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Well, it’s finally here. Fall semester starts…. now.  And we have a bunch of great stuff planned for you.  Here are just a handful of the things you have to look forward to over the next few months.

1. Bi-Weekly Podcasts (available on ITunes, Google Play, and here): A new episode of our podcast, Psychology and Stuff, will drop every other Thursday afternoon.  Our first guests, Dr. Jana Fogaca, will discuss her work as a sport psychologist (learn more here). Dr. Fogaca  is a new faculty member in the psychology program so this will be a great chance to get to know her.
2. Featured Students/Alumni: Each Monday, we’ll feature one of our students or alum on the blog so you can get to know a little bit about what they’ve done, what their plans are, and what they hope to accomplish before they graduate.  First up, 2015 graduate and former Psi Chi President, Olyvia Kucta.
3. #GetPsychedGB: As always, the third week of the semester will be dedicated to our #GetPsychedGB campaign.  All week long, we’ll have videos, pictures, games, and more to give you all the reasons you should get involved in psychology at UW-Green Bay.
4. The PSI Talks: Once again, we’ll be holding the PSI Talks, six engaging talks from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay psychology students and alumni.  Stay tuned for information about how you can apply.
5. Even More From the Student Orgs: Keep an eye out for even more great programming from the Psychology and Human Development Club and Psi Chi.  Fun events, volunteer opportunities, presentations, and more on the way.  Stay up to date with them by downloading the app via iTunes or Google Play.
6. Many Ways to Stay Connected: Stay connected with UWGBpsych via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and/or the UWGB Psychology Smartphone App. You’ll never miss a thing.

On March 22nd, 2017, the Psychology and Human Development Departments put on an event featuring a short talk from both Dr. Martin and Dr. Burns, and a panel discussion with three current students who were accepted to graduate programs. Here are a few things we learned and talked about!

Credit: http://www.briancroxall.net/2015/07/28/keep-calm-and-carry-on-finding-and-building-phd-career-paths/

What is grad school like?

• Masters Programs
  • Typically 2 to 3 years
  • Depending on the program, you may have to fund your education
    • Sometimes, there is funding available through TA or RA positions
• Doctoral Programs
  • Typically 4 to 6 years
  • Most of the time, you can receive funding for your education through TA or RA positions.
  • These programs are highly competitive and harder to get into.
• Fewer classes, which can be intensive, but less structured than undergraduate classes
• As a student, it is your responsibility to organize and prioritize your assignments. There may not be deadlines for assignments, but they need to get done.

How do you decide where to go to graduate school?

• Look for programs that match your goals, research interests, and faculty you see yourself being able to work with.
• Make sure you are willing to live where the graduate school is located. If you know you don’t want to live somewhere, don’t apply to schools in that area.
• Look for numbers of students accepted, internship placement rates, retention rates, licensure of the school, etc. to make an educated choice.
• Grad School Panel Students say: Research the school! It will help you decide, and it will help you if you need to interview for questions, etc.

The Application Process:

• Applications will typically include: a form, transcripts to all institutions (read directions for each school carefully), resume/curriculum vitae, writing sample, GRE/MAT or others, a personal statement, and letters of recommendation.
• More specifically…
  • The Personal Statement: usually an essay describing (sometimes there is a prompt) your goals, why you want to go to graduate school/that specific school, and how that school will help you meet your goals.
  • Make sure to have others read your personal statement. It is extremely important to double check for spelling or grammatical errors.
  • Grad Panel Students say: Write, revise, fix again, edit, and continue. Start your personal statements early! Have Career Services and your advisor read over it and make sure to revise. You will also need to write different personal statements for each school. Most of the time, they ask unique and specific questions.
• The Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
  • The GRE is a standardized test, much like the ACT, for graduate admissions.
    • Most students will only need to take the GRE, but some may be asked to take the Psychology Subject Test as well.
  • There is a fee associated with taking the exam, so plan for that.
  • Some schools require different tests, like the Miller Analogies Test (MAT).
  • Grad Panel Students say: Plan early! Also, plan financially because the test does cost money, and it can cost money to send scores. You can send up to four scores at the time of the exam, but you will have to pay afterwards to send to more schools. Also, make sure to study!
• Letters of Recommendation
  • Most of the time, you will be asked to have between 2 to 3 letters from faculty.
  • The people that you ask to write you letters should know you well enough to write you a strong letter.
• The Cost of Applying
  • The fees associated with applying to graduate school are usually the application form, the standardized test you may be required to take, getting your official transcripts sent to each school, and if you need to travel for interviews or visits.
  • On average, students will spend around $700 on everything. However, some students spend more, and some students spend less.

Credit: https://blog.uvm.edu/afterword/category/people/page/3/

We hope this helps! Good luck on your search for schools and applying! Remember, the faculty in the Psychology and Human Development are always willing to help! They are amazing resources to use, so make sure to ask questions when you have them. Want to learn more? Click the links below!

• http://mediasite.uwgb.edu/Mediasite6/Play/b72ee93665244b6f897016a90e589fef1d?catalog=c7bebafb-56b1-4ae0-b3dc-b3cdded95fdc
• https://blog.uwgb.edu/uwgbpsych/professional-development-2/graduate-school/
• https://blog.uwgb.edu/uwgbpsych/professional-development-2/resumeportfolio-building/
• https://blog.uwgb.edu/uwgbpsych/professional-development-2/marketability/
• https://blog.uwgb.edu/uwgbpsych/professional-development-2/the-psych-degree/

This was my fourth Midwestern Psychological Association Conference and, honestly, each time I go, I find new reasons to love and appreciate it. Here are just a few of those reasons.

1. The Speakers. Every year, I’m amazed by the quality of the speakers who come to MPA.  From Dr. Al Bandura, the Psi Chi Distinguished Speaker in 2013 (who I got to have dinner with), to Dr. Traci Mann, this year’s Psi Chi Distinguished Speaker, MPA has outstanding speakers on a variety of topics.  This year, for example, included Dr. Dana Dunn, Dr. Michele Gelfand, Dr. William Graziano, and others.

   

   

   

   
   
2. The Research. I realize I’m double-dipping here because, technically, all those speakers I just mentioned are presenting research.  But, there is so much high quality research at MPA that it warrants even more attention.  In particular, the student research put on by Psi Chi is really impressive.  This year, there were nearly 600 submissions by students researchers, far more than any of the five other APA regional conferences.  You can catch a glimpse of that research by listening to the latest episode of Psychology and Stuff, where we chatted with 15 student researchers from universities across the Midwest.

   

   

   

   
   
3. The Networking. Throughout the conference, students get to have one on one conversations and create connections they would never be able to make otherwise.  One of our students, for example, who is heading to Denver for sports psychology learned of a cutting edge measure of concussions that is not out in the literature yet.  Another students is going to run a study she ran here, at another university, to access a different sample. Students get to meet faculty from different schools, hear presentations from names they have only read about until now, and generally tap into the world of academics that is otherwise hard to see. 
4. The Comradery. On top of all the academic benefits of attending MPA, there are social benefits too.  I see this in our students every year.  Those who attend come back closer to their classmates.  They learn a lot about each other, have shared experiences that mean a lot to them, and have fun together. To quote one of the students from the podcast when asked what the highlight of the conference was for her, she said: “Definitely going out and getting to bond with our classmates…. I got to meet some really cool people and make some new friends.”

   

   

   

   
   

   And that bonding isn’t just for the students.  MPA offers me and my colleagues a great opportunity to step away from our usual work on campus and connect with colleagues from my own campus and elsewhere.  For example….

5. The City. Let’s not forget that Chicago is the third biggest city in the United States with a lot to offer with regard to sightseeing, food, the arts, and entertainment.  Every year, I watch as my students (many who are visiting Chicago for the first time), broaden their horizons, see things they have never seen before, and experience the world in a new way.

Well, spring semester classes start in 5 Days, 12 Hours, 14 minutes, and 38 seconds (but who’s counting).  Here are just a handful of the things you have to look forward to next week:

1. Weekly Podcasts (now available on ITunes): By request, a new episode of our podcast, Psychology and Stuff, will drop every Thursday afternoon.  Our first guests, Dr. Kate Burns and Allee Schramm, will talk about Stereotype Threat, other research they’ve done, and more.
2. Featured Students/Alumni: Each Monday, we’ll feature one of our students or alum on the blog so you can get to know a little bit about what they’ve done, what their plans are, and what they hope to accomplish before they graduate.  First up, recent UWGB Psychology Rock Star Winner, Sarah Busko.
3. Upcoming talk, Intersecting HEARTS: Health, Emotions And RelaTionShips: On February 11th at 5pm in the Alumni Rooms, the Psychology and Human Development Club is sponsoring a talk by Dr. Reed, a post-doctoral scholar in Psychology at the University of Kentucky.  She will be talking about how human health – both psychological and physical – is intricately linked to our close relationships.
4. The PSI Talks Videos: Remember those incredible talks from UWGB Psychology students and alumni last semester? Well, we’ve got the videos and we’ll be releasing them off and on throughout the semester.  First up, Allie Nelson, and her fascinating talk on social media.
5. Even More From the Student Orgs: Keep an eye out for even more great programming from the Psychology and Human Development Club and Psi Chi.  Fun events, volunteer opportunities, presentations, and more on the way.  Stay up to date with them by downloading the app via iTunes or Google Play.