We recently asked our graduating seniors what advice they would give to students planning to major in Psychology.  Here's what they had to say:

Class of 2004

Consider doing a "psych semester" -- at least one semester in which the majority of your classes (or all of them) are psychology or psychology related courses. Although this sounds a bit daunting, it really does help synthesize information learned. I found that in a concentrated semester I was much more mentally prepared for psychology classes and was able to carry information learned from one psych class to another more rapidly and effectively. Try to pick experimental and research topics that you like and are interested in. It makes it MUCH easier. Take a religion class (Psych of Religion is the best because you get a bit of the history of psychology that you might not get in the psych department), but any religion class will do. This experience gives a different perspective on various things which might influence a person's or society's psychology. Finally, relax and don't freak out too much!

Take advantage of the relationships available with professors. Seek out things you are interested in, ask lots of questions, read all the course descriptions, plan your schedule out early so you can attempt to take all the class you would like to take. Pursue interships, get involved with Psych club or Psi Chi. Consider minoring in something that will complement your study in psychology (A business minor has been a wonderful complement for me).

Take as many different classes with as many different professors as you can. This will help you decide if the major is right for you. Don't go abroad if you want to go to graduate school or get a B.S. degree. Do as many psychology-related extracurricular activities as possible to start building your resume early.

Take courses outside the major that might coincide with psychology. Take seminars related to psychology or psychology seminars in addition to the regular courses. Take courses from a variety of professors, do not remain limited to one particular area of psychology (e.g. only doing things relating to social psychology).

Choose courses that interest you the most....the more curious or passionate you are about a course, the more drive you will have for learning about it and you'll do better in the class as well; don't take a class if you have no desire to learn about it at all or just because it fits into your schedule. Also try to take a couple of course which might seem only superficially related at first...you might find it to be a great course and you will end up having a broader knowledge of psychology in general. Also, take classes in philosophy and biology (especially) and religion. They give an interesting spin on the discipline.

Take the learning class if you can, it is really valuable information which relates to many different areas of psychology.

Don't have a set mind! Allow yourself to be flexible when it comes to plans after graduation. Do not take on more than you can (e.g. 40 hours of research on top of classes), it will catch up to you eventually.

Try to take one class with everyone within the department. Take as many psych courses as you can early on. If you know psych is the major for you --then be sure to study abroad. Studying abroad really put my whole college experience into perspective and I do not believe that majors should be hindered/discouraged from studying abroad for at least a semester.

Take as many psych classes that interest you as you can. Also if you study well for tests, a lot of the material from some of the classes will reappear in others. Also take classes other than psych that relate to the topic in psych that interests you most; it makes for a well-rounded mind, and if I could do something over again, it would be that.

Take as many psych classes as possible when you first decide your major to make sure it is what you want to study -- this will also help you decide what you want to study in grad school. Also, take stats/experimental as soon as possible. Getting as much research done as possible is agood idea. Not only does it help you learn and think on your own and teach you a lot about research methods, but it is also a very rewarding experience.

Don't narrow your focus too early. Take advantage of research opportunities with professors. Not only do you learn valuable knowledge of the science, but you learn more about yourself and what you are capable of. To quote Dr. Cusato: "The science of Psychology transcends personal experience." Learn it, Love it, Live it!

Memorize the texts. Definately take Independent Research, because when you finally finish your own project, you will realize that you have accomplished a remarkable thing.

Take as many psych courses as you can while keeping an open mind.

Class of 2003

Psychology major offers a wide range of classes with many hands-on opportunities and field experiences. However, the better you plan ahead, the more smoothly it will all run and you will have more opportunities for other classes of interest.

Plan ahead. Don’t base your desire to be a psychology major on introductory psychology, which can seem overwhelming and not interesting. *Take a variety of psychology courses even if you don’t think it will interest you. Sometimes those classes will surprise you and provoke thought. Also, don’t just choose classes according to the professor; try them all as they are all unique.

Take a variety of classes from a variety of teachers to keep interested and also to gain as much information about all aspects of psychology such as counseling aspects as well as research/experiment involvement.

I would advise prospective psychology majors to take as many psychology classes as possible and to keep an open mind about everything. I would also tell them to visit all the professors on a regular basis so they can get to know them outside of class.

To the prospective psychology major:

1. READ your book. There are tons of little pieces of information in the book that you might not touch on in class.

2. Write down any and every idea that you have for prospective research projects. That way you have ideas and choices for research, experimental, and the other papers you end up writing.

3. Take the counseling skills class if you can!

4. Keep your psychology books and your notes.

It is imperative for the student to take a lighter load of courses during the semester when she will be taking Experimental Psychology.

As a prospective psychology major, it is a good idea to start your focus on psychology as early as possible. Leaving it late means you can miss out on classes that look good for a major.

There is a lot more math and "science" involved in this discipline than I expected. Be sure to take those courses and your research seriously!

Not everything has to do with Freud. Take a variety of courses, even take one you may not think you would like.

Psychology as a major will definitely teach you a lot about yourself. It’s a wonderful major because you are exposed to a large amount of information from numerous professors that are excellent. Even though there are challenges, it’s worth it in the end. I believe psychology has to become a passion you develop over time.

Do this: Try to fix your schedule so that you can have one semester where you have every professor in the department at once.

Because: Do it early, then you will begin to build a relationship with them so that later they can write your recommendations. It will give you an opportunity to become familiar with their individual styles and expectations. You will find connections between all of your psychology classes that will shape the way you view future courses and psychology itself.

As a beginning psychology major, you should be prepared to follow your own initiative. There are many opportunities available for you if you are willing to look for them. Also, remember to believe in yourself – be your own cheerleader. No one knows your abilities better than you!

Sit down and really look at all the psychology classes offered. Which ones do you like? Think about that and then make sure to take them. If one (or more) of the classes is something you have NO interest in, don’t feel the need to take it. The one thing I would do differently is to take all the psychology classes that I thought sounded interesting. I would have worked my schedule out so that I could fit them into it. I would also not have taken psychology classes that didn’t sound interesting TO ME.

One piece of advice I would give beginner psychology majors is to get to know your professors and let them get to know you by telling them your interests in the field of psychology so they can direct you in the proper way throughout your years at SBC. Also get involved with volunteer work!

Get to know your professors and their areas of research. They can open your eyes to all kinds of possibilities (jobs, research, graduate study) that you might not have thought of.

I did most of my requirements and electives for psychology in the last year of college. While this is not a traditional way of doing a major and definitely not something I recommend, I do recommend taking a year, or just a semester, and cramming it with psychology classes. It’s interesting to hear overlapping information from the different perspectives of the courses, students, and especially faculty. It really sinks in that while you are learning you should keep a really open mind as to what you should take at face value.

The psychology major is so great because you can use psychology in everything you do. It is all-encompassing and always useful. You do not even need to go into a psychology field in your job; it is a great basis for any job out there. Graduate school is a great idea, and you don’t even have to go to grad school in psychology. You can go into any field. Psychology is really fun and interesting and gives you a great opportunity to find out what you want to do with your life. The professors are wonderful and extremely helpful and provide many different psychology backgrounds. Because of these diversified profs, you really can explore every area of psychology.

Psychology is a wonderful major to have. It prepares you for a wide variety of life and job experiences. If you have an idea of what you want your future plans to be, then plan your schedule accordingly (i.e .BA or BS classes). If you don’t, take classes that interest you and it will help you find out what you like and dislike about psychology. Take time to focus on your psychology classes because the knowledge you take from them will help when looking for jobs and good GRE scores and a GPA will help with graduate school. Start planning early and just enjoy your classes. Time goes by quickly, but it’s all a lot of fun.

A piece of advice I would give someone as they were deciding on psychology or not as their major would be: If you are not sure what you want to major in, don’t pick psychology because it seems easy.

Being a psychology major is wonderful. Even if you decide not to continue into graduate school for psychology, you have still gained knowledge about the human mind and behaviors that will aid you throughout your life regardless of your profession. The psychology professors are wonderful in assisting you with your classes, research and plans after SBC. They really make learning enjoyable.