'being in new environments' - UNCW application

Where I am from a majority of the people I grew up around labeled psychology as a major s as "the easy major" and "a useless major". I use to think that was true based on the facts that it has always been an easy class for me and until taking more classes in the subject I never saw a real use for it, until these past few years.

When I started taking more classes in Psychology I started to catch myself referring back to things I learned in class in my everyday routine. Not only was it helping me with my social skills because it taught me to interact better with people and see where they were coming from in situations, but it helped me grow up as a person and see other people's perspectives rather than just my own. Throughout the last two years of my high school experience I realized that those classes helped me create better bonds with my family and friends and they helped me realize that therapists and the study of the mind and behavior really do play a significant role in our everyday lives whether some people think so or not.

Throughout my life I have had to deal with multiple family members having drug and alcohol abuse addictions. If I hadn't taken as many psychology classes as I had I never would have been able to deal with those family members in a way that wasn't destructive to their addictions. Like most people in the U.S. most of my family didn't see a reason in consulting with a therapist for these problems, they didn't realize that most addictions stem from psychological problems. My families' troubles made me realize that I really wanted to help people realize that these things happen to people, you don't just hit rock bottom and never get up, there are other, healthier ways to cope with every day stress and situations. Upon moving to North Carolina I thought nothing of it then change, but once I got here from Seattle Washington I realized just how different of a life style it really was. Being in a military town and having to make new friends and create a new healthy life style and routine and having to grow up and be an adult rather than depending on my parents really made me see just how significant the lessons I learned in my psychology classes helped me adapt and interact with people, it helped me "swim" rather than "sink" in my new environment.

I want to further my education in Psychology past an AA degree because I believe that Psychology plays a huge role in our everyday lives and the people we are. Not only that but I want to prove to the people I grew up around that Psychology does have a purpose and can help people severely, it isn't "a useless major". By getting my bachelors in Psychology at UNCW I believe it would allow me to grow as a student and person because it would place me in a new surrounding with many different people who have completely different dynamics then what I have been accustom to growing up in the City. Psychology fascinates me in a way that I can't help but want to explore the different ways of using it in an everyday atmosphere. I love change and being in new environments, UNCW is just that, it is the next chapter in my life.

I need help making this more cohesive and for it to flow better, I feel like I have so many different ways that I could type this paper but I just can't pick a direction. Help please :)

Where I am from, a majority of the people I grew up around labeled psychology as a major s as "the easy major" and "a useless major".

I use to think that was true based on the fact that it has always been an easy class for me and until taking more classes in the subject, I never saw a real use for it, until these past few years.

When I started taking more classes in Psychology I began to catch myself referring back to things I learned in class in my everyday routine.

Throughout my life I have had to deal with multiple family members having drug and alcohol abuse addictions.

If I hadn't taken as many psychology classes as I had, I never would have been able to deal with those family members in a way that wasn't destructive to their addictions.---This doesn't sound right. Maybe 'destructive you your relationship'?

Not only that, but I want to prove to the people I grew up around that Psychology does have a purpose and can help people severely , it isn't "a useless major".

:)