#undergrad problems

Archaeological Art from the 1-7th centuries CE in Jewish Contexts

I’ve asked the history, math, and language departments what their senior seminar/capstone class students are required to do to pass the class and graduate; it isn’t anything near this. [everything below is copy+pasted directly from the course syllabus: for tl;dr & my comments look for the bold in brackets]

Material Required:

• Kuther, Tara L. (2012). The Psychology Major’s Handbook.  Belmont:  Cengage Learning Inc. ISBN-13: 9781111302696 • Rosnow, Ralph L., & Rosnow, Mimi (2009). Writing Papers in Psychology (8th ed.). Belmont: Cengage Learning Inc. ISBN-13: 9780495509561 (Recommendation to purchase if you do not have it saved from Experimental Psychology) • American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. (Recommended as reference book). • Lab Book: Gaultney, J. F. (2007). Doing research: A lab manual for psychology. Belmont, CA: Thomson and Wadsworth. (Saved from Experimental Psychology) • Any GRE preparation software or book is a must. • A pocket English dictionary is a must for every class • Must have access to the library resources including online data bases and APA website http://www.apa.org

[so...4 text books, one of which she expects us to buy b/c it’s not on the rental list for this class - it was a rental book from a previous class, not that she told us to buy it then. Who the hell has this much money? Plus GRE practice books/software? Are you kidding me?]

Required Assignments: The Students must complete the following minimum requirements to receive credit for the course (In case an item is missing, you will not receive a passing grade for the course) in addition to thoroughly graded assignments:

1. Graduation application: Complete the graduation application with the help of your advisor. Submit a copy of the completed application for course grade. If you have a problem contacting your designated advisor, feel free to consult your course professor.  Even if you have another semester or so to graduate, you should work on your graduation application and plan the remaining courses.

2. Career planning and placement services: Complete campus career planning and placement services formalities (registration) for graduating seniors including mock interview with them. Please submit evaluation form for credit. 3. Community Service: Community service in the department is one of the important components of this course. It may include tutoring the peers (Statistics and Experimental) to prepare for Senior Seminar, working with the instructor, volunteer work in mental hospital or counseling clinic, PSI CHI and Psychology Club activities etc. that your instructor can comfortably supervise. Before you start working, you need your professor’s formal approval. You must have minimum 20 hours of community work. 4. GRE (General\Psychology): Take GRE General or Psychology. 5. Departmental Evaluation Survey, Reflection Paper and Exit Exam:  Your experiences in the department reflecting amendments in the existing practices along with an exit exam and a reflection paper for graduating seniors is to be completed.

[She’s making us take the GRE...it’s a $200 test, most of the students can get a waiver from financial aid, but it only covers 50% of the cost. So $100 out of pocket plus travel expenses because our school is not a testing center for the GRE; and the school isn’t providing transportation either. No other department requires their students to complete a mock interview w/ the Career Center; and I already have a job. Most of us do. Why do we need this? We’ve done interviews before. Community service? For a class? I already have a full schedule b/c of 2 clubs (I’m on the e-board for one of them), and an honor society, plus I have a job and 5 other classes. Are you fucking serious? And all of this in addition to class assignments (listed below). These aren’t even graded! They just have to be done or else we automatically fail, what the hell?]

Thoroughly Graded Assignments: 1. Research Project: It includes developing a research idea, using theory to choose a research design, reviewing essential descriptive and inferential statistical procedures, choosing participants, considering an appropriate data collection procedure, and preparing and submitting a research proposal in the first week of the semester (review and revise your proposal for Experimental Psychology course); and after conducting the project or collecting the data, preparing the final research report for presentation and submission by the end of the semester.

a) Review, revise and submit the research proposal including the data collection instrument, CITI training certificate and completed appropriate IRB application.   (300 Points)         b) Collect, analyze and interpret the data to write a final project report     (300 Points)

c) Oral defense of research findings and poster presentation     (100 Points) 2. Report and Presentation on the required textbook: Submit and present a report on the required text for this course. (100 Points)      3. GRE Practice Test: Take two GRE General/Subject practice tests and turn in the scores before taking the actual GRE. The students are encouraged to apply for GRE and use the resources for GRE fee waivers on campus.  Bring in proof of registration for credit. (100 Points) 4. Exploring graduate school opportunities – Complete a review of 5-8 websites and other sources on graduate school opportunities in psychology. Include eligibility, financial burden and detailed information on what the school provides.

4a) Submit and present a summary of at least five graduate school programs preferably in different schools available to psychology majors including the program information, eligibility, financial scenario, scholarships/ fellowships/ work study etc. opportunities for earning and the admission process.       (50 Points)

4b) Apply to five graduate schools of your choice. Your professor should approve your completed applications before mailing. Your resume and personal statement will be evaluated as part of the application. (50 Points)       5. Exploring job opportunities – Complete a review of job opportunities for psychology majors at different levels of preparation and training using websites and other sources of job information relative to career opportunities in psychology. (50 Points)

5a) Submit and present a summary of at least five jobs in psychology or related area with different levels of preparation and training that should include nature of job, job description, eligibility, salary and perks etc., and the application process. (50 Points) 5b) Apply to five discipline related jobs. Prior to mailing, your professor must approve your completed applications. Your resume and personal statement will be evaluated as part of the application. (50 Points)       5c) Locate the career opportunities in and around Elizabeth City community where psychology graduates are frequently employed or there are internship or job opportunities for psychology majors. Write a report on job description and analysis of training and experience that seems best suited to employment in at least one of those facilities, on the basis of your visit to the facility and interview with the supervisor or human resources person. Also include the name and phone number for the person who was interviewed by you or who had arranged your tour. (50 Points) 6. Conference/s in Psychology:  Attend conference/s on Psychology like undergraduate conference in Psychology for better understanding of the field. Proceedings of the conference/s will be presented to the Psychology students at Psychology Club/Psi Chi meetings. For information about conferences check with your professors or Psi Chi officers or browse the Internet. NC Psychological Association Undergraduate Annual Conference will be in November that I coordinate for my students. (100 Points)

7. Two exams (Midterm and Final) on GRE items/job searching/interviewing/professional etiquettes etc. (200 Points)

This honors thesis is going to kill me. Or my spirit. I’m not sure I have ever felt so inadequate in my life. This is a 34 page pile of horseshit. I just have to finish it (again), and then I can pretend it never existed.

Uni: ‘There’s no funding for you because you’re with a partner institution although we didn’t say that until you tried to get the paper’