The Psychology Department will be hosting a student orientation this week. They will be using this orientation to provide students with information about a psychology degree.
Jennifer King-Cooper and the rest of the Psychology department want to use this opportunity to welcome students, familiarize them with the faculty, answer questions and educate students on their degree.
“We want to tell people a little bit of basic information on majoring in Psychology, like what courses are required, articulation agreements with 4 year schools, graduate schools, some of the things we think you should know if you are planning to transfer and the most efficient pathway we recommend, meaning the sequence of courses that we think you should follow,” King-Cooper said.
King-Cooper said that this seminar will also educate students on things like student organizations for psychology students, such as Psych Club, Human Rights Club and many other student organizations. If students don’t have time for a club, King-Cooper suggests for them to keep their eyes open for Sinclair Talks and other programs like this one.
“The majority of Sinclair professors in the Psychology Department should be present to talk about their journey in psychology and how they got their job at Sinclair, which is interesting because it shows all of the different fields that can get you into psychology,” says Valerie Mayfield, the administrative assistant for the Psychology Department.
Students will have the opportunity to speak more specifically with the Psychology professors one-on-one at this event.
According to King-Cooper, this event is different from just meeting with your advisor. It is much more specific about the degree and it will give students the opportunity to talk to people with experience.
“This orientation is important because advisors only know general information about a psychology degree and we can talk to students about all of the specifics from experience, like graduates school, things we did that helped us as students and where students can get jobs in their ideal field,” she said.
They will also be talking about psychology majors can do with their degree. According to King-Cooper, it is a good reminder that there is a lot more to a psychology degree than just becoming a therapist.
“We will be talking about opportunities students can have in our service learning programs as well, that will give them an introduction to places psychologists work. It’s important to remember that not everyone who goes into psychology becomes a therapist, there are lots of options,” she said.
King-Cooper and the Psychology Department hope to see many students attending the orientation, so they can further guide you as you begin your academic career.
The event will be hosted Friday, September 23 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Building 7, Room 006 right next to Tartan marketplace. Light refreshments will be provided for attendees. While this seminar is required for psychology majors, it is not exclusive to psychology majors. If you are only considering a psychology major, feel free to attend.
Hannah Hamlin
Reporter