"I want to be a psychologist": 10 keys to successfully complete a psychology degree.

A mini-guide to survive psychology school.

A few weeks ago we wrote a text to help future psychology future psychology students to reflect on 10 elementary points about their vocation, some specific doubts about the career, and so on:

• "Why study Psychology? 10 points you should evaluate".

However, having enrolled in the career does not make you a good Psychology student. That is why we have prepared this small guide to help you successfully complete your studies.

"I want to be a psychologist", a guide to get the most out of studying psychology.

The PsychologyPsychology, due to its versatility and the number of contributions it can make to different disciplines and areas of life, is one of the most popular university degrees in many countries around the world. However, the life of students can be hard if there are no references to follow in the tidal waves of information that tend to be the Psychology faculties.

If this is your case, this mini-guide will be useful for you. "I want to be a psychologistwith 10 keys to make your time at the university profitable.

1. Start studying when it's time to start studying

At the university you don't have a boss who watches you every day to see if you study, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't.But that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. In addition, psychology is a grateful university career, in the sense that those who invest time in study and training are rewarded. However, to know how to make good use of that time, you have to practice.

• Here are some tips to improve your performance: "10 tips to study better and more efficiently".

Knowing how to use time well is one of those skills that every student must polish. If you don't, you'll watch the hours, days and weeks go by as your to-do list list grows and your stress levels increase. If you think you're not very good at getting on top of your studies, you may find it helpful to read the next point.

2. Learn to manage your study time

OK, so you have already made studying a regular part of your daily routine, but... are you optimizing well the time you dedicate to it?

Maybe you could learn the same in half the time, or maybe studying at a certain time is causing you problems. For example, it is known that concentrating on a computer screen just before going to sleep is not good for your sleep, and can cause insomnia problems due to the light you have been exposed to.

Also, keep in mind that you are unlikely to be able to concentrate on studying for more than 40 minutes at a time, so it's worthwhile not to beat yourself up trying to read long texts all at once. It is also well known that getting up from your chair is good for stretching your legs and making you feel better. Studying is good, but take your breaks!

3. Watch out for the Internet!

The Internet is a very important tool for finding other study tools and resources, but it is also an inexhaustible source of distractions. Consider studying on paper to avoid temptation, and go to the computer to consult specific doubts.

On the other hand, and as you may have already noticed, the network of networks is full of unreliable informationwhen they are not outright lies or fabrications. Therefore, when consulting sources on the Internet to complete your psychological thesis, keep in mind which references are truthful and which are not.

4. Slides are not everything

In an ideal world there would be no need to emphasize this, but no one learns just by reading slides. no one learns just by reading slides.. Slides are a visual support to follow the lectures and contain some fundamental concepts, but through them it is impossible to know how these ideas are related to each other, nor how the underlying logics of psychological processes are articulated.

5. Notes are not everything

No, the notes taken during classes are not enough either. are not enough either. Most of the subjects are also composed of readings that are not explained in class, due to the limited time in which teaching is given. Seriously consider reading all the readings you are asked to read at least once (read and understand them, of course). Also, these readings will help you understand things that have been said in class, reinforcing the concepts you are learning in your mind..

6. Read about psychology for pleasure!

The field of psychology is a veritable ocean of information. Thousands of books and articles are published every year about new research in psychology and neuroscience, and if you don't feel like devoting a lot of time to it, you can read about it. if you don't feel like spending many hours reading really thick texts, there are excellent popularization books (or even websites: do you know how to read them? (or even websites: are you familiar with one called Psychology and Mind?) that are waiting for you. You can start by trying this short list of titles:

• "The 20 best books on psychology that you can't miss".
• "5 books to give to a psychologist for Christmas".
• "5 books on psychology to read in summer".

And if you want to go deeper and you have a profile created on Facebook, don't miss:

• "The 18 best Facebook Groups to learn Psychology."

7. Find people with the same interest in psychology as you.

There are tons of people who love psychology, and if you go to college you'll be in contact with quite a few. Take advantage of this! An environment of friends with the same interests as you can make you learn things even if you don't intend to.

You can also follow psychology blogsYou can also follow psychology blogs, visit study groups, etc. Whatever you see necessary to be in constant contact with the herd!

As for blogs and websites dedicated to psychology and neuroscience, we recently put together a list that you may find useful:

• "The 70 Best Psychology Blogs".

8. Have a good search engine for scientific papers at hand.

Surely, because you are enrolled at the university you have access to a search engine for scientific papers. papers search engine that allows you to consult entire articles without having to pay. Find out what these search engines are and make use of them! They will be very useful when searching for information and doing well-documented work.

9. Take mental tests

Just because you have memorized a text does not mean that you have understood it. understood it. Quantitative is not the same as qualitative. When you have studied a lesson, entertain yourself by asking yourself possible exam questions. This will help you to detect doubts you did not know you had and to optimize your review time.

10. Drink from other disciplines

Psychology is a very complex discipline, and it straddles many sciences and areas of study. Soak yourself in them to have a richer vision of what you are studying.. You can start by reading fundamentals in biology, medicine, philosophy or anthropology.... But don't overdo it either!

Bonus: Enjoy learning

It is ironic that this can be understood as an order, but Remember that you are studying psychology because you want to, because you are interested in it..

Don't let poor time management make you hate your degree. If there are subjects or branches of psychology that do not interest you so much, dedicate less time to them than to those you do enjoy. You learn best when you learn without stress and without rushing, savoring the knowledge, and growing intellectually and personally while acquiring new knowledge at the same time.