Psychology is the favourite science for students who want to get into the depths of human feelings. This is considered to be the science of mind and behaviour. More specifically, psychology wants to explore the way people think, act, and feel, by appealing to the emotional side of people.
Passion can lead students to choose this specialisation. It is not considered a difficult one, but it is not very easy to approach, as the theoretical elements of the discipline are combined with the practical ones.
After studying Psychology, students choose to specialise in a particular sub-field. Depending on their preference, they can choose between Biological Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Comparative Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Personality Psychology and many others.
Psychology is a great opportunity to get to know each other better and to get to know others. Thus, students who are looking to understanding human behaviour, feelings and mind gain an inside vision of what these notions really mean and what determines people to make certain decisions and act under different circumstances.
The employment rate among Psychology graduates has grown in recent years. Salaries are satisfactory, and young people can focus either on psychological services in schools, hospitals, treatment centres, clinics, depending on the specialisation chosen. Furthermore, Psychology graduates can integrate a career in social media, marketing, and advertising, as they understand best the reasons why people choose to make decisions according to what they see in real life.
In the four years of Bachelor studies, graduates acquire the necessary knowledge to practice Psychology, initially learning the underlying theoretical notions. These notions become an important starting point in their career, seeing later how practice blends very well with theory. It should be noted that on the labour market, students who hold a Bachelor’s degree are much more appreciated and have an advantage over those who follow simple courses.
A Master’s program usually lasts between 2 and 3 years, coming as a complement to the Bachelor’s courses. Master courses have a much more loaded curriculum and a great deal of information. A Doctoral program is dedicated to students who want to do research in Psychology in various institutes or to become teachers. This has a duration of between 5 and 7 years.
Universitas Gajah Mada (UGM) is known as the second-highest-rank education university in Indonesia. I recently graduated with a psychology bachelor’s degree, and UGM profoundly guided my academic and personal growth throughout the 3,5 years of study. I have delved into various courses, from psychology assessment and intervention to counseling, organizational, life-span development, and cognitive, in which I have discovered an interest in the cognitive nuance of psychology.
One of the highlights of my university journey was the student exchange experience at Groningen University, where I was allowed to explore more depth regarding cognitive behavior across mental disorders and neuropsychology. The idea of cognitive psychology is exploring the neurotypical human mind; conversely, the neurodivergent human mind, explained in neuropsychology at the time, was unavailable as a course at my home university. Thus, UGM, with its university partnership, gave me the privilege of going to another university to explore my interests. The exchange student experience introduced me to different studying cultures at a faster pace, which modified my learning style to this day.
Removing the student exchange experience as a context, the general experience of studying at UGM increased my personal growth in terms of self-discipline, time management, teamwork, and, most importantly, it gave me a chance to apply my knowledge to the field. It was a mandatory program by UGM to do community projects in a village for almost two months. These experiences helped me navigate diverse perspectives in a multicultural environment and build a greater sense of resiliency, adaptability, problem-solving skills, and empathy, which are vital to my future career.
Although my experience has been mostly positive, some things could have been improved. The library in UGM was not friendly with the digitalization style of learning, where charger outlets were challenging to find, especially when the library was crowded. It unfortunately hindered my learning experience as I prefer studying in public spaces. However, overall, I was grateful for my experience, and I would still recommend my university, as many high school students dream of getting into my university.
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