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AIBU?

to wonder if doing psychology degree, is a total waste of time

84 replies

bluegreysky · 08/08/2008 22:12

is it a waste of time iyo?

OP posts:

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bluegreysky · 08/08/2008 23:06

thanks 2gs.

could you become a ta the train to become a teacher? perhaps zebraa knows?

im swinging back to doing the phy degree again now maybe i just needed a pep talk.

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WilfSell · 08/08/2008 23:06

Nope. University lecturer! Ha ha (vested interests...)

Not psych though.

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pointydog · 08/08/2008 23:06

it's not uncommon to do psychology as either a humanities or a science degree, no? At least, that's how it was when I were young.

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pointydog · 08/08/2008 23:07

lol - you big university lover

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WilfSell · 08/08/2008 23:10

If you're gonna do it, find a course that has British Psychological Society accreditation: you need this if you are going to carry on to do clinical psych training for example...

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ButNotThatBrave · 08/08/2008 23:11

Snap blue, I'm an INFP too! So psychology has a natural pull given our preoccupation with inner worlds

I just found the degree I started far too wishy-washy and frustrating. I ended up training as a Probation Officer, which I loved until it became all about enforcement & paperwork, and then moved into project management for a charity, working with children affected by domestic abuse.

I only say all that to see if any of those interest you too - my other dream jobs are arts therapy, lecturing/research, FE teaching or project consultancy. Any of those appeal?

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bluegreysky · 08/08/2008 23:25

social work interests me alot too.

art theraphy really appeals teaching project consultancy and charity work working with children that have been abused

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bluegreysky · 08/08/2008 23:30

sorry not, project consultancy.

the others though

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ButNotThatBrave · 08/08/2008 23:31

I think we're proving MBTI here blue! (though I do recall from my psychology degree 'Research Methods' module that a sample of 2 isn't very large!!).

You may have already said but I've misssed it, have you already done a degree? If not, probably worth doing for all the reasons that WilfSell and others mentioned. And you sound as though you would enjoy the challenge of studying a topic that stretches your thinking Maybe through OU which you can combine with trying out short-term jobs until you find something you love?

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twoGsinBuggerOff · 08/08/2008 23:56

see... now I want to do a psychology degree.... while i do the TA thing maybe. (it was me who said i was an INFP btw, are you too, bluesky? did i miss something? [entirely possible])
i very much like the philosophy of doing what interests you. i have made pragmatic decisions about my education before. and look where thats got me, eh?? nowheresville, careerswise, thats for sure.

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ButNotThatBrave · 09/08/2008 00:00

Sorry 2gs, I have mis-read & mis-led & mis-posted and allsorts.

ROFL that you thought it was you who had misread it though, us INFPs are so inuitive we just don't notice little details like people's NAMES

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twoGsinBuggerOff · 09/08/2008 00:04

PMSL !!!!
omg ive always been so deeply embarrassed at my inability to remember names. the finer nuances of a persons feelings on a given subject or personality, sure. but names? notsomuch.

oh, youve mace me larf

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Quattrocento · 09/08/2008 00:07

No degree is a waste of time. Okay maybe media studies is a waste of time.

Many careers are just not open to someone without a degree. With psychology, you get the degree and you also have doors open in terms of vocational careers.

I have an English degree which is totally useless in its own right, although i did sort of enjoy doing it. The value of it has been in the career doors that opened afterwards.

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juneybean · 09/08/2008 00:11

You're not being unreasonable, my friend completed her psychology degree in 2006 and still does not have a job.

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ReallyTired · 09/08/2008 00:45

"yes I have one, it's pants. You need to get a masters to get anywhere. "

But without the degree you would not be able to the masters.

I disagree with WillSelf. I think that vocational degrees are often better. I did a physics degree and if I had my time again I would study audiology.

There is a two year conversion masters, but its more debt and I can't get on the course because I did my degree almost 12 years ago. I was told that I couldn't even go and do a degree in audiology as my A-levels are too old. I do not want to do an acess course in science even if my degree is as old as the hills.

The problem is that many 18 year olds have no idea what they want to do.

If you choose to study a totally pointless subject like physics or pyschology then you need to budget for training on top of it to do something useful. The training also needs to be done within 5 years of doing the degree.

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troubledfriend · 09/08/2008 00:46

I have got one.
It's pants.

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TwoIfBySea · 09/08/2008 00:50

bluegreysky I'm doing my degree at the moment with the OU. Missed out on doing one when I was younger.

It isn't so much the career plan as the amount of self-esteem it gives you when you pass each course. I just found out my mark for my most recent course and nearly did cartwheels around the living room.

My friend is on incapacity benefit, has health problems but since starting her degree (was going to do psychology but has now changed to...criminal psychology or something like that) she can see a future for herself and her family.

Don't look on it as, oh what if it doesn't work and I end up in McDonalds, look on what it offers you and if it isn't what you want there are other opportunities.

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troubledfriend · 09/08/2008 01:06

agree with twoifbysea the process was wonderful but it did not enhance my career prospects one bit.

I don't regret doing it but would have chosen something more practical like accountancy in hindsight.

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keevamum · 09/08/2008 08:51

I think if I had my time again I would have looked at more vocational degrees which encompass a lot of psychology such as occupational therapy, teaching, nursing or medical degrees. They give you a more defined career path but I never regret studying psychology.

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SueW · 09/08/2008 09:44

my dh did a degree in psychology. Then went on to do masters.

He's an IT consultant now, originating from the statistics work and Excel he did during his degree.

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rookiemater · 09/08/2008 10:33

If I could do my degree again I would choose a specific vocational one.

I did Business Studies and whilst it has stood me in good stead at work, its very generic, so if I were to take a career break for a couple of years then I'd have to start at the bottom again, as no one is going to see the benefit of an 18 year old degree. Whereas my friend who is an accountant is on a career break for 2 years and will have same job waiting for her when she goes back.

However you have a degree to your name and that is something to be proud of whatever subject you chose, fwiw I would have loved to have studied psychology and that was back in the days where having a degree meant you were likely to have a job, but my parents in the medical profession poo pooed it so I went for something different.

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Poppycake · 09/08/2008 10:57

ime where can matter much more than what you studied.

I did accountancy training with what was then a Big 6 firm and the people who had done good degrees at Oxbridge/Good red-bricks found the exams much easier than people who had done accountancy degrees at old polys - in fact people in the latter category kept failing exams and losing their jobs - harsh world accountancy!!

Even tho you only have a hazy idea of what you want to do, I think it would be worth trying to talk to people in the general area to see what they think. It might lead to work experience while you are doing the degree and a job at the end!

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emma1977 · 09/08/2008 12:00

My dh did a joint-honours degree in psychology and maths. He really enjoyed it. He felt that the psychology was the fun and interesting part and the maths was the part which would make him employable!

Now works for a bank. Noone from his course went into anything directly psychology-based as a job afterwards.

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Anna8888 · 09/08/2008 12:07

"Good degrees teach you how to think; subject specialism is secondary."

I don't agree with this. The analytical scope of some subjects is just so much greater than others that the potential to develop cognitive skills in some subjects has to be much greater than in others.

(I have degrees in two wildly different fields btw)

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Bumperlicious · 09/08/2008 12:40

Only really worth while if you want to go into psychology or similar in my opinion. I would try and pin point what you want to do and do something related to that.

I have a degree and a master's in psychology. If I could go back and do it again I would probably chose something different, like Economics, Law or something like Social Policy (work for the civil service).

Where you do it is also pretty important, not just due to reputation but different uni's have different specialisms. I really wanted to to Forensic Psychology but ended up at a Uni specialising in Cognitive Neuroscience. You need to look at the research topics going on at the Uni.

If the subject facinates you I would just get a reading list and read some books!

What about a counselling degree? (not sure they exists but if you are interested in people's minds this would be up your street).