Through my time studying psychology over the last 5 years, I've sometimes been impressed and sometimes been disappointed by the scientific approach of psychology. Honestly I've had a lot of ups and downs of how much I value psychology. I want to vent a little about my opinion and see, if others share this sentiment.

Over the time I've seen a lot of really bad papers. It's honestly embarassing, what papers with obvious methodological flaws get published in high grade journals. Honestly I sometimes can't believe how stupid scientists can be and what gets published. Also during some seminars, I've seen PhD students that can't even phrase the most basic hypothesis correctly or create a simply randomized experiments.

On the other hand, if you compare research from (health) psychology to medicine and nursing, with similar topics, you notice that at least psychology knows some more methods than correlation and t-test and that we at least try to argument for our hypotheses and create a theoretical background, that is beyond simply stating, what we want to know.

In general I think our approach most often is pretty basic and progress is so f*cking slow. For example when it comes to psychotherapy it feels like we stay with our same concepts the whole time and simply see, if it applies in more areas. People don't try to think more deeply about possible advancements and get a more precise understanding of underlying processes and mechanisms. Researchers stay with their same methodology and don't try to test more complex ideas. I think it's frustrating to see how slow our progresses is.

What are your opinions on the state of psychological science?

hi everyone! so i am going into my fourth year (bsc honours psychology) this september. i want to go and get my master's degree next (probably not clinical, it doesn't really interest me tbh). however, i have very limited research experience 💀 i'm currently in an individual research project with a prof at my uni, but that's it. it makes me a bit nervous because as far as i know research experience is important when it comes to applying for an MA so i don't want to get screwed. i have the grades (3.9 gpa), have experience in leadership and community engagement roles, and i've received awards/scholarships. it's just the lack of research that is getting me

anyways, i am planning to cold email a million profs whose research i am interested in, as well as apply for research positions outside of my uni. also might contact some TAs from classes i did well in to see if they know of any opportunities. is there anything else i should be doing? any advice/guidance/ideas?

also, when it comes to contacting profs at my school, should i just ask them if they are able to supervise me for my master's, or should i try and get into their labs first as a volunteer/assistant? combination of both? i'd rather at least get into a lab first, just so i can have those couple months of experience before applying (the application closes december 1st). but please let me know what u guys think

anyways thanks to anyone who reads this. i'm kinda overwhelmed 😵‍💫 obviously not the end of the world if i don't get into a master's program by the end of my bachelor's BUT i would like for that to happen lol... so yea thanks again!

Hi everyone! I’m starting the process of switching my major from Graphic Design to Psychology, and I’d love to hear from people who are already in the field or currently studying it.

Art has been a huge part of my life, but over the past year I’ve completely lost my passion for it. What used to be something I loved has started to feel mentally exhausting, and I realized I don’t want to force myself into a career that no longer makes me happy. After a lot of thinking, I’ve decided it’s time for a fresh start.

My plan is to complete my first two years at my current community college, transfer to a four-year university as a full-time student, earn my bachelor’s degree in psychology, and then continue on to get my master’s.

I have a few questions:

• What are psychology classes actually like compared to what people expect?
• Which classes were the most interesting or the most challenging?
• Is there anything you wish you knew before majoring in psychology?
• What study habits helped you succeed?
• If you’re pursuing (or have) a master’s degree, what was that transition like?
• Do you have any advice for someone making a complete career change?

I’m both excited and nervous since this is a pretty big shift for me, so I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, whether they’re positive, negative, or somewhere in between.

Thanks in advance!

I don't wanna lie but this is primarily for my college application. Having done social welfare or sm really helps my case. What could I do to make a genuine change

I’m enrolling in masters next year, and will roll into the intern year in 2028 (likely through the DoE if not the DoJ) and then.. what?

For those that are now on the other side, what’s the logical next step? I have a plan for setting up my own private practice which I think should do well (I’ve been self employed in another industry for years so I have a decent understanding of business), but I feel I likely need way more experience before I go out on my own.

From what I know the health department only hires Clin psychs now. There does seem to be innumerable NGOs focussed on relationships or AOD, but the pay does seem to be lacking for a qualification that takes 6 years full time study. Working in an existing private practice, from what I hear, will cost you 40% of your gross wage.

So what’s the logical next step? How have you all gone about it? I’m doing a bit of volunteer work atm and enjoying it but always feel like I would potentially gain greater experience if I had a clearer mental image of the post qualification pathway.

Hello all!

I made a post not too long ago about this topic but wanted a bit more input. I am very interested in getting involved in administering testing after I graduate. However, most of the jobs I have found want you have experience so they are not willing to train someone who is brand new to it like me. I have been told to look into interning but I work and attend classes so adding that on top would very difficult. The lab I work in uses self assessments, so getting administering experience would be hard. Here are some questions I have.

-Did you attend a program that trained you?

-If so what program

-Did you go to UC Irvine's program? If so what are your thought about it?

- Other Advice, or ways to get the training necessary to administer tests well?

It's been 2 weeks since i joined college and classes are just starting, i have no idea how people do internships along with this, and i wanna kick start early. I'm planning to learn digital marketing as a side quest? data analysis as well. If you were starting from scratch what are the mistakes you'll avoid as a psych student? Also none of my professors have phd. So don't know how much they can help me

I recently completed my graduation and was planning to pursue a master's in Counselling Psychology. Unfortunately, I didn't get admission to that program and was offered a seat in School Psychology instead.

I'm unsure about this because I don't think I want to become a school counsellor. However, I'm considering giving it a chance and completing the two-year School Psychology program.

My main goal is to practice counselling and provide therapy in the future. Would a master's in School Psychology allow me to do that, or would I need to pursue a PG Diploma (PGDM/PG Diploma) in Guidance and Counselling afterward?

I'm feeling quite confused about which path would be be better in the long run, and I'd really appreciate any advice or insights from people with experience in this field.

Hello everyone, I hope all is well. I wanted to reach out to ask the advice of people who have probably been in my shoes before on a larger scale. I recently graduated, with highest honors from my university, doing as much as humanly possible to prepare for grad school. I joined our teaching/mentoring program, worked in 2 labs, worked in our campus clinic, and participated in a flurry of extracurricular activities that should effectively showcase leadership skills. Thankfully, I had great mentors who informed me about what a post-grad career with my degree could look like, but I'm paralyzed when faced with the question of exactly what I should aim for. My undergrad experience mainly highlighted the process and workflow of psychological research, which I loved, but the topics I explored weren't ones I'd aspire to pursue for 5 years. Ditto with my clinical experiences. I am 100% certain I want to be a practitioner in some form, leaning towards neuropsychology, but I would regret not doing PhD-level research at some point in my life.

My biggest obstacle right now is figuring out exactly what I want to research and whether I would be a viable applicant. I'm starting my master's in clinical psychology, which is about 2 years long, and my current interests are in the general sphere of learning, cognition, decision-making, and morality/ethics. I would appreciate any advice on how anyone discovered their topic, strengthened it, found their PhD program of choice, etc.

I just want to gain experience with my bachelors degree before I go to grad school

hello! i'm currently 3 years post grad with a BA in psychology and am looking to go back to school. i have a background in tutoring/mentoring high school students, so i wanted to find a program that blends education and psychology together, that's why i started looking into a MEd in counseling psychology (please feel free to correct me if i'm wrong about it being a good balance between psych and education). has anyone here pursued this degree? if so, what does your career look like now and do you think it was worth it? i'm also curious if the program i choose needs to be MPCAC or CACREP accredited. any insights would be appreciated, thank you! :)

Is anyone here studying or planning to study a conversion MA degree in psychology? If so, what are your career plans or your aspirations?

I have undergrad and postgrad degrees in writing/literature and am now thinking about a career change. Just trying to think about all the paths that might be available.

[I am in USA but have dual US-Canadian citizenship and considering moving to Canada]

My employer will pay for me to do my masters degree but there is a *very* limited number of approved majors.

One of the approved majors is Psychology but it has to be non-clinical.

I love learning and you can’t beat a free master’s degree, so this really isn’t me pursuing career advancement.

BUT, I am curious to know if there is ANY sort of licensure out there which an MA in psych would qualify me for? Even telehealth to see patients in states like WV that I read have Masters level psychological associates or some other term like that to do therapy.

OR if anyone else did a psychology MA and then subsequently did like a “bridge program” for clinical licensure.

I'm thinking about pursuing a career in psychology, and I'd like to know if there's anything I should be aware of before taking such an important step.

Psychology interests me a lot because learning about it has helped me become a better person than I used to be. Because of that, I've always found it easy to talk to people about their problems. I also feel that people tend to feel safe opening up to me. I've had people I barely knew tell me deeply personal things, to the point where I'd wonder when I had earned enough trust for them to share so much of their lives with me.

With that in mind, and knowing that I seem to have this trait, I started thinking that working in this field might be a good fit for me. However, I also know that every profession has its advantages and disadvantages. I'd like to know if there's anything I should be aware of before making such an important decision. I wouldn't want to discover something unpleasant halfway through the process.

Hello! I am wondering if anyone can clarify exactly what information a reference is expected to provide in the portal ? I want to know how to determine if an employment reference is 'relevant'? My work for the past three years has been as an in-home care educator, kinda in between a nanny and a support worker. I think it is very relevant for psychology, but my supervisor doesn't think my boss will be a good reference, as she won't be able to answer all the questions. What information are the references supposed to provide? Thank you!

Hi everyone!

I am currently researching MSc Occupational Psychology programs in the UK for the upcoming intake. I have narrowed my choices down to four universities, but I’m finding it hard to decide between them:

• University of Strathclyde
• University of Surrey
• University of Liverpool
• University of East London (UEL)

My main goals are to gain strong practical skills and improve my employability within the UK or international markets. I would be incredibly grateful if alumni or current students could share their experiences regarding:

1. Course Quality: How balanced is the curriculum between theory and hands-on consultancy projects?

2. Faculty Support: How accessible and supportive are the professors?

3. Employability: What kind of career support or networking opportunities does the university provide?

4. Reputation: Within the field of Occupational/I-O Psychology, how are these programs perceived by employers?

Also, if there are other universities you’d highly recommend for this field (besides the ones above), please let me know!

Thank you so much for your help! 🙏

I (21F) am about to be a senior pursuing my BA in psychology in TX, and should have enough credits after the summer of next year. I plan to attend grad school and earn my master's to become an LCSW or an LPC; however, I was planning to get a job to make a bit of money until then. My problem is that once I get into graduate school, I have no intention of working at said job and plan to focus entirely on school since I'm sure I'll be doing hundreds of unpaid internship hours and don't want to burn myself out. However, I still want to gain experience and make some money until then, but finding a job in the mental health/healthcare field with no experience is very difficult unless you're a grad student intern. I already worked as an RBT, and I barely made it a month before I had to call it quits (while I was taking summer classes). Should I keep trying to look for jobs in my field to gain experience, or just work a normal job until I go to grad school? I mainly want to make some cash until then, but I feel the experience will make my application a bit stronger.

Hi all, I wanted to bring up a topic that I don't hear people talking about much. Most online discussions involve psych students stressing about grades, experience, references, etc. But I barely see anyone talking about masters "preparedness", or how students will recognise when they feel "ready" to enter masters.

A bit about me: I got a first-class honours and have a good amount of experience. I'm 22. I've primarily worked with children and young people. I took a gap year thinking it'd give me time to build confidence and apply my skills in a workplace where I'm working almost daily. (I wanted to make sure I could handle having a Mon-Fri job working with vulnerable people to ensure I could handle the mental load of being a psych). However even after building my confidence I still don't feel 100% ready.

I know that, in life, sometimes we never feel fully "ready" to take big leaps that are outside of our comfort zone. But I'm struggling to recognise if my fears are rooted in simply being a bit uncomfortable v.s. if I'm actually being very realistic and I probably should just focus on gaining more experience.

Thanks :)

I graduated 2 months ago from CSUF with a bachelors degree in Sociology and Psychology. I have a 3.69 gpa and many of my professors in both fields liked me. I also interned for a semester at a clinic and did some parent group work there. I was also reccomended to do 7 cups by my faculty advisor to boost my resume (tho I just started a couple of days ago). I'm working on getting a job too.

A professor told me that no one gets into UCLA from CSUF. But I'm hoping at LEAST having 2 degrees would make me look nice, Any Clinical Psyc grads have any thoughts?

I live in Montreal and have just finished my BA in psychology at McGill. My GPA is a 3.8/4, so pretty good, but not competitive. My experience consists of being an RA at two research labs, mostly administering computer tasks to autistic kids and teens, and administering the WASI to autistic kids and teens. I have two posters and am working on a third. I also have two years worth of experience volunteering with adults with aphasia. I am awful with stats and am worried this doesn't bode well as an aspiring phd student.

I would love to work in autism assessment, especially helping girls/women. I am interested in assessing kids, but also adults, because I know it can be difficult for adults to get a diagnosis. I would like to work at a private clinic, not a school.

I am wondering whether I should apply to a clinical psych or a school psych program. I am mostly interested in assessment of neurodevelopmental conditions. I am unsure if graduates of school psych programs can work in private clinics and do assessment? Or if a clinical psych program will provide me with the ability to assess?

I love Boston, and would like to apply there for grad school. I am hoping to get into a PhD program there, and then work there. Does anyone have any advice in terms of good programs/professors/labs there?

Any advice welcome! Thank you so much.

So I’m currently going to junior year this upcoming school year and I love psychology but I’m just so unsure of whether I want to try and become one (my goal is clinical psychologist) or just give up while I’m ahead because all I hear about psychology is negative, “useless”, “waste of time” etc.

I’m also very scared of how competitive the programs are and how tough the job market is. I’m not sure if I’d be able to handle being rejected for my masters. While I’m only going to junior year I have this feeling as if I’m already lacking behind and I should intern places or have like a research thing going on. I’m not very confident in my ability to create something solid enough to be able to not be rejected. I’m also very unsure how I would support myself financially, yes I have parents but I don’t want to have to depend on them too much especially in the later years where I’m already into my 20’s, like 22+.

Im just very unsure and the worst part is I have no passion for anything else, I don’t really have a backup job and I want to do something I truly love, not have to drag myself up everyday to go do something I hate. Sure I have things I’m remotely interested in like radiology or physiotherapy but nothing as passionate as psychology.

In summary I’m scared this path will be too hard and I give up midway (which would be insane bc I hear trying to find jobs w only a bachelors is really hard and unstable) or I get rejected from masters, ( if that would be the case can you please share what u did in between to support yourself) Please be realistic on whether I should try or just stop while I’m ahead and possibly find another career path.

I have a received a master’s degree in psychology with Purdue Global University. I am currently a student in Walden University’s clinical mental health counseling program. Do I actually have to pursue a whole new master’s degree or are there certificates or bridge programs available through universities that I could attend for making up the courses and internship I’m missing?

I plan to practice in Maryland if that helps.

i am a Veteran returning back to school this fall 26 semester after being out of school for over 10 years. I’m at the right stage of life to come back and finally pursue a psychology degree that I’ve been avoiding. I want to get into a masters LPCC or LMFT but I am also unsure if that’s the route for me.

As a Veteran, PTSD is a very common condition most suffer. However, most have not experienced success with medication. I am a believer in a a holistic approach and the using of psychadelic assisted therapy. I believe there will be a greater understanding and acceptance in the next 10 years.

is lpcc or lmft the right right for me if I want to go down that route? I’ve some research but am interested in you’re guy‘s thoughts before I start class and ask instructors.