Dear Jane Bolster,  

Although my major now is psychology, it was not always my intended path. I started off at a small private college in Scranton, Pennsylvania intending to finish a bachelor’s in biology in order to go to medical school. I spent my first year of college there taking several math and science classes like biology, statistics, and chemistry. While I liked biology well enough, I quickly found out that math was not my strong suit. Instead, I found myself fascinated that we could pack so much DNA into one nucleus, or that something goes wrong with cancer cells that makes them unable to perform apoptosis. It was my favorite subject, and I still sometimes wish I could take classes that have to do with immunology, virology or genetics. As previously mentioned however, I was not a strong math student and I knew that my major would only get more challenging as time went on. I had to be realistic with myself, I couldn’t just stick with a major because I thought a few of the classes I would be taking were interesting. I had to do well, and make sure I could keep up a GPA that would help get me into medical school. I had to make a choice, and since my intentions for medical school were to be a psychiatrist, I decided on switching my major to psychology.  

Switching my major felt, for a lack of better words, like a “cop out”. I was so disappointed in myself for not being able to stick to my first major, and soon enough I convinced myself that if I couldn’t even make it through my undergrad there was no way I could ever make it through medical school. The summer after my first year quickly became one of the most stressful times of my life. While switching to City College, finding a new place to live, and finding a new job to support myself, I was also trying to figure out what I would be doing with the rest of my life. After some time and talking to a few different people within the healthcare industry, it occurred to me that I could still be a psychologist. While I wouldn’t be dealing with the science of different medications and how they affect my patients, I could still help people out through the social sciences. I love to discuss, and problem solve, and the social sciences are often overlooked despite the importance place they hold within today’s society.  

Psychology is incredibly important because it allows us to explore ourselves and how we cope with and approach life. If any of our behaviors are maladaptive, it allows us to first examine, and then change them. To me, psychology is fascinating because it takes our past along with our biology and can predict the future. With psychology we can tell what mental illness we are genetically predisposed to and how that can manifest in our adult lives. Within todays social media age where everyone feels lonely despite the number of followers they acquire, it is important for us to look after our mental health. Reaching out to talk to a professional is extremely stigmatized within a number of cultures, and as someone who is passionate about the subject, I want to help change that. I want to get into this profession so that I can help people alleviate unnecessary suffering, and to show them that while it might be scary to take that first step and reach out, the end goal is untimely worth it. While the recent stress of the political climate and life traumas in genral can become burdensome and worsen one’s suffering, one doesn’t need to be struggling with a mental illness like depression to see a professional. Even those who believe they lead neurotypical lives and are not dealing with any mental illness could benefit. Therapists and psychologists can offer support and be there to listen. Simple stressors can be sorted out, and it’s nice to have someone listen with the intent of empathizing and working towards positive coping mechanisms.  

My goals for this semester include getting good grades in all my classes as well as finding an internship opportunity for next semester. Like any other student, I aspire to receive straight A’s, but last semester taught me that not everything goes as planned. As a student that supports herself without any parental help, I must work unconventional hours that often leave me tired and unmotivated to get work done. This fact once left me feeling defeated, as if there was no way I could be successful while in my position. For a long time, I felt like my own worst enemy. However, I have learned that just because I do not load my schedule up with classes, or that I might retake a class I struggled in, it does not mean I cannot be successful, and still accomplish what I want to. Comparing myself to my peers does not change my situation, it only makes me more frustrated with it. With this upcoming semester and beyond, I am letting go of things I cannot change. I have set new goals for myself in terms of motivation and scheduling so that I can be more productive, but I will not spend time agonizing over things that simply are. I can only try my absolute best with what I am given, and after my bachelors I hope to move onto a PhD, and then to practice psychology with both teens and adults. My two main goals are to help others, and to be content with my life. I want to make a difference, even if it is small and even if it is only for one person. I do not want to add to any of the suffering in the world. I also do not want to add to my own suffering; I am reminding myself every day that it is perfectly fine to take my time getting to where I need to be. I hope once that I find peace for myself, I can help others find their own peace as well.