Psychology Peer Mentors Mentors Newsl… · Master Programs 10-11 Personal Statement 12-13 . Joe Macias Hello, my name is Joe Macias. I like to consider myself the athletic type,

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Website: http://psych.fullerton.edu/pm12/

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Psychology Peer Mentors

D E P A R T M E N T O F P S Y C H O L O G Y ǁ C A L S T A T E F U L L E R T O N

October 2016

Inside this issue:

Peer Mentors 1

Meet Your Peer Men- 2

Letters of Recommen- 3

Do’s and Don'ts 4-6

Meet a Professor 7-8

Study Tips 9

Peer Mentor Group 14

Office Hours 15

Campus Resources 16

Master Programs 10-11

Personal Statement

12-13

Joe Macias

Hello, my name is Joe Macias. I like to consider myself the athletic type, and basically love anything with a ball. I am from Los Ange-les, a fourth year psychology major and child development minor, and hope to go to USC for grad school. I have take all the general requirements for psychology, developmental psychology, sensation and perception, and learning and memory. I'd like to consider my-self quite proficient at SPSS and developmental psych.

Bridgette Esqueda

My name is Bridgette Esqueda, I am a fourth year psychology major here at CSUF. I am interested in forensic psychology and hope to someday work for the FBI. I have taken Abnor-mal, Cognitive, Social, Industrial/ Organizational Psychology and am happy to help with any questions.

Marlene Munoz

Hello everyone! I am a senior majoring in Psychology and my goal is to become a regis-tered nurse at a psychiatric hospital. I have general knowledge for most classes but excel in Psychology and Law as well as Abnormal Psychology. When I'm not studying or reading I enjoy sewing and spending time with my 2 children! I look forward to assisting you with whatever your needs may be!

Page 2 Psychology Peer Mentors

Meet your Peer Mentors!


Letter of Recommendation By Kori Bernatzke

WHO TO ASK? Someone who actually knows you,

and knows you very well. Current or recent professors, su-

pervisors, coworkers, and other professional references. NOT fam-ily members!

Ask several people to write on your behalf. Some of them may re-ject your request or you will end up with extra.

Pro Tip: Get to know your current professors and check in with them often.

Don’t be shy, say “Hi!”

WHEN to Ask?

As early as possible. Your professors and business relationships have their own professional and personal lives to deal with. Right when you assignment/term of work is over. You want your reference to re-member your face and presentable qualities.

HOW to Ask?

Make an APPOINTMENT. Asking by email.

You always want to main-tain a professional manner.

Provide materials: resume, program details, organiza-tions you belong too, goals for the future. This will help create an attractive letter.

After Asking! Remind via short email, call, or

make a quick visit to office hours. Be persistent.


Do’s and Don'ts of Business Attire By: Ashley Forbes and Celanire Shangraw

Many people have difficulties defining business attire, and this becomes especially diffi-

cult when determining the boundaries of business formal and business casual.

In order to get a clear perspective on this subject an interview was held with Professor Blackman. Professor Blackman is a Psychology professor whose focus is Industrial and Organi-zational Psychology, and she knows the fashion business. According to Professor Blackman, the main differences between casual business attire, and formal business attire is that formal business attire is noticeably more coordinated than casual attire. This is especially true when preparing clothing for an interview. Dr. Blackman stated that one should always try and see what the staff is wearing before the scheduled interview, and then dress “two notches above that”. Some gen-eral rules for interview attire is to remove piercings, cover tattoo’s, and remove gum, mints, or tic tacs from your mouth ahead of time. Also, Iron and lint roll interview clothes. Do NOT wear shorts, tennis shoes, or casual sandals. Make sure all of your clothes fit properly as to not appear sloppy. Below is a list of Do’s and Don’ts of Business attire for casual, formal, and all-inclusive business attire.


Do’s and Don’t’s of Business Attire By: Ashley Forbes and Celanire Shangraw

WOMEN:

DON’TS FOR CASUAL ATTIRE

DON’T wear revealing clothes such as skirts,

and dresses that are two inches, or more,

above the knee.

DON’T wear busy patterns.

DON’T wear blue denim.

Now moving on to make up.

DON’T wear a lot of it! Other products to

minimize are jewelry, perfume, and hairspray.

Remember, less is more when it involves

these products. Hair should be well groomed.

WOMEN:

DO’S FOR CASUAL BUSINESS ATTIRE

DO wear skirts or dresses that are either

one inch above the knee or lower.

DO wear neutral colors, or very minimal

patterns. Pant suits are appropriate as long

as it is black, or white pants.

DO wear neutral makeup. As far as shoes

are concerned, heels, flats, or cute strappy

sandals are appropriate.

WOMEN:

DON’TS FOR FORMAL ATTIRE

DON’T reveal arms.

DON’T have any patterns, or bright col-

ors on clothing (this is distracting to

others).

DON’T wear sandals.

DON’T wear heels higher than three

inches tall.

DON’T wear dresses, or skirt more than

1 inch above the knee (this also applies

for casual business attire).

DON’T wear your hair down. In addi-

tion to this, follow all of the don’ts of

casual formal business attire.

WOMEN:

DO’S FOR FORMAL BUSINESS ATTIRE

DO wear a blazer, or nice sweater to cover

arms. DO wear your hair in a well-groomed

up do.

DO dress in heels shorter than 3 inches tall.


Do’s and Don’t’s of Business Attire By: Ashley Forbes and Celanire Shangraw

MEN:

DON’TS FOR CASUAL ATTIRE

DON’T wear t-shirts.

DON’T wear blue denim.

DON’T show up with ungroomed

hair (on your head, or your face).

DON’T overdo the cologne. Tie is

not needed.

DON’T wear sneakers.

MEN:

DONT’S FOR FORMAL BUSINESS ATTIRE

DON’T wear short sleeves.

DON’T wear denim.

DON’T wear sandals, sneakers, or tennis shoes. Also contin-

ue following all of the don’ts for casual business attire.

MEN:

DO’S FOR CASUAL BUSINESS ATTIRE

DO wear collared shirts (short

sleeve or long sleeve).

DO wear either Khaki pants, or

black, or white denim.

DO groom your hair, either

combed back, or with gel. If you

have long hair then you can either

pull it back in a ponytail, or in a

bun.

DO wear either boat shoes/loafers,

formal footwear such as the Ox-

ford shoes, or Dress Boot.

MEN:

DO’S FOR FORMAL BUSINESS ATTIRE

DO wear a blazer or coat.

Do wear a tie.

DO wear cotton or wool slacks.

DO tuck in your shirt.

Do wear topsider shoes.


Aaron W. Lukaszewski, Ph.D.

By: Frank Reyes and Kori Bernatzke

INTRO AND BACKGROUND

A mind sharper than a honed blade was our biggest impression after speaking with Dr. Aaron Lukaszewski. One of the newer additions to the psychology faculty at CSUF, he is youth-ful, accomplished, and enthusiastic. He received his degrees from University of California, Santa Barbara and Loyola Marymount University. Loyola Marymount University and Oklahoma State University are previous institutions where Dr. Lukaszewski has lectured as a professor. Pronouncing his name is not the only complex thing about him; his expertise lies in neurobio-logical psychology, behavioral genetics, and evolutionary psychology, to name a few. Dr. Lukaszewski currently teaches Comparative An-imal Behavior and graduate level Research Methodology here at CSUF. Apart from that, he oversees the research of several graduate stu-dents here and from his former universities.

What do you do in your “free” time?

Dr. Lukaszewski spends what little free

time he can find with his family, as well

as going wine-tasting and trying out new

restaurants.

Advice to students?

Dr. Lukaszewski’s advice to students

who want to succeed in psychology is

this: “I would tell them to first learn bi-

ology. Evolutionary biology, genetics,

some neurobiology, but most important-

ly the abstract theoretical principles of

evolutionary theory.


Aaron W. Lukaszewski, Ph.D.

By: Frank Reyes and Kori Bernatzke

SPECIFIC Q & A’s

Have you always been into psychology? As an undergraduate he had almost switched his major

to biology. “It was when I discovered that there was a disciplinary perspective that involved applying evolu-tionary biological insights...”

What is your research emphasis? “Behavioral endocrinology...for example, testosterone

in its role in promoting courtship behavior in men upon interactions with attractive women.” His primary re-search for his dissertation involved examining how per-sonality varies according to genetics or environmental influences. Needless to say, this author almost had an aneurysm simply by trying to keep up with his explana-tions.

Is the evolutionary perspective important to psychology? “I think it is a paradigm shift…[evolutionary psycholo-

gy] provides a non-arbitrary basis for generating theo-retical predictions…There are lots of things that we have discovered about human nature that would not have been generated plausibly from any other theoreti-cal framework.”

Favorite/least favorite thing about teaching? The opportunity to cause people to have the “aha!” mo-

ment that I had when I chose to go into the field.” His least favorite aspect of teaching is “getting up early.”

Quote to live by:

“Always do sober what you

said you’d do drunk; that’ll

teach you to keep your

mouth shut”

Ernest Hemingway.

Contact Information:

Office: Humanities – 730G

Email:

[email protected]

Website: www.aaronlukaszewski.com

Page 9

Study Tips

By: Joe Macias

Places to study

The third floor (quiet floor) of the lob-by.

Rooms to rent on the third floor of the library.

First come first serve study rooms available on fourth floor of library.

The arboretum.

All Starbucks on campus.

The Alumni room/center in the TSU.

The Psych lounge in Humanities 5th floor.

Psych labs on the 6th floor of Humanities.

Advice

Study in an environment you are com-fortable in.

Attend study sessions or talk to the TA or Peer Mentors.

Study with classmates or someone who has taken the class before.

Study ahead of time rather than cram-ming.

Study until you feel you have mastered the material

Find a type of studying that works best for you. (Flash cards, practice test, etc.)

Try not to change the amount of sleep or

food you are getting.


Master Programs

By Gabriela Garza

If you have been contemplating in obtaining a master’s degree (M.A. or M.S.) after completing your bachelor’s degree in Psychology/other (B.A. or B.S.), it would be useful to know the differences be-tween the master programs that CSUF has to offer. Some may only want to obtain their master’s de-gree and others may consider obtaining a master’s before achieving their PhD. Keep in mind that one does not have to achieve a PhD. unless you want to focus more on assessment, teaching at a uni-versity level, or getting more experience in research. However, I will only be focusing on a few of the master programs offered at CSUF. Here are some brief descriptions and admission requirements for each program, which include: Clinical Psychology, Social Work, and Counseling (If you have further questions or concerns, a website link has been provided for each program).

Master of Science in Counseling

(http://extension.fullerton.edu/masters/counseling)

Achieve MFT (licensed Marriage and Family

Therapist) & LPCC ( Licensed Professional

Clinical Counselor)

Prepares students to work in a variety of inter-

esting environments including schools, mental

health agencies, government services, busi-

nesses, and in private practice

Admission Requirements:

Minimum 3.0 GPA for undergraduate degree

& minimum 3.0 GPA for four prerequisite

courses in behavioral science (or equivalent)

Three letters of recommendation

Interview with department faculty

Personal statement

GRE scores not required

Email [email protected] for the

next application opening (Spring admission is

now closed)

Master in Social Work

(http://hhd.fullerton.edu/msw/About/AboutUs.htm)

Achieve MSW (Master’s in Social Work) &

LCSW ( license in Clinical Social Work)

Prepare students to enter professional, multicul-

tural social work practice and to work with vul-

nerable, marginalized, and disadvantaged popu-

lations


Complete TWO separate applications: applica-

tion to the University as a Graduate Student &

application to the Social Work Department

Minimum 3.0 GPA for recent 60 semesters or 90

quarter units completed

Transcripts required for both parts of the appli-

cation


Personal statement

GRE recommended to those that don’t meet

GPA requirements

Volunteer/internship experience related to social

work

Educational foundation in Liberal Arts/Social


Master Programs

By Gabriela Garza

Master of Science in Clinical Psycholo-

gy (http://psychology.fullerton.edu/

academics/ms_prog.aspx)

Achieve MFT & LPCC

Offers a combination of advanced sci-

entific and applied clinical training

Train graduates to work in a variety of

professional and academic settings, or

continue their studies in a doctoral

program at either a professional school

or a university psychology department


Statement of purpose


Transcripts of all previous college

course work

GRE scores

Minimum 3.0 GPA in psychology &

overall minimum 2.5 GPA

Clinical & research experience

Attend an interview

Must complete specific lower & upper

division courses

Master of Art in Clinical Psychology

(http://psychology.fullerton.edu/academics/

ma_prog.aspx)

Achieve research experience in several

specialized areas of psychology, in-

cluding cognitive, developmental, evo-

lutionary, social, legal, personality, in-

dustrial, clinical/community, quantita-

tive, gerontology, perception, and bio-

logical/physiological

Provides excellent preparation for

Ph.D. work by offering advanced statis-

tical and methodological courses and

research experience


Same requirements as the M.S. pro-

gram (clinical experience is not re-

quired & not interviewed)

Minimum 3.0 GPA in psychology, 2.5

GPA in last 60 semester units, over-

all minimum 2.5 GPA

Fall admission deadline: March 1

TIPS: You do not want to apply to multiple programs in the same depart-ment from the same school, PLAN ahead to complete your application,

and try not to stress too much!

GOOD LUCK TITANS IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS & ON YOUR ACADEMIC/PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY!!!


Personal Statement

By: Ashley Forbes

Are you getting ready for graduate school? If so, one of the requirements is an amazing per-

sonal statement. This is a huge part of the formula that will persuade an admissions committee in

choosing you as a candidate for their program.

A personal statement’s answers the fundamental question “why you?” The goal of a per-sonal statement is to express the reason you should be picked for this graduate school, your pur-pose of wanting to be in that particular graduate program, and most importantly, it should explain who you are as a person.

Let’s Get Personal

First, you want to explain why you picked this major; what drives you to build your future upon this one subject? It is recommended that one is well prepared for this portion, and is capable of properly using the jargon of the chosen major. Also, it is important to explain your plans for the future, and how this major is relevant to those future plans. Second, you want to explain all of the steps you have taken to ensure you will excel in the selected field. This should not only include educational experiences, but also extracurricular activities (i.e. relevant clubs, work, volunteer ex-periences etc.). Next, you want to explain inconsistencies in your record. This could include bad grades, withdrawals from classes, or skipped semesters. Make sure to reflect on these situations positively. In some scenarios it may be necessary to have a meeting outside of the personal state-ment to discuss the issues further. It is also recommended that you explain any extra responsibili-ties that consume a significant amount of time, such as working 35+hours per week. Another com-mon question admission committees want answered in a personal statement is “why this school?” In this case, make sure to research the school and figure out what about the school is appealing to you.


Personal Statement

By: Ashley Forbes

Writing it Right

A tricky, but not impossible aspect of writing a personal statement is being self-reflective, while remaining objective. An example of this would be as follows: while explaining why you are a good can-didate for the graduate program you want to support these claims with evidence from your experiences. Also, remember who the audience is. These are highly educated people who already know the require-ments of the field, so do not give them information about the field; just explain why you would be an excellent candidate; an example of what not to do is as follows: Communication is very important in this field, and I have great communication skills. The admissions committee is already aware of the im-portance of communication. Also, be careful of writing achievements in list form. Achievements are great but it does not help the reader understand who you are as a person. Give explanations as to how these achievements affected you (remember…make it personal!) Generally you do not want to go over two pages in length in a personal statement, but make sure to follow the directions given to you specifi-cally from that school. After one has completed a first draft it is a good idea to have it proof read by the people who know you best, and also people who have strong writing skills. Also, have an academic ad-visor, and the career center review it. It is important to allow enough time for the first draft to be revised.

In conclusion, a personal statement should be written objectively, meaning there is evidence to support your claims, but the claims should be personal. This is a great way to get to know yourself, and help others to share in that experience. But remember, not only does it need to be self-reflective; it needs to show your skills as a writer, and therefore procrastination is not an option. Use the resources that are available; this includes family, friends, aca-demic advisors, tutors, and the career center in order to write an impacting personal statement. I hope this was informative, and assists you in your academic journey. For further information please take a moment to look at the resource listed below.

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YOUR FALL 2016 PSYCHOLOGY PEER MENTORS!

Psychology Peer Mentors Mentors Newsl… · Master Programs 10-11 Personal Statement 12-13 . Joe Macias Hello, my name is Joe Macias. I like to consider myself the athletic type,

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