1. Why college?
Who goes to college
Public expectations concerning college
Student expectations about going to college
Desirable skills and abilities
The covert curriculum
The civic, liberal arts value of a college education
The financial value of a college education
Oh, you don't have to go to college ...
Exercise #1 : should I stay in college?
2. Why psychology?
Thoughts about the psychology major
Areas of specialization within psychology
Who majors in psychology
Desirable skills and abilities for the psychology major
The importance of advising and mentoring
Why the psychology major is a good choice
Exercise #2 : psychology survey
3. Careers with a bachelor's degree in psychology
The undergraduate curriculum
What employers want, and what they pay
Careers with a bachelor's degree
Career options, job descriptions, and the amazing O*NET
What about the associate's degree?
Becoming a freshman again
Exercise #3 : the O*NET system
4. Pursuing bachelor's-level options
The complexity of finding a job
Preparing your resume, with samples
Letters of recommendation, with a sample
Interview skills, questions, and knockout factors
What if you are not initially successful in your job search?
Exercise #4 : job ads


5. Career options with a master's degree or doctoral degree
Why graduate training?
Types of graduate training and graduate degrees
Sample job descriptions, work locations of graduate degree recipients
Occupational opportunities with the master's degree
Occupational opportunities with a doctoral degree
What is a Postdoc?
Exercise #5 : reading APA monitor ads
6. The graduate admissions process
The popularity and competitiveness of graduate admissions
Overview : the application process
Primary and secondary selection criteria, with caveats
Grades, transcripts, and the GRE
Letters of recommendation, with faculty examples
The personal statement, with student examples
A student's guide the curriculum vita (CV), with examples
Research experience, and match & fit with your program of interest
Strategies to consider if you don't get in
Exercise #6 : letter of recommendation request worksheet
7. Research and teaching assistantships
What is a research assistantship?
Presenting research at conferences
What is a senior thesis?
Becoming a teaching assistant
Exercise #7 : outside-of-class activities plan
8. Getting involved : internships and organizations
Field experiences and internships
What interns do
Other internship opportunities
Organizational involvement
The American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Society
Psi Chi
Regional associations
Exercise #8 : time management


9. Sharpening library and research skills
Generating research ideas
The literature review
The special role of references
Library research strategies
Books
Journal articles
The Internet
More literature search strategies
Library skills psychology majors should have
Exercise #9 : PsycINFO author search
10. An APA format primer
Writing psychology papers
The parts : introduction, method, results, and discussion
Grammar and vocabulary
A brief note on plagiarism
Sample paper
Exercise #10 : proofreading APA format
11. Doing well in psychology classes : study tips
General study tips
Developing effective study habits
Improving your reading
Getting more out of lectures
Improving test-taking strategies
Math anxiety
Behaviors to avoid
Exercise #11 : locations for studying
12. Ethical issues for psychology majors
The ethics of being a student
The ethics of research
The development and use of APA ethical principles
The role of informed consent and the institutional review board
Principles seven and eight of APA's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct
Exercise #12 : ethics scenarios
13. Psychology and other options : nurturing your career
The psychology major, revisited
Diversity in psychology
Other related options
Self-reflection, self-assessment, and career development
More resources
Exercise #13 : attitudes and options.