In my life I have always wanted to help other people. As I grew up, I was part of the Girl Scout’s of the USA where I was able to help my community by volunteering in amazing places and giving back to people in need.
Not only did I always want to help these people and my community but I wanted to learn why all those different people acted and thought the way they did. Follow along and explore my journey on why I find psychology so fascinating and why I’m so excited about what the future holds in this field!
Why Psychology?
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. It is also the mental characteristics or attitude of a person or group. It is used to better understand and help people with psychological disorders, treat mental disorders and improve relationships, workplace and educational systems.
Who are we? How did we get this way? Is it possible to change? Have you ever thought about these questions?
Those are a few of the major questions that relate to psychology that have piqued my interest in the subject. Being able to figure out who we are and how the brain works is a skill and knowledge I think everyone should have. It helps us relate to others more and become more sympathetic. If more people can understand each other, the world will become a better place.
Highs and Lows
Even though I had always loved this type of information, and to help people, it took me awhile to figure out how I wanted to relate this to my career and life plan. For most of my life I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian and then in my freshman year of college I realized that wasn’t for me.
During this time I had to switch my major and felt so stuck that I didn’t know what to choose. Going back and forth between so many plans and being so hard on myself and my capabilities I chose Business Marketing.
I really did love marketing and thought the courses were very interesting. My favorite course was Consumer Behavior which was the psychology module on consumerism (why people make purchasing decisions). That was my first step on realizing how interesting I thought psychology was and how I wanted to relate it to my future career and life.
Over the course of this degree, I realized marketing was not for me either but psychology was. I wanted to be more hands on with people and work one on one with them. I just don’t fit in the business and office setting. So, after graduation I took a step back to realize exactly what my interests were and how I wanted to help people. Now my journey into psychology has begun and I can’t wait!
Next Steps
Now I am so excited about what lies ahead for me. I have specified my interests in Occupational Therapy. Occupational Therapy is: the therapeutic use of everyday life occupations with persons, groups, or populations (clients) to support occupational performance and participation.
Psychology is an extremely important part of Occupational Therapy and I am so excited to learn more about both topics and how they gel together. I will further my education and knowledge and continue to learn fascinating information on what makes each one of us think and act the way we do.
Don’t worry if you can’t figure out what exactly you want to do right away. Life is long and there is always time to grow and learn. One piece of advice is not to focus so much on different career types but to find hobbies and interests you love and then see where you can go from there.
For me that is definitely psychology; learning about it and helping people through what I learn. I’m excited to see where this journey takes me. If you’re into psychology, let us know why in the comments below and join in the conversation on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!
