Five Lessons from Four Years of University:Advice from a fourth-year psychology major
Whether you’re fresh out of high school, or you’re finishing up your last course requirements, university can be overwhelming. Here are five lessons I’ve learned in my four years of university.
1. Plan out your courses as early as possible.
What is it you hope to accomplish with your undergraduate degree? Are you going to pursue higher education, like a master’s degree or Ph.D.? Or are you headed straight to the job market once you have received your diploma? Whatever it is, you’ll need to plan out your courses carefully to ensure that you can achieve your goal. For example, say you wanted to become a counsellor. That requires you to earn a Master’s of Counseling (MC) or Social Work (MSW). On top of getting the
minimum GPA (typically 3.0 to 3.4) and completing the required undergraduate psychology courses, you also need to acquire two years of volunteering experience.
2. Apply for internships.
Regardless of your end goal, I strongly recommend that you apply for internships (for example, through the Applied Emphasis program in psychology). Not only do they allow you to test the waters and see firsthand if the career is right for you, but they also provide the opportunity to earn volunteer experience
during your undergraduate. Keep in mind, however, that to enroll in these programs, you will need to fulfill its course and GPA requirements beforehand. Plan out your degree accordingly!
3. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Approximately 24.1% of first-time undergraduates drop out in their freshman year, while up to 40% of all undergraduates drop out altogether. Needless to say, university is difficult. Many of you have moved out of your parent's house for the first time and started to live independently, whatever your life situation may be, keep in mind that life isn’t a race. No one cares about how long it takes you to complete your bachelor’s degree, so if your life circumstances are proving to be too much to handle, lower your coursework, and drop to three courses per semester. Do what
makes sense to you. Go at your own pace!
4. Professors are people, too.
Kind of obvious, right? All of them have been in your shoes before. Take the time to get to know them, treat them kindly, and go to their office hours. Seriously, they’re there for a reason!
5. You’re not going to write your masterpiece in your time here.
This may only apply to perfectionists, but I disagree. You may not pen your magnum opus, develop your career-defining thesis or start your multi- million-dollar company in your undergraduate. The reason why I felt the need to point this out is that I’ve failed classes because of an unchecked perfectionist streak. People tend to fall into one of two categories: (1) Maximizers, people who try to make choices that provide them with the best benefit later on; or (2) satisficers, people who make decisions based on more moderate, attainable criteria. While it’s important to push your limits and try to submit your absolute best work, at the end of the day, an assignment is just an assignment.
Darren Lacsado
Bibliography
1 https://www.athabascau.ca/calendar/graduate/fhd/master-of-
counselling.html#admissionrequirements
2 https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/social-work-msw-course
3 https://concordia.ab.ca/future-students/admissions/requirements/undergraduate-
programs/bachelor-of-arts-in-psychology/
4 https://educationdata.org/college-dropout-rates
5 https://www.psychologistworld.com/cognitive/maximizers-satisficers-decision-making
