Q: What initially drew you to study psychological sciences at Rice?
A: I was initially drawn to study psychological sciences at Rice because of the small class sizes and the faculty's diverse psychological disciplines. I was also drawn to the research opportunities and the ability to actively participate as a researcher or participant in ongoing studies.
Q: What do you value most about your experience in the psychological sciences program?
A: I have most valued the mentorship I have received, both inside and outside of the classroom. All the faculty are open-minded and grounded, always willing to hear your ideas, encourage you to move forward, or merge paths to continue developing your interests. Additionally, the opportunity to connect with peers who are also very interested in the unique aspects of psychology has been amazing. For instance, over 200 students came together to watch Netflix’s “The New Stanford Prison Experiment” and discuss it from a psychological lens.
Q: What skills or ways of thinking have you already developed through studying psychological sciences?
A: Through studying psychological sciences, I have reinforced the approach of first understanding a situation before making judgments, if at all, about an individual. This spans not only social psychology but has also been applied to learning economics, healthcare, and business, as well as my own life. Quantitative analysis has also reminded me to question the reliability and validity of the overall statements I encounter in daily life and in the media.
Q: Is there something you have learned at Rice Psychological Sciences that you believe will set you apart and give you an “edge” when you enter the workforce?
A: One of the things I have learned at Rice Psychological Sciences and through other courses at Rice is that there is nothing to lose from using your own story and voice to create change. I have seen how much play, connection, and being heard shape the experience of illness, and psychology gave me the language and research to understand why. That perspective drives my work, founding Rice’s chapter of Project Sunshine, guided by our faculty advisor, Dr. Colette Nicolaou, a former clinical psychologist and current psychological sciences professor, as well as my patient advocacy with the American Gastroenterological Association. Both are rooted in psychology: understanding development, communication, and coping, and listening before assuming.
Q: What do you think a psychological sciences education gives students that they might not get elsewhere?
A: A psychological sciences education gives students a framework for understanding the people around them and themselves, as well as the tools to test that understanding. At Rice, the faculty are incredibly engaging in lecture, and you will almost always leave with more questions you want answered than when you walked in. Combined with small class sizes and close relationships with faculty, I have consistently felt treated as a peer rather than just an audience member. That makes the field feel applicable to medicine, policy, education, and business.
Q: What are some unique opportunities you’ve had as a Rice psychological sciences student in the School of Social Sciences?
A: Rice’s culture of student initiative has let me turn my interests into real projects. In SOSC 302, the quantitative analysis course for social sciences taught by Dr. Todd Ferguson, I completed a semester-long project on “Social Media Usage and Its Interference with Cognitive Functioning and Productivity,” which I can now submit when applying for internships. I continued this topic in PSYC 340, the upper-level Research Methods course taught by Dr. Kim Hooge, with a project titled “Social and Familial Influences on Social Media Use in Young Adults: A Survey Study.” I have also pursued research beyond the classroom for over a year through PSYC 485, the undergraduate supervised research course, at Harvard’s Lab for Youth Mental Health, where we are conducting a meta-analysis of school-based mental health interventions.
Q: What piece of advice would you give a Rice student considering majoring in psychological sciences?
A: Do it if you are curious, because psychology truly impacts every field. When I was considering graduate school in psychology, Dr. Sandra Parsons handed me a book of careers people have built with a psychology PhD, and the range, from television to forensics to academia, showed me how many doors the field opens. So, get involved early, go to student hours, ask professors about their research, and join a lab or project even if you don’t feel “ready.” You’ll learn more about yourself by actively engaging than by thinking about what could be.