A student’s aspiration to heal minds and pursue psychology

Today’s students are increasingly career-oriented from a young age, driven by exposure to diverse fields and early goal setting. With clarity of purpose and focused ambition, many begin planning their academic and professional journeys well before graduation. Meet Shrija Saharia, who has recently gone to Class XII and studies at Apeejay School, Noida, and is pursuing Commerce with Psychology.

In a candid interview, she talks about making a career in psychology.

What are your plans?

I want to pursue a career in Psychology. In addition, I plan to be involved in my father’s business. He owns a marble mine, and while I’m not very interested in the business, I’ll try to handle it along with my Psychology career.

What got you interested in Psychology?

I’ve found Psychology fascinating ever since Class VIII. I’ve watched movies where people visit therapists, and I’ve always been the one person in my group who listens to everyone’s problems and tries to help them. I’m the “mom” of the group! When I read what Psychology is about — what we study and the careers one can pursue — I knew this was for me.

What traits do you think one must have to be a good psychologist?

I think basic empathy is something every human has, and that’s the main quality you need. But it’s also important to maintain boundaries and have control over your emotions. Someone with a very soft heart may not be able to handle the emotional weight of being a psychologist. You need to be strong-hearted.

Have you decided on your academic path in Psychology?

The plan is to do a BA (H) in Psychology, followed by a Master’s and maybe a PhD. After my master’s, I’ll probably specialise in a branch like counselling or clinical psychology, but I haven’t made a final decision yet. I’ll also pursue my bachelor’s in India, but for my master’s or PhD, I plan to go abroad.

What’s your advice to today’s students for maintaining mental health?

Don’t believe everything you see online. Stop comparing yourself to influencers — their lives are so filtered and edited. You can’t expect to look like them or live like them. Everyone has their strengths. Just because someone is good academically doesn’t mean they’re better than you. That kind of comparison, especially driven by social media, is toxic.

How do you personally stay away from that negativity?

I compare, but I remind myself not to. I have a very loving family and close friends I can talk to. That helps a lot. Sometimes, all you need is a third-person perspective to make sense of your thoughts.