Your first year at Kalamazoo College is a time to build breadth, explore interests, and develop skills, rather than specializing in your intended major. As a student interested in Psychology, you should take Psychology 101 during your first year. We also recommend taking Math 105 or Math 260 and one 200-level Psychology course (if scheduling permits) during the first year.

Although it is good to get some additional exposure to a Psychology course beyond PSYC 101 to solidify your choice of major, we advise against loading up on Psychology courses during your first year. You will get more out of your Psychology courses if you wait to take them until you have a little more college experience behind you.

So what should you take as first year student? We recommend:

1) A foreign language. In addition to satisfying the foreign language graduation requirement, exposure to a foreign language is invaluable toward expanding your communication skills, cultural understanding, and logical/analytical skills that will be invaluable in any career that comes from a Psychology major.

2) Any course that builds writing skills. Consider an English creative writing course that will sharpen your ability to write in different genres for different audiences or a course in Religion, Philosophy, or History that will help you develop your ability to craft an effective argument.

3) Any course that builds logical and analytical thinking skills. Consider a Philosophy course, a Math course, or a Computer Science course.

4) Any course that builds technological skills. Consider a course in graphic design/digital art or computer science.

5) Any course that expands your knowledge of the physical or social world. Consider a course in Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Political Science, or Sociology/Anthropology.

6) Any course that you are interested in! As the study of human behavior, Psychology is informed by many other disciplines. As undergraduates, members of the Psychology faculty at K majored or minored in Music, Biology, Communication, Creative Writing, Political Science, and Anthropology! We all feel the influence of these other disciplines in our current work on a daily basis.