Psychology

The degree in Psychology provides the knowledge to understand and analyze human behavior and improve the development of mental health.

Psychology studies everything related to human behavior, both in terms of its biology, and its social and cultural aspects. It focuses on how these behaviors impact behavior, personality, and emotions and also on the formation of disorders that develop over time in the human mind.

These are the characteristics that make psychology a more than interesting social science, but at the same time complex. Many people are intrigued by how the human mind works, the unconscious and failed acts. Many have surely tried to interpret dreams, both their own and others', however psychology, like many others, is a career that also has its downside.

Psychology is an incredibly versatile discipline that extends far beyond the clinical office. Nowadays, psychologists apply their knowledge in fields as diverse as technology, wellness, sleep research and even fashion. For example, Alex Kelleher is a psychologist specializing in data analysis, with a long track record in Artificial Intelligence, Marketing and Entrepreneurship, on the other hand, The Dr. Pablo López, a psychologist specializing in sleep, researches how sleep disorders affect mental health and daily performance. In spirituality and well-being in patients with terminal illnesses, Doctor of Psychology Evangelina Lujan Aloe is Directora Lic. Psicología Universidad de Flores. And in an innovative approach, Carolyn Mair, PhD, applies cognitive psychology to the world of fashion, exploring how clothing influences our identity, emotions and social relationships. These professionals show that psychology is everywhere, helping us better understand human behavior in everyday and specialized contexts.

Why study psychology?

There are various aspects of this career that can catch students' attention, it is a degree that allows you to develop in different fields, in education, in sports, in individual care and also in the area of forensic science.

Throughout the degree, the goal is to train professionals with the ability to understand and analyze the different processes of mental health within the context in which they arise, as well as the possibility of coordinating work with other disciplines to work as efficiently as possible and properly address a patient's situation.

The Psychology professional is called a Psychologist and specializes in listening to and interpreting his patients' problems regarding their relationships and their view of society. He differs from the Psychiatrist in that he does not prescribe medication to control the nervous system. The Psychologist's role is to discover the reason behind human actions with the goal of supporting the patient in the search for various solutions.

The Psychology degree teaches techniques and skills to identify relationship problems, family problems, work situations or any other issue the patient decides to mention during a session.

The psychologist inquires about the patient's life, develops theories about its possible reasons and tries to prevent future acts as a consequence of their decisions. There are several branches of psychology related to work, social and educational aspects.

Psychology is a long-duration degree, requires a large volume of reading and is aimed at people with a great ability to listen, motivation to help solve problems, good oral and written expression, ability to observe and enhance human virtues. The graduate stands out for his honesty, great emotional sensitivity and shows constant empathy with his patients.

As with most degrees, beyond the motivation and interest one may have to enroll in a university degree, it is important to look into the good things about the career, and also into what others see as a disadvantage when working in the field or even how it affects a person's daily life.

Before investing time in a degree, it is essential to know the obstacles that may arise during the course of the various subjects that make up the curriculum.

Advantages of studying the psychology degree

The main thing that stands out about this university degree is the ability it gives its graduates to help others. Because thanks to psychologists, patients can learn to face and manage their disorders, just as professionals can guide the people who consult them to identify the causes of their problems.

In this sense, professionals agree on the satisfaction it gives them to see a person leave their office, or a session, and see how they begin to carry out a process in which they can notice progress.

On the other hand, an interesting aspect of the psychology degree, which is also considered a benefit, is the settings in which you can practice the career. In this way, there are different fields in which a psychologist can develop, among them clinical care, what is usually known as private practice in an office.

Another alternative is to focus on education, both as a teacher and in a psychological office at a school. You can also work in a public or private organization within the human resources department. As for group work, they can also serve as advisors within sports teams. Even in the forensic area and also, why not, the community area, there are different tasks that a psychology professional can carry out.

The degree has the advantage of offering its students different views of psychology. Throughout the coursework you can learn the different approaches of the career such as cognitive-behavioral, transactional analysis, psychoanalysis, gestalt, humanistic, among others.

Regarding cultural transformations and the complications that can arise in a society, some educational institutions have the advantage of offering in the degree curriculum subjects such as Disability, Addictions and Eating Disorders. These topics help train professionals to stay up to date and better understand some conditions that many people have normalized and that must be addressed with a professional who is able to support them.

The psychology degree provides different approaches to professional work so that psychologists are able to address patients' issues, both individually and in couples therapy, family therapy, and groups.

In addition, during the degree, topics are covered for working on the planning and management of public policies, in institutions or organizations. In this way, the career goes beyond one person and is aimed at the entire community, so that it can contribute its work to designing a transformation at the national level.

Another one of the benefits is devoting yourself to psychology-based research, since for those students who want to discover the application of different approaches, they have the advantage that the degree offers the necessary tools to observe and analyze in practice the theory learned. Many graduates take the initiative to put their research into books, either as reference material or as novels that tell a story.

As for schedules, many find the flexibility of their time to be an advantage, since by working independently they can arrange their patients' appointments. Many psychologists decide to work with patients in an office and also offer their services in educational institutions or in companies as advisors.

Disadvantages of studying psychology

One of the first disadvantages highlighted by most students who begin the degree is the number of subjects they dislike in the curriculum. In this regard, subjects such as statistics, methodology, and also biology stand out. 
Like many health-related degrees, the psychology degree requires several hours of reading and study. These issues count as a disadvantage by distancing the student a little from their social life to devote themselves to their professional side and graduate.

It is common for professionals, throughout their studies, and even more so upon graduating, to have to face emotionally complex conflicts. Many consider it a disadvantage of the degree to become attached to a patient, because it is essential to be objective and detach yourself from a situation being described. It is likely that these types of situations lead professionals themselves to seek psychological help in order to vent what they hear on their couch. 

Regarding the sensitivity that professionals must detach themselves from, the feeling of failure in some cases when unable to help others also counts as a disadvantage. The lack of experience, or of not finding the right tools, sometimes generates a certain helplessness, which has a great impact on the professional. Students, when imagining themselves in that situation, often come to reconsider the degree.

Graduating is a fundamental issue for many degrees, because once coursework is finished you have to embark on the path of job searching, and lack of experience is sometimes a bad ally. That is why after spending years studying, psychologists must go out and find their patients.

Another disadvantage you may experience as a student of the psychology degree is the ease with which other people judge the professional. It is common for psychologists, or even students, to be accused of analyzing and observing everyone they interact with, whether through their movements or what they say. It is a somewhat uncomfortable situation at times because they fail to separate the person from the professional.

On the other hand, sometimes closeness to cases of child abuse, or some complex circumstance in a prison with the cases of those who are deprived of their liberty, can be difficult to cope with, which is why it is important to correctly choose the area where you want to work and be aware of having the capacity for it.

A disadvantage can also be found in the confrontation that may arise between personal ideology and the moment of analyzing a particular patient. Professionals sometimes encounter certain cases that break with social structures, and the psychologist must unlock their own prejudices in the session. Patients often have an idea of what the psychologist's personal life is like and create a mistaken fantasy. That is why the tools acquired throughout the degree are fundamental to being able to create empathy with each case, without getting too involved.