Six less obvious benefits of studying psychology

Did you know that studying psychology can help you gain valuable research and analytical skills, be a better communicator, and resolve conflict effectively?

Key takeaways

• Studying psychology equips students to use their knowledge of human behaviour in their daily lives.
• Developing excellent research and analytical skills, the ability to be a better communicator and to master the art of conflict resolution are just some of the additional benefits of studying psychology.
• A degree in psychology not only opens the door to the possibility of becoming a psychologist, but it also lays the groundwork for a number of other career options.

If you enjoy going to your psychology courses, discussing psychological topics, or spend your spare time reading psychology websites, then there is a good chance that earning a psychology degree is the right option for you.

Apart from a keen interest in the subject, there are a lot of additional things you’ll learn from studying psychology. Here are six that may not have even crossed your mind…

Benefits of studying psychology

1. You’ll learn more about yourself and others

Have you found yourself questioning why people behave in certain ways? Do you want to learn more about your own mind, emotions, and actions? Studying psychology is an excellent way to gain a greater understanding of yourself and others. In addition, a solid understanding of human nature will serve you well in a number of job settings, including social services, advertising, marketing, education, healthcare, and politics.

2. You’ll gain valuable research and analytical skills

Part of being an ethical practitioner means ensuring that the knowledge that you apply is solidly supported by research. It is not all diagnosis and symptoms; psych students spend a lot of time mastering research methods and statistics so that they can both understand and contribute to the body of knowledge of helping others. Even if you’d rather focus on Freud or Jung, learning how to successfully gather, organise, analyse, and interpret data is an invaluable skill needed in a number of careers. For example, educators, administrators, scientists, marketers and advertisers often perform such tasks in order to make decisions, evaluate progress, and complete projects.

3. You’ll become a better communicator

Good communication skills are critical. Many think that communication is just about speaking and writing, but research indicates that non-verbal cues play a huge role in our interpersonal connections. In many ways, psychology teaches you how to build healthy relationships by communicating thoughtfully, purposefully and clearly. When you communicate like this, both you and the person to whom you speak will feel secure and happy because you both know that you have been understood and are on the same page. Tone of voice, good eye contact and listening skills are just a few key communication points you’ll touch on when studying psych.  

4. You’ll learn how to resolve conflict

No relationship, be it professional or personal, is totally free of conflict. Psychology will assist you in identifying the reasons behind the behavior, the motivation for the conflict, thus enabling you to be better prepared in finding a resolution. As a psychology student, you are often challenged to understand phenomena from a range of different perspectives, which is a useful skill when listening to the thoughts and opinions of others. Fully investing yourself in a process of finding a common understanding between yourself and others encourages resolution rather than adding fuel to the fire.

5. You’ll be well prepped for countless careers

Do you want to be a writer, a teacher or an employment counsellor? Psychology not only offers you the opportunity to become a psychologist, but also lays the foundation for many other career options. In fact, students who earn an undergraduate degree in psychology but don’t do a master’s or doctoral degree usually find alternative (and very rewarding) ways to put their psychology knowledge to work. Graduates with BPsych degrees are equipped with the skills needed in various work roles. A good understanding of human behavior and thought processes is the key to a number of fulfilling job opportunities.

6. You could even gain a better social life

It is not all about studying and career options however, the use of psychology in your daily life is extremely important on an interpersonal level. The understanding of social cues and human interaction is vital in all aspects of life from finding a job to asking someone on a date. Studying psych will equip you to communicate effectively with others and teach you how to decipher their underlying feelings, motivations and emotions. This is important not only for your own overall mental health, but also for generating empathy for others.

Find out more about studying psychology, the course options available to you, and the career paths open to you. SACAP offers a range of psychology courses, some of which can be studied part-time. There are also distance-learning options available. To find out more, enquire now.