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Psychology, French or German as a minor in college?

[INFJ] 
2K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  Duke 
#1 ·
I'm new to uni, and will be majoring in English Language and Literature. I'm thinking about declaring one minor. My secondary school (=high school) teacher recommended declaring an european language as a minor, but I myself also have a passion for psychology. I also believe that (although I dont know how true it could be) psychology, being more scientific, actually balances and complements the more emotional aspect of literature.

I have neither learnt German nor French. What are the cultural differences, or if any one of languages complements the English language/literture better?

Now I'm also thinking being an INFJ, whether any one of the three fields will click with me better.
:)
 
#2 ·
I have an affinity for languages. English is my native tongue, but I speak fluent Modern Standard Arabic. Additionally, I picked up a bit of Chinese when I was in that country, and studied a bit after returning home (though that was many years ago and it has all been replaced by Arabic). I took two semester of French in college, enjoyed it, and did quite well (though it, too, has been lost to time, though I can still read a bit). I find that the study of languages fulfills both my desire for art (through understanding the poetry and imagery of the language), as well as my love of systems and understanding how they work. I also I think that a language would compliment your major very well, opening you up to literary works that are not in your native tongue

My first major was psychology, but I found that it was not quite my cup of tea. I do, however, think, that this would be a great major for an INFJ, given our affinity for people and innate intuitive understanding of their emotions and behaviors. I find the mind and the study of behavior quite fascinating. It would fit very well with our role as counselors.

Personally, I would choose French. Then again, English has its roots in the Germanic languages. I can only tell you what I would do, given your choices, so it is probably not a great help. I suppose it largely depends on what you plan to do with your major. If psychology is your passion, that might be the way to go.
 
#4 ·
I am not sure. I think it was too precise, maybe. I have never been terribly drawn to the various sciences. I have always been more attracted literature and writing, and languages. I had no real passion for it, and chose it as a random starting part for my foray into university. Also, at that point in my life, it required far more effort than I was willing to dedicate. I think that I would find it far more interesting at this stage in my life.
 
#6 · (Edited)
A member here wrote about knowing a psychologist woman, who ended up leaving the field because she would get attached to her patients especially after their sessions were over. It became very draining for her private life.. I'm trying to find this thread, but I can't --so I hope the person who wrote it chimes in :happy: I will also be doing a sort of minor in it, it's not enough to make you into a psychologist. In my country for that, you have to do a major, and then after continue onto a PHD and then get registered. At the school here they still recommend the minor because it creates a good support for other fields, especially dealing with other people or personality, and increases employability apparently.. In my own experience, I also wish my past college professors studied psychology because I felt they neglect or were insensitive to their students quite a bit. Or didn't know how to deal with situations.
 
#7 ·
Not to disappoint you, but if you want to go in deep depth into these things like I do, you might have to take the Ph. D route, you might find something direct in those majors though.

I myself LOVE science, and I could possibly see myself going into biological anthropology, or study the origins of language. I think linguistics might be better because language fascinates me, possibly the developmental aspect of the field. French has easier grammar, but difficult shouldn't be the deciding factor. Just do as much soul searching as possible, google is your friend. :laughing:

I'm learning mandarin and latin and I'm only in high school. :proud:

My advice to you is to consider the academia path as in your directly involved in the topic and might get to do fun stuff. If you like langauge and psychology linguistics might be good.
 
#9 ·
I majored in linguistics and took french (but linguistics is not about learning other languages, it's the study of language in general...so many people ask how many languages I speak when I tell them my major...grrr). French was fun but as an undergrad degree there aren't really many practical applications except perhaps international business but now they recommend chinese for that.
I minored in psychology after much debate...like linguistics, it's often misunderstood as a field of study. I thorougly enjoyed it, and perhaps because I was at a research institution it focused heavily on the science of it. I started out in astronomy and learned so much more about the scientific method and it's application through my research methods/psychology classes than I ever did through physics, computer programming and calculus. There's so much more to psychology than counseling and it's not just about helping people (though that's always nice). I really took to cognitive and social psychology (studying why "normal" people do the things they do) and highly recommend it as it can open a lot of doors you never knew existed...it did for me.
 
#11 ·
I'm reading a double major in English Literature and Philosophy in college right now, and while the latter can be a tad complex at times, I'd say they complement each other seamlessly because of how concepts in Philosophy find vast applications in Literature.

I contemplated reading a double major in English Literature and Psychology at the start of my college sojourn, but as someone mentioned earlier, the latter has a greater attention to scientific rigour than you might expect (especially since you remarked that it ties in with the emotional aspects of Literature). To be honest (and I speak from experience, perhaps), the psychology present in English Literature (i.e. psychoanalysis, cognitive dissonance, ego-dystonia) can be largely extrapolated from a discipline such as Philosophy because it is very much concerned with the bases of choice and ethics.

I understand that my college requires anyone dabbling further than the introductory module in Psychology to read two compulsory modules in Statistical Research and Analysis before progressing further. Remember also that aside from social psychology and personality (which might be useful in literature), there are other facets of Psychology - more intense in scientific content, such as biopsychology or cognitive psychology - which you might find a little daunting, if not jarring. I was a pure science student in high school, and I'd say that my perception of Psychology has been altered tremendously since I read the intro module. It's really more science than a social science. =]

That said, give it a shot if you're really keen on the latter combination! If grades weren't that much of a consideration, I know I might be reading English Literature and Psychology now. It has a really perceptive ring to it. =D
 
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