TEENS: Take a psychology course before you graduate
Posted: Friday, January 23, 2015 10:12 pm
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Updated: 10:12 pm, Fri Jan 23, 2015.
mywebtimes.com
I know I am not alone in finding it difficult to relate to many of the courses I study in school.
In mundane classes I personally find lack creative outlets, such as algebra and physics, my boredom and lack of motivation to do homework seem to never end. Not surprisingly, there is a strong correlation between lack of interest in a course and lower grades in said course that many students, myself included, have come to realize.
Not all courses are terribly monotonous, some even are completely captivating. Like every other student, I only appreciate and enjoy the classes I find interesting. When thinking of my most interesting classes, AP psychology is always one of the first to push its way into my consciousness. I just started my second semester in the course and it is, without question, one of the most interesting subjects I have ever studied.
Putting all technicalities aside, psychology is simply the scientific study of mental functions that seeks to explain thought, emotion and behavior. It is a relatively new field, with most advances made only in the last 150 years. However, some of the ideas students study now can be traced all the way back to the earliest philosophers.
Many, if not all, colleges require their students to take at least one psychology course in order to earn a degree. My question is this: why not start studying psychology earlier, as in during a student’s junior or senior year of high school?
I believe all high school students should consider taking a psychology course before graduation. Psychology has taught me so much about myself and others because it is such an easy course to relate to. Where there is interest, there is a desire to learn. Where there is a desire to learn, there are better grades.
High school psychology classes provide a basic overview of mental health conditions and treatment options. Psychology can empower students to recognize and seek treatment for mental health problems in themselves and others. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to such sensitive subjects and learning to understand mental illnesses can help begin to rid our generation of the terrible stigmas that plague our society on the subject.
Another advantage to studying psychology in high school is the potential to attain college credit. If students study AP psychology and do well on the AP exam, they have the opportunity at most colleges to save money by skipping the introductory psychology class.
Some students might wonder why they should study psychology in high school if they are just going to have to do so again in college. Psychology is like any other subject that is required by both high school and college: it can always be built upon.
With 13 different major branches, psychology never sleeps. It only continues to evolve. Psychology can give students an understanding of themselves and the world around them like they have never possessed before.
- STEPHANIE BIAS is a junior at La Salle-Peru High School. She can be contacted through The Times at newsroom@mywebtimes.com.
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Friday, January 23, 2015 10:12 pm.
Updated: 10:12 pm.
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