clinpsy

I agree with the other posters that it's probably a good idea to foster a dog first, so that you can get a sense of what owning a dog might be like. Keep in mind, though, that if you're planning to adopt a puppy, they'll require a lot of time and energy – it truly is like having a newborn baby, but almost more work, because you can't use diapers! I got a dog when I was in undergrad, and although most people (myself included) would probably advise against this, it worked for me. I got my puppy at the beginning of the summer when I was working at a restaurant, so I was home all day with her, and at night when I was at work my roommate was able to help me out. I spent most of my days training my puppy (and researching how to best approach training) and keeping her on a very strict schedule (sleep, bathroom, eat, play/train, sleep, bathroom, eat, play/train), and I took her for tons of outings to get her socialized to people, other animals, and the noisy/unpredictable world. I think all of this would have been incredibly difficult, if not impossible to do whilst in grad school (especially the first year). She's now insanely well trained, is a very, very "chill" dog (low-energy), and is much older, so I'm able to leave her for longer days. It's true that having a dog forces me to keep a lovely work/life balance, and it is such a great stress reliever, but she's still a huge responsibility. Also, it's worth mentioning that she's only 6.5 lbs, so I'm able to take her places in a bag, which makes travel super easy (and she comes to the lab with me lots!) Because of her small size, she doesn't need as much exercise as a larger dog, and her food/vet bills are much lower than a larger dog (vet expenses are typically variable according to dog size). However, she has had a few health scares over the years, which ranged from $500 – $4000. Thankfully I had pet insurance, but the deductible was still a lot, and it was obviously an unexpected expense, so this is something to keep in mind. I love her more than anything, but there are still some rare days when I think it would be nice to not have the responsibility of caring for another being, especially when I'm extra busy and stressed, because then I have the added guilt/stress of not giving her as much attention as she should be getting. I know you mentioned you're not a cat person, but have you ever owned one? Most people who say they're not cat people end up becoming cat people once they own one (I thought I wasn't a cat person, until I owned one). Cats form very special bonds with their owners and I think that's why most other people don't like them, because they're very aloof with strangers. Cats also have awesome personalities that you don't get to experience unless you own one (I used to have a cat that was honestly more "dog-like" than my dog!) The reason I bring this up is that cats are a lot easier to care for than dogs, so if you really want a pet in grad school, a kitten might be a better option than a puppy! No matter what you do, research, research, research – everything from breed and training to local vet prices and pet insurance. Too many people impulse buy pets and that's how so many of them end up at shelters, after the buyer realizes they're not conducive to their lifestyle.

I recently started listening to podcasts and I'm totally hooked - it's such a great way to utilize travel time! I'm currently listening to We All Wear It Differently - A Podcast for Early Career Psychologists and it's awesome. I'll be doing a lot of commuting this summer, so I'm looking to build my podcast list... What are your favourite podcasts?

So true! I came across a similar situation and I was lucky in that nothing was late. But definitely try to get all applications in well before the deadline because these kinds of surprises are not fun.

The poster above gave me the idea of posting the spreadsheet to Google Drive: Planning for Grad School I think a lot of it is similar to @ihatechoosingusernames documents, but it's all in one spreadsheet (within various tabs). Goos luck!

You're right, organization is SO important to the process of applications. I used an Excel spreadsheet, and I recently created an example spreadsheet that should help students with their organization in terms of overall planning for grad school applications, application process planning, as well as some tips on organizing reference letter stuff. I've attached it here, but let me know if it doesn't work and I can email it! Plan for Grad School Applications.xlsx

Congrats!! Yes, absolutely contact them!

Yeah I find the short intervals (25 mins) really help me stay productive when I'm writing. Although some people prefer longer intervals of work (e.g., 60-90 mins).. it's a matter of trying out different methods and deciding on the one that works best for you. I use the app called 'Pomodoro Time' (https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/pomodoro-time-focus-timer/id973134470?mt=12)!

Congrats!!

They might find it easier to leave you alone when you're writing if you take a different approach to your writing. For example, you could adopt the Pomodoro method, which is writing for 25 minute intervals and taking 5 minute breaks in between (for the first 4 intervals). Then, after the first 4 intervals, you work for 25 minute intervals and take 15-30 minute breaks in between, up to a total of 10 intervals (i.e., a little over 4 hours of very productive writing in one go). This approach allows you to go say hello to your child, have a coffee with your spouse, etc. And since they're seeing you more often, they won't feel as inclined to bug you in those 25 minute chunks of time that you're writing! I use this method and find it helps me stay incredibly productive! There's a Pomodoro app that has a timer set for 25 min intervals, then it alerts you when it's break time! I use the app, which is great, but you could just use any timer. I like the app because you can name the tasks you're working on and then look back at how much solid time you've put into each task. It also provides a graph so you can get a global look at how productive you've been over the past week, month, etc. Oh, and it's free!

Congrats! I'm submitting mine in a week, and can only imagine how fantastic it must feel!

Not necessarily. There may be a student or two ahead of him on the waitlist. If they decline, the program will reach out to your friend. I know someone who got an offer in May last year.

I really don't think anything negative can come from sending them an email, so if you're feeling that strongly about sending one, do it! You'll have a little piece of mind during this incredibly stressful time. Fingers crossed for ya!

When I was planning to apply to grad school, I asked a clinical prof about this exact thing. She said that it's not necessary, and to instead focus on gaining as much research experience as possible. So, I didn't do any clinical volunteer work. I had a number of interviews this year and was offered admission to a couple schools. One interviewer asked me how a past volunteer experience affected me and my decision to go to grad school, or something like that, and I discussed previous volunteer work that was not clinical (mind you, it was a youth mentoring position). Either way, the interviewer was pleased with my answer (got an offer at that school) and that was the end of the discussion of volunteer work. None of my other interviewers ever brought up volunteer experience. This may differ in the US - perhaps they put more weight in clinical volunteer experience. I don't think it would hurt your case, but I also don't think it would strengthen you over someone who has more substantial research experience. The other thing is this, you may not find volunteer work in time to have anything to draw on for your apps anyway. Clinical volunteer work involves rigorous training, so by the time you're actually doing the work, you'll be applying to schools. Something to keep in mind. Good luck with your apps this fall! And feel free to let me know if you have any other questions

Excellent tip, thank you! Hmm.. interesting. I've never heard of this program. I'll have to look into it - not sure if they'd offer it in Canada (a lot of cool stuff that's offered in the states is not often offered up here, or if it is, it's triple the price).

You guys are totally right! My mouse and keyboard will work via Bluetooth. Hooray! Now that I think about it, it was my Apple remote that didn't work... THAT needed the sensor! Ugh, yeah, ink can eat up so much money, thanks for pointing that out. I'll probably just print everything at school - they mentioned that we can print as much as we want, but have to bring our own paper, which is completely doable.

Thanks! I'll add a docking station to my budget. On another note, speaking of wired printer, do you have any recommendations for a good one? They're so hard to find these days (everything is wireless)! I have a wireless printer and it keeps giving me connection issues, so I want to go back to the trusty wired machines.

I have the Apple wireless keyboard and mouse, but unfortunately the MacBook Air doesn't have a wireless sensor I bought the keyboard and mouse when I had my old MacBook Pro. Totally sucks because they're barely used.

Thanks for the advice everyone! I think I'm definitely going to go the monitor route. And @fuzzylogician, I like the idea of having one USB hub! I guess at this point I'm just a little confused about how everything connects. Does everything connect via USB (I'm assuming so, since you have one hub)? And would the keyboard connect to my laptop or the monitor?

Thank you @sjoh197, that link is super helpful!!

I'm thinking about buying a desktop to have a bigger screen when I work at home. Currently, I have a MacBook Air, and it's served me well, but sometimes I could use a bigger screen to have multiple windows/applications open (especially when I'm working on a paper, looking at analyses in SPSS, and maybe have a journal article open too). Apple desktops are out of the question (too expensive), so my question for all of you is: Should I get a PC desktop (monitor & computer) or just get a monitor and hook it up to my MacBook Air (is that even possible?)? Do any of you have a setup like this at home? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated!!

Yes, I know someone who was on a waitlist and received an offer in May!

There's no use comparing yourself at this stage in the game. We all take different paths. What matters is that you're pursuing your passion. There are truly no 'shoulds' or 'should nots' when it comes to academic and professional careers. I've worked with PhD students who were in their late 40s, and others who were early 20s!

I'm starting this fall.... I'll be 30.

I tried Magoosh and it was helpful, but not as helpful as EmpowerGRE (in terms of teaching really, really useful strategies). Keep in mind that everyone has different learning styles, and for me, EmpowerGRE really worked with my learning style. I found that Magoosh was too focused on teaching content (which might be a good starting point), whereas EmpowerGRE focused on teaching specific (fool-proof) strategies to answer any question that comes your way. Check out all your options though. Good luck!

It looks like you're on the right track! 1. I don't think the time you've worked in labs matters as much as the quality of your experience -- see if you can hop on bigger projects as an independent researcher (e.g., get in on a manuscript, poster presentation, etc.) in order to show initiative beyond RA duties. 2. Your overall GPA isn't as important as your last two years (at least in Canada, I'm not sure about the US). If your GPA in your last two years is higher than 3.6, you're golden. 3. In terms of the GRE, the most common regret I hear is that people don't start practicing for it early enough. If you can afford it, find a prep course and get started now! Also, take a practice test BEFORE you start prepping, as you'll be able to identify your main weak areas and you can then focus on those specific areas whilst prepping - trust me, this will save you a lot of time. 4. Hopefully you're currently working in labs that conduct research you're truly interested in, because that sets you up really nicely to fit with POIs who investigate that area. There's nothing better than being able to talk about research in common during an interview, and to do so coherently and excitedly! 5. Another piece of advice I can give you is to practice interviews -- do mock interviews with mentors, grad students, or even your parents/siblings/partner. It's important to be prepared for interviews and to practice talking about your research and answering questions on the spot! Hope this helps; feel free to PM me!