What Psychology Majors Could (and Should) Be Doing A Guide to Research Experience, Professional Skills, and Your Options After College

This book will help undergraduate psychology students gain a competitive advantage for life after college, whether their plans include graduate school or work.

Professional research experience remains the most important avenue for fostering and demonstrating the skills that employers and grad schools want—skills like writing, public speaking, and statistical reasoning. Thus, the authors emphasize ways to get involved in scholarly research.

Updated and expanded, the second edition of What Psychology Majors Could (and Should) Be Doing includes tips for writing CVs and personal statements, empirically validated strategies for succeeding in classes, and guidance to help students think about their options after college. This consummate guide will help students get the most out of your psychology degree!

Paul J. Silvia, PhD, is a social-personality psychologist at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has served as the director of the department's honors program, and he teaches undergraduate courses on creativity, personality, academic writing, and professional skills. His other books include How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing (2007) and Exploring the Psychology of Interest (2006).

Peter F. Delaney, PhD, is a cognitive psychologist at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and former director of undergraduate studies in the psychology department. He has won several teaching awards and taught thousands of students, and he conducts laboratory research on human memory and learning.

Stuart Marcovitch, PhD, studies cognitive development at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He was the long-time faculty advisor for Psi Chi — the national honor society for psychology — and has been involved with continuously improving the undergraduate curriculum, especially the statistics and research methods components.

Preface
Introduction

1. Choosing Your Research Focus
2. Finding Research Opportunities
3. Succeeding in Your Classes
4. Getting More Out of Statistics
5. Finding and Understanding Research Articles
6. Writing Research Papers
7. Getting Involved Outside the Lab and Classroom
8. Attending Academic Conferences
9. Presenting a Research Poster
10. Presenting a Research Talk
11. Making a CV
12. Writing Personal Statements
13. Thinking About the World of Work
14. Understanding Graduate School

Epilogue
Appendix: Good Books for Your Professional Library
References
Index
About the Authors