Psychology applicants?

However I don't think it's fair to say that psychology has a sell-by date. Perhaps its true that all behaviours, symptoms, attitudes etc can be linked back to the brain and back to the internal mental state, but that doesn't mean other branches such as developmental, health and so on are totally not valuable

Thanks for this GG, it really has made me think about why I want to do psych, and at least when I get to uni

I definitely understand where you're coming from in your last paragraph. It makes me sad. However I don't think it's fair to say that psychology has a sell-by date. Perhaps its true that all behaviours, symptoms, attitudes etc can be linked back to the brain and back to the internal mental state, but that doesn't mean other branches such as developmental, health and so on are totally not valuable, though they may suffer more from the academic "floopiness" (if I can put it that way) that you speak of. I haven't studied much cog psy or neurosci so I can't comment on one eclipsing the other, but psych should play an important role in society, and I'd like to believe katie louise when she said, at its core it does.

But certainly most of what you're talking about here seems to ring true even to me as a humble prospective undergrad, and you're right- the field has got to move away from those sorts of dodgy, even Freudian, practices and upgrade its standards altogether. It should be a requirement to study it up to at least AS-level in order to enrol on a UG course. Other academically rigorous subjects have this stipulation and it's odd that psychology doesn't. Second A-Level should be changed to be a better lead-up to degree-level stuff. AS was a memory test tbh. Like you said, coursework should be reintroduced. There should be more emphasis on journal-reading, and teachers who have their own rubbish brand of psychology, or who never even studied psychology at uni SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO TEACH IT (unless it comes to the stats/ ethics parts of the course).

I had a feeling that a lot of people enter into the degree thinking it is all easy and airy-fairy and you get to learn about yourself and psychoanalyse others blah blah. What you've just said has made me certain of it. It probably goes round in a circle, and might explain the rubbish res methodology as they graduate and contribute back to the field. To be fair, I really thought the degree was like that at the beginning of my AS course! I remember being shocked when I first heard it being referred to as a science

At the end of the day though, the one thing that is crystal clear is that psychology was not the right subject for you. For the majority of people who pick it though, it is, and that's what I'm choosing to dwell on.
Thanks for this GG, it really has made me think about why I want to do psych, and at least when I get to uni and I find myself feeling the way you do, I'll know I'm not on my larry. (sorry if that sounded like I'm piggybacking off your misery!) I do know what it feels like to have to study a subject that you resent in depth though; you've just got to stick at it, work hard and focus on the positives.

Errm this maybe a stupid question- but why are you applying for it when you have listed about 100 reasons not to?

I am now having a MAJOR panic after reading this thread. Any positives anyone would like to mention?

I am now having a MAJOR panic after reading this thread. Any positives anyone would like to mention?

I suppose I was being a little too blanketting in my statements. What I mean to say, in terms of explanatory power, the neural code will trump all. Emotions, behaviours, beliefs, irrationalities etc will be reducable to neural language and ultimately mathematics.

However: An understanding of these from a behavioural perspective allows for intervention, whereas (short of some kind of nano-neurosurgery) the neural perspective does not (avoiding any kind of sci-fi longitudinal perspectives in which nanobots re-arrange synaptic weightings in accordance with a designed configration). I suppose that is where the value of certain areas of Psychology lies. Then again, even in modern psychology, the principal models explain meager amounts of behavioural variance and alternative versions are nothing more than re-interpretations of the same concepts.

LOL oh don't! Sorry you probably didn't expect a rant from GG and a sob story from me when you made this thread. But tbh there are positives and negatives to everything in this world. What do you love about psych?

There tends to be a lot of chicks. So if you swing that way you'll love it.

The way I see it- other areas of psychology also have value in discovering the problems and issues that need to be looked at on a neurological level. Before you go hunting round the brain for answers you need some idea about what is 'normal', what is 'abnormal' and what the consequences of such behaviours are- basically, you need the bigger picture too.

My logic:

What is the problem? (psychology)---> Why does it occur? (neuroscience)---> Can it/ should it be treated medically? (medication/ surgery) ---> Is behavioural intervention/ types of therapies more suitable? (back to psychology)

Feel free to disagree!

Nahh doubt my boyfriend would be too pleased If I had a sudden change of heart. However, you picked a laregely female subject in a largely female uni so you must have been very pleased with yourself!

Because there are equally about 100 reasons in its favour?

Ultimately if a construct does not translate well into a neural language, it will provide little or any use for studying it at a neuroscientific level.

.

Reading this thread is just feeding my doubts. Last few months I've been thinking if psychology is for me, I do love it, I just seem to lean towards cognitive neuroscience more and more these days and hating certain parts of psychology that shouldn't be associated with science. I did, however, think that these areas just existed in the A-level syllabus, but after looking over a few uni modules (Bristol have a psychoanalysis one -___-) and reading this thread I'm wondering if I made a mistake.

There tends to be a lot of chicks. So if you swing that way you'll love it.

Lol I didnt make the thread, just read it!

I dont know why I love it, I just do lol. I know thats not a very concrete statement but hey, Im tired! lol.

Reading this thread is just feeding my doubts. Last few months I've been thinking if psychology is for me, I do love it, I just seem to lean towards cognitive neuroscience more and more these days and hating certain parts of psychology that shouldn't be associated with science. I did, however, think that these areas just existed in the A-level syllabus, but after looking over a few uni modules (Bristol have a psychoanalysis one -___-) and reading this thread I'm wondering if I made a mistake.

Have you heard back from any of your unis yet?

Noo only acknowledgements. Im actually having "5 rejection" nightmares. Plus everyone on TSR seems sooo much more intelligent than me and have said "oo you're aiming a bit high aren't you" the meanies!

How about you?

I almost forgot that. Thanks for reminding(!)




Have you heard back from any of your unis yet?



Did you apply to Oxford in the end? And I felt the way you did too, I even posted a thread on here about whether I was going against my gut feeling and so forth. Actually I still feel a bit uncertain, as you can probably tell from what's been posted here. But I think it's normal to have last-minute jitters and to feel apprehensive (after all it's a big commitment we're making here). It's also too late to do anything about your app (now I am presuming you applied to Oxbridge), so keep on with the process, keep doing more research course- and uni-wise, keep working hard. If you find that you really really don't want to do psych then withdraw/ leave and reapply next year with a better idea. But just in case it is what you want to do, I would continue to try and 'rediscover' why you 'love' it. No-one can tell you whether you made a mistake, can you try visiting the uni departments and seeing if you'd want to study there?

Yup applied for Oxford. I really like the look of the course, it seems to emphasise the science part a lot and it has quite a few modules in philosophy and neuroscience which is pretty sweet. I think I just get sick of it when I have to Frued's theory of why diets fail and constant crap like that everyday, I kind of loose sight of the parts that I do enjoy.