Award-Winning Psychology Tutors

A multifaceted discipline, psychology involves the study of the mind and behavior from a scientific point of view. Modern psychology has emerged and advanced in just the past 150 years. Yet there are many sub-fields covering various interests. Psychology includes human development and applies to cognitive processes, social behavior, and treatments in health and clinical settings. It's even important in training and motivating athletes in a range of different sports. Back in Ancient Greece, psychology was viewed more from a philosophical perspective, especially by thinkers including Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Even in those times, philosophers pondered complex things such as attraction and memory, which many modern psychologists are interested in today.

In a present-day academic psychology program, you may be required to study the following:

Psychology Degree Courses

• General Psychology
• History of Psychology
• Statistics
• Sociology
• Experimental Psychology
• Physiological Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Abnormal Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Personality Psychology
• Experimental Methods
• Sensation and Perception
• Psychology of Learning

Working with a psychology tutor can help you understand the subject from your own perspective. Classroom instruction doesn't always reach every student the same way. To address this, your psychology tutor can customize your study plan based on what you already know. This saves time as familiar topics don't need to be rehashed, but with psychology tutoring, you receive lessons on material you need the most help with. There's no rush either. Your psychology tutor can explain topics and carry out exercises at your pace, until you fully grasp what you are studying. Once you do, the "psychology tutor near me" you were looking for can move on to the next topic.

Whether you're in AP Psychology or taking a college course in the subject, psychology tutoring can focus on behavior, learning, cognition, and other fundamental topics, or how the field has evolved over the years. There are various psychological perspectives. Each has its own assumptions of why people act the way they do and how to conduct studies. Some branches involve studying the brain, while others focus on culture and society as influences on human behavior.

In the 1960's, the idea of psychology as a science emerged. Prior to that, there were different opinions and theories. William James, an American psychologist, is known for his approach called functionalism. He believed the mind is constantly changing and experiential factors were not significant influences. But psychologists were looking for how and why any organism acts a certain way, and the underlying causes of behavior and mental processes involved. Structuralism, pioneered by Wilhelm Wundt, focused on researching subjects' mental processes while they performed different tasks. Individual variations in experiences and the research made introspection an unreliable method. However, Wundt is credited with separating psychology from philosophy and objectively analyzing the human mind. He opened the first psychology-based laboratory in 1879.

What psychology is today is a science that investigates the causes of behavior. To perform such investigations, systematic and objective procedures are used. Psychologists can, therefore, measure, analyze, interpret, and explain their findings as well as make predictions. From behaviorists to modern cognitive psychology, this science covers many aspects of the human condition.

Below is a look at what a typical psychology course may cover:

College-Level Introduction to Psychology Topics (non-comprehensive)

• The evolution of psychology
• The research enterprise in psychology
• Biological bases of behavior
• Sensation and perception
• Variations in consciousness
• Learning through conditioning
• Human memory
• Cognition and intelligence
• Motivation and emotion
• Human development across the lifespan
• Personality: Theory, research, and assessment
• Social Behavior
• Stress, coping and health
• Psychological disorders
• Treatment of psychological disorders

Psychology and Testing

When you study psychology, you'll take various tests throughout your academic career, including some standardized tests. Your psychology tutor can help you prepare for these exams in many different ways. First, they can offer a comprehensive review of the content to be tested. Then they can go over the structure of the exam, the wording and format of the questions, and the schedule of the day of the test. Finally, they can introduce test-taking strategies that could help you do your best on the exam.

By learning everything possible about the exam up front, a lot of anxiety can be mitigated. If you still have testing anxiety, your tutor can show you some relaxation techniques to use during the exam that won't be distracting to you or your fellow test-takers, but that can help center and ground you so you can focus on doing your best on the exam.

If you find it difficult to finish practice tests or sections within the required time limits, your tutor can offer suggestions on how to increase your pace. You can practice different strategies until you find what works for you, and your tutor can assess your improvement over time.

There are certain things to know about a test that are specific to that test only. For example, if you don't know the answer to the question, can you affect your score positively by answering with your best guess or by skipping the question? The answer isn't always the same, but your knowledgeable psychology tutor can let you know how the scoring works on the test you're taking.

Some standardized exams you may take as a psychology student include:

• AP Psychology – AP classes give high school students the opportunity to take introductory-level college classes to earn credits that could allow them to skip the most basic classes in psychology when they enter college. Topics covered in this class include the scientific foundations of psychology, sensation and perception, cognitive and developmental psychology, and motivation, emotion, and personality.
• Introductory Psychology CLEP – CLEP exams allow students to earn credits for what they've learned in high school or life experience, helping them save time and money by testing out of certain classes. Some topics on this exam include the biological bases of behavior, neuroanatomy, perceptual development, classical and operant conditioning, and more.
• Introduction to Educational Psychology CLEP – The focus of this test is cognition, teaching methods, child development, and learning assessment. Some of the topics that are assessed include cognitive and behavioral perspectives, cognitive and social development, learned helplessness, and individual differences.

During the exam, you won't only have to be familiar with the concepts and theories taught in your class. You will also need to compare and interpret them. In some cases, you'll even be required to apply scientific methods to back your answers. Since so much of psychology is based on research, you should expect to be tested on your analytical abilities as well. That's why you should work with your psychology tutor to start covering various psychological perspectives early on.

Why Put Your Energy into a Psychology Degree?

Psychologists can apply their skills in many different settings. By refining these skills with psychology tutoring, you can become better prepared for a career as a clinician who can administer and score psychological testing. Your psychology tutor may provide discrete examples to give you a better idea of where things may be heading. Other professionals who may apply psychology include substance abuse counselors who help patients recovering from alcohol or drug addiction. While you might work in a clinical setting, the coursework psychology tutoring focuses on may prepare you to work in a human resources department, screening and recruiting applicants and measuring the performance of employees.

There are also marriage and family therapists, experimental psychologists involved in research or laboratory work, forensic psychologists who work in the criminal justice system, and sports psychologists concerned with the performance of athletes. They often work alongside coaches to train and rehabilitate athletes and also help build teams. An I-O psychologist studies behavior in the workplace; this is part of industrial and organizational psychology, which deals with employee productivity, motivation, and training. They may also match certain employees with the right jobs.

Psychology is indeed becoming a more popular subject. Statistics reflect that many more students may require a psychology tutor. In fact, psychology tutors may be finding more opportunities for work because of the increasing number of students seeking master's degrees and doctorates in the field. If you have been on the hunt for "psychology tutors near me," you are not alone. To learn more about the most recent statistics, check out the data below:

Psychology Degree Statistics

• Doctorates in Psychology
  • 2004
    • 4,933 degrees awarded
  • 2013
    • 6,496 degrees awarded
  • 32% increase
• Master's degrees in Psychology
  • 2004
    • 18,547 degrees awarded
  • 2013
    • 28,462 degrees awarded
  • 54% increase
• Psychology made up 6.2% the 1.84 million bachelor's degrees awarded in 2013
• 26.7% of Psychology bachelor's degree recipients work in the field
• 45.3% of Psychology bachelor's degree recipients go on to earn a graduate degree in Psychology

These statistics mean that many students are attracted to the career potential in this discipline. Many of these fields are large and growing. That means if you wanted to become a clinical psychologist, a school counselor, psychiatrist, or educational psychologist who develops learning materials based on their understanding of human learning, you are likely to find opportunities thanks to the help of your psychology tutor.

What If I Don't Have Time for Psychology Tutoring?

Don't think that a busy schedule means you won't find and benefit from "psychology tutoring near me." In fact, such a search is worthwhile when you contact Varsity Tutors. We can not only quickly find you the right tutor, but also one with a flexible schedule. Meet online with your psychology tutor who can set up study sessions when you're available. Our Live Learning Platform makes the process much easier as well. An intuitive interface and live interaction enable comprehensive lessons and study sessions to be held.

In short, there's always time for tutoring. You might be discouraged in your search for "psychology tutors near me" if there's limited opportunity. But with our vast network of resources, we can connect you with the right tutor who can address your needs. Whether you're taking an AP class in high school, seeking a college degree in psychology, or intent on pursuing a career that requires a solid background in psychology, there are psychology tutors available who can assist you in striving for these goals.

Psychology is a multifaceted discipline that has evolved rapidly over recent years. It applies to clinical settings as much as in the workplace, academia, and forensics among many other professions. Thanks to Varsity Tutors, your exhaustive search is over. We are ready to connect you with a tutor who has the experience to help you learn classroom topics, shore up any gaps in understanding, and prepare for the AP Psychology exam. If you're ready to get on the road to improvement, feel free to contact us today.