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I wasn't good enough at encouraging people to be kinder, and removing people who refuse to be kind. Encouraging people is hard, and removing people creates conflict, and I hate conflict... so that's why I wasn't better at it.

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Everyone else: If after everything I've said so far, you still don't understand my motivations, I think it's unlikely that you will. We're just too different. Maybe someday in the future it might make sense, but until then, there's no point in arguing about it. I don't have the time or the energy for arguing anymore. I will focus my time and energy on people who support me, and those who need help.

-SoulRiser

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my major at college? A more complicated choice than it looks
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thewake Offline
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Post: #1
my major at college? A more complicated choice than it looks

So, I'm going to be senior. School starts next week. I'm dreading it, yes, but not as bad as before. Mostly because I'm taking college level dual credit classes.

But thinking about college just makes me more stressed out. I'm interested in psychology (which I am taking a dual credit course in) and economics.

I really, really like the idea of being an economist. I don't know if I'm up to the mathematical part, but I think to myself that I might be able to learn to like it because, after all, if I'm an economist I'll be applying math to an actual goal that I want to reach. Plus, economics isn't all about math.

I like economics because I like politics and learning about how the market works. Plus, at the current moment I am extremely ignorant of a lot of intricate economics theory.

I like psychology too though. I'm not as knowledgeable on it as economics, but I can learn. And the learning curve would be less steep because it psychology doesn't use math. I want to learn about how an individual thinks, but I mostly want to learn about the psychology of religion. The reason is deeply personal. I want to vindicate my atheism.

I've also thought up already things I could do in the two fields of study. In economics I would love to design a free browser based market game that would simulate, as closely as possible, the conditions in a real world market. There could be different "Worlds" so I could compare which monetary and regulatory policies work best. I really hope it could vindicate my free market ideas.

In psychology, like I said, it's more personal but less important or fun. I want to recreate, with actors, the kind of church I went to and get people who think they are actually going to church to go there. The actors would all be atheists, but would act like people in the church I go to act. I want to see if I can elicit the same behavioral and emotional responses from the people in the experiment that I see in people at the church I go to. This would prove that the feelings people in the church have aren't from God, but are the natural response they have to being preached the doctrine, because the actors wouldn't be Christian preachers.

I feel very torn, and I don't know what to do.

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08-03-2011 06:54 AM
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Phrozen_Soul Offline
From Now Until Velociraptor

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Re: my major at college? A more complicated choice than it looks

Well, which seems more useful to you now? I really like the economic browser game idea. Of course i'm biased as I'm a christian. But, don't psychologist make a lot of money? But I don't think your to concerned about that. I think you'd make a good economist.

"Ask them no more questions, never hear them lying"

People say the problem with me is I have psychotic tendencies and care not about other human beings I don't like and or know. So?
08-03-2011 08:46 AM
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Aya Offline
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Re: my major at college? A more complicated choice than it looks

Phrozen_Soul Wrote:Well, which seems more useful to you now? I really like the economic browser game idea. Of course i'm biased as I'm a christian. But, don't psychologist make a lot of money? But I don't think your to concerned about that. I think you'd make a good economist.

Most psychologists have masters or a phd. A BA in psychology is one of the easiest majors there is.
08-03-2011 10:32 AM
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thewake Offline
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Re: my major at college? A more complicated choice than it looks

Ayliana Wrote:Most psychologists have masters or a phd. A BA in psychology is one of the easiest majors there is.
A clarification: I'm planning on getting a Phd whether I go into one or the other.

Phrozen_Soul Wrote:Well, which seems more useful to you now?

I don't care which is more useful now, I want it to be useful in the future.

Quote:I really like the economic browser game idea. Of course i'm biased as I'm a christian. But, don't psychologist make a lot of money? But I don't think your to concerned about that. I think you'd make a good economist.
If I can't find another way to make my decision, I might just have to base the decision on money.

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08-03-2011 11:18 PM
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Phrozen_Soul Offline
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Re: my major at college? A more complicated choice than it looks

Median annual wage and salary earnings of economists were $77,010 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $55,740 and $103,500. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $42,280, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $136,550.

Psychologist - Are a little more... complicated.

It depends entirely on what sub field you enter. If you're talking Industrial/Organizational Psych or Human Factors Psych, then you can make some seriously big money. Avg is pushing 6 figures. As for counseling psychs, they don't make pure profit. OK, so one makes 350/hr. How many hours of treatment are provided/week? How many employees are being paid? What are Insurance costs? Professional dues to maintain licensure? etc. Those things add up fast and cut into net salary. And a lot of insurance companies are no longer paying for a PhD psych, so that is not the best place to go to make money these days.

Health psychs probably don't make much. School psychs make good money - over 40k, plus govt benefits, summers off, etc.
Clinical psychs can make good money, Research psychs probably not so much.

There's a book called Careers in Psychology. It describes the many types of jobs and the expected salaries. Check it out.

"Ask them no more questions, never hear them lying"

People say the problem with me is I have psychotic tendencies and care not about other human beings I don't like and or know. So?
08-04-2011 01:55 AM
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