For a few months, I did dwell on the idea of going to uni and study psychology. After doing my research and asking people about the details of working in a clinic or a private praxis, I decided against it. I will continue to explore the field … but on my own terms. These are my reasons for stepping away.

  • You can only work with the specific methods you have learned during study – no deviation. I don’t want to get stuck in this framework.
  • I am not willing to do the tight and limited work required in a clinic which is mostly tests, filling out forms and writing appraisals.
  • There are more restrictions: If I study in germany, I can only work in this country as a clinical psychologist. What if I want to move?
  • I did not reach for the highest NC during my times at high school. Which is now hindering quick access to study psychology in germany.
  • Which means there would be a waiting period after sending an application to uni. So, the time till I can do practical work is extended.
  • The whole process can take between five and ten years. It gets worse … after finishing study, the permit to work is limited by age.
  • It seems that academia, today, is not a space of thriving mastery. You have to regurgitate the past, play it safe and never try to innovate.
  • There is a risk of losing the license for clinical psychology after all, since I am not uniform enough, not mainstream enough.
  • As proof of intelligence – you have to write in an exaggerated overcomplicated manner, which nobody outside of academia understands.
  • Being ostracized while studying at uni and later in a clinic is not something I am looking forward to … as the oddball autist.
  • I come from poverty, so the probability to survive the tight hierarchy and the highly competitive setup in academia is slim.
  • And finally, you have to do math while studying psychology. I can do neither statistic nor stochastic. Therefore, it’s a NO for me.