Okay, so I wanted to major in psychology at Binghamton, and let me tell you, it was a bit of a process figuring it all out. First off, I had to get my head around the basic requirements.
I started by digging through Binghamton’s website, you know, the usual stuff, to find what they expect from psychology majors. They have this whole section on their site about it. Turns out, you need 35 credit hours total, which breaks down into 11 courses. Most of these are three credits each, so it’s a pretty standard setup.
The Core Four
Then there’s the “core four” as I started calling them. These are four specific courses you gotta take, and you need at least a 2.5 GPA in them. One of them is ULC 148, which is basically Algebra and Trigonometry or something harder. I had to make sure my math was up to par, which, thankfully, it was. But, this part was crucial. I had to do well, to get into the upper-level courses.
- ULC 148 – Algebra and Trigonometry (or a higher math course)
- PSYC 111
- PSYC 243
- Another one I can’t remember right now but it’s on their site
Declaring the Major
Declaring the major itself? That was actually easier than I thought. I just had to fill out this Psychology Declaration of Major Form. You can do it anytime, but I figured sooner rather than later was best. But, and this is a big but, you need a C or higher in both PSYC 111 and PSYC 243 to really move forward in the major. I made sure to hit those marks because I didn’t want any roadblocks.
I also had a meeting with an advisor. I wanted to know all the requirements, and the meeting was very helpful. The advisor was super helpful, laying out everything I needed to do. They even gave me a sheet listing all the elective options, including some science and math courses outside of psychology. Just a heads-up, independent study and supervised teaching don’t count towards those electives. Bummer, I know.
Staying on Top of It All
Keeping organized was key. I made a spreadsheet of all the courses I needed, deadlines, everything. It sounds nerdy, but it helped a ton. Plus, I made sure to really understand the material, not just memorize it. I tried relating the theories to real-life examples. It made studying easier and way more interesting.
And hey, I found out that you need at least 16 credits of your major to be taken while you’re actually at Binghamton. Makes sense, they want you to really be part of the community. I planned my schedule to make sure I met that, no problem.
So yeah, that’s my story of getting into the psychology major at Binghamton. It wasn’t just a walk in the park, but it wasn’t climbing Mount Everest either. If you plan it out and stay focused, it’s totally doable. And honestly, it’s been worth it. The program is great, and I’ve learned so much already.
