is a Psychology degree actually useless?/
I’m currently a second-year psychology student, and I’m having a major crisis about my future. I need to vent and get some advice because I’m seriously rethinking everything. Is a psychology degree actually useless?
When I first chose psychology, I was fascinated by the human mind and wanted to help people. The idea of becoming a psychologist or therapist seemed fulfilling and impactful. My first year was exciting—learning about different psychological theories, mental health issues, and even conducting my first experiments.
Fast forward to the second year, and things have taken a turn. The coursework has become overwhelmingly theoretical and detached from real-world applications. I’ve started to feel like I’m memorizing endless studies and statistics without actually learning how to make a difference in people's lives. The more I dive into the subject, the more it feels like I'm just scratching the surface.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a third-year student who told me they were struggling to find relevant work experience. They said that many entry-level jobs don’t require a psychology degree, and even those that do often prefer candidates with experience we haven’t had the chance to get yet. They’re now considering a completely different career path, and their words hit me hard.
I started researching the career prospects for psychology graduates, and what I found was disheartening. The job market seems saturated, and the path to becoming a licensed psychologist is long, competitive, and expensive. Most of the roles available to fresh graduates seem to be in areas unrelated to psychology or in low-paying assistant positions.
Now I’m sitting here, swamped with the work of trying to find relevant work experience and revision for deferred exams, questioning if all this effort is worth it. I’m passionate about psychology, but I can’t ignore the looming reality of potentially struggling to find a decent job after graduation. Should I consider switching degrees or finding a way to make my current path more viable?
Has anyone else felt this way? Are there any success stories from psychology graduates who managed to find fulfilling careers? What can I do to improve my prospects and make my degree more useful? I’m feeling lost and need some guidance. Is it too late to change course, or is there a way to make this work?
Thanks for reading. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
When I first chose psychology, I was fascinated by the human mind and wanted to help people. The idea of becoming a psychologist or therapist seemed fulfilling and impactful. My first year was exciting—learning about different psychological theories, mental health issues, and even conducting my first experiments.
Fast forward to the second year, and things have taken a turn. The coursework has become overwhelmingly theoretical and detached from real-world applications. I’ve started to feel like I’m memorizing endless studies and statistics without actually learning how to make a difference in people's lives. The more I dive into the subject, the more it feels like I'm just scratching the surface.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a third-year student who told me they were struggling to find relevant work experience. They said that many entry-level jobs don’t require a psychology degree, and even those that do often prefer candidates with experience we haven’t had the chance to get yet. They’re now considering a completely different career path, and their words hit me hard.
I started researching the career prospects for psychology graduates, and what I found was disheartening. The job market seems saturated, and the path to becoming a licensed psychologist is long, competitive, and expensive. Most of the roles available to fresh graduates seem to be in areas unrelated to psychology or in low-paying assistant positions.
Now I’m sitting here, swamped with the work of trying to find relevant work experience and revision for deferred exams, questioning if all this effort is worth it. I’m passionate about psychology, but I can’t ignore the looming reality of potentially struggling to find a decent job after graduation. Should I consider switching degrees or finding a way to make my current path more viable?
Has anyone else felt this way? Are there any success stories from psychology graduates who managed to find fulfilling careers? What can I do to improve my prospects and make my degree more useful? I’m feeling lost and need some guidance. Is it too late to change course, or is there a way to make this work?
Thanks for reading. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
(edited 11 months ago)
Reply 1
Original post by purplexoxo203
I’m currently a second-year psychology student, and I’m having a major crisis about my future. I need to vent and get some advice because I’m seriously rethinking everything. Is a psychology degree actually useless?
When I first chose psychology, I was fascinated by the human mind and wanted to help people. The idea of becoming a psychologist or therapist seemed fulfilling and impactful. My first year was exciting—learning about different psychological theories, mental health issues, and even conducting my first experiments.
Fast forward to the second year, and things have taken a turn. The coursework has become overwhelmingly theoretical and detached from real-world applications. I’ve started to feel like I’m memorizing endless studies and statistics without actually learning how to make a difference in people's lives. The more I dive into the subject, the more it feels like I'm just scratching the surface.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a third-year student who told me they were struggling to find relevant work experience. They said that many entry-level jobs don’t require a psychology degree, and even those that do often prefer candidates with experience we haven’t had the chance to get yet. They’re now considering a completely different career path, and their words hit me hard.
I started researching the career prospects for psychology graduates, and what I found was disheartening. The job market seems saturated, and the path to becoming a licensed psychologist is long, competitive, and expensive. Most of the roles available to fresh graduates seem to be in areas unrelated to psychology or in low-paying assistant positions.
Now I’m sitting here, swamped with the work of trying to find relevant work experience and revision for deferred exams, questioning if all this effort is worth it. I’m passionate about psychology, but I can’t ignore the looming reality of potentially struggling to find a decent job after graduation. Should I consider switching degrees or finding a way to make my current path more viable?
Has anyone else felt this way? Are there any success stories from psychology graduates who managed to find fulfilling careers? What can I do to improve my prospects and make my degree more useful? I’m feeling lost and need some guidance. Is it too late to change course, or is there a way to make this work?
Thanks for reading. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
When I first chose psychology, I was fascinated by the human mind and wanted to help people. The idea of becoming a psychologist or therapist seemed fulfilling and impactful. My first year was exciting—learning about different psychological theories, mental health issues, and even conducting my first experiments.
Fast forward to the second year, and things have taken a turn. The coursework has become overwhelmingly theoretical and detached from real-world applications. I’ve started to feel like I’m memorizing endless studies and statistics without actually learning how to make a difference in people's lives. The more I dive into the subject, the more it feels like I'm just scratching the surface.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a third-year student who told me they were struggling to find relevant work experience. They said that many entry-level jobs don’t require a psychology degree, and even those that do often prefer candidates with experience we haven’t had the chance to get yet. They’re now considering a completely different career path, and their words hit me hard.
I started researching the career prospects for psychology graduates, and what I found was disheartening. The job market seems saturated, and the path to becoming a licensed psychologist is long, competitive, and expensive. Most of the roles available to fresh graduates seem to be in areas unrelated to psychology or in low-paying assistant positions.
Now I’m sitting here, swamped with the work of trying to find relevant work experience and revision for deferred exams, questioning if all this effort is worth it. I’m passionate about psychology, but I can’t ignore the looming reality of potentially struggling to find a decent job after graduation. Should I consider switching degrees or finding a way to make my current path more viable?
Has anyone else felt this way? Are there any success stories from psychology graduates who managed to find fulfilling careers? What can I do to improve my prospects and make my degree more useful? I’m feeling lost and need some guidance. Is it too late to change course, or is there a way to make this work?
Thanks for reading. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Hi @purplexoxo203 ,
I am very sorry to hear you have felt disheartened and overwhelmed. I do believe people will always vary quite a bit in terms of what they decided to do after their degree.
I am a current final year undergraduate who has just finished, hoping to pursue a masters and PhD at Kent because I am very interested in pursuing a career in developmental research. My research would (if I am able to do it at PhD level) would have educational outcomes, so I am making a difference but in a less obvious way.
There are many things you can do with your degree, I believe Psychology does not close any doors but sets you up to work well in a setting where you work with people.
Work experience wise, its quite common to get roles such as research assistant or childcare related ones. To get more clinical related experience you could try do some volunteering online with SHOUT (https://giveusashout.org/get-involved/volunteer-shout/) or 7cups (https://www.7cups.com/listener/become-a-volunteer-listener.php).
What are your interests/what kind of career did you have in mind?
Also, I personally found my second year the most challenging compared to my first and final year but I would advise you reach out to an academic supervisor, student support or anyone else you feel comfortable reaching out to. If you have a careers service at your university, I would highly suggest you speak with them and ask about what you can do with your degree.
I hope this helps
Alia
University of Kent Student Rep
Reply 2
Original post by purplexoxo203
I’m currently a second-year psychology student, and I’m having a major crisis about my future. I need to vent and get some advice because I’m seriously rethinking everything. Is a psychology degree actually useless?
When I first chose psychology, I was fascinated by the human mind and wanted to help people. The idea of becoming a psychologist or therapist seemed fulfilling and impactful. My first year was exciting—learning about different psychological theories, mental health issues, and even conducting my first experiments.
Fast forward to the second year, and things have taken a turn. The coursework has become overwhelmingly theoretical and detached from real-world applications. I’ve started to feel like I’m memorizing endless studies and statistics without actually learning how to make a difference in people's lives. The more I dive into the subject, the more it feels like I'm just scratching the surface.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a third-year student who told me they were struggling to find relevant work experience. They said that many entry-level jobs don’t require a psychology degree, and even those that do often prefer candidates with experience we haven’t had the chance to get yet. They’re now considering a completely different career path, and their words hit me hard.
I started researching the career prospects for psychology graduates, and what I found was disheartening. The job market seems saturated, and the path to becoming a licensed psychologist is long, competitive, and expensive. Most of the roles available to fresh graduates seem to be in areas unrelated to psychology or in low-paying assistant positions.
Now I’m sitting here, swamped with the work of trying to find relevant work experience and revision for deferred exams, questioning if all this effort is worth it. I’m passionate about psychology, but I can’t ignore the looming reality of potentially struggling to find a decent job after graduation. Should I consider switching degrees or finding a way to make my current path more viable?
Has anyone else felt this way? Are there any success stories from psychology graduates who managed to find fulfilling careers? What can I do to improve my prospects and make my degree more useful? I’m feeling lost and need some guidance. Is it too late to change course, or is there a way to make this work?
Thanks for reading. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
When I first chose psychology, I was fascinated by the human mind and wanted to help people. The idea of becoming a psychologist or therapist seemed fulfilling and impactful. My first year was exciting—learning about different psychological theories, mental health issues, and even conducting my first experiments.
Fast forward to the second year, and things have taken a turn. The coursework has become overwhelmingly theoretical and detached from real-world applications. I’ve started to feel like I’m memorizing endless studies and statistics without actually learning how to make a difference in people's lives. The more I dive into the subject, the more it feels like I'm just scratching the surface.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a third-year student who told me they were struggling to find relevant work experience. They said that many entry-level jobs don’t require a psychology degree, and even those that do often prefer candidates with experience we haven’t had the chance to get yet. They’re now considering a completely different career path, and their words hit me hard.
I started researching the career prospects for psychology graduates, and what I found was disheartening. The job market seems saturated, and the path to becoming a licensed psychologist is long, competitive, and expensive. Most of the roles available to fresh graduates seem to be in areas unrelated to psychology or in low-paying assistant positions.
Now I’m sitting here, swamped with the work of trying to find relevant work experience and revision for deferred exams, questioning if all this effort is worth it. I’m passionate about psychology, but I can’t ignore the looming reality of potentially struggling to find a decent job after graduation. Should I consider switching degrees or finding a way to make my current path more viable?
Has anyone else felt this way? Are there any success stories from psychology graduates who managed to find fulfilling careers? What can I do to improve my prospects and make my degree more useful? I’m feeling lost and need some guidance. Is it too late to change course, or is there a way to make this work?
Thanks for reading. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Hello,
I'm sorry you're feeling so disheartened, it sounds like you're having a tough time. I can only say what we'd recommend at York but that would be to reach out to your tutors. They will know what career paths might be ahead for you and all of the content for the third year. They'll be able to guide and support you. Whatever you do, good luck.
Reply 3
Original post by purplexoxo203
I’m currently a second-year psychology student, and I’m having a major crisis about my future. I need to vent and get some advice because I’m seriously rethinking everything. Is a psychology degree actually useless?
When I first chose psychology, I was fascinated by the human mind and wanted to help people. The idea of becoming a psychologist or therapist seemed fulfilling and impactful. My first year was exciting—learning about different psychological theories, mental health issues, and even conducting my first experiments.
Fast forward to the second year, and things have taken a turn. The coursework has become overwhelmingly theoretical and detached from real-world applications. I’ve started to feel like I’m memorizing endless studies and statistics without actually learning how to make a difference in people's lives. The more I dive into the subject, the more it feels like I'm just scratching the surface.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a third-year student who told me they were struggling to find relevant work experience. They said that many entry-level jobs don’t require a psychology degree, and even those that do often prefer candidates with experience we haven’t had the chance to get yet. They’re now considering a completely different career path, and their words hit me hard.
I started researching the career prospects for psychology graduates, and what I found was disheartening. The job market seems saturated, and the path to becoming a licensed psychologist is long, competitive, and expensive. Most of the roles available to fresh graduates seem to be in areas unrelated to psychology or in low-paying assistant positions.
Now I’m sitting here, swamped with the work of trying to find relevant work experience and revision for deferred exams, questioning if all this effort is worth it. I’m passionate about psychology, but I can’t ignore the looming reality of potentially struggling to find a decent job after graduation. Should I consider switching degrees or finding a way to make my current path more viable?
Has anyone else felt this way? Are there any success stories from psychology graduates who managed to find fulfilling careers? What can I do to improve my prospects and make my degree more useful? I’m feeling lost and need some guidance. Is it too late to change course, or is there a way to make this work?
Thanks for reading. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
When I first chose psychology, I was fascinated by the human mind and wanted to help people. The idea of becoming a psychologist or therapist seemed fulfilling and impactful. My first year was exciting—learning about different psychological theories, mental health issues, and even conducting my first experiments.
Fast forward to the second year, and things have taken a turn. The coursework has become overwhelmingly theoretical and detached from real-world applications. I’ve started to feel like I’m memorizing endless studies and statistics without actually learning how to make a difference in people's lives. The more I dive into the subject, the more it feels like I'm just scratching the surface.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a third-year student who told me they were struggling to find relevant work experience. They said that many entry-level jobs don’t require a psychology degree, and even those that do often prefer candidates with experience we haven’t had the chance to get yet. They’re now considering a completely different career path, and their words hit me hard.
I started researching the career prospects for psychology graduates, and what I found was disheartening. The job market seems saturated, and the path to becoming a licensed psychologist is long, competitive, and expensive. Most of the roles available to fresh graduates seem to be in areas unrelated to psychology or in low-paying assistant positions.
Now I’m sitting here, swamped with the work of trying to find relevant work experience and revision for deferred exams, questioning if all this effort is worth it. I’m passionate about psychology, but I can’t ignore the looming reality of potentially struggling to find a decent job after graduation. Should I consider switching degrees or finding a way to make my current path more viable?
Has anyone else felt this way? Are there any success stories from psychology graduates who managed to find fulfilling careers? What can I do to improve my prospects and make my degree more useful? I’m feeling lost and need some guidance. Is it too late to change course, or is there a way to make this work?
Thanks for reading. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
I completely understand how you feel. I've just finished my undergrad in psychology and am starting my masters in clinical psychology in September.
So first of all, the degree will be useful in that it's a degree. It tells employers that you have basic psychological knowledge and can turn up and complete work on time. But work experience is also super important as you know. Here's what I have done to give you some ideas of how to improve your prospects:
1.
I opted for a work based learning module in year 3 offered by my uni to gain work experience in research with a ressarcher at my uni. This worked really well and i was even invited back to work on the project more after I had completed that module. It was mainly data entry but still important experience that I get to put on my cv!
2.
I have completed 2 additional qualifications; one mental health first aid qualification offered by my uni, and an online suicide awareness training. These show that I have knowledge of how to interact with those struggling with their mental health and am passionate about being able to help people.
3.
I haven't done this yet but as the above comment mentions I am planning on volunteering for shout and providing text support for people in a crisis. This will give us experience talking with people struggling with mental health which could be a real foot in the door.
So yes it is stressful and it will be a lot of work. But personally I can't see myself doing anything else. You have lots of time so I think you need to have a real think about what you want to do and your potential options (psychology can be applied to pretty much anything). Maybe make a pros and cons list even?
I feel like I've ranted a bit but I hope this was at least somewhat useful 😭
Reply 4
Original post by purplexoxo203
I’m currently a second-year psychology student, and I’m having a major crisis about my future. I need to vent and get some advice because I’m seriously rethinking everything. Is a psychology degree actually useless?
When I first chose psychology, I was fascinated by the human mind and wanted to help people. The idea of becoming a psychologist or therapist seemed fulfilling and impactful. My first year was exciting—learning about different psychological theories, mental health issues, and even conducting my first experiments.
Fast forward to the second year, and things have taken a turn. The coursework has become overwhelmingly theoretical and detached from real-world applications. I’ve started to feel like I’m memorizing endless studies and statistics without actually learning how to make a difference in people's lives. The more I dive into the subject, the more it feels like I'm just scratching the surface.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a third-year student who told me they were struggling to find relevant work experience. They said that many entry-level jobs don’t require a psychology degree, and even those that do often prefer candidates with experience we haven’t had the chance to get yet. They’re now considering a completely different career path, and their words hit me hard.
I started researching the career prospects for psychology graduates, and what I found was disheartening. The job market seems saturated, and the path to becoming a licensed psychologist is long, competitive, and expensive. Most of the roles available to fresh graduates seem to be in areas unrelated to psychology or in low-paying assistant positions.
Now I’m sitting here, swamped with the work of trying to find relevant work experience and revision for deferred exams, questioning if all this effort is worth it. I’m passionate about psychology, but I can’t ignore the looming reality of potentially struggling to find a decent job after graduation. Should I consider switching degrees or finding a way to make my current path more viable?
Has anyone else felt this way? Are there any success stories from psychology graduates who managed to find fulfilling careers? What can I do to improve my prospects and make my degree more useful? I’m feeling lost and need some guidance. Is it too late to change course, or is there a way to make this work?
Thanks for reading. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
When I first chose psychology, I was fascinated by the human mind and wanted to help people. The idea of becoming a psychologist or therapist seemed fulfilling and impactful. My first year was exciting—learning about different psychological theories, mental health issues, and even conducting my first experiments.
Fast forward to the second year, and things have taken a turn. The coursework has become overwhelmingly theoretical and detached from real-world applications. I’ve started to feel like I’m memorizing endless studies and statistics without actually learning how to make a difference in people's lives. The more I dive into the subject, the more it feels like I'm just scratching the surface.
A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a third-year student who told me they were struggling to find relevant work experience. They said that many entry-level jobs don’t require a psychology degree, and even those that do often prefer candidates with experience we haven’t had the chance to get yet. They’re now considering a completely different career path, and their words hit me hard.
I started researching the career prospects for psychology graduates, and what I found was disheartening. The job market seems saturated, and the path to becoming a licensed psychologist is long, competitive, and expensive. Most of the roles available to fresh graduates seem to be in areas unrelated to psychology or in low-paying assistant positions.
Now I’m sitting here, swamped with the work of trying to find relevant work experience and revision for deferred exams, questioning if all this effort is worth it. I’m passionate about psychology, but I can’t ignore the looming reality of potentially struggling to find a decent job after graduation. Should I consider switching degrees or finding a way to make my current path more viable?
Has anyone else felt this way? Are there any success stories from psychology graduates who managed to find fulfilling careers? What can I do to improve my prospects and make my degree more useful? I’m feeling lost and need some guidance. Is it too late to change course, or is there a way to make this work?
Thanks for reading. Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Please, go Netflix and watch the TV series called "MIND HUNTERS."
It will give you some good perspective and remember that once you finish your preparations in psychology, the world is yours. Not necessarily looking for a job or project in UK only.
As I said: the entire world is yours!
https://www.jobsinpsychology.co.uk/job/6598680/forensic-psychologist/?LinkSource=PremiumListing
Also, check here:
https://www.bps.org.uk/student-membership
(edited 11 months ago)
Reply 5
Ill give my opinion as someone with a BSc and (almost) MSc in psych. With just a BSc, you can get into quite a few jobs, however they are often advertised as for psychology graduates, but you could get into them without a degree. For example, a SEN teaching assistant or HCA which you don't need a degree for. There are some roles like an Assistant Psychologist which you can get into with just a Bsc, however, you normally need relevant work experience (usually in the form of working as a support worker/HCA). You can also technially become a research assistant, however, I'll tell you from my experience with two degrees, they barely give you these jobs. Most people I know with a psychology degree go into unrelated fields (marketing etc/ teaching), but there are some jobs its just a super crowded market. For example things like a research assistant, all you technically need is a BSc, but people with an Msc and Phd will also be applying and will get the job above you. Basically, there are some jobs, but its super competitive and you always need more experience so working as a HCA etc for a bit or even just volunteering is the best thing to do while you wait/figure out what you want to do
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