“Find your why” and “What’s your why” are phrases you can find in almost every leadership, motivational, or management book, speech, or podcast. Today, people have realised that having a purpose in life is healthy. 

A 2018 study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine proved that those who have found their purpose in life experience fewer negative emotions (nervousness, hopelessness, stress, irritability, or loneliness) and report feeling more positive emotions (calm, peace, activity, confidence). All of this, of course, has a direct impact on their physical health. 

In short, people with a sense of why develop better ways to deal with daily stress and regulate their emotions. A key part of this process is understanding what and who you want to become in your professional life. There are many options for you to choose from. 

The purpose of this article is to introduce you to the many different reasons why people study psychology, the challenges and rewards of this career, and how it helps shape a better world.

The Quest to Understand the Human Mind

Psychology is the field that people go into when they want to understand the human mind, the mental processes, how we act, how we feel, and most importantly, to better understand themselves. 

There are various traits in your personality as well as skills that are key indicators that a degree in psychology might be just what you need. To get started, take a look at how you handle different situations and ask yourself the following questions

  1. Do you find it easy to understand human behavior and what influences it?
  2. Do you genuinely want to help others? 
  3. Are mental health and well-being part of your daily life interests? 
  4. Are you fascinated by the complexity of the human mind?

Not every question has to be answered with a “yes”. Every psychologist has different reasons or motivations for entering the field. But thinking about and analyzing these points will help you better understand if you want to dedicate your life to impacting people, families, workers, and communities through social work, counseling, or therapy.

Challenges and Rewards of Mental Health Care

According to various sources, psychology is the fourth most popular university degree in the UK, and it’s one of the fastest growing as the government has increased its investment in psychological therapies. What makes it even better is that getting your degree is not as hard as with other career paths. 

But let’s take a closer look at the two biggest challenges you may face during your college years: rigorous study and a deep understanding of concepts and their applications. 

You must be prepared to spend many hours working on essays, group presentations, case reports, multiple choice exams, literature reviews, and written exams. We understand that some of you may feel stressed or anxious about this, but the goal is to help you develop good writing and communication skills, as these are a key part of your professional future. 

Working as a psychologist means that you must communicate your observations, conclusions, and comments clearly and coherently, and support them with evidence. Sometimes this will be in conversation with your patients, but more often it will be in written reports.  

Of course, this involves a lot of reading and coursework, which makes it challenging to get good grades. Your first few exams may make you feel like you should consider another career option. But don’t let that stop you from becoming who you want to be. Just take the time to create a study plan, schedule time for independent and group study, prepare your arguments, discuss important research, and anything else that will help you. 

Dedication, time management, and grit will help you succeed in this process. 

All of this effort pays off. If not, just ask any psychologist you know. Ask them to think back to their college years. How did it go for them? What were their victories? How did they make them feel? 

One of the best rewards is that once you start learning about development, personalities, and how factors like society and culture affect human behavior, you will find yourself thinking about your own story. How has your past, your family, your home and your society influenced who you are now? It’s a transformative experience that will help you develop the skills and tools you need to continually improve your well-being. 

At the same time, you will quickly find the satisfaction of helping others and making a difference in their lives. It’s a field that has a lot to offer, with great results in employee satisfaction and many job opportunities. You can have your practice or follow one of the many different career paths we will explore later in this article. 

Trust us when we say that your biggest smile will come when you receive your British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited degree. On that day, you will be able to start working with patients daily.

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Psychology Specialities: How to Choose One? 

Psychology is one of those fields that offers its students many different career paths. Each one requires a different set of skills, tools, and abilities. So before you commit to one, you must spend enough time doing some research, comparing, and analyzing your options. 

In the United Kingdom, for you to choose your specialty, you will need to complete a degree that is accredited by the BPS. Once you have earned it, you can decide which path to take and begin your specialty training. Keep in mind that during your undergraduate studies, you will be introduced to many different areas, including

  • Biological Psychology
  • Developmental psychology
  • Social psychology
  • Research Methods and Analysis

This will make it easier for you to understand your areas of interest, narrow down your options, and embark on a career that you find truly fulfilling. Before you decide on a major, it’s important to spend time researching and talking to experts in each field. This will help you get a better idea of what you want to do in the years to come. 

Some of the most common career paths include

  • Clinical Psychology: As a specialist in this field, you would lead the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders. It’s the path taken by most psychologists as it’s filled with a large variety of sub-specializations such as child mental health, learning disabilities, substance abuse, adult mental health, etc.  
  • Sport Psychology: Those who follow this path focus on working with athletes to help them overcome challenges, cope with competition, and perform at their best. 
  • Forensic Psychology: This field has gained popularity in recent years as more and more students express interest and pursue this specialty. In short, it focuses on the application of psychological principles to criminal investigations. 
  • Health Psychology: As a specialist in this field, you will focus on promoting health and wellness as part of the prevention and treatment of various diseases and conditions. You will also spend time learning how biology, behavior, and social factors influence and directly impact the health of your patients. These type of professionals are passionate about helping doctors understand their patients and help the patients come to terms with their diagnosis.
  • Industrial-Organizational Psychology: Those who study this specialization dedicate themselves to the study of workplace behavior and apply psychological principles to areas such as human resources, employee training, marketing, sales, etc.

These are just some of the different paths you can take. As you can see, there are many different options. That’s why we at Immerse Education encourage you to

  1. Understand what they are all about. 
  2. Think about the main areas of psychology that you are most interested in. 
  3. Take time to analyze how much time you want to spend studying and learning new skills. 
  4. Determine what you need to specialize in your area of interest. 
  5. Choose a degree program.

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How Technology is Changing the World of Psychology

As with any field, technology has played a key role in the advancement of modern psychology. For starters, as a student, you won’t be relying on books as much as someone studying the field 10 or 20 years ago. Today, you have more tools at your disposal to research, study, learn, and even take notes. You don’t even have to spend hours in the university library looking for a piece of information; you can just surf the Internet and look for information from recognized authors. 

But the changes don’t stop there. Practitioners have had to adapt and learn to use new tools to collect and evaluate psychological data from their patients. A clear example is the Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) stress sensor, which, when placed on the patient’s fingers, can help you understand whether or not the person is under stress. 

And, of course, with the pandemic, we saw an increase in therapy sessions being conducted via videoconferencing. It started as a way for patients and therapists to see and hear each other in real-time, and now it has become the new norm. 

However, it’s important to understand that this field is constantly evolving. New ideas and perspectives are introduced every year. If the idea of using new tools and systems to make patients’ interactions with healthcare more efficient and more personal excites you, psychology is likely to keep you engaged throughout your career. And as our environment evolves, human behavior will always be an interesting field to study.

Psychology for a Better World: Psychologists Making a Difference

Saying psychology for a better world feels like a redundancy. The study and analysis of human behavior must have a positive impact on the world we live in. Psychologists are people dedicated to helping others become better versions of themselves. But when we think of those who have made important contributions to the field, Freud likely comes to mind. 

The truth is, that he revolutionized the way we think about and treat mental illness, and he founded psychoanalysis as a way to listen to patients and better understand how their minds work. But he is not the only key player. 

  • Jean Piaget made important contributions to understanding children’s intellectual growth, and his findings have helped shape educational institutions around the world. 
  • Leon Festinger studied cognitive dissonance and explained how social conditions influence human behavior. 
  • Carl Rogers made important contributions to the concept of human potential, which has had a direct impact on psychology and education. 
  • Erik Erikson introduced the theory of psychological development to help generate interest and research on human development across the lifespan. 

Many different eminent thinkers have helped shape the field by making important contributions to better understand why the human mind works the way it does and to develop mechanisms to shape the way we think.

What do you want to accomplish when you enter this field? It’s a question you should try to answer regularly so that you can acquire the skills, certifications, and knowledge to get there.

Final Thoughts

The fact that this is not one of the “most complicated” fields of expertise does not make it any less fascinating than others. By taking this coursework, you will begin to dive into the waters of how the human mind works the way it does, and how you can use various techniques and tools to shape it for the better. 

The world is crying out for better-trained psychologists to help calm the waters of a troubled society. We need more people like you who are willing to spend their lives helping to create a better future for the rest of us.