Siren_Cytherea's advice column

askSiren_Cytherea

advice column ask question view feedback favorite columnist advicenators

Q: Hello, female, seventeen, going to be a freshmen in college. I had originally planned to be a teacher, elementary to be exact, then at orientation they said that special education is a good choice as well because the economy is in dire need of special education teachers. Now, I had my second orientation this past weekend and I had switched to special education. I came home and read about it after I sat through all the classes with all the info thrown at me and the number one thing I read is "if you want to be a special education teacher, your heart HAS to be in it because the pay is terrible". I also have to have 4 clearences before the summer is up, 20 hours of observation over a group of mentally challenged students, keep a 3.0 all 4 years of school (I'm an average student, not a genius but not F worthy, I get c's, so the 3.0 is stressing me out) and I can't get caught at parties or I will have to change my major. That is a lot of qualifications to follow just to be a teacher. I think that since I am second guessing this whole situation, that my heart isn't fully into it. Don't get me wrong, I love kids but I don't think I have to patience to be a special education teacher, I read while I was researching that it is a very rewarding job but I also read a blog of a special education teacher whom just retired, she said there was not a day of work where she was not stressing over something, a lesson, a student, a fight a student might get into and that scares me because I want to have fun at work, not worry about things such as that. The market for a teacher is also very competitive, my spanish teacher in my senior year of high school said one of the spanish teachers is retiring so they had interviews for a new one, 67 teachers were interviewed for one spot. Some school districts also only hire adults who graduated from their school, if that's the case, I can only apply to one school.. that's insane. I was talking to me brother's girlfriend who started off as an education major as well, she said she was so stressed about the major and could not live up to all the expectations that she switched her major to psychology, she wants to be a child psychologist; her father commit suicide when she was very young so she wants to be able to help kids who are going through tragedies in their lives, I think that's a noble job and that she made the right decision. She also told me with a master's in education, you are limited to job opportunities that a massive amount of people are trying to get as well. With psychology, she can get numerous jobs and still work around kids which is what I really want to do. So my questions are, do you think I should stay with my major? If not, what majors can I do that will allow me to work with children? What jobs can I get with psychology? Thank you for your time!

You might consider a social work degree, if your school supports it. Psychology is very science-related. Social work, though, is more about helping families and children and individuals. Social work also stops at a Master's degree - MSW, after which you can get a license to practice, have a caseload, and even your own business, which you can't do with a Psych degree until you have a doctorate.
If you want to do counseling and aren't deeply passionate about the innerworkings of the brain and/or research, go for social work. Psychology is not a fall-back degree.
Sociology is more of the science of social systems, culture, society, etc. I took a sociology class, and we talked about what constituted a culture, where we thought our society was leading, and the differences in cultures and society around the world.
It really sounds to me like, if you don't want to go for teaching, you want social work.
BUT
If you want to be a teacher, pursue it! Just because things suck right now doesn't mean they will when you're ready to teach. Don't go in with the assumption that you're setting your future up to fail. There are so many factors that go into your future, and the most important of them is passion. Never go for a degree you're not passionate about. A BA nowadays is nothing in most fields, and further education is emotionally trying, expensive, and... well, basically, you have to really love what you're doing, or you'll burn out fast.
If you're passionate about what you do, the people you want to work for will see it. It will come out in interviews, and they'll want you.

Be confident and have some faith in yourself. Pursue what you love. :)

Siren

Rating: 5

Thank you SO much!

bio

I'm a laid-back 26 year old with a Psychology BA, starting my MA program, and working my way into the field as quickly as I can. It took me an extra Bachelor's degree (in vocal performance and creative writing) to figure it out, but I was put on this Earth to help, to heal, and to love.

I have made the decision to dedicate my life and career to helping others. I am here to do just that.

I've been a member since 2004, and since I signed up, I've gone through quite a lot and learned quite a lot from it. I'm here to give guidance where I had none; no one should have to go through the difficulties I went through alone.

Feel free to visit my website/blog, if you want to read my experience with domestic violence and my thoughts on it.

***While I do tend to answer mental health and other health-related or medicine-related questions, I am by NO MEANS a licensed physician or practitioner of any sort. Any and all advice I give for these questions is from my own experience or studies.***

If you need to get a hold of me quickly, my screen name on AIM is SirenCytherea. Just let me know you found me here.

I'm a strong believer in the idea that there are no stupid questions except the ones left unasked, so, please, keep an open mind, heart, and mouth.

Siren