Psychology....

Psychology is the science of the mind.
The different disciplines of psychology are extremely wide-ranging. They include:

Clinical psychology
Cognitive psychology: memory
Cognitive psychology: intelligence
Developmental psychology
Evolutionary psychology
Forensic psychology
Health psychology
Neuropsychology
Occupational psychology
Social psychology

What all these different approaches to psychology have in common is a desire to explain the behaviour of individuals based on the workings of the mind. And in every area, psychologists apply scientific methodology. They formulate theories, test hypotheses through observation and experiment, and analyse the findings with statistical techniques that help them identify important findings.
(Quoted fr http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/mind/articles/
psychology/what_is_psychology.shtml)

psychology
noun [U]
the scientific study of the way the human mind works and how it influences behaviour, or the influence of a particular person's character on their behaviour.

psychic (KNOWING)
adjective
having a special mental ability, for example so that you are able to know what will happen in the future or know what people are thinking.

(Quoted fr
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=63866&ph=on)

Was discussing wif my friend aka psy-mate abt psy somehow....we always meet wif a situation when we tell pple tt we study psychology:

Scene 1 Act 1
Stranger or friends or any1 (F): So wat did u study in U??
Me: Psychology

F takes a big step back: so u know wat i'm tinking abt rite now rite????

F wide-eyed....

Me: No i dun...tt's wat a psychic do by e way....

F (evil grin): So wat m i tinking rite now???

F laughs.....

Me as usual roll my eyes trying 2 act as polite as possible....

Me: seriously, i can't read minds. if i cld i wldn't b here.(thinking 2 myself tis must b e ultimate times tt i've came across tis situation....& i'm gg 2 smack e next person who use tt as a pick-up line....)

F: so wat do u study in psychology?? crazy pple?? do u work in a mental hospital?

Me: basically, i do research most o e time. in NUS especially, we focus more on e stats. & i dun work in a mental hospital. tt particular branch of psychology is under abnormal psy or usu pple who study clinical psy in particular.

F: so wat can u do? can u tell wat pple r gg 2 do or tink?

Me rolling my eyes yet again......

Me: Basically we can venture into any areas. I've not specialise in any particular area as yet. I'm still exploring but i'm pretty much interested in forensic psy, bio psy & social psy, in particular personality, at tis moment in time. & i can't tell wat pple r gg 2 do or tink. i presume tt wld b e job o a psychic....a pity but i'm not.

F: so do u c patients who lie on e lounge sofa??? i had a dream last nite, mayb u can decipher it 4 me??

Me rolling my eyes yet again....

Me: Generally tt's a misconception. Psychologist or psychiatrist generally dun c patients tt way. but i can't really give u details on tt since i've never worked in such a setting b4. I believe tt wld b a practise by Freudian followers in e past. & also a general portrayal by movie directors & such. for the part on dream analysis, i've generally not much contact/exposure. i believe it is a freudian kind o stuff. i've limited knowledge in it.

F still in world o his/her own, not hearing e facts/words by Me....

F: so so if i have any problems, like mental problems i can come 2 u rite?? free consultation?? dun charge me la....

Me: Basically i wld b glad 2 lend u my listening ear. but i'm not train in counselling...i can only give u my 2cents worth o advice if i had any...i'm pretty much a nut case myself.....hahaha....& btw, i'm not qualified 2 b a psychologist yet. u need 2 at least possess a masters' or at least have worked 4 a few yrs in order 2 b able 2 do so.....

F: so u do all those social work kind o thing la???

Me: Basically we can venture into that but social work is different fr psychology. Generally i guess it's cos o e lack o psychological positions tt's y a lot o psy graduates go into them. but for social work, i tink u shld do a degree on tt instead o psy if u r really into social work.

F: so u dun do social work or work in mental hospitals??? so wat can u do then??? u can't even tell wat pple r tinking.....

Me: yeah i agree, wat can i do?? i've no idea either....

End of Scene 1 Act 1.