jakem

Whoa whoa, NOT okay. Grad school is a game, pure and simple. They define the rules, and we play to win. But do you really think that this has any correlation with what goes on out in the real world? There are great minds that have never gone to grad school and never need to. Charles Darwin never went to grad school and I'm pretty sure he revolutionized the world of modern thought for centuries to come. Albert Einstein never went to grad school and he is considered one of the greatest minds to ever live!
 
 
 
I'm really sorry, and I can understand how painful this must be. But it's not that unusual, and you're definitely not alone. There are plenty of people who have to re-tool and try again next year. But you really want this, and you think this is the right path for you, you'll try again. 

I strongly urge against using PhD Candidate until you are properly ABD. 
 
I see a lot of first and second years using it, and it reflects more poorly on them than if they didn't say anything, from what I've seen. 

Potential UCI student here. Never lived on the west coast before. My big concern is the superficiality and enforced suburban qualities of Irvine. Are there things to do around the campus? Are people horrible and vapid? I'm not being harsh, I'm just worried.

Would living in Costa Mesa make a big difference in this regard? I'm also a bit worried about living far away from campus and my cohort in Irvine. I still want to make friends of course! Can anyone tell me of their experiences with this?

I slept with your SO last night.

if you're thinking more like psychology of religion, I know that Ara Norenzayan (UBC) and Azim Shariff (University of Oregon) did some amazing work. They are both social psychologist. If you're more interested in the developmental aspect of it, try UT Austin (Kristin Legare). 

Oops...I switch between Fall 2014 Applicants and Social Psychology 2014 so much that I forget what I'm reading or posting in...so nevermind!

Whoa whoa, NOT okay. Grad school is a game, pure and simple. They define the rules, and we play to win. But do you really think that this has any correlation with what goes on out in the real world? There are great minds that have never gone to grad school and never need to. Charles Darwin never went to grad school and I'm pretty sure he revolutionized the world of modern thought for centuries to come. Albert Einstein never went to grad school and he is considered one of the greatest minds to ever live!
 
 
 
I'm really sorry, and I can understand how painful this must be. But it's not that unusual, and you're definitely not alone. There are plenty of people who have to re-tool and try again next year. But you really want this, and you think this is the right path for you, you'll try again. 

Whoa whoa, NOT okay. Grad school is a game, pure and simple. They define the rules, and we play to win. But do you really think that this has any correlation with what goes on out in the real world? There are great minds that have never gone to grad school and never need to. Charles Darwin never went to grad school and I'm pretty sure he revolutionized the world of modern thought for centuries to come. Albert Einstein never went to grad school and he is considered one of the greatest minds to ever live!
 
 
 
I'm really sorry, and I can understand how painful this must be. But it's not that unusual, and you're definitely not alone. There are plenty of people who have to re-tool and try again next year. But you really want this, and you think this is the right path for you, you'll try again. 

That's nice and all... but just saying, social/personality PhD programs are actually more competitive than clinical PhD programs. That's according to the APA 2011 analysis (Table 18). http://www.apa.org/workforce/publications/11-grad-study/applications.pdf

Whoa whoa, NOT okay. Grad school is a game, pure and simple. They define the rules, and we play to win. But do you really think that this has any correlation with what goes on out in the real world? There are great minds that have never gone to grad school and never need to. Charles Darwin never went to grad school and I'm pretty sure he revolutionized the world of modern thought for centuries to come. Albert Einstein never went to grad school and he is considered one of the greatest minds to ever live!
 
 
 
I'm really sorry, and I can understand how painful this must be. But it's not that unusual, and you're definitely not alone. There are plenty of people who have to re-tool and try again next year. But you really want this, and you think this is the right path for you, you'll try again. 

That's nice and all... but just saying, social/personality PhD programs are actually more competitive than clinical PhD programs. That's according to the APA 2011 analysis (Table 18). http://www.apa.org/workforce/publications/11-grad-study/applications.pdf

Me neither. I promise the minute I hear anything from them I'll let you know. 

we've got a TROLL in the house, yo!
not a very good one, but still a troll. 

Whoa whoa, NOT okay. Grad school is a game, pure and simple. They define the rules, and we play to win. But do you really think that this has any correlation with what goes on out in the real world? There are great minds that have never gone to grad school and never need to. Charles Darwin never went to grad school and I'm pretty sure he revolutionized the world of modern thought for centuries to come. Albert Einstein never went to grad school and he is considered one of the greatest minds to ever live!
 
 
 
I'm really sorry, and I can understand how painful this must be. But it's not that unusual, and you're definitely not alone. There are plenty of people who have to re-tool and try again next year. But you really want this, and you think this is the right path for you, you'll try again. 

Whoa whoa, NOT okay. Grad school is a game, pure and simple. They define the rules, and we play to win. But do you really think that this has any correlation with what goes on out in the real world? There are great minds that have never gone to grad school and never need to. Charles Darwin never went to grad school and I'm pretty sure he revolutionized the world of modern thought for centuries to come. Albert Einstein never went to grad school and he is considered one of the greatest minds to ever live!
 
 
 
I'm really sorry, and I can understand how painful this must be. But it's not that unusual, and you're definitely not alone. There are plenty of people who have to re-tool and try again next year. But you really want this, and you think this is the right path for you, you'll try again. 

Whoa whoa, NOT okay. Grad school is a game, pure and simple. They define the rules, and we play to win. But do you really think that this has any correlation with what goes on out in the real world? There are great minds that have never gone to grad school and never need to. Charles Darwin never went to grad school and I'm pretty sure he revolutionized the world of modern thought for centuries to come. Albert Einstein never went to grad school and he is considered one of the greatest minds to ever live!
 
 
 
I'm really sorry, and I can understand how painful this must be. But it's not that unusual, and you're definitely not alone. There are plenty of people who have to re-tool and try again next year. But you really want this, and you think this is the right path for you, you'll try again. 

Not applying at all.

Living in a country where there isn't any clean water to drink, and you can't afford to buy filtered bottled water.

Hello!
 
I decided to join this website and ask away because lately I have been having doubts about my future career and have no idea who to turn to for information, guidance, or even just a bit of advice.
 
I am currently a junior at a 4-year university majoring in Psychology. The plan was to pursue Behavior analysis in grad school as well as to become board certified. However, after doing a practicum in Behavior analysis, looking at grad school programs, looking at the requirements for certification, and considering the future of the field I feel a little discouraged. 
 
Seeing as I still have a full year left of undergrad I have decided to start looking into other areas. I do love Psychology and do not wish to change my major however. 
 
I came across the Dietetics and Nutrition program at my current university and I am wondering if by having a BA in Psychology with perhaps a minor in Dietetics, Biology, Chemistry, etc I would have any chance of entering a Dietetics grad school program. Right now, I just want to know if this is a possibility at all. 
 
I would greatly appreciate any information I might find helpful as well as some advice. Thanks!

I did this and it has paid off tremendously.  Not only did it set me up perfectly for grad school, but it also allowed me to test the waters and determine if I wanted to dedicate myself to researching X and/or Y.  You have gotten lots of other good advice so far too!

Hi Soflostudent,
 
Let me start by first saying, I was in a similar position (with different interests) last year. I was in my senior year, and although I had prepared significantly and always knew I wanted to go to grad school, I was disillusioned. I sat down to write personal statements for schools, and just felt as though I couldn't accurately discern what it was that I wanted to do. SO--I took time off, got a research position (one that would set me up nicely for graduate school), and soul-searched. I saw a career counselor at my school, took personality tests, read books about careers, researched my options. Just to give you an idea I was thinking about English, Public Health, and Education...it was a rocky time of discernment. I also talked to SEVERAL people in various fields that I was interested in, oh and the kicker, I stopped reading the negativity on message boards.  Being out of school, with less responsibilities also helped.
 
So my advice, like Mr. Bugles', is to go back to the root of your interest in psychology. What got you amped up about it in the first place? Also, definitely research different fields, talk to professionals and professors in other departments. I made a list of what I wanted in a potential career as far as day to day responsibilities. Another thing--don't think of picking a career as a life-long sentence. So many people have a career that evolves over their lifetime. Maybe you want to first try dietetics and then go into some kind of health psychology--something like that. It definitely helped me when one of my research mentors told me that she finally figured out what she wanted to do 15 years AFTER her doctorate.
 
So take the pressure off yourself and explore a little bit! I would recommend contacting someone in the dietetics dept at your school and just asking these questions!!

Am I the only one around here that finds it hilarious when egomaniacs like OP fail at something? Some people deserve being taken down a notch. 

Unfortunately, no. Right now your GPA (cumulative 3.48) will get you rejected without them even reading your application. I know this sucks, and I really feel for you so so much because you obviously had an understandably bad experience your first two years, and then made a very smart and courageous choice to change into a field you love.
 
Here is my advice to you: find a way to change those C's and F's. This differs by every school, but some schools have a policy where you can re-take a course to try for a better grade. I know what you're thinking - "Oh those courses aren't psychology so they don't matter right?" Wrong. The skills in chemistry and calculus (quantitative problem solving, understanding complicated mechanisms) are exactly the skills that top-10 programs are looking for in applicants nowadays. So you need to find a way to fix those grades. You have some GREAT research experience - that NIH grant definitely will set you apart. And I hate to say this, but being Hispanic will definitely help your chances. But even with that and a perfect GRE, you probably won't get looked at by a top-10 with C's and an F on your transcript.
 
P.S. Whatever you do, do not mention your struggle with depression in your application. Many people try to weave their mental health struggles into a personal statement, or to explain bad grades. That's a great way for you to get rejected instantly. (see http://psychology.unl.edu/psichi/Graduate_School_Application_Kisses_of_Death.pdf)

Sorry dude. We live in a highly competitive world full of extremely intelligent and qualified individuals. While I agree with you that GPA is largely meaningless, there are many people in academia that think it's an indicator of work ethic.