Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. This is precisely what makes it so fascinating and yet so controversial. Any field or profession that considers human behavior, like finance or economics, must incorporate the teachings of psychology.
From consumer behavior to mental health psychology spans a wide variety of topics.
Recent years have seen a massive rise in the popularity of psychology as a degree and more and more people seem interested in exploring psychology as a career. But how difficult is psychology? How does it compare to other fields of study? And is it worth investing your time and energy in psychology?
We will explore and try to answer these questions in this article.
Is Psychology Hard?
Psychology is moderately hard. Psychology is considered a difficult subject due to the massive syllabus, extended readings, and lots of content and terminologies to memorize. However, there is little to no advanced mathematics or rocket science in psychology.
If you were to explore any field of study at its highest level and dive into its technicalities you will find it quite challenging. And psychology is no different. It can be argued that an exploration of the human mind and behavior is one of the most complicated subjects in the world.
There is a belief amongst certain groups of people that psychology is an easy degree. But not only is there a great deal of reading and memorization involved but there is lots of application-based learning as well.
A student must read through a massive number of books, analyses, and articles to gain different insights. Whereas in subjects like mathematics learning from just one source is enough due to the factuality of mathematical teachings.
Psychology is not purely fact-based. Instead, different people produce different theories and opinion pieces on various topics hoping to get a better understanding of the mind and human behavior.
However, better theories are always being produced and accepted in psychology in contrast to subjects like mathematics and physics where if something is proven mathematically it is accepted as true. This means that psychology students have to keep learning and updating their knowledge to be competitive in the industry.
Being eligible to practice psychology professionally can take a long time. After you complete a bachelor’s degree, you will need to pursue higher education studies. To become a clinical psychologist for example people spend up to 12 years in university after graduating from high school.
Another factor that contributes to the difficulty of psychology is the inclusion of statistics when studying psychology.
And of course, there are the research projects. Depending on your future career plans you will have to carry out many extensive research projects and case studies as part of your university education.
These research projects help students gain firsthand experience and valuable insights into real-world applications. Second, it creates a strong portfolio of work to show employers and clients that the person has the necessary knowledge and experience to carry out work professionally on a subject as sensitive as the mind.
The work schedule for a psychologist is often quite erratic with clients being prone to contact you at any time of the day- even in the early hours of the morning. Psychologists often find that it is their moral obligation to respond to their clients.
These factors combined make psychology a moderately difficult field. At the undergraduate level, it may not be as difficult as more prestigious STEM majors. However, post-grad and in professional life, psychology is considered one of the most difficult fields.
Is Psychology Harder Than Law?
Psychology is not harder than Law. Law is similar to psychology as they are both intellectually demanding and have extensive curriculums. Law is considered more prestigious and difficult since it requires extremely strong critical thinking, analytical, and situational awareness skills.
Law is more rigid and has narrower confines whereas psychologists have more breathing room to explore different options and develop new ideas.
In many countries, the law and its rules and codes are very clearly defined and established but psychology is less heavily regulated making it easier to work in. There is also a lot of extremely technical jargon in the law reading materials.
These would indicate that law is perhaps the harder degree and profession however ultimately it comes down to what you prefer. If you are passionate about a subject then you will ultimately do better in it. Similarly, if you are not interested or invested in the subject then even the easiest topics can feel like a nightmare.
Is Psychology a Stressful Career?
A career in psychology is quite stressful. Psychologists tend to deal with the personal problems of their patients which makes their work very mentally and emotionally taxing. Moreover, psychologists need to consistently market their services, maintain an excellent reputation, deal with sensitive issues, and constantly keep up with the newest research and techniques.
You will have to deal with clients in a more personal manner in this profession than most others. For psychologists who tend to patients and their life problems daily, it can be very mentally taxing.
Analyzing the complicated mental issues of people is a very intricate task and psychologists handle it with a lot of sensitivity and care. They approach these cases having done a great deal of preparation knowing how delicate these situations are.
Having this level of pressure on your shoulders every time you go to work is undoubtedly a very strenuous position to be in.
Although this may come as a surprise to many, one of the most stressful parts of being a private psychologist is having to constantly pitch yourself to obtain new customers. This only distracts them from an already high-pressure job and adds further stress to their lives.
On top of this clinical psychologists with their practices still have to keep up with the new advances in the field, write their papers, and conduct their research.
Indeed, psychologists in all the different fields find themselves jumbling multiple tasks all at once. All in all, this is undoubtedly a stressful profession.
All in all, this is undoubtedly a stressful profession.
Is Studying Psychology A Waste of Time?
Studying psychology is not a waste of time. Psychology is an interesting subject that focuses on the human mind and behavior. Studying psychology will make you more aware of yourself and your surroundings. Moreover, psychologists have great careers.
Learning something new and gaining knowledge about any subject is always a good thing. When the issue is something as important and fascinating to humankind as psychology then it is a great idea to explore it.
Psychology is all about the mind and human behavior. Why do we do certain things at certain times? How do we react to different situations in our ways? What differentiates people from one another? These are incredibly fascinating questions and psychology helps us explore them.
Psychology is worth studying as it will help you gain a better understanding of yourself and the people around you. In many ways, this profession is witnessing a boom right now and it has a lot to do with the rise in awareness of mental health. People are taking their mental health more and more seriously and are attempting to better understand themselves.
However, most people are interested in the commercial aspect. It is important to know if you can make a good living by pursuing psychology before committing so much time, effort, and money.
The profession is witnessing a boom right now and it has a lot to do with the rise in awareness of mental health. People are taking their mental health more seriously and trying to understand themselves better.
The profession is expected to continue to see growth in the coming years across various industries. For instance, companies such as Airbnb and UBER are hiring psychologists even though psychologists have no direct connection with such industries.
Therefore, it is apparent that studying psychology is not a waste of time. It simply depends on your interest and passion. Like any other field, not everyone pursuing it will be successful. It is up to the individual and how hard they work that will ultimately determine their success.
Conclusion
Psychology is a wonderful subject and explores the fundamental questions in life. It connects with the very heart of a person and attempts to discover what makes them ‘tick’.
It can help someone overcome their fears and past traumas and help them break down complex emotions that they struggle to understand themselves.
Psychologists work in different fields and different roles, many people would be surprised to learn that psychologists have a role in sports where they conduct research and help treat athletes to overcome physical pain and mental pressure.
