Reflections from a Psychological Science Major Posted on November 5th, 2020 by

I am Olivia and I am a junior at Gustavus Adolphus. I look back and reminisce about how undecided I was on a career path as I came into college. I had taken a lot of general courses in high school, so I was anxious to choose a major. Although I had some ideas, my small high school never offered a Psychological Science specific course, so I was not aware of my interest in it at an education level. After exploring a couple of elective classes here I realized I wish I would have taken a Psychological Science course much sooner. Through conversations with my advisor, professors, and classmates I decided that this was the right path for me.

In my case, it was Psychological Science, but no matter your passion or interests it is always important to network, talk to people about their experiences, take classes out of your comfort zone, and seek advice from many people when deciding what to do with your time at Gustavus. For those who are interested in Psychological Science, this is my declaration story blog.

Human behavior has always been a subject that I have been the most interested in as a student. From social psychology to abnormal psychology to neuroscience, courses have offered Gustavus Psychological Science majors the opportunity to learn and experiment with all different fields of psychological science. As a junior Psychological Science major at Gustavus Adolphus College, the department has offered me opportunities to do research on human behavior, gain knowledge about past studies, and helped me to discover my favorite parts of psychological science.

So far at Gustavus, I have had the pleasure of working with fellow classmates by doing research at the Children’s Museum in Mankato, Minnesota. This experience was one of my first hands-on experiences and after presenting data and writing a manuscript, I found that Psychological Science had so much more to offer than just the basics of theories and terms. Although I was already certain of my major, an abnormal psychology class strengthened my commitment to a career in Psychological Science even more. I have used the information learned about the history of treatments, the current state of psychiatric hospitals, and the link between environment and psychological disorders to form an idea of what I would like to do after graduation.

The faculty in the Gustavus’ Psychological Science department care for their students and their betterment and I am grateful to have the opportunity to learn from them. They have offered a solid concrete base to build a future upon. From this base, I have the intention of working an internship before, or shortly after graduation, in any field of psychological science but hopefully related to a treatment hospital or prison. 

One large reason I am interested in working in state treatment hospitals and prisons is my belief in the inequality and major dysfunctions of detainment centers in America. As someone studying Psychological Science, I believe that places should work toward rehabilitation. My hopes after graduation are to attend a graduate school that has a strong program in abnormal psychology and with treatment and rehabilitation of individuals within psychiatric state hospitals. In the long run, I hope to be working in a state treatment hospital or psychiatric ward as a clinical or counseling psychologist helping patients and addressing systemic issues. 

I chose to study Psychological Science because of the vast impact it has on different people all around the world. I find myself feeling satisfied while learning about human behavior and all its relations to other people. Majoring in Psychological Science has been one of the most fulfilling experiences from my time at Gustavus because I know with a major in Psychological Science I can do my part to make a difference. 

 

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