Dear psychology students,

I hope you’re settling in well to your first year at university. If you’re struggling, KPU offers a variety of services to help smooth your transition including, but not limited to, free counselling services, academic advising, disability services, and the learning centre.

I would highly recommend using a citation manager, such as Zotero, early in your undergraduate degree. This will allow you to organize and save all of the literature you find throughout your degree; ultimately, this will save a lot of time, as information found in previous literature reviews can often be reused rather than starting from scratch with every assignment.

I would also strongly suggest that you get involved with your peers and the psychological community at KPU. This can be done through joining one of many available research labs, volunteering for Kwantlen Psychology Society (KPS), applying for a job at the psychology lab, and/or attending psychology events. Applying to graduate school involves a lot of preparation and that information is not always readily available to undergraduate students, networking allows you to acquire the information you need to start preparing in advance for graduate school. Additionally, volunteering for KPS allows you to gain experience in the planning and preparation of psychology events. Acquiring an executive position with KPS allows you to include a leadership role in a psychology club on your curriculum vitae (CV; an academic resume). Finally, volunteering for a research lab provides extended experience with all aspects of the research process, can be included on your CV, and may even result in a publication.

I know that university can seem overwhelming and you may feel lost, but you are surrounded by people and resources which are there to help you, if you know where to look.

Cydney Cocking