# psych or social work majors?



## Jess (Oct 23, 2004)

These are the two majors I am now considering...but I know that psych especially will be a hard major to find a job for...does anyone know or has anyone majored in psych and if so what have you done with it?


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## Jess (Oct 23, 2004)

*social work- kind of unclear*

Also, What all can you do with a social work major? i know you can work with inner city kids/families...or as a high school counselour/social worker but what else?


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## ghostgurl (Sep 20, 2004)

I'm majoring in sociology right now. From what I've heard a social work major basically prepares you to be a social worker. If thats what you want you could stick with that. I would recommend a sociology degree because there's a lot of careers to choose from that.


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## mimimaus (Aug 16, 2005)

Hi jess, like ghostgurl said a social work major will qualify you to be a social worker. I have a social work degree and I say DONT DO IT!!!


Seriously its underpaid, you have to deal with LOTS of people which isnt the BEST for someone with SA. Take it from someone older and lil WISER: I am thinking of studying something else.

I dont want it to seem like I am putting Social workers down ( as I am one as well) but seriously the work is not that appealing. You will have a lot of seterotypes to deal with and also its a career choice that lots of people seem to think does or does not have a lot of merit.

I wish that someone gave me the advice that I am giving you!!!

I would go with psych, its better paid and I think more interesting!!!!!

And Im only 25 and Ive only had 6 months work expereince and already am thinking of doing something else!!!!


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## Jess (Oct 23, 2004)

So what made you choose it then? Did you just like the classes? The thing with me is that my sa isn't so bad when I feel like I am doing something i am passionate about, such as helping people. When the task at hand involves being of assistance to people in need, my heart takes over my nervous mind and I just spreak from my heart (I know it sounds corny, but its the truth). I can actually be very good with people, I believe, in these situations. However, I think for now I will stick with PR because I am unsure about social work...and if I get my degree in psych then I won't be able to do anything with it unless I go to grad school...so I would probably wind up getting a job in business or something which would be the worst for sa!


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## mimimaus (Aug 16, 2005)

What made me choose it then?

Exactly what you describe, wanting to help others. I really did want to do this. But yeah Uni and the work place are two completely different worlds. 

I realised I am just not interested anymore in SW. I made a mistake, thinking thats what I wanted to do, wehn I would rather be in a job that is more peaceful and less stressfull, foir example working with animals.

Oh yeah and also my SA is not bad either and I really had no big problem talking to others at work. colleagues and client

I think students need to be informed better when they decide to do a degree. I really had no idea what I wanted to do back then.


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## mimimaus (Aug 16, 2005)

post deleted.


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## Jess (Oct 23, 2004)

Well I think I am just going to go ahead and get my degree in PR...it's just hard because I would much rather be doing something psychology related...even spiritually related because I am kind of a spiritual person I would say. 


On another note, I feel like I am having an identity crisis between this like trendy 21 yr old person I feel like I should be, and the person who I really am which is someone who likes to be spiritually "in tune" I guess, more concerned with the emotions and feelings, the arts, music...but society says that if you enjoy those things you are "weird" and it is hard to make that transition when you know that you won't be as accepted if you are like that.


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## evilution (Oct 15, 2005)

I was a social work major and graduated last year. During your last year in social work, an internship is required and I had to work 2 days a week for HeadStart. I love social work because you meet new people everyday and it brings satisfaction in helping others. The internship forced me to be more outgoing and take initiative with others which helped reduce my SA level from a moderate level to more of a moderate-mild level.


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## evilution (Oct 15, 2005)

*Re: social work- kind of unclear*



Jess said:


> Also, What all can you do with a social work major? i know you can work with inner city kids/families...or as a high school counselour/social worker but what else?


You can work with the mentally ill such in a hospital ward. The homeless or elderly. Te best thing about social work is that you can choose which client population you want to work with, whether it be kids, adults, or the elderly. You can also be a family/marriage counselor if you have a masters or an administrator in an agency.


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## Drella (Dec 4, 2004)

I'm a psychology major. I plan on going to grad school and getting into forensic psychology. I don't think I could be satisfied just having a bachelor's degree in psychology; I don't really see a viable a career for me with that. I'm really struggling with this. I've started directing short films at school, and I love it. I may go to film school later. I doubt that going to grad. school AND film school would be smart, so I don't know.


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## mismac (Oct 27, 2005)

Jess said:


> On another note, I feel like I am having an identity crisis


Welcome to the Quarter-life Crisis.

A friend graduated with a psych degree (with a minor in criminology), and she's pushing papers in an office somewhere.


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## RedBlueFish (Nov 11, 2003)

I just started my master's degree in mental health counseling at the University of Phoenix. I know it doesn't pay a lot of money unless you go into private practice, but I have to do something. I wanted to apply for something like my phd in psychology at a traditional university type place but I don't have the grades to get into most schools. I also thought of psychiatry, but that would require me to go to med school and I don't have the grades for that either or the science background. Plus I always thought med school would be sooooo stressful. SA pretty much screwed over my undergrad degree because I didn't even know I had it, I just thought something was wrong with me ... kept going from counselor to counselor at the university counseling center and they'd just give me stuff like "oh but you're so pretty, you're so smart, you can do anything you want. why do you not like yourself?" or "Have you tried <insert some way of reducing stress that I'd already tried>?"

The good thing about the University of Phoenix is that as long as you meet the requirements, you'll be admitted so you don't have to sit around waiting for an admissions letter or wonder if you got in. I know in the mental health field I'll have to deal with people, but the classes sound interested and just being in school will help my anxiety level. Even my first class in basic interviewing skills as a counselor was helpful in having an idea how to talk to people. Even though it was a contrived format we followed and we wouldn't necessarily go down the list with a person, it's something to go by. We had to practice with each other while the instructor was watching each of us and I was so nervous, but everyone said I did fine and I didn't get any markdowns. I even got bonus points because instructor said I was really good at the listening part of it which is so important as we all know, especially those of us who've been to counselors ourselves.


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