OK, I was planning on going back to college and I found a college that would let me complete the degree online and then transfer (Darton State College: A college of the University System of Georgia). I was thinking on getting a Bachelors degree in the field and becoming a counselor at a school to help kids, however the dilemma I am looking at is negative reviews on anything to do with Psychology. It seems that everywhere I look everyone is ragging on the degree and saying it's not worth it. So I was hoping I could get some opinions from the EC community on this issue, I don't want to go into something and waste money on a degree that won't be fruitful and have me back where I am currently. Thanks for your time! :icon_bigg:help: Also, would me being Gay affect me getting a job as a counselor (If I pursue the field), should I just keep it under wraps to avoid any issues?
You will probably need a master's at least for any type of counseling work. You should get a bachelor's in psychology or a related field (like social work). I'm a psychology major, and I'm hoping to go into school psychology (which is a master's program). My major adviser is a former school psychologist, and he enjoyed his career. Future employment looks good, and it pays relatively well. I love my classes and my professors. It's a really fun major and my classmates are often just as nerdy as I am. I've met some really awesome people. I doubt you being gay will cause any problems. Psychology is typically a pretty liberal field. Of course, a lot depends on the area you're in. One of my professors is a clinical psychologist and an openly queer woman. She doesn't work in schools, but she doesn't seem to have any problems. I'm afraid I don't know anything about the college. You can try looking on Rate my Professor for more information.
No, I don't think your orientation will make the least bit of difference. Don't let that worry you at all. As for the hate on the program, every program I've EVER considered has had it's horror stories. Even the one I'm in now has MAJOR negatives. The thing is, it's more about what you do with the program. You'll need to put yourself out there and take up every opportunity you're given, in order to beef up your resume. The program will just be something that you can stick on your wall and tell employers "here's what I've done". You'll ultimately be the one spending your spare time researching, learning on your own, AND learning through school. If you really want it that bad, I think you'll be able to do it (no matter what stories they tell you about the program).
Thanks, I guess I just got overwhelmed with the negative reviews I will probably end up going for my Masters anyways, but I am glad you mentioned that, I will take another look at the regulations for my state and see what I will have to do. Thanks(*hug*) I was just worried about the reviews it was receiving and then wondered about my sexual orientation and how that would reflect. I want to help people and being in a school environment gives me a better chance to help the outcome of their lives and since I am Gay and pro LGBT, that's just a bonus for the kids/teens struggling with their orientation and needing guidance or just help in general.
Psychology is lots of fun. Please keep this warning in mind: As tempting as it may be, do not diagnose yourself. Do not not diagnose your family. Do not diagnose your friends. If you do, you will have no friends. Okay, I'm kidding. Mostly.
By completing the degree online and transferring do you mean the entire bachelors or an associates? People judge Psychology Bachelors because there are many people who choose to study psychology because it is a universal major and it doesn't require that many prerequisites; however, there is a difference between majoring in psychology and working in the field of therapy and behavior sciences. Which brings me to the reason why I wouldn't advise completing a full psychology bachelors online. Working as a counselor would be extremely difficult, if not impossible in most cases, with only a bachelors. Experience and application are vital to attending graduate schools and there isn't much you can learn about practice and application on a computer screen. You most likely wouldn't be able to find any research experience or internships either.
If your ultimate goal is in guidance counseling, you're going to want to end up with an M.Ed (Masters of Education) focused on counseling. Another possibility is the MSW (Master of Social Work) as many schools employ social workers in the role of counseling students. While either of those two degrees will be more useful going for a career as a guidance counselor, the MSW might have a slight edge in terms of the flexibility of what you can do with it, as social workers can work as therapists, or in various social service roles (worlking with the elderly, with children in child protection or foster care, with people in hospitals... quite a variety of things.) The M.Ed will have a more limited scope of practice. There's also the route of going into psychology, but honestly, unless you're going all the way for the Ph.D (a lot of schooling and a lot of $), the MSW has a wider scope and a lot more flexibilty and job options than the equivalent masters in psychology or MFT. So the undergrad degree plays a role here, but it is mostly a means to an end: You can't get into a masters program without having completed a bachelors, but the bachelors itself won't get you anywhere in terms of getting a job in counseling. Here's an option I'd consider: There are three schools, Charter Oak State College, Thomas Edison State College, and Excelsior College, that allow you to earn all (or almost all) of your credits online, or through exams, or by demonstrating competence. All three are properly accredited by the same accreditors as Harvard, Yale, and the like, Charter Oak and Edison are part of their respective state school systems (Connecticut and New Jersey, respectively). And the programs are cheap: If you do it all through exams, you can get a four-year bachelors degree for under $6000 or so, all in, and in most cases, in less time than it would take to do through a 4 year school. For the masters, there are a lot of options, but there are several online MSW programs I know of that aren't terribly expensive. The MSW will be a two-year degree unless you earn a BSW (which none of the three schools I mentioned offer) and then the MSW gives you advanced standing and is only a year. I know a little about Darton. It's a respected school, but it's a much more traditionally focused program than the three I mentioned, meaning, you will have to go for the full 4 years or thereabouts to earn the degree, and it will almost certailny be more expensive than the other route. THe flip side is... the more traditional class structure does give you a richer education... but if the primary goal is to get to the masters program, which is where the real education for your career will happen... either will be fine.
When looking at reviews for a course, the important thing to sift out is information on the quality of the material and teaching. There will always be people who have dislikes for various subjects saying they are boring or a waste of time (to be fair though, some are a waste of time but I'm not talking what you are looking at here), as long as you know what you are aiming to achieve with your degree then I wouldn't worry what others think of the subject. Again, you want a course with good tutors who are helpful and know their stuff and a quality curriculum that covers all the knowledge would need to carry your qualification forward into a job or the next level of training. The one thing I would ask about counceling is do you need to be on a course with practical elements in order to get hands on training and experience? I don't know myself, but it's something worth considering. Hope it goes well. Happy days
Haha, I will keep that in mind:lol: I agree, what I was planning on dong is receiving my associates degree in Psychology and then finding a job with social services and or the like, then go for my masters(Checked GA state requirements and that is a requirement). That way I will have some experience dealing with people of all different backgrounds and ethnicity. Thanks Chip, I will take a the schools you listed and see what I can find out and what will work best for me, the reason I was doing online classes in the first place, instead of going to school traditionally, is because I have a full time job and it doesn't flex nor will it flex for me to attend school without going online. I will also take a closer look at the MSW, seeing as it does seem to hold a broader range of options than the alternative would. Thanks for your time and advice, I still have some time to decide on the route, so I will definitely look into what all you have suggested.:icon_bigg Yes, I believe so, thus why I am hoping as I earn an associates degree in the field, I can get a job as a social worker or something of the sort, that way I can receive the hands on training and experience, while going to school to finish up my degree and move on the my main goal, which is counseling.
I was going to offer some advice to your post but looks like you have already gotten some sound advice that I totally agree with. Keep dreaming big and stay proud of who you are!