Do you have any advice for prospective students?
Yes, it can be summarized with the acronym T.R.U.E.:
T – Time Will Pass Anyway
It doesn’t matter who you are, how old you are, or what other people tell you: Dedicate the time required to earn the degree you need to become the professional you want to be.
True friends will stick around, even if you see them less frequently initially.
Imagine where you will be in six years, both personally and professionally, if you don't get your degree. Now, imagine you do get it. How will your life have changed? Choose change. Dedicate the time and focus needed to study your profession, and truly own it.
R – Remember Other Timelines Move Forward Too
As time passes, other timelines including the lives of children, family and friends also move forward. Make time for loved ones and hobbies while pursuing your educational goals. This balance may be challenging during the first semester as you reacquaint yourself with the demands of academic life, but it is essential for your well-being over the long run.
U – Unpretentiousness Fosters Appreciation
Live with gratitude and seize the opportunity you are given. Realize that you truly don’t know everything about psychology yet and always remain a student at heart. Not every place or country offers the robust educational structure needed to study psychology, become licensed, and board-certified. Appreciate the chance you have to learn within such a system.
E – Excellence, Not Perfection (There Is None)
Stop striving for perfection. There is no such thing as a perfect grade, a perfect paper, or a perfect outcome. Don’t demand perfection from yourself, your professors, and peers. Focus instead on achieving excellence and continual improvement, which is a sustainable and realistic goal.
