How/why did you choose Psychology as a major?
I took Psych 100 and then Psych 338 and was hooked. I think playing catcher in Little League and spending so much time talking pitchers down, pointed me towards Psychology.
What specific skills did you develop by taking Psychology courses?
Observing people and their behavior and then helping them plan on how to change their situations. Understanding the relationship between people's life story and how they behave.
Outside the classroom, what opportunities/experiences were most beneficial?
Spending hours observing the behaviors of elementary school children, working with residents at the Champaign County Nursing Home and numerous "field trips" with one of my Psych professors.
Did you believe that you “had to” obtain more schooling after your bachelor’s degree?
Yes , absolutely.
In retrospect, what would you have done differently as an undergraduate?
Worked on publishing some papers in Psychology.
If you continued more schooling after your bachelor’s degree, share your reasons.
I enjoyed my psych related jobs following my earning my B.S. in Psych but realized further education was necessary to have more choices in the field.
Describe how you utilize your undergraduate Psychology skills in your current job/career.
I am retired but my undergrad degree taught me to be very observant and caring.
What pearls of wisdom can you offer to current undergraduate students?
Find what you are passionate about and do that. Working as a Psychologist or Social Worker is about you caring about people, wanting to help people and not just money.