Colorado Technical University

I have a question about Psychology?

Next year will be my last year of high school, so I want to go ahead and start researching what I want to do with my life. Anyone who actually knows the career of a psychologist (who actually has a degree) please answer o_o I already know all the courses for associate's degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree and doctoral degree (I researched :3) But here's my question((: 1. What are the good points of being a psychologist (besides the money)? 2. What are the bad points of being a psychologist? 3. Anyone who has attended University of Phoenix for this career, is it a good college for this career? (I plan on doing the online-campus) 4. How difficult are the courses? (From your own experience) I would also love to hear from people who have their degree in Psychology that's actually a Psychologist to tell me more about it besides the questions I asked. So far, I'm interested in this career. But I want to make sure it's what I can handle by hearing someone's story who is a Psychologist (: Thanks! :D To note: I want to be a Psychologist for counseling, mainly with the youth though (teenagers). I wanted to do the online-campus because I'm home schooled online so I'm very used to how it works with the lessons and such. My GPA currently is a 4.0 (: I talked to the enrollment counselor for University of Phoenix - Axia about scholarships and such; she gave me a few links about scholarships and what types I can get. I'll be doing either financial-aid for it. I plan on doing the online-campus for my associates and my bachelors degree. After that, I plan on going to the actual campus around my around for my master's and doctoral degree (although they said most of my work can be done on the computer). Thank you for your replies((:

Public Comments

1. i dont have the degree but i do have some knowledge in the area so i thought id give you my input. the answer to one and two is the same its the people. i think you can get some great sense of fulfillment from helping people but there are some peoples stories that can be very troubling .the other aspect of that is you are only meeting people who are in pain so that affect your world view. i think it can be difficult separating work an home. it can depend on whether you have a private practice or work in the corporate or academic world. the courses shouldnt be too hard until you reach grad courses
2. Okay, so I'm not actually a psychologist YET, but I'm in grad school and will have my doctorates degree in 2 years. However, I am in the process of doing my internship so I have some experience. Since no one has answered, I'll give it a shot. 1) It really depends on what kind of psychologist you want to become. There are many, many different types (e.g. research psychologist, child psychologist, psychoanalyst, etc, etc, etc). P.S. The money really isn't that good. 2) Again, depends on what type of psychologist you want to become. 3) No, but usually schools like this are frowned upon and not taken as seriously. 4) N/A Furthermore, you needs a doctorate degree to become a psychologist. You needs a Masters to become a therapist. A BA doesn't do much, hate to say. Okay, in hindsight I probably shouldn't have answered your Q since I wasn't really helpful at all. Sorry!
3. I'm currently in the UoP BSP program. UoP is designed for working adults. It is very fast-past. I've heard the online option is even faster than the ground. It will be very different than traditional HS. A lot of the work is self-directed. It is also expensive. The online option is $1600/5 week course. I believe that is the cost for 300 and 400 level courses; the lower level courses might be slightly less expensive. The school really is what you make of it. I'm studying for the GRE (standardized test for Grad school, similar to the SATs or ACTs) and pulling a FT load so I spend all my free time studying. It isn't particularly hard; there just a lot to learn so I'll be competitive for graduate school. With that said, there are people who do not plan to continue their education who skate through the classes with decent grades without ever opening a book. If you're planning on grad school, you WILL end up doing more work and carrying some of your peers to keep your GPA up. Because of the two scenarios I just described, different people view UoP in different ways. The degree can be controversial. If you do decide on UoP, make sure you're rounded in other ways, such as volunteer work, high GRE scores, research projects,... In your situation, I would not recommend UoP. Where you get your lower level courses is not horribly important, so why spend the money when you can go to a community college? Even the state schools are less than UoP. I would then follow up with a traditional, state school. It will look better on your applications. As well, you'll likely have access to research labs, making you more competitive. Keep your GPA up and use the first two years to explore other fields as well. You're still young. If you still want to be a psychologist, what kind of psychologist do you want to be? Do you want to be a clinical psychologist or do you want to go into counseling? Some areas are very competitive, but there are multiple educational pathways. Also, try to figure out where you might want to live as an adult. The licensing varies from state to state so just make sure where you apply for grad school matches. I don't know the good points of practicing. I anticipate respect, self-fulfillment and a sense of giving back. As for the bad, I'm not sure yet. Good luck, and don't stress. There is PLENTY of time to decide on the rest of your life.