Guide to Getting Into Graduate School > How To Develop the Characteristics of a Successful Student

Coursework

Since transcripts are one of the first items admissions committees see, make a good first impression. Plan your courses carefully and purposefully. Don't take courses just to get them out of the way; instead, use them as stepping-stones to further knowledge. Here is some general advice.

• Do what it takes you to keep your grades up. This may be different from what it takes your roommate or best friend. In some courses you may need a tutor, or a study group, or extra time on tasks. Do what it takes to learn the material well. Since Ph.D. admissions typically require a GPA of around 3.5, each C requires THREE A's to bring it up up a competitive level.
• Take intellectually challenging courses in the hard sciences and math. It is better to have a slightly lower GPA and to have taken more challenging courses than it is to have a very high GPA and to have taken easy courses.
• Plan your elective courses carefully. Take courses to explore interests early on, then shift to electives that complement your career goals. For example, early on, you might take a Philosophy of Mind class. If you like this class, you might pursue a minor in a discipline like Cognitive Science and a graduate degree in Cognitive Psychology.
• Do not take so many courses at the same time that you are overwhelmed. Some students simply take too many courses (and too many difficult courses) at the same time and end up getting poor grades. Balance is important.
• Do well in your statistics and research methods courses. The skills you learn in these courses are important to your success in research and, consequently, graduate school. Take these courses as early in your career as possible so that you will be ready and have time for independent research experiences in your junior and senior year. Speak with your advisor about what classes you need to take to fulfill the requirements of the program you are interested in. For example, Psy.D. programs are less concerned about research experience.
• See your academic advisor for guidance in choosing courses that are in-line with your academic and career goals.
• Read, read, read! Look up words in the AlleyDog.com glossary when you do not know their meaning. Developing your vocabulary in this way is the best way to prepare for the verbal section of the GRE. Some students have suggested that courses in Latin were helpful in developing vocabulary skills.
  

Involvement

Be an active learner as an undergraduate. Seek out opportunities to learn, explore, and be a part of the Psychology community.

• Attend events and presentations sponsored by the department. Watch for signs posted in the Psychology Department and notices posted on the web page. Attending these events is an excellent way to learn more about the discipline and is a great way to meet faculty and staff.
• Attend open meetings and events sponsored by Psychology Club. As soon as you are eligible, apply for membership.
• Get to know your instructors and your academic advisor. Make a point to visit faculty during their office hours, participate during class discussions, and ask questions when they arise. Your goal is to find at least one mentor - remember, those letters of recommendation must come from faculty who know you well academically and personally.
• Get involved in research with faculty and/or graduate students. Structure your scholarly activities. You can also earn credit by doing independent research with faculty or graduate students.
• Be visible in the department. If the faculty and staff know you and your interests and skills, they will be more likely to invite you to become involved in activities.
• As time permits, choose to involve yourself in one or more of the following activities: run for a leadership position in Psychology Club to hone your leadership skills, take on a summer internship in an area related to your career interests, volunteer in the community to gain experience with different populations, ¬or spend a year studying abroad.
• Become a member of a national organization related to your career interest. Many psychologists are members of the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Society. If you have a specific interest area such as I/O Psychology or School Psychology, find out what the national organization is and join. The APA has a program specifically for undergraduates. You can read more about it here.: http://www.apa.org/about/students.aspx

Exploration

Again, you must be active in your pursuit of knowledge. Seek out information rather than wait passively for it to come to you.

• Read the information about faculty on the department's web page. You can find valuable information about faculty research interests, course information, and links leading to career and graduate school information.
• Visit Career Services to learn more about career choices and prepare for the job search.
• Look for people within your network (parents, family, friends, peers, faculty, professionals) with whom you can talk about their careers and your career interests.

A Personal Story

I'd like to take a moment to share a personal story with you that illustrates the importance of being proactive about your education and, in particular, Involvement and Exploration. Early on in my undergraduate education, I decided that I wanted to be more involved in psychology. I wasn't sure "yet" if I wanted to go to graduate school, but I was interested in psychology enough that I felt I should learn more about the field to see if this was the path I should take.

I had several excellent psychology instructors, but there was one in particular that stood above the others. His name was Dr. Balkin and he was (and still is) very smart, passionate about psychology, easy to get along with, and seemed to genuinely care about his students. One day after I class I mentioned to Dr. Balkin that I was considering psychology as a career path and wanted to get some hands on experience. I asked if he knew of any research I could get involved with, any labs I could work in, internships, or anything that I could do to actually “participate” in psychology. He said he would give it some thought and get back to me.

A couple of weeks later, Dr. Balkin wanted to speak with me after class. He told me that he had given my request a lot of thought and he'd been watching my progress in class, my overall attitude toward class and psychology, and my drive. He said that he had an opening for an internship in his lab and that, if I was interested, he would give me a shot at it.

As you can imagine, I was honored to be given the opportunity. It turned out that Dr. Balkin ran a sleep research lab at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, one of the country's leading research institutes. This was an incredible opportunity to work directly with someone I admired and respected, at a world renowned lab, doing incredibly interesting work, and get to participate in research that few undergraduates ever experience. And it was all thanks to my initiative - had I not approached Dr Balkin to express my interest, shown how much I wanted to participate in research, and shown that I was a hard working, driven student, I never would have had the opportunity.

Working for Dr. Balkin turned out to be one of the most rewarding opportunities of my life - one which I am appreciate for all the time. Plus, I was accepted to the same graduate program Dr. Balkin went to, in large part because of my experience at Walter Reed and the letter of recommendation he wrote.

So, I can tell you from first hand experience, taking an active role in your graduate education, going after what you want, and working hard can really pay off with experience other people only dream of. If a graduate degree in psychology is what you really want, go after it and don't let anyone stop you! Ok, now back to the guide. :-)