To be honest I didn’t really plan on choosing Psychology as my career choice. In fact I had no idea up until my high school that Psychology too can be a field to shape your future. Growing Up I always wanted to be a cardiologist. As a kid I would play with my toy stethoscope pretending to be a very good heart doctor, I would go around trying to measure everyone’s heartbeat. And with that aim of becoming a cardiologist I opted science stream and continued my study with Biology as my major subject. I did pretty well in my biology exams which got me really interested in studying biology.
In the year 2019 I took the NEET (National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test) exam in which I scored 390 marks. I decided that I will try again next year but you know things sometimes don’t go as per our plan. I suffered a back Injury in an accident due to which I couldn’t appear for the exam. That was the time which ignited in me the interest of Psychology. I started learning about Psychology, its contributions and the career choices it offered and it fascinated me. I didn’t know that that’s what I wanted until I started learning about it.
When we hear the term ‘Psychology’, what comes to our mind is a subject which helps us read minds of people around us. When we hear the term ‘Psychologist’ we start picturing a dude in his mid 40s or 50s sitting on the couch with a pen and notebook trying to read our mind or hypnotize us. Trust me that’s what I used to imagine when I was in my intermediate but when I learnt about the broad spectrum of Psychology I was amazed by its multitude. Psychology is not just about reading minds or hypnosis, It is a discipline which helps us study mind and behavior. A quick google search will tell us the definition of Psychology as:
“Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behavior.”
Psychology is involved in our day to day lives in much more ways than we can possibly imagine. Psychology is everywhere around us. It doesn’t just help us understand the mind and behaviors of others but ours as well. It helps us self assess and understand ourselves as well as our emotions. It helps us study mental disorders (such as Depression, Anxiety, Schizophrenia, Dementia, Panic attacks, PTSD, Bipolar disorder etc.) , their causes and the treatments (According to a report published in Times of India, approximately 150 million people in India need therapy for their mental health disorders yet less than 30 million people seek help.). It helps us frame research and experiments which helps us learn about social, industrial, and medical challenges and help find possible ethical solutions.
Currently I am enrolled in an UG course in Psychology in a private University and I plan on making a career in Clinical Psychology. The subjects I study as a part of my curriculum as of now are:
- Lifespan Psychology
- Psychological Testing and Measurement
- General Psychology
- Values and Ethics
The passion of helping others and the hope to bring positive changes in their lives made me opt Psychology as a career.
Would you consider Psychology as a career goal? Let me know!
chaiivinist 