I must admit, one of the reasons why I majored in psychology was for the thrill of probing the minds of serial killers and psychopaths like Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and the fictional Patrick Bateman. I liked searching for reasoning and empathy within people who lacked basic morals.

But there are just some things that Psych majors are tired of hearing:

1. "You'll go crazy."

I realized that there aren’t that many living psychopaths, but more people who suffer from OCD and generalized anxiety and other less extreme disorders. That’s no fun…

2. "Can you read my mind?"

Please, please do not ask us to read your minds or see your futures or stare into your souls. No one can do that except a higher power like Jim Morrison.

3. "So you wanna be a therapist?"

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to become a psychiatrist and starting your own practice. But there are so many different routes that psychology can take you, including working with developmentally challenged children, evaluating the mental health of criminals, analyzing consumer behavior, recording ground-breaking HIV/AIDS research studies, and so much more.

Please don’t assume we are all very sensitive and genial people who want to help you with your personal problems. Some of us do, but not all.

4. "You’re not gonna make money."

Excuse me, but I wasn’t aware that you must pursue something purely based on the salary. I thought school was a place where you learn things that interest you and are necessary for you to be an informed citizen.

Then in college and beyond, you continue to study those subjects that you’re passionate about, then make a living out of it.

Sadly, today’s education system is obsessed with test scores instead of encouraging kids to study subjects that will help them become well-rounded individuals.

P.S. Psych majors who continue on their career path and get doctorates and complete medical school make pretty good money. Just saying.

5. “It’s only a matter of time before you change majors…”

And of course, the ultimate one: you’re going to change your mind. (Mind the pun.) Ok, I’ll stop now.

The point is that psych majors take a lot of heat.

Maybe the bigger issue here is the education system. Maybe if we weren’t taught to go to school to pass tests and study subjects that will make us tons of money, then we wouldn’t be so judgmental toward those who decide to pursue things out of passion instead of dollar signs.

After all, Freud, Skinner, and Milgram—to name a few— were some of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century.

If these guys were ridiculed for their passions and changed career paths, Hollywood wouldn’t have half their movie ideas and your roommates wouldn’t misuse terms like 'anti-social' or 'bi-polar.' We need psychologists of any and all types. Don’t back out now.