Rwiti Bhattacharya, a former student of Sushila Birla Girls’ School in Calcutta, is yet to zero in on the right college for herself. She is undecided about whether she wants to join an institution in Bangalore or Delhi. The only thing that she is sure of is the subject she wants to major in — psychology.

Rwiti had wanted to graduate in psychology since she was in high school; she opted out of studying science in her Plus Two grades despite scoring over 95 per cent in her Class X board exam. “For a short while, I dithered between psychology and sociology but finally settled for the former,” says the girl who maintained her high scores in Class XII.

Her classmate Sarah Saifee shares her love of the subject. “Psychology is a popular choice among undergraduate students this year. A large number of my friends, including those from other streams, are applying for the subject,” says Sarah. Colleges in Calcutta as well have also seen a rise in applications for the subject.

Saranya Batra, a former student of La Martiniere for Girls in Calcutta, has already got through University College of London. “Whether I opt for a career in counselling or sales and marketing, knowledge of psychology will always help,” she says.

All the three girls agree that psychology has opened up a lot of career opportunities for students in recent times. “Its knowledge is required in almost every industry now,” points out Rwiti.

Academicians and experts agree that the subject is slowly becoming a top choice among students. The pandemic-induced lockdown and resultant widespread discussions on mental health have prompted many youngsters to choose psychology.

“In 2003, there were just 17 of us pursuing a master’s degree in psychology from Calcutta University. There were only three colleges and one university in Bengal that offered the subject. Now, psychology is offered by at least five universities and many colleges, both public and private,” says clinical psychologist Sreemoyee Tarafder, the coordinator of the psychology department at the West Bengal State University (WBSU). According to her, the waiting list for both post and undergraduate courses at her campus usually crosses 150.

“Students, a rising number of them from the districts, are interested in the different specialisations of psychology. Discussions on mental health are taking place at every level and on all platforms. The subject’s reach and scope have definitely increased in the last two years,” adds Tarafder.

After completing postgraduation in psychology from the WBSU in 2019, Jayantika Chakraborty is working on artificial intelligence projects for an IT company. She is also curating content for a mental health app. “I am pursuing a PhD from Clark University in Massachusetts in the US. I am specialising in cognitive psychology. I became aware of the different options I could explore only in my third year at Loreto College. A student can now have a career in cognitive psychology, experimental-social psychology, political psychology and research or developmental psychology, among others,” said Jayantika. She feels that her MA degree gives her an edge at Clark. “Some universities offer you a PhD right after graduation. But it’s always better to finish postgraduation first. The more you study the subject, the greater clarity will you gain. Students need to know that clinical psychology is not the end of the road and our country offers a lot of opportunities too,” adds Jayantika, who also opted to take up Arts at the Plus Two stage despite her high percentage in Class X.

Students of private institutions are also getting younger. According to clinical psychologist Devleena G., her institution, Kornash: The

Lifestyle Management School in Calcutta, is seeing younger students for crash courses in counselling. “Earlier, my students were mainly professionals looking for an alternative career or a new perspective. Now, about half are pursuing a degree in psychology from a university. Mental health awareness has increased and so has the demand for psychology and related disciplines,” she adds.

Vartika Bhalotia is looking for some extra knowledge in counselling while she earns a degree in psychology from Bryant University in Rhode Island, US. “I have been stuck in India since March. I opted for a foundation course in counselling for a better perspective. I want to practise counselling in India and for that I need a deeper understanding of the issues here,” she says.

Agnish Ray, a Class XI student of Cambridge International School in Calcutta, has already decided he wants to get into research after pursuing a degree in the subject. “All of us are now more aware of mental health issues. Students are talking about such issues and reading up on them on the Internet. People are not reticent about seeking help any more. There needs to be enough professionals around to cater to this rising demand,” he says.

The flexibility of the discipline has also not gone unnoticed. The ability to study and work online in this field is turning out to be a huge draw as well.