Registration for the 2025 spring semester is approaching, and if you have not taken a psychology class at Simpson yet, you should.
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines psychology as, “the study of the mind and behavior.” Essentially, it’s exploring how the mind works, seeing how people learn and attempting to promote peak human performance.Many people think only social sciences majors need to take psychology courses, but the truth is it’s beneficial to everyone. Psychology helps you learn how people function, which you can use to your advantage in college and your career.
Psychology can help students better understand stress and how it originates, while also teaching them how to manage it. It can also help students learn the best ways to study and take notes effectively. I’ve used the lessons on learning and memory to devise study methods that help me retain the most information and stay motivated in class.
The topics in psychology classes range from personality and development to social relationships and motivation. Understanding these concepts can help in all aspects of life, from making friends to being a top performer in your career.
Most jobs require critical thinking, something you can gain from taking social sciences classes. Psychology is everywhere, in every profession, from business to healthcare to education. Knowledge in this field can help employees build networks, be influential leaders and improve self-efficacy.
Simpson offers 36 psychology courses. Intro to Psychology (PSYC-101) is a must for those new to the discipline. This course introduces students to the field of psychology and scientific thinking. According to Simpson’s course catalog, “Students will be introduced to theory, research, and application in diverse areas of psychology such as human development, learning, memory, biopsychology, cognitive psychology, social psychology, and abnormal psychology.”
If you have already taken Intro to Psychology and enjoyed it, Simpson offers other psychology classes that dive deeper into specific topics. If you enjoy working with kids, take Developmental Psych (PSYC-201). If you want to know about psychological disorders and treatments, take Abnormal Psychology (PSYC-250). If you desire a fun class to brighten your semester, take Psychology of Humor (PSYC-290). Whatever topic interests you, there’s a psychology class for it.
Although not a requirement, understanding psychology improves performance in all classes. For example, management classes, especially those that discuss human behavior, build upon psychological topics. Effective leaders can read people and know how to manage them; to do this, you have to understand how humans function.
I’ve taken five psychology courses in college, and I am a marketing communication major, so it’s not a requirement. I chose to take them because I know they will help me in the long run.
Intro to Psychology alone helped me gain a psychological outlook on the world that has led me to success time and time again. One of my greatest strengths, emotional intelligence, comes from my ability to view situations from someone else’s perspective. I developed this skill because I learned how my mind, and others’, work.
The most memorable information I will take away from my college education is what I’ve learned in psychology classes.
