In high school, I never thought of being a Psychology major. I never had a burning desire to help people like I do now, and I would never have thought about all of the different stereotypes there are around me. But here are some things that I've noticed that people think about me being a psychology major that aren't even true.

1. "Psychology doesn't even make sense."

I will agree that Psychology isn't for everyone, but it does importantly make sense. Also, Psychology isn't just figuring out what's wrong with people, but more about how and why people function the way they do.

2. "Psychology... Psychiatry... no difference."

Wrong. Psychology is the study of people's minds and Psychiatry is the study and treatment of people's minds. Psychiatrists can prescribe medicine.

3. "Psychology is an easy major."

It's not Organic Chemistry... but it's definitely not easy. It's not all about knowing how people work, but also being able to come up with ways to test experiments, analyze the data, and make conclusions. Yes, there is math involved.

4. "Psychology is a dead-end major."

Also wrong. Many people that major in Psychology and don't want to be psychologists. Just like how many people major in Biology and don't want to be biologists. There are a ton of opportunities to be whatever you want to be with a Psychology degree. The main point is that you know how people work and examine how they think by their actions. This can help you in whatever career you choose to go in.

5. "You're just trying to diagnose me."

The worst reputation a Psychology major can have is being a fake doctor. When new Psychology majors try to diagnose everyone in sight, it leaves everyone else with the stereotype of being a fake doctor. If I notice a strange behavior or a friend not being themselves, I always ask if they're okay, because they might be having a bad day. But, I would never try to diagnose someone because I'm not a licensed doctor. The worst thing you can do as a new psychology major is trying to tell someone that they have a disorder or problem just because of one strange behavior. You're not a doctor!

6. "It's ridiculous how much they can get paid just because they listen to people's problems all day."

My favorite of them all is probably this. Having a big salary is the same in every field. It takes a lot of schooling and experience to make a lot. But not only that, it also should be paid a lot. Imagine seeing many people per day that all have completely different personal problems that you're trying to figure out even if they can't. Also, patience is key in this field because you can't have a bad temper with someone who has a serious mental illness and they don't want to talk to you every time they come see you.

There are many myths of being a psychology major. We've been stereotyped and hope that you will see past the cover of what you think you know about psychology majors and open the book of who we really are.