Unlocking Minds: College Prep Courses for a Career in Psychology

If you are a high school student, no doubt you’ve observed friends and fellow students who suffer from emotional stress. Most common are anxiety, attention deficit, eating disorders, and depression. Stress can also come from a heavy academic load, too many extracurriculars, or unmet dreams related to sports. According to Statista, a whopping 87 percent of teens deal with emotional disorders. When you look at recent data, you’ll see that nearly 70 percent of public schools reported a rise in demand for mental health services. 

Another key factor affecting teens is cyberbullying. The National Library of Medicine reports that cyberbullying has come to be expected among teens. Compared to traditional bullying, cyberbullying reaches an unlimited audience, lacks supervision; and once out there, can be hard to erase.

Perhaps you have sought mental health care yourself, or have had a loved one lean on you for support when facing troubles. Maybe this lends itself to an interest in potentially becoming a psychologist one day. Here, you’ll learn what psychologists do, plus types of specialties within the field, and online college prep courses you can take to get started. 

Curious about what psychologists do?

If you have a passion for helping those in distress, or you’re thinking about a future career as a psychologist, here are some things you need to know. According to Forbes, psychologists are mental health professionals who study emotions, how the brain functions, and what external and internal stresses affect behavior. The key mission of a psychologist is to help people understand their emotions, improve wellbeing, and master coping skills.

There are about 20 different types of psychologists. The most common include:

• Clinical psychologists.
• Cognitive psychologists.
• Counseling psychologists.
• Environmental psychologists.
• Forensic psychologists.
• Personality psychologists.
• School psychologists.

What does a typical day in the life of a psychologist entail? Psychologists:

• Conduct research on brain function and behavior.
• Identify emotional and behavioral patterns.
• Diagnose psychological disorders.
• Counsel patients and implement programs that improve mental health and intervene when problematic behavior arises.
• Collaborate with colleagues to write articles on scientific findings.
• Design treatment plans to help people cope with emotional challenges.
• Work with other mental health and medical professionals, such as therapists and social workers.

While specific duties may change daily, the primary mission of the psychologist is to help patients resolve mental challenges and find resolutions that allow them to thrive emotionally and in their daily lives.

Similar to other fields of medicine, becoming a psychologist is a lengthy endeavor. But what does that experience look like?

How do you become a psychologist?

Five steps you need to take to become a psychologist. 

1. Earn your Bachelor's Degree: An undergraduate degree in psychology prepares you for more advanced degree programs. Typically your bachelor’s degree in psych requires 120 credit hours and takes four years. 
2. Get a graduate degree: A master’s degree in psychology takes about two years and allows you to choose specializations, such as a school or social psychologist. 
3. Complete your doctoral degree: This is required to obtain licensure and carry the title of doctor of psychology (Psy.D.)  
4. Do an internship: Most states demand about 3,000 hours (or two years) of postdoctoral, supervised experience to apply for a license. Universities typically include internship opportunities in graduate programs.
5. Secure your state license: Licensing standards vary, but typically include a professional or specialist-level graduate degree, internship, and exam requirements.

While you may find this path intriguing, there are ways you can actually see if a degree in psychology could be the right fit for you — even while you’re still in high school.

Get a jumpstart while you’re in high school

Prelum partners with some of the best universities in the nation who offer college preparatory classes — a great way to test your interest in psychology as a potential major.  

One example is Georgetown University psychology pre-college prep. The online course, entitled Psychology: How The Brain Influences Behavior, answers questions like:

• How does social media cause you stress?
• What causes conditions such as anxiety and depression?
• How do drugs affect the brain?
  

This fascinating course takes an in-depth look at how psychologists translate human behavior, reviews the effects drugs have on the brain, delves into the impact of social media, and considers the sources of sleep disorders. You’ll also get a thorough look at the kind of careers available to students who pursue degrees in psychology.

Another option is the psychology pre-college course from Wake Forest University. The Mystery and Science of Human Behavior: An Insider's Guide to Psychology provides an in depth behind the scenes of the human brain. You’ll explore topics such as:

• How to separate common sense from true psychological insight.
• How your brain forms perceptions and how easily it can be tricked.
• How to determine whether memories can be trusted, and how they play into psychological disorders.

Finally, we urge you to look at the Rice University college prep psychology course. Here is your chance to study with one of the nation’s top research schools. Psychology in our Everyday Lives invites you to discover:

• The range of careers available across the different specialties of psychology.
• How basic tools, like statistics and research, support the field of psychology.
• How psychology is evolving with new advances such as AI, mental health and social media, and healthy workplaces.
• The roles critical thinking and creativity play in helping others.
  

Think a future in psychology is right for you? Test out your qualifications with one of these courses, designed especially for motivated teens like you.