I definitely would have liked to know more about graduate school admissions earlier in the game to explore requirements and research programs for different universities. In our field, there are a lot of decisions to make: specialty of interest, PsyD or PhD, research or clinical, etc. They can get overwhelming when left to the last few semesters before graduation. Information at events like the Psi Chi Graduate Student Panel can be a great resource for planning an applications timeline. So can professors! I know that, given more time, I would have liked to have known my professors better and taken advantage of their advice. They have been through this degree business already and they know their stuff. 

 To be frank, I would have liked to have known about Psi Chi, period. Sadly, I stumbled upon the honor society quite by accident, and somewhat late in my education—but I’m so glad I did! The Psi Chi events are essential for any student seriously interested in pursuing psychology beyond graduation. Membership doesn’t hurt either. Aside from providing a nice selling point on applications, this organization also offers scholarships and psychology tutoring. 
Speaking of, many students, like me, aren’t aware in their sophomore year that to an admissions board, extracurricular activities matter almost as much as academics. Volunteer and leadership activities, work experience, and even study abroad programs –especially when they relate to psychology in some way—can make a difference in demonstrating to admissions boards that a student has independence, work ethic, and other qualities that interest them. They like students to challenge themselves, inside and outside the classroom. These kinds of activities naturally consume time, so it is not a good idea to wait until the fall of senior year before trying them. UIC student organizations, in the Liberal Arts and Honors Colleges (see the website), offer a variety of new and interesting activities. 

At the same time, graduate school admissions boards look for practical experience in prospective students. I myself only became wise to the many psychology research projects here at UIC recently, but joining as a research assistant as early as possible affords you the opportunity to learn more about the day to day work and procedures behind psychology research. Students can learn about the areas within psychology that interest them and sometimes even run projects independently. I know I would definitely have wanted to attend a Psi Chi Matchmaker earlier on. I never realized until I went to this event for the first time that Matchmaker is so useful for pairing interested psychology students with available research openings. I would have loved to start as a sophomore and get more time as a research assistant, but there are also many opportunities to experience research outside these courses, in cognitive labs, at a psychiatric institute, etc. 

Last but not least, there is the GRE. Yes, academics do matter, and they come in the form of a whopping four-hour, computer-adaptive test designed to test the general knowledge of prospective graduate students. I didn’t learn much about this exam until my junior year, so I wasn’t aware until recently that it is offered only in the fall. As soon as I found out, I started looking for study booklets. I found the GRE website at ETS.org to be very useful, especially with information on testing registration, test structure and test content. I also took advantage of the free practice tests available online (e.g. kaptest.com) and at UIC to get an idea of where I needed to improve and useful tricks to beat the clock. 

I would have liked to take advantage of all these resources as a sophomore, but I’m doing my best as a junior. For everyone else interested in continuing in psychology, take my advice: start those preparations early. 

Rania Barazi

While the majority of students in the Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society will naturally be Psychology majors, students studying Neuroscience have a lot of obstacles to overcome because of the relative youth of, and the continual lack of knowledge of many advisors concerning, the Neuroscience program. As I write to provide advice on what I wish I had known my sophomore year, I am tailoring this to the Neuroscience majors of Psi Chi and UIC. While my advice is directed toward Neuroscience students, I believe it would be valuable for Psychology (and, indeed, all other) students at UIC. My current position is admittedly unique. I am a second-year student, who plans to complete my degree at the end of my third year. As I finish my “sophomore” year at UIC, I am providing some advice regarding what I certainly wish I had known at the beginning of the year, a seemingly eternal seven months ago. I have grown a lot this year, as a student and as a person, and there are a few things I have come to realize…

 As a student whose curriculum has spanned many science departments as well as the psychology department, I believe it is important to realize that there is more out there than Neuroscience. While I am fascinated by the biology of synaptic transmission and the chemistry of neurotransmitters, I’ve recently realized my interest in world cultures. Take some time to take courses outside of your major department; try a linguistics class, study international relations, or even take up a new language – no matter the diversion, it will likely be most welcome in comparison to the depth of the studies required in your major department.

 That said, I have grown to appreciate the interrelatedness of the courses I have taken. Maslow’s Hierarchy has appeared in my Theories of Personality and Learning and Conditioning class, and I can spot the connections between my Research Methods and my Statistical Methods classes. In considering this, I’d recommend expanding the breadth of your psychology curriculum to the various courses offered. For example, if you are focusing on psychological conditioning, perhaps take a course in community or abnormal psychology. Psychology is huge; take advantage of the plethora of courses available in the department; some offer a psychological viewpoint on a subset of the population, while others provide insight onto psychology at the macro level rather than at just individual behavior. Many of the courses I have taken in the psychology department have examined psychological theory from the same perspective; to learn more about psychology from multiple perspectives would certainly be valuable in understanding psychological theory.

 Which brings me to my next point: plan early, plan ahead, and find the people who can help you do that. There are innumerable courses available to take in all the departments at UIC. While you might naturally change your mind about your major or your concentration, having a plan makes life infinitely easier. The psychology department and LAS have a wealth of resources available to you as you plan your curriculum. While this may seem rather obvious, there are a few things that I wish I had planned for, which have caused some trouble in the mapping of my “three-year-plan” – for example, find out whether a course is specifically offered during a particular semester by talking to advisors and doing some hunting on the UIC Student Self Service of previous years. Also, make sure (early!) that your plan fits within the LAS guidelines; the last thing you want is to be at your last semester and realize you still have a few more courses to take!

 In considering planning courses, also consider everything outside of your coursework. I wish I had realized that college is the best time in your life to diversify. Take your courses and study, but also get involved in an activity that really piques your interest; in my opinion, whether or not it has to do with Neuroscience (or Psychology) is less important than whether or not you find something you are interested in and want to commit time to. Use your time to find a cause that you support, or volunteer; the experience, whether or not it relates to your curriculum, will likely supplement your educational experience during your college years anyway.

 Finally, if there is one thing that I have learned over the course of this year which would have been valuable to understand so many months ago, that would be to be proactive about finding opportunities. At such a large institution, there is little room for people to wait and hope that opportunities will appear; instead, talk to advisors, email professors, look at the opportunity postings outside LAS and Psychology departments, and do a cursory Internet search on topics which interest you – you may just find a opportunity you feel you could truly benefit from. (For example, not many people know about “UIC Announce” – look for it on the drop-down list of the UIC homepage, you’ll find a huge list of job, internship, and research opportunities, seminars, and extracurricular opportunities, which is updated daily!)

 This past year has certainly been valuable in that I have learned to start appreciating my time during my undergraduate years. Throughout the course of this year, I have learned much about what I want from my educational experience, and how to go about attaining it. There is no doubt that students have infinite options; but, at least considering some of the advice that I mentioned may help you pick the ones of most benefit.

Nilay Shah