Quote from JA_LDP:
Am I wrong? Psychology is the degree where kids say, "well...if all else fails, I'll just major in psychology."
Currently getting a B.A. in finance. I plan on going to grad school, just not sure when yet. I'm probably going to have to work a few years before doing so.
In general, yes, you're wrong.
You say "80-90% of psychology is common sense and the rest is useless". This obviously presupposes you know 100% of it. Is this the case? Well, we can't deny you the benefit of the doubt even if it's hard to believe.
That said, having a mother with a degree and a girlfirend getting one is definitely not enough to claim oneself an expert. Maybe your mother hasn't been successful as a psychologist, I don't know. By the way, have you ever told her or your girlfirend that their studies aren't worth a crap? Because if you did, one appropriate reaction could have been to headbutt you on your front teeth.
"To get any type of decent job, you need a doctorate."
See, the more you generalize the more you expose yourself to the risk of being wrong in the face of your beliefs. Have you ever worked hard and achieved anything meaningful in your life? Have you ever been so good at something that people would chase you for what you had to offer? If you haven't, I understand you may have such limiting beliefs as: if you haven't got THAT piece of paper you can't get a decent job.
"Psychology is the degree where kids say, 'well...if all else fails, I'll just major in psychology.'"
LOL this might very well be more of a comment on students than on studies.
As for the supposed uselessness of psychology, I can rather attest the contrary. Just to mention a clinical application of it: the therapist where I'm practicing has about 85% success rate on all of his patients, after a 1 year follow-up, without using any drug. I and other practitioners followed dozens of videotaped therapies from first to last session for a variety of disorders. There are anorexic girls weighting as little as 29kg when first entering his office and cured in a few months.
And you're telling me it's just common sense?
It's no magic either, just the right technique applied correctly. If you're extremely good at anything you get results regardless if you are a trader, a psychologist, a programmer or a carpenter. On the other hand, the world is loaded with unsuccessful degree owners from every discipline, you name it, who thought the piece of paper was all they needed.
Not all generalizations are useless, but to generalize correctly you need experience FIRST. I see you're in your 20s: so boy, complete your studies, then work hard THEN decide what worked and what not, not the other way around. And consider building a career working for yourself, not thinking in terms of "getting a job".
And THEN report your findings in a public forum.
GS
