Fourth Year Psychology Student Survival Guide

Fourth Year Psychology Student Survival Guide

(by Mrs. C. Larcher & Dr. E. Levin)    Revised July 14th,  2009

 

            The purpose of this document is to help you organize your academic life during your last year of undergraduate studies.  Most of the information pertains to students following the Honours program but all fourth year students should read the guide.  We will try to present the things you need to do in a chronological time frame.  PSYC 4104 - Student Investigation - will inevitably consume a large proportion of your time; therefore, it is very important that you pay attention to the deadlines.

 

                       

Key people to remember in the Psychology Department (in alphabetical order) – in addition to the faculty


Ø                  Stan Koren (Technologist) S Room A225, Ext. 4257, skoren@laurentian.ca

Ù                  Claudette Larcher (Administrative Assistant) S Room A222, Ext. 4240, clarcher@laurentian.ca

 

            These people can be very valuable sources of assistance.  Be kind and respectful.

 

 

Applying for a Teaching Assistantship

 

 

1.      Apply on a Departmental Application Form in early September. 

2.      Assignments are made based on grades, professor’s selections, and suitability for a particular course. 

3.      Responsible behaviour and protection of student confidentiality are prerequisites.

 

 

Applying to Graduate

  

 

1.      Indicate intent to graduate on registration form.

 

2.      Check in September [and not in March or April thereafter) with the Chairperson that you will meet the requirements.  Every year, one or two students are shocked to discover that they are not eligible to graduate due to missing credits, no science, etc.

 

3.      It is ultimately your responsibility to ensure that you have followed the correct procedure and have met all requirements.

 

 

Thesis

 

 

1.      It is a good idea to start working on your thesis topic during the summer months after your third year of studies.  To help you with this, the Psychology Department’s main office [A222] has some material to help you in choosing a topic.

 

To find past UNDERGRADUATE Psychology Theses in the L.U. Library Archives, go to:

 

http://142.51.14.1/Laurentian/Home/Departments/Library/Finding_Information_at_the_+JN_Desmarais_Library/essays_theses.htm

 

Do not, however, proceed too far on your own without consulting a faculty member.  Professors are very busy people; give them adequate time to reflect on your work.

 

 

 

2.           If you require psychological tests, make sure the Department has the tests you need.  If you want to know which tests we currently have, consult our list of Psychological Tests (in A224).  If we do not have the test you need, it is up to you to purchase it.  If the test is inexpensive and could be useful to the department, ask the Chairperson to see if it would be a worthwhile investment.  In any case, to find out where to purchase the test, consult the Buros’ Mental Measurement Yearbook, company catalogues, journal articles.  Once you have located the publishing company, it is up to you to provide the secretary with precise information (i.e., cost per unit, company name, address, telephone, fax number, inventory number, etc.).  If all this information is given, then the secretary can fax a purchase order with speedy turnaround.

 

There are “restricted” or “Level C” tests and research tests.  Restricted tests can be released ONLY under the supervision of a REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST.

 

3.           If we already have the test(s) in A224, you can sign out ONE copy and YOU are responsible for obtaining the remaining required material.

 

4.           If you want to do in-depth research on a test, consult the following manuals for particulars (all available in A224):

a)           Mental Measurements Yearbooks (available electronically at the L.U. Library; DSM IV; Test Critiques, Volumes I to VII, by Keyser and Sutherland; Reading Tests and Reviews by Buros; Tests in Print, I, II, and III, by Buros; Handbook of Clinical Psychology by Wolman; Measures for clinical practice: A sourcebook (Volumes 1 [Couples, Families, & Children] and 2 [Adults]).

b)           Various psychological test catalogues.

 

5.           If you need other equipment, check with Mr. Koren as to availability.  For specialized equipment and/or computer programs, please arrange to have this completed during the fall semester as these have to be custom made.

 

6.           Once the final marks have been submitted to the Registrar’s Office, a copy of your thesis will be put in the L.U. Library’s Archives.  Please be sure to include the following information on the title page of your thesis:

 

TITLE

YOUR FULL NAME

Your Student Number

 

Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement

for the degree of Bachelor of ????????????????

 

Laurentian University

Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6

 

© YOUR NAME, Year

 

Also, the second page of your thesis should have the following information:

 

COPYING FOR PSYC 4104EL

 

    In accordance with the Copyright Act, and Exception for Educational Institutions, Libraries, Archives, and Museum Regulations (P.C. 1999-1351, July 1999), any copy from this document is to be used solely for the purpose of research or private study.

 

            Any use of a copy for a purpose other than research or private study will require the authorization of the copyright owner of the work in question.

 

I, _______________________ undersigned, authorize the photocopying of part of this essay, for the purpose of research or private study only.

 

_______________________________     __________________________

Author                                                    Date

 

 

7.           a) If your thesis involves testing human subjects, you are required to fill out a departmental Ethics Form.  You CANNOT start testing subjects before your thesis proposal has been approved by the Ethics Committee.  Ethics forms are available on the Psychology website: www.psychology.laurentian.ca .

 

If you must test school-age children, please note that, in addition to the ethics review, you will need to allow extra time for your proposal to be evaluated by the Rainbow District School Board.  It is preferable to test preschool-age children in daycares or university students or adults.  These ethics forms are available on the Psychology website: www.psychology.laurentian.ca .

 

b)                  If you are using animals as subjects, you are required to submit an Animal Protocol to the University Animal Care Committee; check with a member of that committee for details. The process can require several months.  You CANNOT begin experiments (home, off-campus, or on-campus) without their approval.

 

 

8.           Testing Room Reservations:

O          For group testing or individual thesis testing, see Stan Koren (ext. 4257 or email skoren@laurentian.ca ).  Before you call, make sure you have all your information at hand.  For example, you need to know the exact date and time.  You also have to say whether you need a classroom for five students, ten students, etc.

O          Please make sure to indicate when and where you are testing on the Time Poster near Room A225.

   

 

9.       Important Dates to Remember (approximate):

            Thesis proposals begin around October 1st.

            Your data should be gathered by January 30th.

            Your analyses should be completed by February 28th.

            Oral presentations usually start at the beginning of March.

  

 

10.       You are responsible for all costs associated with your thesis.  Plan your thesis accordingly. For example, it is very expensive if you need 20 pages of tests for 200 subjects.  You also need to pay to have your thesis (4 copies) bound.  Note, however, that these costs are approximately equal to a textbook which you will not need.  For printing and binding, the University has a Printing Department.  Call extension 4000 for more information.

  

11.       As important as PSYC 4104 is, remember to schedule adequate time for all your other courses.  Students have been known to focus so much on thesis that they fail another course.  Specifically, don’t forget your other required courses , PSYC 4006 (History of Psychology) or PSYC 4007 (Theory and Research in Psychology).

 

12.       The Psychology Department recognizes the success of its students in the thesis course.  Each year, the most outstanding theses in English and the outstanding theses in French will be recognized as theses of the year and the names of the recipients will be posted in the Psychology Department.  Each winner will receive a letter of congratulation.

 

We also post the names of our MOST outstanding students on a display case outside the main office.  This recognizes overall achievement in psychology.

  


 

 

Applying to Graduate School

 

1.           In general, you need a minimum of an Honour’s degree to be accepted into graduate school.  In addition, you require a minimum B+ average to be acceptable.  However, most schools only accept students with significantly higher grades especially in highly competitive areas like clinical psychology which typically requires a 90% average.  Students who follow the non-honours program will not likely be considered for graduate school admission.

 

2.           Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) and NSERC Scholarships.  Application forms for OGS and NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships will be available at the School of Graduate Studies and Research [L-314] at approximately the end of August.  All fourth year undergraduate and first, second, and third year graduate students are eligible if they fulfill the following requirements: ONLY students who have maintained an overall average of at least A- (80%), or the equivalent, during each of their last two full years of study at the postsecondary level may apply.  Application deadlines are early (October).  Be sure to allow sufficient time for faculty to write the required recommendations.

 

3.           Check the Student Awards Office (room P111, ext. 3052) or the School of Graduate Studies and Research for other scholarships you may be eligible for, for example, the Northern Bursary Program.  Many scholarships go unclaimed because students do not apply for them.

 

4.           If you are not sure what type of graduate program or where, consult the following:

 

“The On-Line Directory of Graduate School Programs,” refer to http://www.gradschools.com OR

         http://www.cpa.ca/students/cpagraduateguide/ .   The following are examples of Masters and Ph.D. programs under the heading Psychology: Cognitive Psychology; Educational Psychology; Forensic Psychology; Gerontology; Marriage and Family Counselling; Neuroscience; Pastoral Counselling, Rehabilitation Counselling, etc.

 

Also check out the following websites:

    For Medicine:                      www.ouac.on.ca/omsas/

             For Law:                             www.ouac.on.ca/olsas/

             For Teacher Education:        www.ouac.on.ca/teas/

             For Rehabilitation Sciences:  www.ouac.on.ca/orpas/

 

 

5.      Listen carefully to strategies and historical examples of success discussed in thesis class.

 

6.      Optimally, you should have become involved with a research program and have technical papers ready for submission to journals by the beginning of the fourth year.  If you have published in a scientific journal, be sure to submit reprints.   If you have not, you should still complete a small technical article of your work for inclusion in your application to graduate schools.

 

7.      It would be beneficial to visit the schools you are interested in and to take the time to contact the professors at those universities throughout the year.  It is very important that you show how interested you are in attending their graduate program. This may help you get accepted.

 

8.      Ask 2 or 3 professors [those who know you well] as soon as possible for references. Give them several weeks’ notice. Provide a transcript and resume of your accomplishments. Supply your referees with stamped addressed envelopes.

 

9.     (a)    One to two official transcripts are required per university.

(b)    As well as filling out an application form, you may be asked to write a one- to 3-page statement of interest, describing your research interests and the reasons why you would like to attend their graduate program.  You may also be asked to complete a questionnaire booklet asking you to describe any volunteer work you have performed, any research you have worked on, etc.  Write these carefully as poor spelling/ grammar may eliminate your chances of success.

(c)    A cheque or money order will have to be made payable to the university.  This processing fee varies but on average it ranges between $30.00 and $65.00.

 

10.   Don’t forget, all of this must be done between the months of September and December.  It will not be to your advantage to procrastinate.

 

11.    In September, apply at the Office of Student Life (L210, ext. 6506) to make arrangements to write the General Records Examination (GRE).  It is in your best interest to write both the general and psychology examinations, even if the graduate schools/universities of your choice do not require both. 

 

%   Since September 2002, Free Test Prep for all registrants.

%   General Test: Year-round computer-based testing at centres worldwide.

%   Convenient scheduling, call 1-800-GRE-CALL.

%   Subject Tests: Register online.

%   Writing Assessment: Year-round computer-based testing at centres worldwide.

%   Convenient scheduling: call 1-800-473-2255.

%   Visit GRE Online: www.gre.org

%   Powerprep software: General Test: can be borrowed/signed out for two weeks from the Resource Centre, Office of Student Life (L210).

 

12.    It would be useful for you to apply for membership to the Canadian Psychological Association, the Ontario Psychological Association, and/or the American Psychological Association. These associations are the best sources of psychology information on: job and research funding opportunities, conferences, psychology news around the world, etc.

 

 

P.S.     If you have any suggestions to upgrade the quality of this booklet, please do not hesitate to let us know (A222, ext. 4240).

 

  

Thesis TIPS from past fourth year students

 

 

®            Take the advice from people who have ‘been there, done that’ !!

 

®            Have a friend or fellow student take notes during your own thesis proposal and defense.

 

®            DO NOT PROCRASTINATE.

 

®            COLLECT YOUR DATA EARLY.

 

®            You must LOVE your thesis topic. You will eat, sleep, and breathe it for 9 months.

 

®            Try to read as much about your topic before you propose so that you are on your toes for questions.

 

®            Pick out a few topics you love before school starts, then figure out which one you can realistically do.

 

®            Any person who wishes to work with children as part of their thesis, make connections well ahead of time.  Remember your ethics form is due early.

 

®            If you’re going to work with the elderly in long-term care facilities, establish contacts early.

 

®            Be sure to know your statistics; go back over all the things you were taught in STAT 2126, PSYC 2127, and PSYC 3256/57.

 

®            95% of what you worry about doesn’t happen (i.e., oral defenses).

 

®            Do not rely on any outside help.  Look after everything relating to your testing yourself.

 

®            Anticipate the worst.  Whatever can go wrong will!!  Work on it early enough to avoid mistakes and ask lots of questions.  The professors are there to help you.

 

®            Don’t take anything personally. Take the proposal and defense questions as a challenging dialogue.

 

®            Don’t think of the ‘defense’ as your thesis; it is only worth 10% of your total grade.

 

®            If at all possible, lighten up your course load in fourth year (i.e., take summer courses).

 

®            Remember, writing your GRE’s and applying to graduate school is like having an extra course load.  Begin researching where you want to apply early and begin studying for the GRE’s as EARLY as you can (i.e., this summer).

 

®            After all this, take the time to have your graduation picture taken.  You deserve it.

 

 

 
 
 
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