Who Can I Talk To

[quitejaded]

Hey, Guys...

I have been seriously thinking about my future. My mom continuously pushes "MEDICINE!" on me when I consider a 2nd degree (and I probably will want another degree because I doubt I will enjoy the work I enter after I graduate). I am getting a BSc in Management Science and a BA in Philosophy. My mom has even said "Okay, well, maybe you can do LAW with your philosophy degree and go to law school." Which says that she's not trying to make me a doctor. She just wants me to have goals in my life.

After reading some website and reading these forums, I've decided to look into this direction. It looks like a line of work I have always been attracted to and something I wouldn't be doing "because I heard I can make a lot of money". Something I am genuinely interested in and am willing to give it a shot for all its worth.

I just want to know, where did you get started in figuring out what to do. In highschool, we had counselours who gave us everything we needed for college application. Now, I'm in college. I don't have a counselour who can give me everything on a platter. I don't know who to talk to first. I am not in any psychology courses and never took one in college (I got AP and IB credit). I've heard that advisers are usually not helpful and I've seen in some of these threads people saying they've gotten bad advice from professors.

Who do you trust when you are trying to figure this stuff out?

On the PLUS side, I am still in contact with my high school psych teacher (who mentioned to me about how she needs to do a lot of research so maybe she is going after her Psy.D.). So this forum and herself will be a start, I hope. And if it helps, my overall GPA is abyssmal. My Phil GPA is at least a B+. And I just switched to Management Science.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[futureapppsy2]

What helped me was having a very good friend who was wrapping up her clinical PhD, as it gave me an "inside" (and rather brutal!) view of internship and a basic introduction to research and faculty politics. In a more professional sense, talking with my grad student colleagues and supervisors as an RA and TA has been a really good source of info and encouragement...

Your post makes me wonder why exactly you're considering this field, especially as you have no exposure to psych at the college level. So... whay are you?

Good luck, by the way!

 

[WannaBeDrMe]

Hey, Guys...

I have been seriously thinking about my future. My mom continuously pushes "MEDICINE!" on me when I consider a 2nd degree (and I probably will want another degree because I doubt I will enjoy the work I enter after I graduate). I am getting a BSc in Management Science and a BA in Philosophy. My mom has even said "Okay, well, maybe you can do LAW with your philosophy degree and go to law school." Which says that she's not trying to make me a doctor. She just wants me to have goals in my life.

After reading some website and reading these forums, I've decided to look into this direction. It looks like a line of work I have always been attracted to and something I wouldn't be doing "because I heard I can make a lot of money". Something I am genuinely interested in and am willing to give it a shot for all its worth.

I just want to know, where did you get started in figuring out what to do. In highschool, we had counselours who gave us everything we needed for college application. Now, I'm in college. I don't have a counselour who can give me everything on a platter. I don't know who to talk to first. I am not in any psychology courses and never took one in college (I got AP and IB credit). I've heard that advisers are usually not helpful and I've seen in some of these threads people saying they've gotten bad advice from professors.

Who do you trust when you are trying to figure this stuff out?

On the PLUS side, I am still in contact with my high school psych teacher (who mentioned to me about how she needs to do a lot of research so maybe she is going after her Psy.D.). So this forum and herself will be a start, I hope. And if it helps, my overall GPA is abyssmal. My Phil GPA is at least a B+. And I just switched to Management Science.

Well, actually, I've started a business where I do just what you mentioned... ha... but the truth is... I find it nearly impossible to take money for the service and I've just been helping referrals for free. I think your generation has really been done a disservice by handing things "handed" to them as the counselors did to you with the college apps.

Part of the discovery is the PROCESS... meaning doing the legwork yourself to see what's out there... you are getting a GREAT start here. Congrats on finding the boards.

By abyssmal, what do you mean?

Regardless, here's what I suggest to boost it... if you are getting financial aid... add another major before you graduate... if you want to study psych, you'll benefit from adding psych. It will boost your gpa (probably a few 10th's of a point to a half a point if you do super well) and you'll meet all the pre-reqs for psych grad classes.

next, read all you can on these boards about the process... make sure that's something you can stomach.

As for figuring out what you want to do... well, why do you have to limit yourself... you are young... figure out what you LIKE and then figure out what to do about it... I think some people figure it out at 4 and others at 94... so anywhere in between there and you are golden.

hope you are well.

 

[quitejaded]

Well, Future, I've always had a childhood dream of being a Doctor of psychology. I put that aside, as it was a childhood dream. But I also had a childhood dream of getting a BA in Philosophy. As that dream seems to be the only GOOD thing happening in my life academically, I figure why not go after the other one, as well? I rather enjoyed psychology in high school. I very much enjoyed doing research. Conducting the experiments (I ended up doing 3. One junior year, One senior year that was later found to be un-ethical by IB standards so I did another one to make up for it). Analysing my experiment to make sure it was ethical, random, well backed by past experiments. I enjoyed learning about how studies are done and how conclusions are drawn. I often find myself reading about psychology (now and days, I've been reading about sexuality and bi-polar disorder). So my lack of college study doesn't mean I'm not interested in it. I didn't want to get a BA in psychology because I wasn't sure (and still not sure, hence I need to start talking to good people) if I would continue with it and didn't want to end with a degree I deem worthless without further education.

WannaBeDr, haha! Wow. And yes, I think we've been done a disservice. Actually, I have personally been handed things on a silver platter for ALL OF MY LIFE. College was a BIG tumbly tumbly step for me. I think you are right about the PROCESS thing, too. Yeah, I need to not search for the ABCs of it and just start digging myself. I guess that's how things are really done in life.

By abysmal, I mean I have a 2.6 GPA right now. I'm on the verge of losing my scholarship, yikes! So I know graduate school might be very hard to get into.

Thank you for that advice, guys! I know how to handle this situation, now.

 

[futureapppsy2]

Ah, that makes a lot more sense! You sound like you have a good passion for the field and the makings of a good researcher. Take more psych courses (declare a psych major if possible), get involved in research ASAP, and get some field experience (if you're thinking clinical, counseling, school, and developmental psych might be possibilities). Try to get your GPA up as high as possible, as 3.0 is the bare cutoff for most MA/MS programs and then, if you will like psych, decide what type of grad school you want to go to (terminal masters, non-terminal masters, etc).

 

[AryaStark]

If you want to go for a PhD in psychology, don't just go because you think "why not go for it." It is A LOT of work. Sometimes 80 hours a week (some horror stories I have heard) Unfortunately a 2.6 is not going to get you into a PhD or PsyD program. Out of hundreds of applicants, schools generally take about 4 to 5 people in a given application cycle. I would recommend that since you don't have any psychology coursework, formal research experience at the collegiate level (I couldn't tell from what your previous research experience was), or a GPA that is competitive for a PhD program, go for a masters first. If psychology is right for you, you will do well and enjoy the work. That way you will show all the PhD programs that your first major just wasn't right for you and that is why your grades were so low. Showing them that you can do graduate level coursework and adding onto your research experience (preferably with a masters thesis) will make you a much more competitive applicant, and will give you something to talk about your statement of purpose. Additionally, it will help you focus what you want to study. With PhD admissions you need to know exactly who you want to work with. When you apply, you don't really apply to the program, you apply to the person. Of course it's the program that will determine your classes, etc but it is the professor who will be your adviser. This is the person decides who they want to come to the program. Thus, you must know what you want to research (for me, mood, anxiety, and eating disorders)

Also, I was guided by a very wonderful professor and the entire psychology department at my college. Additionlly, go onto the clincal phd forum. EVERYONE there is really helpful and are very willing to give advice. We all love psychology and we really just want to help people in the end. So head on over there. But don't tell them you want to go into psychology because you "figure why not go after the other one, as well." You will get a lot of slack from people saying you "you need to be sure" etc like I said earlier. Its not going to make you rich, it's very difficult work, but it can be very rewarding.

Good luck on your long journey into the world of professional psychology.

Well, Future, I've always had a childhood dream of being a Doctor of psychology. I put that aside, as it was a childhood dream. But I also had a childhood dream of getting a BA in Philosophy. As that dream seems to be the only GOOD thing happening in my life academically, I figure why not go after the other one, as well? I rather enjoyed psychology in high school. I very much enjoyed doing research. Conducting the experiments (I ended up doing 3. One junior year, One senior year that was later found to be un-ethical by IB standards so I did another one to make up for it). Analysing my experiment to make sure it was ethical, random, well backed by past experiments. I enjoyed learning about how studies are done and how conclusions are drawn. I often find myself reading about psychology (now and days, I've been reading about sexuality and bi-polar disorder). So my lack of college study doesn't mean I'm not interested in it. I didn't want to get a BA in psychology because I wasn't sure (and still not sure, hence I need to start talking to good people) if I would continue with it and didn't want to end with a degree I deem worthless without further education.

WannaBeDr, haha! Wow. And yes, I think we've been done a disservice. Actually, I have personally been handed things on a silver platter for ALL OF MY LIFE. College was a BIG tumbly tumbly step for me. I think you are right about the PROCESS thing, too. Yeah, I need to not search for the ABCs of it and just start digging myself. I guess that's how things are really done in life.

By abysmal, I mean I have a 2.6 GPA right now. I'm on the verge of losing my scholarship, yikes! So I know graduate school might be very hard to get into.

Thank you for that advice, guys! I know how to handle this situation, now.

 

[quitejaded]

Wow, thanks! Okay, well, you guys have given me some more information to google. It looks like I might like pharmocology (because I am only reading on these forums about counseling and therapy which I am not interested in). I think I'll ask that psy.d. group about that.

I also wonder how in the world I can get some psychology research experience without getting the psychology BA degree. :/ I can't see my school letting me touch anything. I guess I'll have to start taking some classes. Maybe I should get an associates at least.

Here is what I posted in the other forum:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=8226672#post8226672