I want to make a post now because my life is racing towards a moment of major, life change, and I want to document the moment before that occurs,
Since October, I have been applying for Clinical and Professional Psychology Masters programs all over, at six different uni's. My preference is the two year clinical program, but professional, which is a one year course, is still respectable, and often a springboard for clinical. Both are very competitive.
So far I have been accepted into USyd for a Master of Teaching (School Counselling), though it was a back up, and UNE, which is professional, via distance, and not ideal. I also have interviews for UTS, WSU, UOW, and MQ.
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Damn, I really wanted to finish this post before I got news but I was blindsided early so I will have to change tactics.
I don't know how to say this without it sounding like a dream, but I was accepted in a Master of Psychology (Clinical) at UOW. My dream course, at my dream uni. I'm literally... brain dead. I can't comprehend it and I was blindsided by it.
This is complicated to explain, but it's necessary to understand. UOW has two post graduate programs, clinical and professional. Clinical is a two year course that will leave you fully registered at the end, as not just a psychologist but a clinical psychologist (you can charge more and are more specified towards clinical cases). Professional is one year, gets you halfway to registration and leads you into the second year of supervision, at the end of which you are registered. Often people finish professional and get into clinical from there.
I was only given an interview for professional. So that means they looked at my application, were like, she's alright, not enough experience for clinical, but give her a go for professional. Mia on the other hand got the Clinical interview, which I am pretty sure means that they assess you for clinical, and if you don't make it, they assess you for professional, though it's possible to get neither.
However, the interview for both clinical and professional is the same. It's four questions/scenarios and you have about 5-7 minutes to answer each question, each with a different interviewer. So Mia and I did the same interview, as do all Clinical and Professional candidates. However, I didn't believe it was possible for a Professional candidate to be offered the Clinical masters, because they'd been ruled out in the 'who do we give interviews?' stage.
But for some reason, that's what happened with me. I got the offer yesterday, on my birthday, and it was awkward, rather than celebratory because I was terrified it was a mistake. So I spent my birthday party trying not to think about it, because I didn't want to be too hopeful and be crushed the next day if it was a mistake.
But today, I went to uni because I'm finishing my degree over summer due to a credit point debacle and I talked to the Head of Psych, and also the Course Coordinator, as well as admissions, and triple confirmed, I am in, it's real and legitimate!
I got my dream. It's so wonderful I don't know how to process it.
But at the same time, Mia hasn't heard anything and neither has my closest psych friend Fiona. I don't know what that means for them, and while I want to be hopeful, I'm very worried that it means that they didn't get in. Mia has professional at Monash but that's in Melbourne, and while she still has a shot at getting accepted at other uni's, it's not the same as getting in at UOW. It's hard because in some ways, she deserves it more than I do, she's attempted it twice (last year not getting in), and she put in so much effort to prepare for interviews.
Me on the other hand, prepared a lot (though was not in her league), but didn't stress at all. I feel like in achieving this amazing feat myself, I've done it in a way that is undeserving. I would never say that I don't work hard or that I didn't put my all in, but I wasn't the only one to do that. I don't think I'm more deserving.
Especially with Mia, it's so difficult. Being in the same boat as your best friend is great most of the time, but it is hard because no one can ever get all the same opportunities.
But it feels like it should be a leapfrog thing, she misses out one thing, I miss out another thing, but instead now I've caught up the year she was ahead of me, with an extra degree under my belt, and now have got into the most competitive, amazing course, that has been both of our dreams for five years, without any struggle what so ever. I didn't even get wait listed, I just got offered. Like, that's literally unbelievable. If Mia was me, I would be feeling green with envy inside. Not because I'm awful but because it's hard to just be happy for your friends when you are also banking all your hopes on getting that same opportunity, and not getting it.
Somehow, debating skills mixed with shyness and sincerity worked on UOW interviewers. I have charm apparently. The guy in charge, who was supposed to be scary af, actually must have liked me. I saw him today to confirm and he said my interview was really good.
I have to just hope beyond hope now that Mia gets into WSU. At least then we would both be doing clinical and the dream continues.
Fingers crossed.
Also, I'm 23 now yay!
Since October, I have been applying for Clinical and Professional Psychology Masters programs all over, at six different uni's. My preference is the two year clinical program, but professional, which is a one year course, is still respectable, and often a springboard for clinical. Both are very competitive.
So far I have been accepted into USyd for a Master of Teaching (School Counselling), though it was a back up, and UNE, which is professional, via distance, and not ideal. I also have interviews for UTS, WSU, UOW, and MQ.
-----
Damn, I really wanted to finish this post before I got news but I was blindsided early so I will have to change tactics.
I don't know how to say this without it sounding like a dream, but I was accepted in a Master of Psychology (Clinical) at UOW. My dream course, at my dream uni. I'm literally... brain dead. I can't comprehend it and I was blindsided by it.
This is complicated to explain, but it's necessary to understand. UOW has two post graduate programs, clinical and professional. Clinical is a two year course that will leave you fully registered at the end, as not just a psychologist but a clinical psychologist (you can charge more and are more specified towards clinical cases). Professional is one year, gets you halfway to registration and leads you into the second year of supervision, at the end of which you are registered. Often people finish professional and get into clinical from there.
I was only given an interview for professional. So that means they looked at my application, were like, she's alright, not enough experience for clinical, but give her a go for professional. Mia on the other hand got the Clinical interview, which I am pretty sure means that they assess you for clinical, and if you don't make it, they assess you for professional, though it's possible to get neither.
However, the interview for both clinical and professional is the same. It's four questions/scenarios and you have about 5-7 minutes to answer each question, each with a different interviewer. So Mia and I did the same interview, as do all Clinical and Professional candidates. However, I didn't believe it was possible for a Professional candidate to be offered the Clinical masters, because they'd been ruled out in the 'who do we give interviews?' stage.
But for some reason, that's what happened with me. I got the offer yesterday, on my birthday, and it was awkward, rather than celebratory because I was terrified it was a mistake. So I spent my birthday party trying not to think about it, because I didn't want to be too hopeful and be crushed the next day if it was a mistake.
But today, I went to uni because I'm finishing my degree over summer due to a credit point debacle and I talked to the Head of Psych, and also the Course Coordinator, as well as admissions, and triple confirmed, I am in, it's real and legitimate!
I got my dream. It's so wonderful I don't know how to process it.
But at the same time, Mia hasn't heard anything and neither has my closest psych friend Fiona. I don't know what that means for them, and while I want to be hopeful, I'm very worried that it means that they didn't get in. Mia has professional at Monash but that's in Melbourne, and while she still has a shot at getting accepted at other uni's, it's not the same as getting in at UOW. It's hard because in some ways, she deserves it more than I do, she's attempted it twice (last year not getting in), and she put in so much effort to prepare for interviews.
Me on the other hand, prepared a lot (though was not in her league), but didn't stress at all. I feel like in achieving this amazing feat myself, I've done it in a way that is undeserving. I would never say that I don't work hard or that I didn't put my all in, but I wasn't the only one to do that. I don't think I'm more deserving.
Especially with Mia, it's so difficult. Being in the same boat as your best friend is great most of the time, but it is hard because no one can ever get all the same opportunities.
But it feels like it should be a leapfrog thing, she misses out one thing, I miss out another thing, but instead now I've caught up the year she was ahead of me, with an extra degree under my belt, and now have got into the most competitive, amazing course, that has been both of our dreams for five years, without any struggle what so ever. I didn't even get wait listed, I just got offered. Like, that's literally unbelievable. If Mia was me, I would be feeling green with envy inside. Not because I'm awful but because it's hard to just be happy for your friends when you are also banking all your hopes on getting that same opportunity, and not getting it.
Somehow, debating skills mixed with shyness and sincerity worked on UOW interviewers. I have charm apparently. The guy in charge, who was supposed to be scary af, actually must have liked me. I saw him today to confirm and he said my interview was really good.
I have to just hope beyond hope now that Mia gets into WSU. At least then we would both be doing clinical and the dream continues.
Fingers crossed.
Also, I'm 23 now yay!
