The Psych Report

The Blog for the Psychology Program at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Category: Student Success (page 3 of 3)

Successful Tips for Students: Note Taking and Advising Sessions!

The 3 Reasons Why Taking Notes During Advising Sessions is So Important and 3 Suggestions for How to Take Good Notes!

Why Taking Notes is so Important!

1. Taking notes during advising sessions makes it possible to remember what happened.

It’s hard to remember all of the things that go on during your advising session. Taking notes helps you to keep track of everything that you discussed with your advisor. If you forget what happens, you can always refer back to your notes!

2. Taking notes helps you to stay focused.

Taking notes helps you to focus on the key points that you cover in your advising session. They help you to pinpoint the important things and helps you to prioritize your tasks.

3. Taking notes can help you to keep track of the questions you asked your advisor and may help you develop new questions you have for your advisor that you can ask them at your next advising appointment.

If your advisor helps you to find a solution to a question you asked and that same question arises in the future, you can always refer back to your notes to try to resolve your question on your own. Also, as your advisor answers the questions you have, more questions may arise. You can then make notes of the specific questions you want to ask your advisor at your next advising appointment, to make sure you can continue to progress in the tasks you want to complete.

How to Take Good Notes During and Advising Appointment!

1. Use a pen and paper.

Taking your notes on pen and paper keeps your conversation with your advisor more open and personal. It can be hard to make good eye contact with a screen front of your face. Electronic devices also are more prone to causing distractions, such as notifications or the ability to open other browsers while your advisor is explaining something, and you might miss some important information that you advisor is tell you. It may be old fashioned, but pen and paper work best.

2. Just highlight the key points.

Making categories in your notes like “Classes” and “Internships” is a great way to only highlight the key points. It’s impossible to write down everything single thing you and your advisor talk about at your appointment, but keeping track of the key points will help you to have a solid list of your questions that were answered and the tasks you developed from your appointment.

3. Learn shorthand.

It can be tough to write everything out word for word at your advising appointment. Learning how to use shorthand, such as w/ means with, helps you to get more information on the paper at a quicker pace. Having a legend of all of your shorthand and what it means may be very helpful when you look back at your notes, so you can understand what you wrote.

Successful Tips for Students: Come to the Student Success Center!

Come to the Student Success Center!

A place where students work with peer advisors for help with course selection and understanding opportunities in the major!

Open: Monday: 9:00am-9:30; 10:30-4:00pm

Tuesday-Thursday: 9:00am-4:00pm

Friday: By appointment only

Schedule an appointment today! https://uwgbpsychsuccess.youcanbook.me/

Get help organizing your Major/Minor/Emphasis and General Education Classes!

Learn about the classes available and get a full walkthrough of all required classes and Academic Requirements on your SIS account!

Learn about exciting Individualized/Group Learning Opportunities!

Research Assistantships, Internships, Independent Studies, Honors Projects, oh my! Also, learn about the spectacular Psychology/Human Development Student Organizations (Psi Chi and PsycHD)!

Tutoring for those tough classes!

Get help from experienced students on study techniques, note-taking methods, scientific writing, and the benefits of meeting with professors!

Learn about the best places to go!

For general Psychology/Human Development questions, visit The Student Success Center! http://www.uwgb.edu/psychology/student-success-center/ Visit the Writing center for in-depth peer-review of essays! https://www.uwgb.edu/writing-center/ Visit Career Services for information on available paid internships and Psychology/Human Development related jobs! http://www.uwgb.edu/careers/ If you are interested in studying abroad, visit the Office of International Education! http://www.uwgb.edu/international/

Learn how to stay updated on the latest UWGB Psychology and Human Development news and events!

Download the UWGB Psychology App on the App Store/Google Play! Follow UWGB Psychology on social media (@uwgbpsych)!

Author:

Nicholas is a senior majoring in Psychology, minoring Human Development, and is earning his Coaching Certification. After graduating in May 2019, he plans to attend graduate school for Social Psychology.

Successful Tips for Students: Ways to Get Involved!

What opportunities do you have as a Psychology or Human Development major/minor at UW Green Bay?

Here at UW-Green Bay’s Psychology and Human Development department, we have many different ways to learn. Sure we have classic lectures and labs, but we have individualized learning experiences as well! Individualized learning experiences are unique opportunities tailored to your interests (with the help of faculty).

Internships: Internships are a great way to gain real world experience while you’re going to school. It’s also a useful way to explore your interests. For example, let’s say you think you want to become a school counselor one day. Getting an internship within a school working with a school counselor is a great way to see what counselors do on a daily basis. This can help you realize “Yes! This is exactly what I want to do!” or maybe “You know, this isn’t what I thought it would be and I think I’m going to explore other career options.” Either way, you get the opportunity to see the career/field you are exploring first hand.

Research Assistantships: If research methods was your favorite class and you love being a part of scientific research, then being a research assistant (RA) may be something you want to look into. Research assistants work with professors to conduct research by doing things like literature reviews, creating questionnaires, data collection, data entry, statistical analysis, etc. How do you get a research assistantship? There’s a couple of ways:

#1. Check the Psych/Hum Dev want ads. If professors are on the lookout for RAs, they will likely post something in the want ads with a description of what they will be doing.

#2. Ask a professor if they need an RA. If there is a professor who studies a field you are interested in, ask them if they are in need of any research assistants.

#3. Professors may ask you! If a professor thinks you would be a good fit, they may reach out and ask if you are interested in being their RA.

Teaching Assistantships: A teaching assistant (TA) gets the opportunity to assist faculty in the classroom. This could mean learning about pedagogical techniques, but also helping to form exams and giving 1 or 2 lectures. How do you get a teaching assistantship? It’s the same process as a research assistantship!

#1. Check the Psych/Hum Dev want ads. If professors are on the lookout for TAs, they will likely post something in the want ads with a description of what they will be doing.

#2. Ask a professor if they need an TA. If there is a professor teaches an intro class that you already took, it’s likely they’ll be looking for TAs..

#3. Professors may ask you! If a professor thinks you would be a good fit, they may reach out and ask if you are interested in being their TA.

Independent Study: If you find that there is a certain topic you are very passionate about and is not offered as a class, you should consider doing an independent study. Independent study consists of working with a faculty on developing learning activities on a topic you are interested in. Independent study is offered on an individual basis. To get an independent study, talk to your advisor and they can help you find a professor who has similar interests to you.

Honors Project: Honors projects are very similar to independent study, but they require more in depth work and have a GPA requirement. With an honors project, you the student would be conducting research on a topic you find interesting. You would work with a faculty advisor to help develop a research project, and then collect data, analyze it, and even present it.

If you have any questions about individualized learning experiences, talk to your advisor or make an appointment with the Psychology and Human Development Student Success Center! We are here to help answer questions you may have and to help guide you in the right direction!

Grad School in Human Development/Psychology: Many students go to graduate school because their career goals require them to. For example, students who want to work as therapists, licensed psychologists, social workers, college professors need additional schooling. Applying for graduate school is different from applying to undergraduate is quite different in a few ways:

#1. You don’t go to grad school and then choose a field you want to study. You need to apply to the specific program at the specific university you want to attend.

#2. Graduate school admission is highly competitive. Many programs receive more applications than they can accommodate and will be selective in their admissions process.

#3. By going to graduate school, you can earn a master’s degree in about 2 years or a doctoral degree in about 4-6 years after completing your undergraduate degree. You do not necessarily need to earn a master’s degree before getting a doctoral degree and you may be able to enter a Ph.D. program right away after finishing your undergrad career.

If you’re not sure where to start in the grad school process, talk to your advisor! The blog for the UWGB Psychology department, The Psych Report, has a short series of videos discussing various topics related to applying to grad school such as writing personal statements, prepping for the GRE, and other important topics. Check them out at https://blog.uwgb.edu/uwgbpsych/shows/psyched-for-graduate-school/. If you are looking for more resources, head to the UWGB Career Services webpage at http://www.uwgb.edu/careers/.

Jobs in Human Development/Psychology: A degree in Psychology provides a multitude of opportunities for careers.There are options in human services, business, educational settings, and so much more. Not all jobs require a master’s degree! The Psych Report has a series of short videos discussing various topics related to preparing for your post-college career. Topics covered include creating a portfolio, why you need a resume, and other important topics. You can check out the videos here: https://blog.uwgb.edu/uwgbpsych/shows/psyched-for-careers/.

Career Services at UWGB are experts at helping students with career counseling, resume building, interviewing skills, searching for jobs, and so much more! Make an appointment with an advisor to answer any questions you may have! http://www.uwgb.edu/careers/

When in doubt, talk to your advisors! They are all wonderful people and want to help you during your time as a student, as well as to help you prepare for your future.

Author:                                                                                                                         Taylor is a senior majoring in Psychology and Human Development. After graduating in May 2019, she is planning on attending graduate school for student affairs/college counseling. Her favorite color is yellow and honestly prefers cats over dogs.

Success Tips for Students: Class Etiquette

Are you a front-row or a back-row kind of person? Middle? We all know that those unassigned seats become unofficially assigned pretty quick (unless you want to start a beef with one of your classmates). That first or second day, pick a seat where you feel comfortable, can see the screen and whiteboard, and can hear the instructor well. A front row seat might keep you at attention. If you are an introvert, try sitting in front of the professor’s computer. Although it may be uncomfortable at first, it is highly likely that the professor will learn your name and greet you every class. And that, my friends, is a good thing.

SILENCE, FOOLS

Selective silence, perhaps. Professors (and your classmates) like it when you answer their questions. And ask questions relevant to the class. But don’t be talking to your friends during class. It distracts everyone. And put your phone on silent. Unless there is an emergency, or you are playing Kahoot in class, there’s really no reason to have it out.

Do you really need a laptop?

Laptops can be great to take notes or look up something but can quickly become a distraction. You know when you’re on YouTube late at night and soon you find yourself in the weird part of the internet? Laptops in class are dangerous like that. You can start out with good intentions, but soon find yourself Facebook messaging or finding out what kind of bread you are on BuzzFeed. And yes, the people behind you are also watching Parks and Rec if you are. A better option to laptops is handwritten notes. You are then hearing the lecture, writing your interpretation of it, seeing what you are writing, and less prone to distraction.

Communication is Key

Communicate with your professor if you will need to miss class. Be proactive and let them know that you will be missing BEFORE you miss. DO NOT SAY “will I miss anything important?” Of course you are missing something important! You’re not paying thousands of dollars to sit and do nothing. Understand that sometimes you will not be able to make up a quiz, exam, or in-class activity. However, instructors are people too. If you let them know ahead of time that you will miss, and you have a valid reason for absence, they may be willing to work with you on a make-up assignment.

Don’t forget! If you have in-depth questions or feel lost in a class, use your professor! They are experts in their field! Sometimes a one-on-one session in office hours will help you understand the material better.

And finally….Avoid packing up early

Zippers, notebooks closing, jackets being put on, we all know the tell-tale signs of class ending. More times than not, the professor knows what time class ends and doesn’t need the little reminders. Those sounds are distracting to the professor and your classmates. Wait for the professor to be done with class to start packing up your stuff.

Author: Roz is a senior majoring in Psychology and Business Administration with emphases in Marketing and Human Resources. After graduating in May 2020, she plans to go to grad school for Industrial-Organizational Psychology.

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