Psychology: Eligibility, Skills, Colleges and Future Prospects

Psychologyis a branch of science and primarily deals with the study of behaviour and mind of people. Psychology is a wide field that has the following areas under it:

• Human Development
• Sports
• Health
• Clinical
• Social Behavior
• Cognitive Processes

Studying psychology is like studying life and trying to find a reason in every activity. Psychology includes activities like processes of thinking, learning and perceiving, remembering, forgetting. It also includes physiology of the nervous system, how development in children takes place, social relationships and their effect on personality development.

A big part of psychology deals with mental disorders, applications of psychology to the study of society, industry, education, techniques of experimenting and testing, and statistics. There are a number of branches that come under psychology and each branch deals with its respective matter and something different to offer. Following are the types or branches of psychology:

• Clinical neuropsychology
• Clinical psychology
• Community psychology
• Counselling psychology
• Educational and developmental psychology
• Forensic psychology
• Health psychology
• Organisational psychology
• Sport and exercise psychology

Who can pursue Psychology?

• For undergraduate level, one must have scored 55 percent marks from a recognised board in class 12th.
• To be eligible for post graduation one must possess a bachelor's degree from a known or recognised university.
• For doctorate in psychology, one is required to have a masters degree in the same field from a recognised university.

Skills Required to Pursue Psychology:

Psychology is a different and a scientific course. Anyone can pursue the course but to be the best certain skills are required.

• A primary requirement is good communication skills. Amazing talking skills are the way to go.
• You need to be patient to understand all the technicalities of the course and to apply them in real life.
• It is important to have an open mind as being a psychologist is the first option after psychology. You may encounter somebody who is completely different, with varied experiences and opinions. However, you cannot judge them.
• You need to be sensitive and caring. You need to accept the fact that there are different kinds of people. You need to have empathy for a person’s behaviour, only then you will be able to help them.

Colleges for Psychology:

• Lady Shri Ram College for Women
• Jesus and Mary College
• St. Xavier's College
• Presidency College
• Christ University
• Sophia College for Women
• Kamla Nehru College for Women

Future Prospects of Psychology:

Future after acquiring education in psychology is very bright. Psychology has a lot of different fields and you can work in both the sectors i.e. private as well as public sector. The future outlook for careers in psychology varies depending on the degree you hold and your area of specialization.

Following are some of the very famous careers after psychology:

Psychologist

A psychologist deals with clinical psychology and studies human behaviour. A psychologist is basically a doctor who does not prescribe any medicines to their patients but treats them mentally. He or she is like a guidance counsellor and they help their patients grow mentally and physically.

Mental Health Counselor

Mental health counsellors are those who specialise in dealing with people having mental disorders. Since this world is developing at a very fast speed, everyone is not able to keep up and there is no shame in accepting that you are left a little behind. But some people take it very seriously and mental health counsellors are the people who help these people make them love themselves again.

School and Career Counselors

A school and career counsellor is a person who works at a primary, middle or high school or even at universities. They help the students grow academically and help perform good in school or college.

Social Workers

Social workers, as the name suggests, work for the social welfare of people. These professionals help individuals cope with everyday life, and may also diagnose and treat mental health issues and disorders.