freshman & sophomore year · 2017. 11. 15. · freshman & sophomore year §work on your...
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Freshman&SophomoreYear§ Workonyourcore-classesandmaintainahighGPA§ Beginworkingonyourupperlevelpsychologycourses§ Gotoofficehoursinpsychologyclasses!Evenifyouaremakingan“A,”youwantprofessorstoknowyourfaceandrememberyou.Askquestionsduringclass.Thesearethepeoplewhocouldwriteyoualetterofrecommendation,buttheyhavetoknowwhoyouare!
§ JointhePsychologyClub,NeuroscienceClub,andPsiChi(theInternationalHonorSocietyinPsychology)assoonasyouareeligible
JuniorYear§ Ifyouhaven’talready,consideraresearchinternshipinalab
§ Volunteer;getinvolveddoingrelevantpsychologyorneuroscience-relatedactivities
§ Continuemakingandmaintainingrelationshipswithprofessors,especiallyifyouaredoingresearchwiththem.
§ Continueworkingonyourupper-levelcourses§ Thinkaboutyourseniorproject,andstartmakingplanswithpotentialadvisors
Gettinginvolvedinresearch§ Contactprofessorstoseeiftheyareacceptingresearchinternsforfuturequarters§ Couldenrollinaclasstaughtbytheprofessorwhoyou’dliketoworkwith,andexpressinterestinhis/herresearch
§ Workhardinyourlab,evenifthetasksarelessthanexciting.§ Notonlyareyougainingvaluableexperience,butthiswillgoonyourCV,andtheprofessoryou’reworkingwithwilllikelywriteoneofyourlettersofrecommendation.
§ Trytopresentaposterataregionalornationalconference,evenifyouaren’tfirstauthor.§ ReadtheDepartmentWeeklyNews!Therearealotofrelevantopportunitiespostedthere!
ChoosingwhattodoafterCalPoly§ Gradschool?
§ Master’s(MAorMS*)(*forinformationontheMFTorotherprograms,seekrelevantwebsite:e.g.,CalPoly’sprogramofferstheMFTlicense)§ Generally2years§ Expensive,butgoodforgainingresearchexperience
§ DoctorateofPhilosophy(PhD)§ Almostallarefully-funded(akagiveagraduatestipend)§ Youneedtobeinterestedinresearch,andalsohaveresearchexperience§ Highlycompetitive
§ DoctorateofPsychology(PsyD)§ Lessresearch-orientedthanthePhD§ Couldbeanoptionifyou’reinterestedinbeingapracticingpsychologistandhavelittleinterestinteaching/research
§ LessselectivethanPhDprograms,butsomemightarguethesearelessrespected(dependingonwhatyouwanttodo)
§ Researchassistant/labmanagerpositions§ GreatopportunitytogainresearchexperienceWHILEmakingmoney!§ Very,verycommontodopriortoenteringaPhDprogram
Whatkindsofprogramsarethere?• Clinical• Counseling• Health• Experimental• Industrial/Organizational• Developmental• BehavioralAnalysis• Childpsychology• Social• Cognitive• Educational• Forensic• MarriageandFamily• Learning• Neuropsychology• Neuroscience• Pediatric• School
• Choosewhatinterestsyouandwhatyouwouldbehappyworkinginpossiblyforthenext20+years.
• Luckily,psychologyareasoverlapalot,soifyouaretrainedinonespecialty,youcansometimesswitch…orgainexperienceinapost-doc.
Summerbeforeyouapply• TaketheGRE.ThisallowsyoutotakeitagainifyouneedtoinOctober,givingyoumorethanenoughtimetogetyourscoressenttoyourschools.
• Decidewhichprofessorsyouaregoingtoaskforlettersofrecommendationandaskthemiftheywouldbewillingandabletowriteagoodletterforyou.Makesuretodothisasearlyaspossible inordertogivetheprofessorenoughtimetoputtogetherawell-writtenletter.
• Makeafinaldecisiononwhichdegreeyouwanttopursue,whatschoolsyouaregoingtoapplyto,andidentifypotentialmentors/advisors.
• Continuedoingresearch.• IncreaseyourGPAandmakesureyoudowellinALLofyourpsychologycourses.
• Beginthinkingaboutyourpersonalstatement.
Choosingaschool&mentor§ Choosingmentor/advisorismoreimportantthanchoosingaschool
§ Startbyfindingtheresearchyou’reinterestedin,andfindwherethoseprofessorsare.
§ Onceyou’vefoundsomepotentialoptionsforgradschools&peopleyou’dliketoworkwith,sendtheprofessorsanemailshowingyourinterestandalsoaskifthey’reacceptinggraduatestudentsnextyear.
§ Fromthatpointforward,playitbyear.Sometimesprofessorswritebackandaskyoutostayintouchandtellthemalittlebitmoreaboutyourself.Othertimes,theyjustpolitelyansweryourquestionandleaveitatthat.Aboveall,respectprofessors'limitedtime,andonlywritethemrepeatedemailsiftheyhaveencouragedyoutodoso.
GRE• Verbal,quantitative,andwritingsections• PsychologySATIIsubjecttest(optional,buthighlyrecommended)
• Computertest• TakepracticeteststhroughPrincetonReview,Kaplan,etc.
• Getabook• Makeflashcards• Study!
WaystoraiseyourGREscore1. Studyforit.WingingtheGREisaterriblewasteoftime,
money,andself-esteem.2. LearnthedirectionsforeachsectionoftheGREaheadoftime.
Becauseoftheadaptivenatureofthiscomputerizedtest,thefirstfivequestionsineachsectionarethemostimportant forthatsection'sscore.
3. OntheGRE-General,alwaysguessratherthantryingtofindawaytoskipaquestion.Thereisalwaysachancethatyouwillguessright (andthere’snoguesspenalty).
4. Findandstudyhigh-frequencywordlists.5. Inthereadingcomprehensionsection,readfor
structure/organization,notdetails.6. Ifaproblem-solvingmathquestionstumpsyou,work
backwardsfromtheanswers.7. Ifyouencounterlogicalreasoningquestions,startbyfinding
theconclusionandworkbackwardwhileexaminingthepremises
LettersofRecommendation§ Becarefulwhoyouselect.Youwantsomeone(andyouneedatleastthreeletters)whoknowsyouwellandwhowillwriteyouastrongletterofrecommendation.
§ Itisbesttoaskprofessorsforlettersinperson(i.e.,offertosetupameetingviaemail),butmakesureyoualsoprovidethemwithrelevantinformationelectronically
§ ProvideEVERYTHINGtheprofessorwillneed,atleast4weeksinadvance:§ Alistofalltheschoolsandprogramsyouareapplyingto§ Brief&clearinstructionsforeachschool§ Copyofyourtranscripts(highlighttheclassyoutookwiththem)§ PersonalStatement§ Resume§ Anyadditionalinformationyouthinktheywouldneed
PersonalStatement(forPhDprograms)
§ Planonspendingalot oftime onthisessay.Thiswillprobablybethemostdifficult1-2pageessayyou'veeverwritten.
§ Youwanttostandout,butyoudon’twantittobetolongoroverlypersonal.
§ Never say,“IwanttogetintopsychologybecauseIliketohelppeople”
§ Letothersreadoverit– parents,graduatestudents,professors,friends,etc.
§ Makeitatleastsomewhatpersonaltoeachschool.Youcanhaveagenericoutline,butmakeitindividualtoeveryschool&advisor (e.g.,writeaspecificparagraphattheendaboutwhythatparticularschool&advisorattractsyou).
1. Yourbeginningcanbeoriginal,butdon'tmakeitridiculous.2. Yourfirstparagraphmightaddressanythemesyoucanidentifyinyour
lifethathavepointedyoutowardyourinterestsinpsychology.(Caution:talkingaboutyourownmentalhealthproblemsisalmostneveragoodidea.)
3. Collegeexperiencesthatarerelevanttoyourintendedcareer.4. Talkaboutyourresearch/fieldexperiences(mandatoryifyou'reapplying
toaPhDprogram).Mentionthekindofresponsibilitiesyouhad,whoyouworkedfor,whatyoulearnedthroughthisexperience,etc.
5. Talkabouthowyouthinkyourpastresearch(orwork)experienceisspecificallyrelevanttothefieldyouareinterestedinforgraduateschool.
6. Talkaboutyourresearchinterests(critical)7. Thentalkaboutyourgoalsingraduateschoolandwhatyouhopetolearn
andgainwhileyou'rethere.Expressconfidenceinyourabilitytobesuccessfulingraduateschool,butbecarefulnottosoundegotistical.
8. Whytheprogramyou'reapplyingtoisagoodchoiceforyourcareergoals(fit).
PersonalStatementtips(PhDprograms)
§ Anacademicresume– itsummarizesyouracademicandemploymenthistoryasitpertainstoyourcareerinpsychology/neuroscience
§ Topicsincluded:§ educationalhistory§ relevantcoursework§ research&teachingexperience§ honorsandawards§ membershipsinprofessionalorganizations,publications&
presentations§ Clinicalexperiences,suchaspracticumexperienceand
volunteerexperience§ GPAorGREscores
§ Makesureitlooksprofessional§ Willbeincludedwithyourapplicationandalsogiventoyourletterwriters
CurriculumVitae(CV)
Thefinalspring§ MostPhDapplicationsaredueDecember-JanuaryandMastersprogramsaredueshortlyafterthat,somakesureEVERYTHINGisturnedinontime.
§ Keepdoingeverythingyou’redoing.Youdon’twanttohavetoexplaininyourinterviewwhyyousuddenlyjuststoppeddoingresearch.
§ Youwillbetravelingtointerviews(anytimeinFebruary&March),andwillbenotifiedofyouracceptanceorrejectionbeforeApril15th.Youmustacceptorrejectanoffer,inwriting,byoronApril15th.
Goingforinterviews(PhDprograms)§ Manyprogramsmayalsoaskyouforapre- orpost-admissioninterview (toeitherseeifyoumakethecut,ortowine&dineyou!)
§ Askthemabouttheirprogram§ Howdofacultysupportstudents?Howmanystudentsmakeitthrough?Whatspecialbenefitsdostudentsgain(mentoring,researchopportunities,publications,presentations,internships,funding,etc.)duringtheirstay?Whatistheintellectualcommunitylike?
§ Willmostlybediscussingyourself&yourresearchinterests§ Talkwithcurrentstudents§ Ininterviewswithfacultymembers(usually3),they’llaskyouabout:§ Yourinterests,experiences,influences§ Yourresearchinterests§ Yourgoals§ It’sagoodideatohavepreppedforthisbythinkingabouthowyourexperienceorgoalsrelatestoworkthateachprofessordoes,soreadtheirpapers&thinkaboutallthesetoughquestions!
Onceyou’reingradschool…§ Potentialtopicstodiscuss
§ Relationshipwithyouradvisor§ BalancingresearchwithTAing responsibilities§ Managingtimeingeneral/dailylife
§ RequirementsforPhDprograms(fairlysimilaracrossschools)§ Research,research,research!§ 1st year– Applyingforgraduatefellowships§ 2nd year– Master’sthesisorcomprehensiveexam§ 3rd year– Startingorcontinuingtopublish§ 4th year– Defendingyourdissertationproposal§ 5th year– Defendyourdissertation!
§ Afterward…Post-doc?Facultyposition?Industry?