@TheVorticon as the others have said, I don't see you as derailing this thread at all. I guess I must be someone who is interested in psychology given that, you know, I spent twelve years completing a 4-year psychology degree. 
Having said that, I was what people would call a "rats and stats" psychology student rather than a want-to-help-people type of psychology student. A lot of psych students are what I would call "fluffy". I am wondering if @CheerBear is "fluffy" given that if things were left to her, we would all die of thirst or starvation in some cosy little cave.
I think you mentioned that you are more interested in practicalities than in philosophising, is that right @TheVorticon. Hee hee...in my BA I did a double major in psychology and philosophy. I really wanted to do my honours in philosophy but shifted back to psychology thinking that it would give me more employment prospects - a plan that hasn't panned out so well thus far. So yeah, I enjoy the academic study of both psychology and philosphy. Indeed, I am very interested in the intersect between those two fields - i.e. the philosophy of psychology. 
@CheerBear To be honest, I wouldn't recommend that anyone become a psychologist now. The profession is really shooting itself in the foot. It is now so ridiculously difficult to become a psychologist, it just isn't worth it. I knew someone who was doing her psych internship in the public health system. She was performing exactly the same role for exactly the same money as a social worker, but she had to jump through all the hoops of the internship while the social workers were already done and dusted in terms of their qualifications. The fact that social workers can now get the medicare rebate like psychologists can, has put another nail in the coffin for psychology.
Psychology as a profession likes to see itself as "better" than other professions like social work because it is "scientific". However, I don't know a single practicing psychologist who either reads or contributes to the peer reviewed literature, and none of them remember any of the inferential statistics stuff that forms such a huge part of the psych degree. The reason I have first class honours is that I happen to be very good at inferential statistics. The relevance of that to actually being a psychologist...er...zero!!!
I'm going to head off now. Night @CheerBear @TheVorticon. I hope to see you at Friday Feast tomorrow night - you too @Spookytookims and @Former-Member 
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