I Got a Seat in Personality Psychology!

Last Updated on September 29, 2023

I AM SO HAPPY. I finally managed to snag a seat in Personality Psychology at Rutgers! I’m taking it with the same professor who I took for Abnormal Psychology (the same one who I’m also now a TA for).

Since I started college, I made a rule for myself. Each semester, regardless of what classes I have to take, I insist on taking a class out of my own pure interest. It looks like this semester, “that class” for me is going to be Personality Psychology.

I feel very fortunate to be taking this class with the same professor with who I took Abnormal Psychology with. You see, the reason why I took Abnormal Psychology, to begin with, was to validate my interest (or lack thereof) in mental health so I could better judge my interest in psychiatry as a possible profession. After taking the class, I fell in love with the subject.

However, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to having my doubts along the way. I’ve considered alternative paths like pursuing a Ph.D. or PsyD in psychology rather than going to Medical School after my undergraduate years. Most Medical Schools brush over Psychiatry in the first year or two and it doesn’t really play a big part in your education until you get to clinical rotations in your third year.

I think by taking Personality Psychology with the same professor, I’ll have a fair basis for judging which subject I enjoy more. From there, I can decide which career steps to take next. No matter which field I choose to pursue, my current coursework is still acceptable. It may turn out I’ll have taken extra science classes but that’s no big deal since they go along with my Cell Biology and Neuroscience major anyway.

One way or the other, I’ll still be happy. It’s just a matter of going through the motions until I get there.

15 Comments

  1. Congrats my fellow Big Ten blogger! That class does sound interesting. Psychology kicked my butt during my undergrad, but every class was interesting. I hope you do zero in on what subject you do more. Either way, sounds like you’ve got an exciting path ahead of you. Great post! Thanks for sharing.

  2. Craig J Golbach

    Congratulations on snagging that seat. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that whichever direction you whittle down your choices, you are going to be very successful in the psyche world. Bravo for you! Stay safe, warm and feet on the ground with that storm back there.

  3. Jennifer Luo

    Hiya Rocky,

    First things first: belated congratulations on snagging that seat for Personal Psychology!

    A while back, I stumbled across your blog searching up study tips for INFJs, and I’ve been following since. 😀 Bless your soul for indirectly introducing me to Rice Dream (I’m addicted to the vanilla flavored one).

    I’m a sophomore in high school with a career research paper called the I-Search, and I’ve chosen psychiatry as the profession I’ll be researching about. This paper requires three in-person interviews with psychiatrists, but I’m also looking to interview students who intend to pursue it, too. I wanted to ask if I could interview you over Skype (if you’d be willing to do so).

    Either way, thanks and I look forward to future blog posts. ^-^

Comment Here:

The Rocky Safari