Guide for Psychology Major Students 

One of the most popular courses in universities today is Psychology. It is a study of the human mind and how it functions and affects human behavior.

This course could be daunting to some as there’s an abundance of information that a student has to deal with. Students need to tackle various topics such as personality, social, cognitive, and biological psychology. 

Yes, it is a challenging course, but there is a way on how you can manage it successfully. 

Put Your Heart And Mind Into It

It is easier to do things when you are passionate and motivated. If you want to be successful in your course, then you have to love it. 

It would help if you had a proper mindset that this is what you want to do. It would motivate you to do whatever it takes to succeed. 

If you are doing this just because you are forced to, it would be tough to keep going since it would be easy for you to become demotivated every time you face a challenge. Once demotivated, you will end giving up.

Condition Your Body

If you want to succeed in this course, you need to make sure that you are physically and mentally fit to do it. 

Psychology would require you to study a wide range of topics and do it; your mind needs to be in a fit condition to absorb all the information you are about to learn. Living a healthy lifestyle would help you process and retain new information effectively. 

It is not just athletes who need to be physically and mentally fit, even Psychology majors as well.

Start Learning The Basics

Start familiarizing yourself with the basic things regarding psychology. Learn the history, the scientific methods, the jargon – things that would help you understand the course better. 

Try browsing over your textbooks and see the topics that you would undertake. It would enable you to have a much better appreciation of Psychology as you progress.

Develop An Effective Study Habit

Since Psychology is a challenging course, it is crucial that you create study habits that would work best for you. 

It is not a course wherein you can simply look at your book and call it a day. You need to exert time and effort to understand the principles, and it is only possible if you study. Ideally, you should provide at least 4 to 6 hours of study time each course a week. 

Cramming won’t help you here as there is too much information that you need to learn, and it is not possible to this in just one sitting. 

When you create a study habit, make sure that you stick to it and do it consistently.

Psychology Is Not Memorization

There are two types of memory, recall, and recognition. When studying for recognition, what you do is you memorize specific keywords or cue that would help you get the answers. 

On the other hand, recall is a much deeper level of understanding as it allows you to know the answer without the need for any external cue. 

With recall, everything is stored in some part of your brain, wherein it is accessed when you need it. This technique is advantageous in Psychology as the course is more about learning the concepts than memorizing terms.

Be Active In Studying

Instead of simply reading your textbooks, try to be more active by listing down important notes while reading. 

It doesn’t have to be too detailed; it needs to be simple and focus on the key idea. It should help you recall it better as the brain is wired better to absorb information in small pieces at a time.

Rather than trying to memorize the topic word per word, think about how the concepts relate to one another. If there are things that you don’t understand, list them down and ask your professor during your class or their office hours. This way, you can actively participate in class as well. 

Try Reading Other Psychology Textbooks

There are a bunch of books available that you can read and help you understand Psychology better. If you are keen to learn more, here are some titles you can check out.

• Pioneers of Psychology
• How To Think Straight About Psychology
• The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat
• The Psychology Major Handbook

Taking a Psychology major is only hard if you don’t study. By following these tips, you can improve the way you retain information which is crucial if you want to succeed. Remember, your success depends on your actions.