When I hear someone (without a PhD in psychology) say ‘well psychologically speaking…’ I know they haven’t got a clue what psychology is. This doesn’t mean that the second half of their sentence is wrong; it just loses impact. Anyway, that hasn’t got anything to do with today’s blog; it is just a pet peeve (you’re welcome!). Seeing as I have spent the last 5.5 years studying human behaviour, I thought I would share with you what I love and why I want to go into academic psychology in the future. 

What is ‘psych’ ‘ology.’ 

‘Psych’ is rooted in the Greek term for soul or psyche, ‘ology’ or logia is again a Greek word translating to ‘study of’. Therefore, it is clear that psychology is the study of the psyche. The British Psychological Society defines psychology as the scientific study of the mind and how it dictates and influences our behaviour. Many subcategories within the discipline address different aspects of the human experience, including cognition, development, biology and health. But the most well known of the disciplines is clinical psychology which focuses on mental health and therapy. Let’s put the record straight because as soon as I tell people I study psychology they assume I am training to be a counsellor, I do not want to be a therapist. Kudos to those who do, therapists and counsellors are really important, and they do incredible things, but that is not my jam. So what do I want to be when I grow up?

Prof Pops

I have a comprehensive idea of what I want to do in the future, most notably to be a psychology professor, what area? I haven’t a clue! There is so much in psychology that interests me, from child development to living with chronic pain. I haven’t settled on a specific area, but I don’t think that is technically necessary. One perk of this discipline is the way that each area can connect to another. 

I am currently completing my MSc in Neuropsychology, and it is a discipline that I will not be studying again for a while. That is not to say the things I have learnt haven’t been helpful I just am not loving the content. But luckily it doesn’t limit my options of PhDs. Neuropsychology is a very complicated and highly debated field of psychology; it roots its ideas closer to medicine than science, but everybody has a different view of how it should be done. So I am looking to study in the field of health and developmental psychology. 

Health and development 

One thing is obvious, us humans are INTENSE! We all have different experiences, are aiming for various things in life, and nobody knows what they are doing (that’s the great secret you learn when you become an adult). But that’s what makes us incredible and worth studying. My goal in life is to be a mum. This doesn’t mean I don’t strive to have a remarkable career – sadly, people think they are mutually exclusive. My mother is a perfect example; she is a successful businesswoman and an amazing mum. But anyway, I want to be a mum which means I want to know everything about how to raise my child in a way to give them the best chance in the future, so here comes developmental psychology:

I am sure you have seen lots of the pop-psychology books on parenting. Yes, these can help new parents, but they aren’t necessarily a true reflection of the current psychological viewpoints. This is mainly because books struggle to keep up. By the time they are written and published, there is new research and findings discipline moves forward. Like many other fields, developmental psychology is everchanging and being able to aid this field would be a huge honour. There are millions of struggling children and adolescents in the world who need support and a guiding hand, not by someone who thinks they know best but by someone who can empathise and understand (if only a small bit) what they have been through. Then comes health psychology:

I was never smart enough to become a medical doctor, but health is one thing in life I believe we should never take for granted. Once we can infer the vital elements in a child’s development, we can also infer how to keep them healthy. This is a vast topic, so I apologise for being vague; I am still working out where I want to focus my efforts. I hope to end up working in a children’s hospital, ensuring every child gets the best possible treatment and thus, the best possible chance to thrive in life.

What next…

Well now I have shared my ambitions with you it is reasonable to ask, how the hell do you intend to achieve all that? Honestly, a lot of bloody hard work. I will get stressed, cry and want to give up (trust me I have already), but the key is to stay strong. First I need to finish this Masters, no I am not enjoying it but as Kant would disapprovingly say it is a means to an end. Once I have an MSc, I will then be applying for PhDs all over the UK in hopes that someone will take me on (ideally a developmental and health discipline but beggers can’t be choosers). I will then complete my PhD and see where life takes me (don’t worry, I will update you on the way). 

The moral of the story is I am an overambitious student who wants to know everything, and one day I just might.