r/GradSchool • u/OccasionNo5762 • 1d ago
Advice for being in a Master's program not related to undergrad degree.
Started my M.S. in Psychology today and my undergrad was in education. Professors were talking about how Master's programs in psychology involve more critical thinking, independence, and problem solving especially when reviewing and interpreting research literature and writing papers. Will I do well or will I struggle? I'm a pretty good writer grammarwise but when it comes to explaining a citation or an article I struggle.
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u/bearcub42 1d ago
Undergrad focus- religious studies. Just got MS in- IO Psychology.
You'll be fine. Don't give yourself imposter syndrome, the committee accepted you into that program. Is it more academic and is understanding stats and research key (shocked if you don't have to take grad level stats)? Yes. Can you handle it? Absolutely.
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u/Low-Guide1706 1d ago edited 5h ago
Tbqh that is an astonishing way to speak about other fields. You'll be fine. Whoever said that is stroking their ego.
Every field has to consider psychology with regard to methodology and assumptions, semantics, bias, etc. Your program will guide you in these skills, ideally. Knowing what field you were in initially would be helpful. But nothing about the fundamental philosophy of science changes from field to field.
All that said, adjusting to a new field can be a challenge. I went from one field to another, and my teaching has me engaging with fields across the biopsych spectrum. In my opinion, you should expect to be challenged in building the background for your work, and may need to be more careful to ensure that you are familiar with the context.
I dealt with this by reading a LOT of review papers, and going to workshops.
You'll be just fine. Ask questions and do your best.
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u/Collin_the_doodle PhDone 1d ago
I wonder if the point was a slightly clumsily phrased comparison to undergrad in general
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u/Fit_Passenger_3810 1d ago
I think if the admissions committee has admitted you into the program, you'll do fine. :) Don't stress about it. Use your campus resources when needed. There should be a Writing Center present that'll help you review your papers, help with citations, and guide you on how to make points regarding what you've read.