This article was downloaded by: [University of Ulster Library] On: 29 October 2014, At: 09:17 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Personality Assessment Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/hjpa20 Beginning and Succeeding in Graduate School a a Jenss Chang , Katrina Schnoebelen & Steven R. Smith a a University of California , Santa Barbara Published online: 05 Dec 2007. To cite this article: Jenss Chang , Katrina Schnoebelen & Steven R. Smith (2007) Beginning and Succeeding in Graduate School, Journal of Personality Assessment, 88:2, 250-253, DOI: 10.1080/00223890701268124 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00223890701268124 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. 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Smith University of California Santa Barbara Entering into graduate school in psychology is both an exciting and a terrifying time in a budding psychologist’s educational development. Even though the arduous processes of completing graduate school applications and attending interviews have been completed, new challenges become ever present in a novice graduate student’s career: survival and success. Although graduate study represents an essential process in the educational, professional, and social development of successful psychologists, in the literature, little attention has been paid to the subject matter of aiding students in the initial phases of graduate school who would like to learn how to be successful. The small number of texts that have addressed the topics of entering and succeeding in graduate school include: Graduate Study in Psychology: Your Guide to Success (Kuther, 2004), Play the Game: How to Get Accepted and Succeed in Graduate School (Paredes, 2000), Getting Mentored in Graduate School (Johnson & Huwe, 2002), and Succeeding in Graduate School: The Career Guide for Psychology Students (Walfish & Hess, 2001). We discuss a brief summary of each of the books in turn. HOW TO GET INTO GRADUATE SCHOOL In Graduate Study in Psychology: Your Guide to Success (Kuther, 2004), Kuther organizes the chapters of her book in chronological order, objectively addressing the topics of what types of graduate program to which an individual should apply, the application process, decision-making regarding which school to ultimately attend, and making the transition to graduate school. Part 1 of the text consists of two chapters that provide detailed information regarding the core differences among training programs and academic degrees in psychology (i.e., MA versus PhD and PsyD) as well as providing valuable criteria for evaluating and making informed decisions about graduate programs (i.e., American Psychological Association accreditation, program philosophy, and faculty). Part 2 of the text consists of seven chapters devoted to the application process and steps an applicant should take to strengthen their application. This section not only provides a useful timeline that ambitious applicants can follow throughout their undergraduate years, but it also provides helpful tips regarding each individual component of the graduate school application (e.g., mastering the Graduate Record Exam [GRE], writing a curriculum vitae, conceptualizing and writing a personal statement, seeking faculty for letters of recommendation, and preparing for the interview process). Last, these chapters address the wide range of potential outcomes for applicants (e.g., being accepted, rejected, or put on a wait list) and provide tips regarding the decision-making component of the application process. In Kuther’s (2004) book, the most valuable section for current graduate students is found in the last chapter of the text. Although this portion of the book is a mere 20 pages, it provides a wealth of information regarding making a smooth transition into a graduate program. For example, the text outlines the differences between undergraduate versus graduate school philosophy by emphasizing that understanding course material is much more vital than memorizing it. Further, the text delineates the specific skills and knowledge that will be required of students in graduate school (e.g., proficient reading skills, ability to network with the student body and faculty, ability to establish independence in one’s research interests). Last, this book provides practical tips designed to foster mental health and early organizational skills for future career development throughout an individual’s graduate school experience, such as starting a research journal log, keeping a daily schedule, being able to say “no” when recreation is needed, learning how to recognize signs of stress, and learning to avoid gossip. In addition, tips from previous 251 BOOK REVIEW graduate students and recommended reading and Web resources are provided at the end of the book, which offer a nice sense of closure and added assistance. Overall, this 184-page book is available in both hardcover and paperback versions, and it can be purchased between $30 and $50, depending on the vendor. The last chapter, although brief, is the most informative and helpful regarding succeeding in graduate school. Given the price of the text, this book may be a bit of a financial indulgence for the typical graduate student living on a limited budget. Downloaded by [University of Ulster Library] at 09:17 29 October 2014 HOW TO SURVIVE AND SUCCEED IN GRADUATE SCHOOL In contrast, Paredes (2000) offers a formulaic approach to surviving through graduate school in Play the Game: How to Get Accepted and Succeed in Graduate School. This text is catered toward a more general audience, encompassing both the physical science and social science realms. Paredes, a self-proclaimed “cynic,” offers advice from his own personal highs and lows as a doctoral student in engineering, which makes this book an amusing, although subjective, read. Unlike the previous text, the majority of the material covered in Paredes’ book deals with the overall graduate school experience and devotes only the first 40 pages to the application process. The text is divided into four chapters, addressing the topics of how to get into graduate school, what to do when you get accepted, graduate school processes, and the proposal/thesis/dissertation, respectively. The first chapter briefly addresses the standard components of a graduate school application (i.e., the GRE, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, and transcripts) but additionally highlights experiences that could potentially enhance one’s application, such as writing a proposal and getting an assistantship at a university. Unpleasant factors to take into consideration when applying to graduate programs, such as false advertising on the university’s part, the decline of affirmative action, and race/gender/age discrimination in the selection process, are also briefly discussed. In the second chapter of his book, Paredes provides some helpful “rules-of-thumb” so that students can successfully navigate their way through their graduate school experience. Although some of these guidelines can be inferred through common sense, they provide a simple reminder to the reader that keeping in mind one’s professional responsibilities and reputation are of great importance. Paredes also offers guidelines regarding what to look for and what to avoid in an advisor and a dissertation committee, how to handle pressure and stress in graduate school, and how to keep track of the progress toward one’s professional and academic goals. The third chapter, entitled “Graduate School Processes,” briefly familiarizes first-time master’s and doctoral students with graduate course and grading formats. The most important section of this chapter for budding researchers addresses the submission of applications to the Human Subjects Committee, an oftentimes “long and arduous” process in the graduate school experience (Paredes, 2000, p. 111). A concise history of the varying graduate school degrees (e.g., MA, MD, PhD, etc.) and their respective levels of prestige and timelines to graduation are also provided at the end of this chapter. The final chapter of the text addresses the topic of writing a thesis or dissertation. Paredes informs his readers that this last step in one’s graduate school career can seem almost insurmountable and a definite formula for failure; however, he provides readers with practical advice regarding how to overcome these obstacles and insecurities. Paredes also thoroughly explains what is critical for each section of the dissertation and educates readers about conducting a dissertation defense. This 158-page book is available in both hardcover and paperback versions, and it can be purchased between $21 and $31, depending on the vendor. Although this book is catered toward a more general audience, its price is quite reasonable given its nice, brief coverage of information regarding the graduate school experience. On the whole, Paredes’ common-sense advice and clear writing style make this book an informative, enjoyable read; however, the scope of this book’s subject matter may be too general and broad for the inquisitive psychology graduate student. HOW TO GET MENTORED IN GRADUATE SCHOOL One aspect of successful graduate study briefly mentioned by both Paredes and Kuther is the mentoring relationship. However, Johnson and Huwe (2003) make this topic the primary focus of Getting Mentored in Graduate School. Johnson served as Huwe’s mentor during her graduate school career, making it possible for the reader to gather information from both the mentor’s and protégé’s perspective. Throughout the book, the authors provide text boxes entitled “How It Worked for Us,” which give anecdotal examples of their own mentor-protégé issues. This text, published by the American Psychological Association, is specifically relevant for psychology graduate students because both authors received their doctorates in clinical psychology and provide appropriate information for individuals in the field. The 210-page text is broken into three parts: “About Mentoring,” “How to Find a Mentor,” and “How to Manage the Mentor Relationship.” Because psychology graduate programs vary in the degree of facilitation of mentoring, this format provides information for students who enter with a specific mentor or advisor as well as for those who must seek out such a relationship. Each chapter includes two case studies that depict an effective and an unsuccessful relationship. Although these are fictitious examples, the authors Downloaded by [University of Ulster Library] at 09:17 29 October 2014 252 CHANG, SCHNOEBELEN, SMITH accurately point out that the situations are common to mentors and protégés. The first two sections—“About Mentoring” and “How to Find a Mentor”—are helpful for students who know little about mentoring but may seem fairly obvious for many people at this point in their educational career. The authors explain the benefits of a mentor relationship as well as personality and behavioral characteristics of mentored and unmentored graduate students. They also include information about what mentors are looking for in protégés and a “Protégé Self-Assessment Inventory” used to evaluate an individual’s capacity to become an excellent protégé. A number of selfimprovement strategies are suggested for students who have weaknesses in specific skill areas. Additionally, the “How to Find a Mentor” section describes important characteristics to seek out and to avoid when finding a mentor (i.e., attitude and values, work habits, communication, etc.). The authors also give a four-phase sketch of initiating a mentor relationship that spans from preapplication to attainment of a mentor. Finally, the third section, “How to Manage the Mentor Relationship,” outlines the expectations within mentor relationships, the stages of mentorship, how to handle potential problems, strategies for being an excellent protégé, issues specific to women and minorities, and additional ways to receive mentorship. With six chapters in this section, it has more text than the first two sections combined. Although the authors advocate the benefits of a mentoring relationship, they do not hesitate to identify possible difficulties. One chapter lays out 11 sources of dysfunction including bad matching, mentor technical incompetence, mentor relational incompetence, mentor neglect, conflict, boundary violations, exploitation, attraction, unethical or illegal behavior, abandonment, and dysfunctional protégé traits. The authors then give reasonable suggestions of how to handle the issues tactfully and professionally. This book can be purchased between $19 and $30 and is available in paperback. The authors present clear and potentially valuable information supported by research and supplemented with personal stories. It may be especially helpful for students wishing to explore the process of attaining mentorship and those who would like to get the most out of a mentoring relationship. However, this is a quite specified topic and might not be relevant for graduate students who may already have a sense of the mentoring process. A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE ENTIRE GRADUATE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE The books we have reviewed thus far have included a variety of information—ranging from broad information about getting into graduate school to specifics pertaining to the mentoring process. However, Succeeding in Graduate School: The Career Guide for Psychology Students (Walfish & Hess, 2001) is an all-encompassing text that is 400 pages in length. Edited by Walfish and Hess, the mission of this book is to provide students with information about the realities of the entire process of psychology graduate school. This book provides five sections that do just that, making it useful for many pivotal points in a student’s career. The first section, “Considering Career and Degree Options in Psychology,” helps students evaluate whether a master’s, PhD, or a PsyD program is best suited for them. It also discusses issues concerning the choice of a career in psychology and explores possible careers to pursue with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Similar to other books about getting into graduate school, this text also offers a chapter devoted to suggestions for the application process, which is likely irrelevant for current students. Next, the portion entitled “Mastering the Personal and Political Dynamics of Graduate School” provides seven chapters helpful in navigating one’s graduate education. The first chapters address the politics of graduate programs, relationships between faculty and students, and the mentor relationship. The last four chapters in this section thoroughly consider many practical strategies used to overcome possible stressors and include specific information for underrepresented students, international students, and graduate student couples. The third section, “Learning Career Skills,” touches on specific educational elements, such as learning ethics, skills for teaching, psychology testing and assessment, psychotherapy, and consultation skills. Another chapter discusses research as a lifelong skill, including themes such as getting started with a topic, using various tools (i.e., writing and publication styles, statistical proficiency, etc.), research setting, receiving grants, presenting at conferences and becoming published, and networking. Other chapters consider professional psychology beyond research and cover topics specific to skills needed for working in school settings and how to prepare for a career outside the university. Finally, the last chapter in this section provides useful principles to guide a student when constructing and defending theses and dissertations. The “Internship” section answers many questions beginning graduate students may have about this future stage in their professional career and is also useful for students who are at the point of beginning an internship application. The first chapter gives information about internship, preparing for the application, the application process, interviewing, the Match system, and preparation for the internship. The second chapter provides suggestions for transitioning from student to professional during the internship year. Finally, the last section, “Becoming a Professional,” strives to enhance a student’s ability to transition into the professional world. The first chapter covers necessary facts about licensing, credentialing, and lifelong learning. These topics may seem far off for a beginning graduate student; however, it is useful to learn what will be expected eventually. Additionally, this section provides community intervention 253 Downloaded by [University of Ulster Library] at 09:17 29 October 2014 BOOK REVIEW strategies as well as ways in which to apply psychology in real-world settings. Finally, the text concludes with a chapter to help graduates develop a career in psychology. It addresses issues related to choosing a career path, postdoctoral employment and fellowships, and entering the job market (both in academia and independent practice). This book is quite comprehensive and useful for graduate students in many phases of their career. Although it provides information about many important milestones, this book does not address comprehensive exams, which many graduate programs require of students. However, it is worth investing in (ranging from $35 to $95, depending on the vendor and hardback or paperback versions) early in graduate school because it will be useful throughout the years. A total of 34 professionals contributed to this text, giving a wide array of perspectives and suggestions. Although not necessarily a book that a student might read cover to cover, it is easy to navigate and is an excellent reference book. for the issues and concerns that are characteristic of graduate study in psychology. Just as Paredes provides relevant anecdotes, Johnson and Huwe (2002) also include their own perspectives in their book, which focuses specifically on the mentoring relationship that occurs during graduate school, tracking the process from initial interest in obtaining a mentor to maintaining an optimal relationship. However, this text is not a “must-have” for all graduate students; rather, it is most likely useful for those who wish to explore the mentoring process specifically. Finally, Walfish and Hess’ (2001) text manages to provide a comprehensive review of information that is valuable to graduate students in many phases of their career. This text includes information from contemplation of graduate school to final stages when students enter the professional world. Overall, these four books each provide distinctive information that can be useful to aid students in achieving happiness and success in their graduate careers. REFERENCES CONCLUSIONS Although the number of books available to aid students in their journey through graduate school is relatively small, the four we reviewed here each have unique benefits. Kuther’s (2004) pricey text may appear most helpful to applicants, but has a final section that should not be overlooked by current students. This portion, although short, highlights important information for transitioning to graduate school and offers valuable tips to make this process go more smoothly; however, this short section may not be worth the financial investment of having to purchase the entire text. To get a more general picture of graduate school, students may want to refer to Paredes’ (2000) book. This text provides useful details about events throughout graduate school such as the need to receive approval from the Human Subjects Committee and the process of theses and dissertations. Overall, the drawback to this book is that it may be too broad and general in scope Kuther, T. L. (2004). Graduate study in psychology: Your guide to success. Springfield, IL: Thomas. (List price: $48.95) Johnson, W. B., & Huwe, J. M. (2002). Getting mentored in graduate school. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. (List price: $29.95) Paredes, A. M. (2000). Play the game: How to get accepted and succeed in graduate school. Philadelphia: Xlibris. (List price: $30.99) Walfish, S., & Hess, A. K. (Eds.). (2001). Succeeding in graduate school: The career guide for psychology students. Manwah, NJ: Erlbaum. (List price: $39.95) Jenss Chang and Katrina Schnoebelen Counseling, Clinical, & School Psychology Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106 Email: cjenss@education.uscb.edu or skatrina@education.uscb.edu Received June 2, 2006
