David E. E. Copeland & Jeremy Ashton Ashton Houska 
Success as a Psychology Major [PDF ebook] 

Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Chapter 1: Welcome to Psychology . . . Now Let’s Get Stuff Done
(1.0) Meet Kris
(1.1) The Good (and Bad) About the Psychology Major
(1.2) Does a College Degree Guarantee Success?
(1.3) Superstar Psychology Students
(1.4) Motivation for College Success—What is Your “Why”?
(1.5) Setting Goals and Creating Systems to Achieve Them
(1.6) Overcoming Procrastination and Getting Stuff Done
(1.7) Living the “Getting Stuff Done” (GSD) Lifestyle
Chapter 2: Practical Student Tips
(2.0) Meet Nicole
(2.1) Due Dates? Grading Policy? It’s in the Syllabus!
(2.2) Classroom and Note-Taking Tips
(2.3) Study Skills—Study Like a Champion!
(2.4) Quiz and Exam Tips
(2.5) Learning From Graded Activities
(2.6) Advantages and Disadvantages of Being an Online Student
Chapter 3: Adopting the Right Mindsets—Deep Learning, Critical Thinking, and Ethics
(3.0) Meet Emerson
(3.1) Approaches to Learning
(3.2) Adopting a Critical Thinking Mindset
(3.3) Regrets, Failure, and Luck—Challenge Yourself!
(3.4) Thinking About Ethics in College and in Psychology
Chapter 4: Navigating the Psychology Curriculum and Meeting Your Professors
(4.0) Meet P.J.
(4.1) Typical Psychology Courses
(4.2) Skills You Develop as a Psychology Major
(4.3) Double-Majoring or Picking Up a Minor
(4.4) Meet Your Professors
(4.5) Communicating With Professors (and Others)
(4.6) Meeting Others at Your Institution
Chapter 5: Research, Teaching, and Service Opportunities
(5.0) Meet Trinity
(5.1) Succeeding With Research
(5.2) The Life of a Research Assistant
(5.3) How to Become a Psychology Research Assistant
(5.4) Become a Teaching Assistant
(5.5) Another Type of Experiential Learning—Service Learning
Chapter 6: Finding, Reading, and Thinking About Psychology Research
(6.0) Meet Hayley
(6.1) Library Skills, Part 1—Evaluating Sources
(6.2) Library Skills, Part 2—Using Databases to Find Sources
(6.3) A (Relatively Painless) Introduction to APA-Style Formatting
(6.4) Practical Advice for Reading Psychology Research Papers
(6.5) Understanding the Methods and Results
(6.6) Critically Thinking About Psychological Research
Chapter 7: Writing Papers and Presenting
(7.0) Meet Alex
(7.1) Writing a Research Paper
(7.2) Plagiarism—Do Not Do It!
(7.3) APA Citations and References
(7.4) Create Your Own APA Template
(7.5) Computer Skills That You Need to Know
(7.6) Presentation and Poster Tips
Chapter 8: Student Clubs, Professional Organizations, and Conferences
(8.0) Meet Dhruv
(8.1) Student Clubs and Organizations—The Importance of the Co-Curricular
(8.2) Psi Chi—The International Honor Society in Psychology
(8.3) National and International Psychology Organizations
(8.4) Regional, Local, and Specialty Psychology Organizations
(8.5) Attending a Psychology Conference and Doing it Right
(8.6) Get Involved—Do More Than Sign Up!
(8.7) Other Co-Curricular Resources
Chapter 9: Career Search
(9.0) Meet Tia
(9.1) The Career Search—It Is Your Current Job
(9.2) Picking a Career and Plotting Your Career Path
(9.3) Jobs With a Psychology Degree
(9.4) The Helping Professions
(9.5) More Psychology Careers
(9.6) Choose Your Own Adventure—Design Your Own Career Path
(9.7) Resources for Finding Careers
Chapter 10: Career and Professional Development
(10.0) Meet Akira
(10.1) Networking for Careers
(10.2) Networking Myths
(10.3) Conduct an Informational Interview
(10.4) Internships—Why You Need One
(10.5) Preparing for Interviews
Chapter 11: Graduate School
(11.0) Meet Amirah
(11.1) Is Graduate School Right for You?
(11.2) Types of Degrees and Programs
(11.3) Finding Graduate Programs
(11.4) How Graduate School Differs From Undergraduate Studies
(11.5) Grad Students Describe Their Experiences
Chapter 12: Getting Into Graduate School
(12.0) Meet Jermaine
(12.1) What Do Graduate Programs Want?
(12.2) The Grad School Application Process
(12.3) Letters of Recommendation
(12.4) The Graduate Record Exam
(12.5) Personal Statements and Essays
(12.6) Interviews and the Acceptance or Rejection Decisions
Chapter 13: Documenting Your Accomplishments
(13.0) Meet Hannah
(13.1) Résumé Tips
(13.2) Constructing Your Curriculum Vitae (CV)
(13.3) Building a Portfolio
(13.4) Your Online Presence—Social Media (Linked In) and Personal Websites
Chapter 14: Money Issues for Psychology Students
(14.0) Meet Arianna and Brianna
(14.1) Why Are We Talking About Money?
(14.2) Scholarships
(14.3) Research Grants, Travel Grants, and Awards
(14.4) Money, Career, and Happiness
(14.5) Money and Graduate School
Chapter 15: Closing Advice
(15.0) Meet Jenny
(15.1) Are You Committed to Psychology or Considering Options?
(15.2) Advice From Employers and Career Counselors
(15.3) Get the Most Out of Summers
(15.4) Your Path to Being a Superstar Psychology Student
(15.5) Say Thank You to Those Who Helped You
(15.6) Final Advice From the Authors
References
Index

Dr. Jeremy Ashton Houska is Director of Educational Effectiveness at the University of La Verne (ULV). Prior to that, he enjoyed serving as Vice President for Institutional Research, Effectiveness, and Design, Director of Institutional Research and Assessment, as well as an Associate Professor of Psychology. His teaching has been recognized by a number of awards, including the Society for the Teaching of Psychology’s (Division 2 of the American Psychological Association) Wilbert J. Mc Keachie Teaching Excellence Award in 2009. Houska has taught a variety of courses in the psychology curriculum, namely the Introduction to the Psychology Major course for first-year students, and a section of Introductory Psychology specially designed for psychology majors. As an advisor to organizations such as Psi Chi, he partners with students to design opportunities that foster their professional growth and leadership development. Houska earned his Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, M.A. in general-experimental psychology from California State University, San Bernardino, and B.S. in psychology from ULV.