough but now you know how they develop into scary big humans.
17. Everyone turns to you for therapy sessions.
Despite the fact you're not licensed for that.
18. You're always asked about Freud.
Freud was weird and he's not the only major psychologist out there.
19. Nothing from lecture will never not be on the exam.
Everything is important in some way so we know that we'll see a random class discussion make it on to the exam.
