This is a quick post to anyone interested in starting a course in Psychology. When you are thinking about starting study, it is important to make sure that you are informed about a few things like:
- What the course will require. How many hours a week will you be expected to study? What types of things will you be studying...do you really know what the topic is about? Will you have to travel? What expenses are you likely to encounter including course fees, study materials, and other costs?
- What does this course prepare you for? It helps to have a very clear idea about what careers the course leads to and what types of salary and working conditions you should expect. Also, in most countries, a Bachelor's degree is only the first step of many to becoming a Psychologist. If your goal is to be a registered Psychologist, make sure you know how many years of training and the full cost of this career goal will be.
- Are the skills and knowledge you'll gain transferable and do they suit your interests? Many people explore more than one career path over their lifetime. Spend some time finding out about the skills that you might gain in this course that could be useful if you decide to get creative with your career. For example, if you study Psychology you could become a Psychologist but you might also become an advertising executive, a social researcher, a life coach, a disability support worker, an audiologist...there are a lot of possibilities!
- Will this study really fit your lifestyle? Study will take time and commitment. Make sure you take a good look at your current responsibilities and work out how study will fit into your existing life. Many people find that before taking on study, they need to reduce their commitment to something else in their life.
- The Australian Psychological Society: http://www.psychology.org.au/
- The Americal Psychological Association: http://www.apa.org/
- Psychology Today Magazine: http://www.psychologytoday.com/
- The Graduate Careers (Australia) report for Psychology: http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/CareerPlanningandResources/careerprofiles/Psychology/index.htm
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