The other day, a patient at the inpatient hospital gave me a Christmas card. I was very touched when he made a point to make me a personalized card. This particular person is known to be hostile towards others and not very friendly. Ever since I've worked at the hospital, I've always made sure to speak in a kind tone towards him and say hello whenever I saw him. He always says hello back, even when he's listening to music with his headphones. Sometimes he asks my name when he forgets it, and sometimes he talks to me randomly. He has never been hostile, aggressive, or unfriendly towards me.
When he gave me the card, I told the unit Psychologist. She said something along the lines of, "That's so great for him! He likes people when they treat him like a human being." This broke my heart and reminded me how some of the staff members talk to the patients. Just the other day, a staff member said something to him in a very rude, loud tone, basically giving him some sort of direction related to a rule. He responded with a loud, "Fuck you, bitch!"
Patients can sometimes seem scary when they are symptomatic and/or delusional, but most of the time it is not directed towards people in the environment. I think another contributing factor is how symptomatic people can be, and how that tends to create a dividing line between psychiatrically healthy people and people diagnosed with a psychiatric illness. There are several people on the unit (both my own individual therapy clients and other residents) who have a reputation for hostility, but are kind to me. I have met so many amazing people who have a psychiatric illness. People who have a diagnosis are no less human than those of us who do not. Unfortunately, not everyone feels this way, and some very disrespectful people end up working in the mental health field. Treating people with respect and dignity is very important to me in my work (and of course, life in general). How you treat others can go a very far way, and I have witnessed this first hand.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Ph.D. in Progress
Wow, it has been a long time since I have written. I have been so busy with my Ph.D. program at the University of Missouri in Kansas City (UMKC). I was reading some of my old posts and am truly amazed how much things have fallen into place. Let me give you an update...
I was admitted to UMKC to begin in Fall 2014 with a lab focused on serious mental illness. Since then, I have been involved with a project collaborating with a local community hospital and their treatment program Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET). CET helps people diagnosed with serious mental illness (primarily schizophrenia and autism) learn neurocognitive and social cognitive skills. Reading my last post reminded me how long I've been wanting to be involved with treatment research. I couldn't ask for a better project to be involved with. I absolutely love it. Our collaborators are awesome and really care about the people they work with. Our Co-Primary Investigator is one of the most skilled clinicians I have ever met (especially working with individuals with schizophrenia). I am so grateful for my mentor who pushed this project along and has been very supportive along the way. We have been very lucky to have this project funded since it has begun. I love observing and participating in groups, spending time with each participant (especially learning each person's unique perspectives), and sharing our project with the world. I look forward to continuing my involvement with the project.
I have also very much enjoyed formal practicum experiences. I began clinical practicum in my second year in the program (last year). I started at a local free clinic conducting individual therapy. This was my first time doing therapy. It was admittedly challenging and frustrating, but I truly enjoyed working with diverse people and having the opportunity to be invited into each person's world. This year, I have begun working at a local state psychiatric hospital. This practicum is on its way to becoming one of my most favorite experiences ever. I am facilitating individual therapy and group therapy. My unit is a long-term psychiatric unit with individuals with serious mental illness. My therapy clients primarily are diagnosed with schizophrenia. Before working here, I decided that individual therapy was "not for me". However, I am enjoying it so much now that I am reconsidering this. The people I work with are extremely open, gracious, and just enjoyable to be around. People on the unit amaze me with their resiliency and determination to reach their goals, despite being stuck somewhere largely against their will.
I have enjoyed my academic life at UMKC as well. The classes here have been challenging and very applicable to my future career. I am ending my semester and have one more class next semester. I have always been eager to learn, but am admittedly looking forward to being finished with coursework.
I have had a lot of different Teaching Assistantships since starting here at UMKC. Many of it has been positive, but other aspects have discouraged me from pursuing academia. I will keep the option open, but lately have been thinking about non-academic research and/or clinical careers. I have a bit of time to decide, but that's where I am now!
I can't neglect to mention the awesome friends I have met here. I wouldn't have been able to get through the tough times I've had here without my KC friends. I moved here to pursue my education and career, but was pleasantly surprised by the awesome people I have met along the way. My wonderful boyfriend moved here with me in 2015 after a hard year of a long-distance relationship. Life is always better with his support, and that is no different here in KC.
I will try to write more and continue to document my pursuit of a career focused on serious mental illnesses! Thanks for reading!
I was admitted to UMKC to begin in Fall 2014 with a lab focused on serious mental illness. Since then, I have been involved with a project collaborating with a local community hospital and their treatment program Cognitive Enhancement Therapy (CET). CET helps people diagnosed with serious mental illness (primarily schizophrenia and autism) learn neurocognitive and social cognitive skills. Reading my last post reminded me how long I've been wanting to be involved with treatment research. I couldn't ask for a better project to be involved with. I absolutely love it. Our collaborators are awesome and really care about the people they work with. Our Co-Primary Investigator is one of the most skilled clinicians I have ever met (especially working with individuals with schizophrenia). I am so grateful for my mentor who pushed this project along and has been very supportive along the way. We have been very lucky to have this project funded since it has begun. I love observing and participating in groups, spending time with each participant (especially learning each person's unique perspectives), and sharing our project with the world. I look forward to continuing my involvement with the project.
I have also very much enjoyed formal practicum experiences. I began clinical practicum in my second year in the program (last year). I started at a local free clinic conducting individual therapy. This was my first time doing therapy. It was admittedly challenging and frustrating, but I truly enjoyed working with diverse people and having the opportunity to be invited into each person's world. This year, I have begun working at a local state psychiatric hospital. This practicum is on its way to becoming one of my most favorite experiences ever. I am facilitating individual therapy and group therapy. My unit is a long-term psychiatric unit with individuals with serious mental illness. My therapy clients primarily are diagnosed with schizophrenia. Before working here, I decided that individual therapy was "not for me". However, I am enjoying it so much now that I am reconsidering this. The people I work with are extremely open, gracious, and just enjoyable to be around. People on the unit amaze me with their resiliency and determination to reach their goals, despite being stuck somewhere largely against their will.
I have enjoyed my academic life at UMKC as well. The classes here have been challenging and very applicable to my future career. I am ending my semester and have one more class next semester. I have always been eager to learn, but am admittedly looking forward to being finished with coursework.
I have had a lot of different Teaching Assistantships since starting here at UMKC. Many of it has been positive, but other aspects have discouraged me from pursuing academia. I will keep the option open, but lately have been thinking about non-academic research and/or clinical careers. I have a bit of time to decide, but that's where I am now!
I can't neglect to mention the awesome friends I have met here. I wouldn't have been able to get through the tough times I've had here without my KC friends. I moved here to pursue my education and career, but was pleasantly surprised by the awesome people I have met along the way. My wonderful boyfriend moved here with me in 2015 after a hard year of a long-distance relationship. Life is always better with his support, and that is no different here in KC.
I will try to write more and continue to document my pursuit of a career focused on serious mental illnesses! Thanks for reading!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
First Year Complete
Wow, it's been even longer than I thought since I last wrote. My last entry was after the first semester and before the second even started. That seems to foreshadow how bustling this semester was!!!
I am currently enrolled full-time at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington in the Psychology Master's degree program. My concentration, General, is mostly meant to prepare students for research careers and/or to enroll in Ph.D. programs. I resisted this option (e.g. first earning a Master's degree then going to Ph.D., rather than straight to Ph.D.), but I can say now that I am really glad I ended up on this path. I was very stubborn about NOT doing a Master's first, but as it appears to be the best (and sometimes only) option for Ph.D. preparation, I am definitely starting to feel more ready.
This semester I joined another lab to gain more cognitive research experience. I am broadly interested in the rehabilitation and recovery of schizophrenia. I would love to become involved in a treatment-based research lab (such as development of a targeted social skills training program). I am also interested in involvement with a cognitive lab that either investigates cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, or develops cognitive remediation programs.
I am currently in what is called the Mental Illness & Recovery Lab. My project is working with the local Mental Health Court program. My thesis (pending prospectus approval) will be looking at the contributing factors of re-offending in these participants (namely criminal thinking and empathy). Mental health courts are diversion programs for individuals with mental illness involved in the justice system. Our research will help inform targeted treatments to reduce re-offense (for example, CBT programs targeted to reduce criminal thinking, which are available and have been tested mostly with incarcerated offenders).
The other lab I joined, the ACT (the Aging & Cognitive Training) Lab. This semester, I worked with the lab coordinators to develop a project that will evaluate the relationship between source memory and empathy. These two cognitive processes are impaired in schizophrenia. Although we will not be testing individuals with schizophrenia, establishing a relationship in psychiatrically healthy individuals may be useful to guide future research with individuals with schizophrenia. I worked on lots of literature review and started a write-up for this project. Hopefully data collection will follow in the fall semester.
Working in two labs definitely filled the extra time in my schedule I was concerned about having. I also was offered 5 extra TA hours working with the learning center to mentor students on academic probation. This was a very useful experience (minus the negative, which was a very high dropout rate) and I felt like I helped students either improve their academics or just figure out their life!
I really enjoyed the two classes I took this semester. First, Cognitive Psychology. I always LOVE cognitive classes. I find cognition to be so fascinating. I learned a lot of interesting new things about cognition, but by-far, my favorite part of the class was writing the paper. We basically could write about whatever we wanted, as long as it related directly to cognitive psychology. I started off broad, but then decided to write about Mindfulness Yoga for Schizophrenia. Surprisingly, mindfulness and/or yoga has been used for schizophrenia, mostly to reduce stress & anxiety. I focused my writing on the potential cognitive benefits of mindfulness yoga for schizophrenia. Mindfulness and/or yoga uses many focused attention practices, thus may be a candidate training program for schizophrenia. And, importantly, it is a recovery-oriented treatment, meaning it increases self-awareness and improves quality of life.
Second, Research Methods. We basically learned to critique research articles throughout the class. I really needed this. I now read literature much more critically than I did before. I am glad I completed this class before submitting my undergraduate research anywhere for publication (fingers crossed). After this year, I realize that I probably was not really ready for doctoral-level training. I feel that after masters-level training is complete, it will be a much smoother transition to doctoral work.
So, this summer will consist of GRE prep (will take likely early August), publication prep (my unpublished undergraduate honors research), and thesis writing. I originally was considering getting a job to avoid dipping into the loans even more, but I think I will have plenty to do without one. I was feeling very stressed at the end of the semester, and I few months off will be nice. Oh, and fun things for me to do (!): lots of running/working out, 5Ks, beach days, exploring Wilmington/NC cities, and gourmet eating. Aaaahhh, so glad summer is here.....
I am currently enrolled full-time at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington in the Psychology Master's degree program. My concentration, General, is mostly meant to prepare students for research careers and/or to enroll in Ph.D. programs. I resisted this option (e.g. first earning a Master's degree then going to Ph.D., rather than straight to Ph.D.), but I can say now that I am really glad I ended up on this path. I was very stubborn about NOT doing a Master's first, but as it appears to be the best (and sometimes only) option for Ph.D. preparation, I am definitely starting to feel more ready.
This semester I joined another lab to gain more cognitive research experience. I am broadly interested in the rehabilitation and recovery of schizophrenia. I would love to become involved in a treatment-based research lab (such as development of a targeted social skills training program). I am also interested in involvement with a cognitive lab that either investigates cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, or develops cognitive remediation programs.
I am currently in what is called the Mental Illness & Recovery Lab. My project is working with the local Mental Health Court program. My thesis (pending prospectus approval) will be looking at the contributing factors of re-offending in these participants (namely criminal thinking and empathy). Mental health courts are diversion programs for individuals with mental illness involved in the justice system. Our research will help inform targeted treatments to reduce re-offense (for example, CBT programs targeted to reduce criminal thinking, which are available and have been tested mostly with incarcerated offenders).
The other lab I joined, the ACT (the Aging & Cognitive Training) Lab. This semester, I worked with the lab coordinators to develop a project that will evaluate the relationship between source memory and empathy. These two cognitive processes are impaired in schizophrenia. Although we will not be testing individuals with schizophrenia, establishing a relationship in psychiatrically healthy individuals may be useful to guide future research with individuals with schizophrenia. I worked on lots of literature review and started a write-up for this project. Hopefully data collection will follow in the fall semester.
Working in two labs definitely filled the extra time in my schedule I was concerned about having. I also was offered 5 extra TA hours working with the learning center to mentor students on academic probation. This was a very useful experience (minus the negative, which was a very high dropout rate) and I felt like I helped students either improve their academics or just figure out their life!
I really enjoyed the two classes I took this semester. First, Cognitive Psychology. I always LOVE cognitive classes. I find cognition to be so fascinating. I learned a lot of interesting new things about cognition, but by-far, my favorite part of the class was writing the paper. We basically could write about whatever we wanted, as long as it related directly to cognitive psychology. I started off broad, but then decided to write about Mindfulness Yoga for Schizophrenia. Surprisingly, mindfulness and/or yoga has been used for schizophrenia, mostly to reduce stress & anxiety. I focused my writing on the potential cognitive benefits of mindfulness yoga for schizophrenia. Mindfulness and/or yoga uses many focused attention practices, thus may be a candidate training program for schizophrenia. And, importantly, it is a recovery-oriented treatment, meaning it increases self-awareness and improves quality of life.
Second, Research Methods. We basically learned to critique research articles throughout the class. I really needed this. I now read literature much more critically than I did before. I am glad I completed this class before submitting my undergraduate research anywhere for publication (fingers crossed). After this year, I realize that I probably was not really ready for doctoral-level training. I feel that after masters-level training is complete, it will be a much smoother transition to doctoral work.
So, this summer will consist of GRE prep (will take likely early August), publication prep (my unpublished undergraduate honors research), and thesis writing. I originally was considering getting a job to avoid dipping into the loans even more, but I think I will have plenty to do without one. I was feeling very stressed at the end of the semester, and I few months off will be nice. Oh, and fun things for me to do (!): lots of running/working out, 5Ks, beach days, exploring Wilmington/NC cities, and gourmet eating. Aaaahhh, so glad summer is here.....
Sunday, December 30, 2012
The awe of childhood
Today was my first day back in Wilmington. I spent the day doing necessary things such as unpacking, cooking, doing laundry, and grocery shopping. I decided to go to Walmart because there were several random things I needed in addition to the food items. I met someone wonderful while there.
As I waited in line at the register, a young boy (probably about 8 years old) and his mother were in line behind me. I overheard the boy ask, "Why does this say 'Why did he do it?'" referring to a magazine headline. The mother explained calmly that it was referring to the man last week who shot the children in the school. The boy asked a lot of follow-up questions in which the mother calmly explained the best she could what had happened. What I admired most was that she said "The man needed help that he did not get." She did not make judgements about the situation, she did not show anger towards what had happened, she just calmly told her son what she knew about the situation and that there was no rational explanation for what had happened. Another comment from the boy that I remember is that he said "I bet those were very nice kids." and the mother replied, "Yes, I'm sure they were." And the boy said, "I bet the parents are very sad."
The whole conversation made me realize that we all try to make sense of the tragedy that happened in Newtown Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary, but there is nothing logical about it. No matter how hard we try, there will never be a satisfying explanation.
After the conversation between the mother and child ended, the boy approached me and said, "Ma'am?" (Have I mentioned how much I love being called 'ma'am'? "What kind of kitty do you have?" He saw my cat scratcher on the conveyer I was purchasing. I proceeded to converse with him about my cat and his cat, etc...
I'm so glad I got myself out of the house today and was able to meet this wonderful young boy. He will grow up to be an intelligent man who I think will do great things. He is lucky to have such a great mom. Sometimes I forget how smart kids can be and how refreshing it can be to converse with someone who is so young.
As I waited in line at the register, a young boy (probably about 8 years old) and his mother were in line behind me. I overheard the boy ask, "Why does this say 'Why did he do it?'" referring to a magazine headline. The mother explained calmly that it was referring to the man last week who shot the children in the school. The boy asked a lot of follow-up questions in which the mother calmly explained the best she could what had happened. What I admired most was that she said "The man needed help that he did not get." She did not make judgements about the situation, she did not show anger towards what had happened, she just calmly told her son what she knew about the situation and that there was no rational explanation for what had happened. Another comment from the boy that I remember is that he said "I bet those were very nice kids." and the mother replied, "Yes, I'm sure they were." And the boy said, "I bet the parents are very sad."
The whole conversation made me realize that we all try to make sense of the tragedy that happened in Newtown Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary, but there is nothing logical about it. No matter how hard we try, there will never be a satisfying explanation.
After the conversation between the mother and child ended, the boy approached me and said, "Ma'am?" (Have I mentioned how much I love being called 'ma'am'? "What kind of kitty do you have?" He saw my cat scratcher on the conveyer I was purchasing. I proceeded to converse with him about my cat and his cat, etc...
I'm so glad I got myself out of the house today and was able to meet this wonderful young boy. He will grow up to be an intelligent man who I think will do great things. He is lucky to have such a great mom. Sometimes I forget how smart kids can be and how refreshing it can be to converse with someone who is so young.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
State to State Differences
I have been living in Wilmington, North Carolina for about 4 months now, and it is finally starting to feel like home! I have come across several differences moving from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. I have also noticed many differences coming from Ursinus College (a small liberal arts college) to UNCW (a medium sized state school).
Philadelphia, PA to Wilmington, NC
Philadelphia, PA to Wilmington, NC
- People really do address you as ma'am!
Some people don't like this, but I will say I LOVE IT! I feel warm & fuzzy & loved when I walk into a store, for example, and someone says "Can I help you ma'am?" It really feels like they care!!
- People have different (sometimes low) expectations of food.
I have realized I took advantage of the delicious food at home (probably because of the proximity to a big city). Especially with sushi, I had a very hard time finding good sushi. The places people suggested were mostly awful. I finally found a place called Tamashii (http://www.sushiandspoons.com/), ironically the sushi chef is from the Philadelphia area. It was worth the search, and it quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite restaurants. There is good food here in Wilmington, it just has been a little more difficult than expected to weed through the bad to find the good. - Oooh the weather!
Today, I thought it was a bit chilly out, but then I saw the facebook statuses of friends back home proclaiming that it was snowing!! So I stopped my complaining.
A few weeks ago I went to the beach - YES - in November! 70 degrees in November is GREAT.
- Back to 1992.At my internship in Bolivia, NC, I had to make phone calls to conduct a survey. I discovered that rural areas of NC do not require an area code. I was astonished to learn this and felt like I was back in the dark ages again.
- Wilmywood.
Surprisingly, Wilmington is the third most frequented location for filming. Unfortunately, I have not seen any celebrities yet, but I keep hearing about them!!! - The Down South.Yes, people have accents here, and there is more country music. I like country music now and I like the accents people have. It is strange to hear people on the radio with heavy accents (does not happen back home) - but it makes it more interesting and helps me experience a different culture here.
- So many bikes!
The campus here is a lot bigger than Ursinus (e.g. over .5 square miles), so it takes longer to get from building to building. Often, just going next door (Psychology Building to McNeill Hall). - Graduate student expectations.
It feels like us graduate students are more like colleagues with professors. I do not feel quite at the same level, but I am now a lot more comfortable with professors than I was as an undergraduate. I feel more respected by the professors and like I am working with them rather than under them. - I have a car!
At Ursinus, I did not have a car and walked to class every day. Now, I live in an apartment with my lovely boyfriend and beautiful kitty, Lilly. I was ten minutes late to class today due to traffic, no parking, and leaving 5 minutes later than usual (Lilly was being very friendly this morning). It's still a bit weird driving to class, and another contributing factor that makes me feel more like an employee than a student.
- Professors are awesome everywhere.
Doesn't matter if you're going to a state school or liberal arts college - professors are just as spunky, friendly, helpful, and enthusiastic here compared to Ursinus. I love it here just about as much as I loved Ursinus and the professors make the experience even better. It's an honor and a privilege to be taught by these knowledgeable and enthusiastic people.
That's it for now :)
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Academic Generosities
After being away from school for a year and being given the wonderful opportunity to return, I have realized some academic "pluses", "extras", etc. that schools give their students. All on this list will be things inexpensive or free and of academic or cultural nature. Things I appreciate and enjoy in being a student.
1. Guest Lectures
I realized I really missed the opportunity to be invited to guest lectures on campus. I just went to one titled: "The behavioral and neural basis of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) - induced memory impairments: What animal models reveal." Dr. David Harper from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand was the guest. I really enjoyed listening to his research, findings, and implications. There is so much wonderful research being done around the world; being a student in college gives you a plethora of opportunities to learn about just a fraction of what is being done.
2. Cultural Performances
I love that dance performances, plays, poetry, etc. are available right on campus on multiple occasions. I enjoyed many at Ursinus, but have not been to any here yet. I hope to attend one soon.
3. Interest Groups
At Ursinus I was involved in Active Minds, Psychology Club, and started The Running Club. Here at UNCW I am involved in PGSA and NAMI on campus. I love making a difference in these student-run groups and meeting others passionate about what I'm passionate about. I have had nothing but positive experiences in campus groups.
4. Studying
There, I said it. I enjoy studying. Well, it's not as simple as that. I enjoy being challenged to fill my brain with facts and methods (some feel more relevant than others), and being tested to see how well I did. No, I do not particularly enjoy the test itself, or receiving the grades, but I love the challenge.
5. Other Students
Being a student in college is one of the best opportunities to meet people from all over the world with all different experiences. Especially in grad school, I have really enjoyed getting to know people I would never have met had I not come down here at good old UNCW.
6. Professors
College professors are definitely one of the nicest AND smartest population of people I can generalize about. Here at UNCW every professor I have met has been very friendly and enthusiastic. My mentor here and my TA advisor (the two professors I am in closest contact with) are extremely helpful and encouraging.
7. Writing
I love writing and doing literature reviews. In my year off from college, this is what I missed most. I am currently working on publishing my undergraduate research (a slow process), and have lots of fun doing it. I hope to get it submitted somewhere by the end of the semester. I would love to have a publication before applying to Ph.D. programs. Reading and and all research about schizophrenia is definitely one of my unique hobbies that I will never give up :).
There it is. I definitely have things I like MORE about grad school than undergraduate, but I will save that for another post ;).
1. Guest Lectures
I realized I really missed the opportunity to be invited to guest lectures on campus. I just went to one titled: "The behavioral and neural basis of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) - induced memory impairments: What animal models reveal." Dr. David Harper from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand was the guest. I really enjoyed listening to his research, findings, and implications. There is so much wonderful research being done around the world; being a student in college gives you a plethora of opportunities to learn about just a fraction of what is being done.
2. Cultural Performances
I love that dance performances, plays, poetry, etc. are available right on campus on multiple occasions. I enjoyed many at Ursinus, but have not been to any here yet. I hope to attend one soon.
3. Interest Groups
At Ursinus I was involved in Active Minds, Psychology Club, and started The Running Club. Here at UNCW I am involved in PGSA and NAMI on campus. I love making a difference in these student-run groups and meeting others passionate about what I'm passionate about. I have had nothing but positive experiences in campus groups.
4. Studying
There, I said it. I enjoy studying. Well, it's not as simple as that. I enjoy being challenged to fill my brain with facts and methods (some feel more relevant than others), and being tested to see how well I did. No, I do not particularly enjoy the test itself, or receiving the grades, but I love the challenge.
5. Other Students
Being a student in college is one of the best opportunities to meet people from all over the world with all different experiences. Especially in grad school, I have really enjoyed getting to know people I would never have met had I not come down here at good old UNCW.
6. Professors
College professors are definitely one of the nicest AND smartest population of people I can generalize about. Here at UNCW every professor I have met has been very friendly and enthusiastic. My mentor here and my TA advisor (the two professors I am in closest contact with) are extremely helpful and encouraging.
7. Writing
I love writing and doing literature reviews. In my year off from college, this is what I missed most. I am currently working on publishing my undergraduate research (a slow process), and have lots of fun doing it. I hope to get it submitted somewhere by the end of the semester. I would love to have a publication before applying to Ph.D. programs. Reading and and all research about schizophrenia is definitely one of my unique hobbies that I will never give up :).
There it is. I definitely have things I like MORE about grad school than undergraduate, but I will save that for another post ;).
Friday, August 24, 2012
First Official Week
So it is just about the end of my first week. I have met the majority of people from the program (although not everyone). Everyone I have met is very friendly and nice. Everyone is from different areas of the U.S., which I think is pretty cool. There is a pretty wide age range as well, a good amount of people took a year off as I did. There are three programs - ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis), General, and SATP (Substance Abuse Treatment Psychology). I am in the general track - the goal for the program is basically to get you more experience to be a strong candidate for a Ph.D. program. The other two tracks are preparing to get licensed and work after graduation.
We had 3 orientations - one for the psych department, one for the grad school, and one for TAs (teaching assistants). They were all pretty informative, but pretty tiring as well (each was 3 hours long). Who knew they had so much to orient us about? At least we got a free t-shirt out of it :).
My first classes were on Thursday (I have a T/Th schedule, some students do have classes Wednesday). Physiological Psychology will be good, I always love neuroscience classes so I am looking forward to that. We didn't get too much into the material but I know I will enjoy it, as always (I <3 Neuroscience).
I met with my TA and he was very nice. I will be doing a lot of grading, maybe some proctoring, maybe teach a class. And I got a free textbook (he is a coauthor on the book for the class)!!
Research Methods was.....research methods. It's strange, I love research when I am participating in data collection, plugging in, analyzing, etc...but the straight numbers tend to bore me. I am going to try hard to improve my understanding & love of math and statistics. I really need to improve to be a better scientist/statistician/researcher. AND it might help with the GREs :). It was not excruciatingly boring though, so that's a good sign!
Oh and I got to see my lab. There is a brand new Psychology building that was built (actually just finished the week before classes). Each professor has their own lab space - ours is 3 rooms with 3 computers and a lounge area. It is a really nice space essentially just for me and my mentor (I am currently the only grad student). I think I will be using it a lot :).
So I got my student ID and parking pass. It's official - I am a UNCW student :). I am really excited to be back in school. The year off actually upped my motivation to be in school and reach towards my long-term goals. I imagine things will be getting very busy very fast. I'm not sure what to expect for graduate school - all I keep hearing is that I will not be bored and it will be challenging. Sounds good to me!
We had 3 orientations - one for the psych department, one for the grad school, and one for TAs (teaching assistants). They were all pretty informative, but pretty tiring as well (each was 3 hours long). Who knew they had so much to orient us about? At least we got a free t-shirt out of it :).
My first classes were on Thursday (I have a T/Th schedule, some students do have classes Wednesday). Physiological Psychology will be good, I always love neuroscience classes so I am looking forward to that. We didn't get too much into the material but I know I will enjoy it, as always (I <3 Neuroscience).
I met with my TA and he was very nice. I will be doing a lot of grading, maybe some proctoring, maybe teach a class. And I got a free textbook (he is a coauthor on the book for the class)!!
Research Methods was.....research methods. It's strange, I love research when I am participating in data collection, plugging in, analyzing, etc...but the straight numbers tend to bore me. I am going to try hard to improve my understanding & love of math and statistics. I really need to improve to be a better scientist/statistician/researcher. AND it might help with the GREs :). It was not excruciatingly boring though, so that's a good sign!
Oh and I got to see my lab. There is a brand new Psychology building that was built (actually just finished the week before classes). Each professor has their own lab space - ours is 3 rooms with 3 computers and a lounge area. It is a really nice space essentially just for me and my mentor (I am currently the only grad student). I think I will be using it a lot :).
So I got my student ID and parking pass. It's official - I am a UNCW student :). I am really excited to be back in school. The year off actually upped my motivation to be in school and reach towards my long-term goals. I imagine things will be getting very busy very fast. I'm not sure what to expect for graduate school - all I keep hearing is that I will not be bored and it will be challenging. Sounds good to me!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)