Okay, so today I wanna chat about my experience diving into psychology at Fresno State. It was a trip, man, a real learning curve.
First off, I remember when I applied. Figured, “Hey, psychology, understanding people, sounds kinda cool.” I filled out the app, wrote some essay about wanting to help folks, hit submit. Then came the waiting game, refreshing my email like a maniac. Finally got the acceptance, and I was stoked! Officially a Fresno State Bulldog!
The first semester? Woah. Intro to Psych was HUGE. Like, auditorium-sized huge. The professor was a cool dude, Dr. Ramirez, super passionate. He’d be bouncing around, telling stories, trying to make Freud and Skinner interesting. It kinda worked. Started learning about different theories, research methods, all that jazz. Honestly, a lot of memorization at the beginning.
Then came the real work. We had to participate in research studies. Which was kinda weird at first. I remember one where they tracked our eye movements while we looked at pictures. Another was a memory test, which I totally bombed, haha. But it was cool to see the whole process firsthand, how researchers gather data and try to figure stuff out.
The upper-division courses were where things got interesting. I took abnormal psychology, which was fascinating and a little disturbing, gotta admit. Learning about different mental disorders, the symptoms, the treatments… It really makes you think. Also took social psychology, which was all about how people influence each other. That one was super relevant to everyday life, seeing how advertising, peer pressure, and group dynamics affect our behavior.
One of the best things I did was join the Psychology Club. We had guest speakers, movie nights (think psychological thrillers, obviously), and volunteer opportunities. Met a lot of like-minded people, made some good friends. We even organized a fundraising event for a local mental health organization.
I also did an internship at a counseling center. That was a game-changer. It was tough, dealing with people’s problems firsthand. But it was also incredibly rewarding to see how therapy could help people overcome their challenges. I learned so much about active listening, empathy, and professional boundaries.
Challenges? Oh yeah, there were plenty. Stats was a killer. I’m not a math person, so trying to understand standard deviations and p-values was rough. Had to spend a lot of time in the tutoring center. And then there were the research papers. So much reading! So much writing! But I learned how to do proper research, cite sources, and construct a coherent argument.
And let’s not forget the existential crises. Learning about all the messed-up stuff people go through can take a toll. You start questioning everything, wondering about your own sanity. But it also makes you more compassionate and understanding.
Looking back, getting my psychology degree at Fresno State was one of the best decisions I ever made. It wasn’t always easy, but it was definitely worth it. I learned a ton about myself, about others, and about the human condition. And it opened up a lot of doors for me, career-wise.
Now I’m working as a research assistant at a local hospital, helping with studies on addiction. It’s challenging, but I love it. I’m using what I learned in school every day. And I’m making a difference, even in a small way. So yeah, that’s my Fresno State psychology story. Hope it was somewhat interesting!
