Hearing about a major is one thing, but understanding what it actually entails is something that only a person from the actual major can give you.
Josephine “Joey” Thompson, a fourth-year student majoring in psychology and minoring in film, spoke to me a bit about the psychology major and what her experience is like.
Why psychology at UCLA?
Thompson grew up in Oakland, California, and did a lot of theater, where she studied acting. She says she enjoys psychology because it focuses on the mind, which is closely tied to her interest in film. Thompson says she enjoys all her classes a lot, and the topics she learns about are very interesting.
Typical day in the life of a psychology student while balancing coursework, study time and extracurriculars
Thompson generally takes three classes a quarter and is taking all psychology classes this quarter, with her class times ranging from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Typically, she doesn’t have a heavy course load or discussions for upper division classes. Thompson spends about 15 hours on classes and usually handles her coursework during the day, reserving the evening and night for extracurriculars. For example, she is part of the executive council for Delta Kappa Alpha at UCLA, or DKA, a film fraternity on campus. Thompson also works at the Lu Valle Commons campus store, where she works about 10 to 15 hours a week. As for her course load, she explained that psychology classes don’t usually have a lot of homework but do have exams that she has to study for.
Time spent in class versus out of class studying
Thompson said that she does a lot of studying outside of class for her exams. She added that she once studied for three days straight because of how difficult the tests can be. Apart from the large amount of studying when tests come around, there are readings she has to do but not much busy work, which she says is a good thing. Overall, she says that a “a significant amount of time spent is towards studying.”
Course or professor recommendations
I asked Thompson if there were any courses or professors that stood out as impactful to her. Thompson mentioned professor Bonnie Goff as a particularly impactful professor. Thompson has taken four classes with her, on topics such as developmental psychology, social and personality development and the psychology of parenting. Thompson stated that she really respects Goff, as she is very engaging and truly knows what she is lecturing about. “Some psych classes can feel like a lot of scientific stuff, but her classes are very interactive,” Thompson said. “She gives real life examples.”
Preparing for exams and assignments
When I asked Thompson how she prepares for exams and assignments, she said that she takes good notes during lectures and makes a Quizlet out of what she thinks will be relevant to the exam using her study guide, notes and the slides. She usually studies alone or uses active regurgitation to study. Thompson would recommend making notes into questions for exam preparation.
Challenges of being a psychology student at UCLA
One of the biggest challenges Thompson faces as a psychology student is something that many with an impacted major deal with: getting into classes. The psychology department is so large in terms of the number of students that it can be hard to get into psychology-related classes. “You have to basically get lucky and usually can’t get the schedule you want,” Thompson said.
Benefits of being an psychology student at UCLA
One of the biggest benefits of being a psychology student is that a lot of what is learned can be practically applied in your daily life. Thompson said that she is forced to become very self-aware, and it overall helps in being a better person. Thompson likes that the major has changed the way she interacts with the world for the better.
Day in the life of an psychology student in one sentence
“A day in the life of a psych student is filled with self-revelations during lectures and an unavoidable self-awareness as you uncover the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ behind human behavior,” Thompson said.
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Featured Image Photographed by Catherine Rodriguez/BruinLife
