Thanks for sharing your experiences, Anjali. I am a professor of psychology at a liberal arts college, so it is helpful for me to see the things you have struggled with and considered since graduation. I encourage my students to think about the broader skills they have developed by studying psychology (writing, critical thinking, quantitative skills, data analysis, interpersonal skills), and then think about work contexts where they would be excited to use those broader skills. Although I have more students going to grad school than the rate noted in your piece, most of my students do not continue in psychology. But most of them find ways to use the skills they gained in the field in ways they ultimately find satisfying. I am wishing you the best as you pursue your next steps!
Thank you for sharing this! I do agree that there are broader skills I have been able to develop by studying psychology. Currently, I'm in the process of starting an exciting journey in UX Design and I'm positive that my background in research and psychology will help with that.
You need to go back and check your numbers. Intuitively, there cannot be a graduating class of 3.5 million bachelor's in psychology in the US in a single year. I couldn't find the exact number, but BLS showed that in 2017 only ~2 million people in the US received a college degree. Avoid unpaid internships. I'm advising undergrads in our lab not to work for free. They need to be getting paid or at least getting college credit to do it.
Thanks for your comment and observation! I've edited the post to reflect the accurate information - while the numbers are accurate, they reflect how many people held a degree in Psychology up till 2017 (Reference: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/09/datapoint-grad-school)
Thanks for sharing your experiences, Anjali. I am a professor of psychology at a liberal arts college, so it is helpful for me to see the things you have struggled with and considered since graduation. I encourage my students to think about the broader skills they have developed by studying psychology (writing, critical thinking, quantitative skills, data analysis, interpersonal skills), and then think about work contexts where they would be excited to use those broader skills. Although I have more students going to grad school than the rate noted in your piece, most of my students do not continue in psychology. But most of them find ways to use the skills they gained in the field in ways they ultimately find satisfying. I am wishing you the best as you pursue your next steps!
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you for sharing this! I do agree that there are broader skills I have been able to develop by studying psychology. Currently, I'm in the process of starting an exciting journey in UX Design and I'm positive that my background in research and psychology will help with that.
You need to go back and check your numbers. Intuitively, there cannot be a graduating class of 3.5 million bachelor's in psychology in the US in a single year. I couldn't find the exact number, but BLS showed that in 2017 only ~2 million people in the US received a college degree. Avoid unpaid internships. I'm advising undergrads in our lab not to work for free. They need to be getting paid or at least getting college credit to do it.
Hey BAR,
Thanks for your comment and observation! I've edited the post to reflect the accurate information - while the numbers are accurate, they reflect how many people held a degree in Psychology up till 2017 (Reference: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2019/09/datapoint-grad-school)