sousuke
Feb 28, 2015
Undergraduate / My first escapade in the realm of psychology was unintentional - UT Major Transfer Essay [2]
I honestly don't know if I'm a good writer or not, so I'd love some feedback on this. I didn't know there were sites like this, so I'm posting this a day before the essay is due, so if someone could please reply quickly, that would be great. Thank you so much! Basically, I am in a program where I have partial admission and I am trying to get into the psychology major, which is somewhat competitive at my college. There is no word limit, but they suggest keeping it under one single spaced page, so I think the length is okay.
Prompt: Statement of Purpose (required for all applicants)
My first escapade in the realm of psychology was unintentional; certainly, I did not know who Ivan Pavlov was when I gave my kindergarten crush a candy whenever I saw him. All I knew was that he came to associate me with candy, and he was thus attracted to me: whether he actually liked the candy or me more will always remain something of a mystery. Looking back, I feel a strange sense of pride in knowing that I classically conditioned a person at the ripe age of five years old.
Psychology has always been a strong interest of mine; no matter how much my parents pushed me towards more technological callings, my mind always came back to the study of itself. When I actually had the chance to study psychology in high school, I was shocked at some of my findings. How could Freud have been wrong about most of his theories? Psychology itself was a newer social science that was only about two centuries old? Many of the conceptions I had about psychology were destroyed as I delved deeper into the subject, and I was simultaneously enjoying and feeling apprehensive about my newly found knowledge.
The one who truly inspired me to pursue psychology as a career was my AP Psychology teacher, Mr. Ferguson. He had no reservations about sharing his opinions, no matter how radical they were; he threw my cell phone in the trash for using it in class with no remorse. Surprisingly, though, we later learned that he was an introvert and hated most social contact; the tough act he put up in class was only that: an act. He made me realize that people are not caricatures, but instead multifaceted beings that have complex motives behind their actions. I wanted to study how the mind worked, how one could fake a persona so perfectly without missing a beat.
At first, I was fascinated by mental disorders. I thought of people who were schizophrenic or antisocial to be different from me. When I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, however, I recognized that my way of thinking was inherently wrong. People began to look at me different because I took medication; I was still the same person, but to them, I was ill, sick, a freak. People I barely knew expressed their opinions freely on my use of medication for my conditions, chastising me for "taking a happiness pill", as if I could choose to be happy on my own. They had no right to dictate how I managed my depression, and I had no right to view people with mental disorders as specimens rather than people.
Though high school and college were certainly difficult with my depression holding me back, I have managed to go to class consistently and finish most of my assignments. Without help from gains in the field of psychology and a supportive counselor, I would most likely still be wallowing in depression without any relief, unable to attend college. A personal interest developed into a passionate enthusiasm as I figured out that I could help others out the same way I was helped.
Psychology has had a personal impact on my life, and through studying the subject, I hope to impact others in their lives. By attending the University of Texas, I will be able to secure an amazing education and eventually attend graduate school.
I honestly don't know if I'm a good writer or not, so I'd love some feedback on this. I didn't know there were sites like this, so I'm posting this a day before the essay is due, so if someone could please reply quickly, that would be great. Thank you so much! Basically, I am in a program where I have partial admission and I am trying to get into the psychology major, which is somewhat competitive at my college. There is no word limit, but they suggest keeping it under one single spaced page, so I think the length is okay.
Prompt: Statement of Purpose (required for all applicants)
My first escapade in the realm of psychology was unintentional; certainly, I did not know who Ivan Pavlov was when I gave my kindergarten crush a candy whenever I saw him. All I knew was that he came to associate me with candy, and he was thus attracted to me: whether he actually liked the candy or me more will always remain something of a mystery. Looking back, I feel a strange sense of pride in knowing that I classically conditioned a person at the ripe age of five years old.
Psychology has always been a strong interest of mine; no matter how much my parents pushed me towards more technological callings, my mind always came back to the study of itself. When I actually had the chance to study psychology in high school, I was shocked at some of my findings. How could Freud have been wrong about most of his theories? Psychology itself was a newer social science that was only about two centuries old? Many of the conceptions I had about psychology were destroyed as I delved deeper into the subject, and I was simultaneously enjoying and feeling apprehensive about my newly found knowledge.
The one who truly inspired me to pursue psychology as a career was my AP Psychology teacher, Mr. Ferguson. He had no reservations about sharing his opinions, no matter how radical they were; he threw my cell phone in the trash for using it in class with no remorse. Surprisingly, though, we later learned that he was an introvert and hated most social contact; the tough act he put up in class was only that: an act. He made me realize that people are not caricatures, but instead multifaceted beings that have complex motives behind their actions. I wanted to study how the mind worked, how one could fake a persona so perfectly without missing a beat.
At first, I was fascinated by mental disorders. I thought of people who were schizophrenic or antisocial to be different from me. When I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, however, I recognized that my way of thinking was inherently wrong. People began to look at me different because I took medication; I was still the same person, but to them, I was ill, sick, a freak. People I barely knew expressed their opinions freely on my use of medication for my conditions, chastising me for "taking a happiness pill", as if I could choose to be happy on my own. They had no right to dictate how I managed my depression, and I had no right to view people with mental disorders as specimens rather than people.
Though high school and college were certainly difficult with my depression holding me back, I have managed to go to class consistently and finish most of my assignments. Without help from gains in the field of psychology and a supportive counselor, I would most likely still be wallowing in depression without any relief, unable to attend college. A personal interest developed into a passionate enthusiasm as I figured out that I could help others out the same way I was helped.
Psychology has had a personal impact on my life, and through studying the subject, I hope to impact others in their lives. By attending the University of Texas, I will be able to secure an amazing education and eventually attend graduate school.
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