Why is psychology often included as part of a core general education requirement? There are a few great reasons.
Benefits
There are a few great reasons to learn about psychology, even if you don’t plan to pursue a career in it.
Understanding Others
If you are majoring in a subject that will lead you to a career that involves working directly with lots of different people, such as teaching or nursing, understanding more about how people think and behave will be extremely helpful in your career. Even if you don’t plan to work with people, psychology is still beneficial in helping you understand how and why the people in your life think and behave the way they do.
Understanding Yourself
Just like it helps you better understand others, taking a psychology class can help you learn about parts of yourself too, including what motivates you, what sort of personality you have, and how your personality contributes to the way you think and behave. Understanding yourself better can help you improve your relationships with others, your communication skills, your motivation, and how you relate to the world around you.
Improving Critical Thinking Skills
Psychology classes help you learn the scientific method, how to evaluate sources of information, and how to think critically about the information you encounter every day. These classes can help you hone these skills, which prove useful in a variety of careers and different areas of life.
An Intro to Psychology Class
You might be expected to take one introductory psychology class, which can be a great way to get a basic grounding in the topic. In an introductory class, you will learn about a range of topics including:
Cognitive psychology History of psychology Human development Personality psychology
Sometimes your major might require you to take a class such as abnormal psychology or developmental psychology as part of your core requirements. Health majors, in particular, can benefit from taking such classes. These topics can help prepare you to work with individuals who are experiencing some form of mental illness and teach you more about human behavior and development. By learning more about the symptoms and treatments of such disorders, you can develop greater empathy and understanding when working with people experiencing psychological problems. Of course, knowing why your university requires you to take a psychology class doesn’t necessarily make it any easier. If you know little about the topic, or if you’re struggling in your class, there are a number of things you can do to find help. Many universities offer free tutoring centers or academic assistance labs, but you can also turn to online resources to help you make sense of the subject.
