welcome!

Hi, and welcome to Daily Psych. As I venture into this new and exciting medium of communicating, it seemed appropriate that my first post both reflects on my motivation for jumping into this project, and projects my vision for how the blog will function. It’ll also be nice to more formally introduce myself, and hopefully begin to start building a community of like-minded students, scientists, and professionals. 

The recent pandemic and the lack of in-person interaction between myself, my students, my mentors, and my colleagues has left me craving a way to make connections, disseminate information, and interact with the psych world. I’m not starting a blog because I find myself to be an expert – I’m starting it to document my own personal journey with graduate applications, to discuss science that is important to me, and hopefully provide snippets of information that inspires or helps others along the way. My main goal is to guide myself and others through PhD applications, both for the 2021 cycle and beyond. The importance of clear communication in psychology (or any science for that matter) is crucial to the ongoing development and growth of the discipline. Effective writing is not only essential for publications and manuscripts, but also for communicating with folks outside of the clinical psychology world. My long-term career goals include the ability to write for non-psychology folks in a way that is easy to understand, without sacrificing the scientific message. Engaging in online writing through Daily Psych will offer me an opportunity to grow this skill.  

At this point, you might be wondering who is behind the computer screen – Hi, I’m Jessilyn! And I’m really excited to be here. I received my BA in psychology from Cal State Fullerton in 2015, and my MS in clinical psychology from San Jose State University in 2017. Even before starting my master’s degree, I knew that returning to school for a PhD was my ultimate career goal as I’m mostly interested in research and teaching. I’ve been fortunate enough to have opportunities that allow me to engage in those two things, even at the master’s level. I am a lecturer at SJSU, teaching mainly writing in psychology, and I work full time as a clinical research assistant and study therapist for the National Center for PTSD. Making the transition from AMFT to clinical research assistant was a no-brainer – I wanted to be involved with trauma research and understand the components of clinical trials, learn how to effectively design studies with trauma in mind, and develop research skills that would help me succeed in a PhD program in the future. 

I’ve successfully completed a master’s degree in clinical psychology, and have applied to clinical psychology PhD programs twice. I’m entering into my third round of PhD applications optimistic and driven, with a wealth of lessons learned and nuggets of wisdom from mentors and fellow applicants. Graduate school applications are confusing, tumultuous, and – statistically speaking – rarely rewarding. However, providing myself with constant reminders about my “why” keeps me grounded and motivated to continue. One barrier that I’ve noticed in my years as an applicant, a student, and a lecturer is the inconsistent information shared with graduate school hopefuls. Accessing accurate, pointed guidance can feel like a part time job itself! The onus is usually on the applicant to sift through the available information and decide the best course of action. While a certain amount of self-efficacy and initiative is necessary, I often find myself believing there has to be a better way. I hope this blog addresses some of the gaps in general knowledge about the process, and reduces the individual load on some applicants. 

Deciding to pursue a graduate degree is a monumental first step in a hectic journey. While most of us have the support of friends, family members, and colleagues, direct communication with others familiar with the process has been crucial for me. I often find myself asking questions only other graduate applicants, students, or professionals can answer. I’ve also been given and created resources for myself along this wild ride that I’d love to share with you. Starting a blog is sort of outside of my comfort zone, but it is in direct support of my values to share information and create content that could teach or help others. Knowledge is power, and community is essential. I hope we can nurture the growth of both in this space. 

Thanks for reading!