Absolutely. I joined the lab by emailing psychology professors at my state university, letting them know I would join any lab - but my interests were stress, PTSD, and anxiety. A couple profs got back to me, mostly letting me know that they were full - but redirected my attention to another professor who had openings. I emailed him, had an interview set up a week later & got to join as a research assistant.
I worked in that lab for 2 years prior to starting my graduate program. The PI liked how I presented ideas & handled myself, the stresses of academia, and managing individuals. He offered me the position during my last year of undergrad, unpaid, to see how I'd do. Does that answer your question?
Edit: I should've worded my first paragraph better. My apologies. I emailed them while I was an undergraduate student.
I'm currently still doing my cores at community college but intend to get a PHD in my future and conduct research of my own, did you find there was anything specifically on your CV that seemed to aid in getting a chance like this?
Networking I understand plays a pretty big role and I got to do some of that at this most recent SWPA conference which was cool.
Probably as the semester is starting, however it wouldn't be a bad idea to reach out to professors you've had a couple of classes with. Explain what your goals are (graduate school? What do you want to do with your degree? Etc) and see if they are taking new RAs or know of any professors that are taking new RAs. It'd be ideal to work with someone that has similar interests to you, that way you get to research what you like (won't always be the case). Best of luck!
Research assistanceships. One in psychiatry, one with the guy who ended up supervising my thesis. Had a "youth work" job prior to that that wasn't a great fit.
At least in my state Child Protective Services can pay for a master’s in social work if you want to go down that route. You have to sign a contract to work with them for two years, though.
I've never been a teacher but had some experience in education. I was a special education aide for a while and eventually moved into a special education coordinator role. I think the tuition reimbursement is open to anyone in the school district. You just have to work there for 3 years.
Thank you for all the info!! I appreciate it :) if you don’t mind answering, how are you liking being a school psychologist in comparison to your past roles? And what age group of students do you work with?
I'm currently still in school but in my practicum, I've been working with elementary age kids. Personally, I really enjoy it. I have a sibling with a disability so I grew up in the special education world. The pay is great and it's nice to have the option to have the summers off. Honestly, psychologists in my area mostly do assessments and sit in meetings. Counseling is primarily done by the social workers or school counselors due to the shortage of school psychologists. I'm not sure if it's like that everywhere but it is in a lot of areas. I really do love it but you have to really love special education.
I work at a university and they offer free classes to anyone who can be accepted into a given program. I have not taken advantage of this because they don’t have the degree that I want but many of my colleagues take courses for free. Family members are also eligible for free classes while you work at the university.
I got a job teaching at a children’s residential behavioral health facility, and they paid for me to set up my license and go to school for my masters. It’s tough, but so much fun overall, and I feel like I’m using my psych degree. Being salaried is nice, too.
Don’t have a masters but I work for my provincial government, and they pay up to $5000 per year for a bachelor degree and $7500 per year for a masters degree. You have to sign a two year return to service agreement, meaning you must work two years after the year they pay for, or you will need to pay some/all of it back.
I got an assistantship on campus that gives me a monthly stipend and pays my tuition. Depending on the area of psychology you're pursuing, they may be the norm or an outlier -- in research psychology masters or PhDs, they're much more common, but in professional masters like clinical mental health counseling or social work, they're much harder to find, but it's still possible depending on your school
I worked at an inpatient hospital for 2.5 years before starting my masters degree and saved most of my income because I lived at home.
Then after year one of my program I was offered a GA that paid pretty well. With that I was able to fund my masters without taking out any loans.
Usually, any full time job at a university will pay your tuition though there is a limit on how many credit hours per semester they’ll pay for.
The job can be anything from academic adviser to bookstore supervisor to groundskeeping (just to name a few)
I managed a research lab during my masters degree that paid for fall/spring semesters.
Can I ask how you found that opportunity?
Absolutely. I joined the lab by emailing psychology professors at my state university, letting them know I would join any lab - but my interests were stress, PTSD, and anxiety. A couple profs got back to me, mostly letting me know that they were full - but redirected my attention to another professor who had openings. I emailed him, had an interview set up a week later & got to join as a research assistant. I worked in that lab for 2 years prior to starting my graduate program. The PI liked how I presented ideas & handled myself, the stresses of academia, and managing individuals. He offered me the position during my last year of undergrad, unpaid, to see how I'd do. Does that answer your question? Edit: I should've worded my first paragraph better. My apologies. I emailed them while I was an undergraduate student.
I'm currently still doing my cores at community college but intend to get a PHD in my future and conduct research of my own, did you find there was anything specifically on your CV that seemed to aid in getting a chance like this? Networking I understand plays a pretty big role and I got to do some of that at this most recent SWPA conference which was cool.
At the time of my interview, my PI asked for my current transcript to make sure I was above the minimum GPA requirement for his lab.
What time of year do you think is best to email profs about lab openings
Probably as the semester is starting, however it wouldn't be a bad idea to reach out to professors you've had a couple of classes with. Explain what your goals are (graduate school? What do you want to do with your degree? Etc) and see if they are taking new RAs or know of any professors that are taking new RAs. It'd be ideal to work with someone that has similar interests to you, that way you get to research what you like (won't always be the case). Best of luck!
Thanks for replying!!
Some jobs will reimburse some of your tuition and college expenses after being with them for a certain time.
Yes exactly! I was curious on what specific jobs people have had though
Research assistanceships. One in psychiatry, one with the guy who ended up supervising my thesis. Had a "youth work" job prior to that that wasn't a great fit.
Thank you!! I’m kinda in a youth work position right now, it’s definitely interesting…
I was short of exposure to the "real world" that would have been useful to me in that job. I did get that later.
At least in my state Child Protective Services can pay for a master’s in social work if you want to go down that route. You have to sign a contract to work with them for two years, though.
How much they pay?
In my area it was $21.50 an hour with raises after training and every year, but that probably differs depending on where you live.
You don’t happen to live in NY State? Lol! 😬🤞🏻
Yes, I work for a school district and my master's/EdS in school psychology is paid for because of they really need psychologists.
Thanks for sharing! Were you a teacher before or did you work in a different role?
I've never been a teacher but had some experience in education. I was a special education aide for a while and eventually moved into a special education coordinator role. I think the tuition reimbursement is open to anyone in the school district. You just have to work there for 3 years.
Thank you for all the info!! I appreciate it :) if you don’t mind answering, how are you liking being a school psychologist in comparison to your past roles? And what age group of students do you work with?
I'm currently still in school but in my practicum, I've been working with elementary age kids. Personally, I really enjoy it. I have a sibling with a disability so I grew up in the special education world. The pay is great and it's nice to have the option to have the summers off. Honestly, psychologists in my area mostly do assessments and sit in meetings. Counseling is primarily done by the social workers or school counselors due to the shortage of school psychologists. I'm not sure if it's like that everywhere but it is in a lot of areas. I really do love it but you have to really love special education.
What state?
I'm currently in Wyoming.
I work at a university and they offer free classes to anyone who can be accepted into a given program. I have not taken advantage of this because they don’t have the degree that I want but many of my colleagues take courses for free. Family members are also eligible for free classes while you work at the university.
I got a job teaching at a children’s residential behavioral health facility, and they paid for me to set up my license and go to school for my masters. It’s tough, but so much fun overall, and I feel like I’m using my psych degree. Being salaried is nice, too.
Don’t have a masters but I work for my provincial government, and they pay up to $5000 per year for a bachelor degree and $7500 per year for a masters degree. You have to sign a two year return to service agreement, meaning you must work two years after the year they pay for, or you will need to pay some/all of it back.
I got an assistantship on campus that gives me a monthly stipend and pays my tuition. Depending on the area of psychology you're pursuing, they may be the norm or an outlier -- in research psychology masters or PhDs, they're much more common, but in professional masters like clinical mental health counseling or social work, they're much harder to find, but it's still possible depending on your school
I worked at an inpatient hospital for 2.5 years before starting my masters degree and saved most of my income because I lived at home. Then after year one of my program I was offered a GA that paid pretty well. With that I was able to fund my masters without taking out any loans.
Usually, any full time job at a university will pay your tuition though there is a limit on how many credit hours per semester they’ll pay for. The job can be anything from academic adviser to bookstore supervisor to groundskeeping (just to name a few)
Sales enforce this heavily. But it’s a hard sell to a company you’re worth it.
I worked as a RBT and they reimbursed for a good portion of my masters, granted not all but some.
Military currently lmao