Spanish...

[mattm]

RW, hit it on the head.  A minor will to you no good or harm.  I know tons of people that have 4X the amount of spanish formal education than me, but I can speak more from growing up on a ranch.  

Read, write and speak it and you open up countless opportunities with or without a degree in spanish.  I doubt you open up any avenues though without a degree in biology.  In that case you have to have the degree.  Can you imagine telling your prospective employer that you know you don't have your degree in biology, but you are fluent in it.  The degree matters in one case and not in the other.

[Dan:]

I can speak spanish and arabic. I took spanish 1 and 2 in highschool and became fluent in the military. Arabic I learned on my own through 3 deployments to Iraq and Rosetta stone. I have huge amounts of training in Intelligence work through 5 years in the USMC. I also have a TS-SCI security clearence. My training cost the government over $250,000 (including all the investigations for the clearance). This all combined amounts to very little in the civilian job market. Anything outside of military contracting or a job with homeland security does not need my skill set. This is why I am continuing my education. My point is, your degree is going to be in Psychology, from an employment perspective which do you think will compliment the Psych degree best?

All I can really offer is to know what you want to do and take the minor that will best fit to exactly what your shooting for to make yourself the most marketable you possibly can. You need to be able to distinguish yourself from the other 50 applicants for a position.

In all honesty I don't know enough about Psych to offer educated input. If your not in a location where you will be counceling Spanish only speakers I don't see how a Spanish minor will be worth its weight. I don't see how biology would compliment it either but this is something you should look into. Maybe go and meet up with a Psychologist who does what you are wanting to do, buy him or her lunch and discuss it with them. Most professionals are more than willing to help out, especially if a free lunch is involved

I give you credit for learning Arabic. I took one semester at school and then quit. It is definitely a difficult language.

Have you thought about federal law enforcement? Not just homeland security but FBI. I've heard they are VERY short on Arabic speakers. With intelligence experience and security clearance you could most likely get a job pretty easily around here. There are plenty of security and intelligence agencies that hire civilian employees.  You would probably have to relocate but I'm pretty sure they would pay pretty well.

[Koop]

I give you credit for learning Arabic. I took one semester at school and then quit. It is definitely a difficult language.

Have you thought about federal law enforcement? Not just homeland security but FBI. I've heard they are VERY short on Arabic speakers. With intelligence experience and security clearance you could most likely get a job pretty easily around here. There are plenty of security and intelligence agencies that hire civilian employees. You would probably have to relocate but I'm pretty sure they would pay pretty well.

I have thought about that Dan, actually when I got out I was planning on moving to VA.  I had several jobs lined up starting at 80k +.  For someone without a college degree that is absolutely unheard of.  The reason I didn't is because of a little 4 letter word that controls my life called my wife.   She wanted to live near these treacherous things called inlaws...

[Dan:]

I give you credit for learning Arabic. I took one semester at school and then quit. It is definitely a difficult language.

Have you thought about federal law enforcement? Not just homeland security but FBI. I've heard they are VERY short on Arabic speakers. With intelligence experience and security clearance you could most likely get a job pretty easily around here. There are plenty of security and intelligence agencies that hire civilian employees. You would probably have to relocate but I'm pretty sure they would pay pretty well.

I have thought about that Dan, actually when I got out I was planning on moving to VA. I had several jobs lined up starting at 80k +. For someone without a college degree that is absolutely unheard of. The reason I didn't is because of a little 4 letter word that controls my life called my wife. She wanted to live near these treacherous things called inlaws...

Well talk some sense into that woman. I would love to have your experience and skills right now.

Did you learn the standard elementary arabic or did you learn an Iraqi dialect? Apparently everyone understands elementary but if you speak it you sound weird to native speakers.

[Koop]

I "book" learned elementary.  I learned dialect while I was there which isn't to far off from elementary.  The big difference are the dialect I learned is very "proper" language compared to a lot of slang that is used in other regions.  The slang is the hardest thing to learn, no way to do it but to be there.

[mrlitetackle]

I'm gonna be honest here,

i didnt read all of the posts to this....

but i will say that i do have a BA in Psychology from the University of Central Florida (UCF)....

depending on what you want to do with your psy. degree will greatly influence what minor you should choose.....

as im sure you know, a bachelors in psy. is not a great entry point for most jobs in the psy. market........ a graduate degree is a main starting point for most jobs in the field...

its all in where you want to take it...

as for me,

i completed the 4 yr degree mainly bc i wanted it under my belt....

originally out of HS i wanted to enter the fire academy, but I'm very happy that i decided to receive my psy. degree first...

after some time off (aft. college), and saving more $$ to go back to school, i am in a financial situation where i can do what i want to.....

now i am about to enter what i have decided is my final choice (after much consideration)

i am now enrolling into an EMS program, and am going to follow up with the paramedic program.

its all just where you want to take it..