To start off, say a little about yourself, your interests, your undergraduate degree and what you are doing now.
Hi! My name is Emma Giberson, and I am entering my Masters of Applied Psychology, Research, and Evaluation (MAPRE) at UNB – Saint John. My Masters is the first step toward getting my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. I hope to be involved in academia, clinical practice, and research for my future career. In 2022, I graduated with a BSc. in Psychology with First Class Honours from UNB – Fredericton. Since my second year of university, I have worked as a research assistant in various labs for the Department of Psychology. Outside of school, I enjoy reading, board and card games, and kayaking.
How did you prepare for the application process?
One of the best ways to prepare is to start early. For many psychology programs, it is necessary to contact potential supervisors at a university who you share research interests with. Once you find a researcher you would be interested in working with, you must ask if they are taking students for the upcoming admission cycle. It can take a lot of time to find the right supervisor for you and find a supervisor who is taking graduate students. This process needs to be repeated for every university you apply to. Then you have to write a statement of purpose and gather all other necessary application materials (transcript, CV, etc.). On top of other responsibilities, such as school or work, this becomes a time-consuming process.
How did you choose to get involved on campus?
I knew I wanted to be involved on campus when I started university. One of the best ways is to join a club (like the ASRJ!). I had worked in research during high school and knew that was something I wanted to pursue during university. Luckily UNB Fredericton has the ASRJ, which I joined right away. I started as a writer, then progressed to the editor, Junior Editor-in-Chief, and finally Editor-in-Chief. Aside from the ASRJ, I was involved in several other clubs on campus. I regularly held teaching assistant positions in the Faculty of Science and Department of Psychology. I also volunteered in research labs and eventually was hired as a research assistant in three different psychology labs on campus.
If you could go back and change one thing about your education to this point, what would it be?
If I could go back and change one thing about my education, it would be to look into career options and professional/graduate school requirements early in my university degree. I originally was enrolled in a biology degree, and at about the end of my second year, I knew it was not for me. I changed my major to Psychology which was a better option for me. Because I was joining the faculty late, I hadn’t thought of career options yet. It was mid-way through my third year when I decided I wanted to become a Clinical Psychologist. Graduate and professional schools often have many requirements during your undergraduate degree, such as volunteering, research experience, certain classes and sometimes an Honours thesis. It was very overwhelming finding out I needed to do all this stuff in the year and a half I had left of my undergraduate degree.
What are your best survival tips for undergrad to succeed?
My best survival tip is to find a balance. I am a “yes man” and have a habit of taking on too much, whether courses, jobs, or other commitments. University is filled with so many exciting opportunities, and while being involved, it is also important to find time to relax and unwind. Student burnout is a real thing, and self-care is underrated.
What does research look like in your field?
Psychology research takes on so many shapes and forms. You can conduct quantitative or qualitative research. You can combine the two to do mixed-methods research. Every study is also different. You can collect data using surveys, interviews, or other methods. The study can be a clinical case series or an intervention. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The diversity of research methods available in psychology is one of the main reasons I find the research so intriguing. Every project I have ever worked on is unique it’s in its own way.