You may hear a lot of uncertainty about psychology. It’s often met with a lot of disdain and debate over whether it’s actually a science. Some people question it’s real-life practicality — why bother studying psychology? The fact is, even if you have no intention of becoming a psychologist or counsellor, this isn’t the only reason to study it. There are several benefits to learning psychology and we’ve managed to narrow them down to 6. If you don’t believe us, read for yourself.

Learn about mental health

‍First up, studying psychology gives you the chance to learn about mental health. This is now considered a core skill; it allows you to become intuitive towards yourself and others. By understanding both good and ill-mental health, you will be enlightened.

Mental health is a broad spectrum. You learn about psychological disorders, criminal behaviour and how children’s minds develop. You study the behaviours and signs, what causes them and how to treat or prevent the disorder manifesting. This detail goes right down to how practising gratitude alleviates symptoms of depression. Today, 1 in 4 people experience a mental health problem. So, it’s in your best interests to study psychology, as it seeps into everyday life.‍

Boosts interpersonal skills

‍Similar to the above, by being more intuitive, you also improve your relationship skills. Interpersonal skills covers things like: empathy, communication, leadership and emotional intelligence. These are key competencies that make you a better friend, parent or employee. 

Studying psychology means you’re more likely to know when someone is upset, angry or happy. You’ll be able to understand their behaviours and actions better. In turn, you’ll be able to adapt how you react to someone or support people. This is a huge benefit! We humans are social beings, but we need to be better communicators. Therefore, to study psychology means you’ll better negotiate and respond to those around you. 

Looks great on job applications

‍Some of the most crucial expertise employers require are empathy, leadership and strong level of communication. What are they again? Interpersonal skills. So yes, when you apply for jobs, having A-level psychology or a psychology degree on your resume is incredibly beneficial.

When an employer sees a student of psychology, it increases their expectations of you. They’ll know you to be emotionally intelligent, agile and able to rise up to challenges. This makes you more impressionable. With the job market so competitive these days, studying psychology will boost your odds for success.

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Compliments other subjects‍

One of the best things about psychology is that it goes hand-in-hand with many other subjects. Some to consider are: biology, maths, criminology, law and even more creative ones like art and drama. You can combine your studies together and create a power house of knowledge. This is because psychology is rooted into daily life and is not a sole construct.

To go further, as it’s a versatile subject, you will likely be able to create a new role. For example, there is now a scheme for art therapy. This encourages people to express and communicate their emotions freely, using art as a voice. Perhaps you will invent a new form of therapy or field of study that combines your favourite subjects.‍

Understand yourself better‍

Not to sound dramatic, but studying psychology can change your life. When you discover social learning theory and personality types, it will help you understand yourself better. Have you ever wanted to know why you are the way you are? Well, learning psychology will unlock all the answers. ‍

Psychologist (Timothy Wilson) discovered that it’s more difficult to measure our self-knowledge than predict how we will react in a certain situation. He goes on to say that if we pay more attention and study our behaviours, we will come to better understand our likes, dislikes, needs and desires. In the long run, you’ll upgrade your decision-making and goals.‍

Improves critical thinking‍

Last but not least, students who study psychology will perform better in class and exams. Critical thinking refers to how we analyse or make judgements about something — generally it requires a high level of rationality. Research found that learning psychology made it easier to apply critical thinking in lessons and make better evaluations. 

This is a skill that works exceptionally well for reporters, the judge and jury, even accountants. The ability to rationalise and come to a decision based on nothing but fact and hard evidence is incredibly difficult. Yet by learning psychology, you’re much more likely to grasp this with finesse. ‍

So, why not study psychology?‍

The real question worth asking is why you wouldn’t study psychology. We only spoke about 6 benefits today, there are tonnes more! It supports your future career, self-awareness and general knowledge about mental health. In sum, you’re better off having a psychology qualification under your belt than not. There is everything to gain and more.

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