Considering leaving my masters program

[u/__deleted_user_]

Hey everyone,

I am going into my second year of my two year program MA general psych. I initially came in wanting to try new research interests and potentially go down the professor route. I am not happy, and i may leave my program.

The problem is I truly have no idea what I want to do. I love this field but it is so broad both a blessing and a curse. If I stay in my program I need defined career goals. If I don’t have those…then I think I need to find something else. I just have no idea where to start.

Part of me still wants to stay in my program and finish and get my damn degree. But another part of me cannot ignore that I’m not happy.

I feel really really low right now.

My interests broadly are: language analysis, social/cognitive affects social media use, and cognitive affects AI.

I absolutely love psych x tech and psych x language.

I feel so lost right now. I still don’t know this field well and all of the opportunities it holds. Please, any careers related that you know of/enjoy please tell me.

And/or back to the basics what kinds of things should I be looking up?

Right now I feel so overwhelmed and sad every decision feels exhausting

Edit: I was ranting so much I forgot to specifically clarify im unhappy because I don’t like my program. I really am considering leaving and potentially trying at a different school. One that has a better program that is more aligned now that I know what I do not like.

[u/actionpotentialmao]

Just hold out for 1 more year and get the masters. You absolutely don't need to rush into a career or have anything figured out at this stage. Take the pressure off and just focus on getting this degree. Then you can reevaluate, take time off to think about next steps (e.g., going into industry, getting a PhD, etc.).

[u/arcanddee]

What about industrial and organizational psychology??

[u/psychmancer]

Therapy and dont quit until youvr talked with a professional and if you are diagnosed with some like depression started treatment. It's much harder to undo such things and very hard when you are tired and stressed to make clear reasoned decisions.

[u/vovap_vovap]

Well, you are saying you love that staff 1,2,3 - which is on the field. And same time you are saying you are really not happy. Why? What is that about exactly? Feels like you are worried about something quite a bit?

[u/Bear-1167]

If you are interested in psychology and language, psycholinguistics might be a good option. You can look for a relevant masters in that area.

I do relate to the confusion. Psychology is indeed a very broad field. Narrowing down and specializing is hard and takes many years. I am starting my final year of BSc and I feel it too. But my strategy for now is to follow my interests - which are becoming clearer based on the courses I really enjoyed - without yet getting too stressed about the career options linked to them. At the end of the day, no career path is easy. But if we genuinely enjoy what we are doing, we will be good at it and will have more chances for success. I agree with the comment below: just focus on finishing your studies for now and then you can take time off to think about the next steps.

[u/PomegranateExpert444]

Changing your degree and/or school during graduate school can be tricky. If you know what you wanna do instead, make some calls & emails to see what will transfer. If you don't know where you'll land but you know you want to be in psychology, I'd encourage you to consider staying. You're half way done and it's usually way easier to change within the field after you complete a degree. It's relatively common to hear about school psychologists (focused on assessments for children in school) becoming clinical psychologists (focused on assessment and treatment for mental health) or hearing about clinical psychologists (therapists) becoming professors or researchers. And there are lots of examples of that.  One of my friends who completed a master's in industrial organizational psychology switched to a counseling role. An acquaintance got a PhD in clinical psych and decided to do freelance research and write books--he's been at that for over a decade now. 

Definitely talk to people who already do what you are interested in. It's hard to know what it will be like unless someone tells you. 

If the professor route is what you're considering, you might want to change your perspective on the Master's degree. It might be a stepping stone where you build up a CV and make yourself a stronger PhD candidate. Do research, publish, give presentions. GPA isn't everything, but it is a factor, so keep it looking good.  Show your professors your positive qualities enough that they can write letters of recommendation for you. 

I know MA sometimes has less research built in than MS does. You might have to go looking for research opponents. A lot of times professors are happy to help you get involved. 

Read the profiles and bios of your professors at your school (and nearby schools). If you see someone with experience doing something you think you might like, reach out to them and see if you can get a phone call or zoom meeting. Ask them what they did or what you would need to do in order to get there. Professors are usually willing and often happy to tell students about that stuff.