by Laura Stevens (2022-2023 Experimental Liaison) 

COVID-19 was a terrible and turbulent time for everyone and was an especially difficult time to be studying as the world turned to online teaching mediums. However, one positive to the shift online is that it is easier now than ever to be a member of your international community. This resource will cover the benefits of getting involved in your international community and easy ways to immerse yourself. 

Being a Member of International Networks
As one of the first UK-based students to be a part of the APLS student committee, I am really excited to be part of an international community of researchers and practitioners working  in Psychology and Law. In addition to my role within the student committee, I am also a research assistant within the Rights for Time Network – an international organisation that brings together academics and practitioners to explore how time affects war, displacement, and violence in order to progress conversations about humanitarian protection. I am also a member of the UK-South Korea Eyewitness network that fosters collaborations to improve the documentation of eyewitness memory evidence globally. All the aforementioned networks are either free to join or for an extremely subsidised fee as a student, so there is no better time to immerse yourself in international research. 

Benefits of International Networking

• You meet incredible researchers who are revolutionising in their area, as well as amazing practitioners and community actors who are making an impact on the ground. You get to learn from these people and consider what future research questions are integral to developing, understanding, and designing research projects around these ideas. This could lead to future funding opportunities!
• You can learn about interesting and diverse cultures and take part in cross-cultural research that is driven by partnerships within that country. 
• You can develop your skills as a researcher by co-designing research methodologies and carrying out research in different contexts. You may encounter unforeseen challenges and learn how to overcome them. For examples of when international research may be difficult and potential methods to overcome such barriers, please see a Webinar from Global Challenges students at the University of Birmingham, UK, here.
• Obviously, you get to potentially travel to some really cool places!

Ways that you can get Involved!

• Attend conferences, either in person or online. Post-COVID, many conferences are offering hybrid methods which can help financially if you cannot afford to travel or want to attend multiple conferences a year. 
• Check out travel grant schemes, both from the conference themselves but also from your institution or organisation. There might be money there to assist you in travelling to a conference. This could help you travel and help develops your grant writing skills!
• When at the conference – make the most of it. Attend networking lunches, poster sessions and ask questions. You never know when someone you meet could become a future collaborator or mentor.
• Attend online webinars hosted by different organisations or networks. These are typically free and recorded to enhance participation from all time zones. Follow up with speakers via email about anything you found interesting. 
• Sign up to the mailing lists of networks you are interested in.
• Follow researchers and practitioners in your field from all over the world on Twitter and LinkedIn to keep up to date with research advances; like and retweet their work to show your interest!
• Find other people working on similar areas to you and email them. See if you can run a research study in both labs and possibly do a cross-country comparison or consider grant funding together!

 
Being a member of your international community does not need to be as difficult or as expensive as you think. Happy Networking!

by Cassidy White (2022-2023 Campus Representative Coordinator) 

As the cycle of graduate school applications are now submitted, it’s time for the best part – interviews! In this post you will find some tips and resources for a successful graduate school interview. 


Do your research

• Make sure you have a good understanding of the school and how each program works
• Read up on recent publications the mentor you’re applying to has published 
• Prepare a list of who you could be potentially interviewing with. This includes both professors and graduate students

Have questions prepared

• Faculty:
  • How would you describe your mentoring style?
  • How does one earn authorship in this lab?
  • What are the current projects in the lab and where do you expect the lab to go?
  • What do you think makes a student successful in this program? 
• Students:
  • How does funding work? Is there guaranteed summer funding?
  • Can you tell me what it’s like to live in_______?
  • Do you feel like you can live comfortably in ______?
  • What areas are the best for grad students to live?
  • What is it like to work with this mentor?
  • What kinds of support/resources are there for underrepresented groups? What is the DEI climate like? 
  • How cooperative vs competitive are the students in this program? Prepare for common questions 
    • Tell me about yourself?
      • Be sure to highlight what is unique about yourself and why do you stand out compared to others interviewing for the same spot?
• Why did you choose this school/ particular advisor?
  • Be specific! This is where your initial research will come in. 
• What is your specific area of research and why?
• What are your career goals? 
• What are your hobbies and interests?
  • Remember, most places have read your CV and now they are interested in really getting to know who you are as a person!
• Describe a project you would like to complete while you are here.

Be confident!

• Whether your interview is virtual or in-person, the days can be very long. Don’t forget to take care of yourself and breathe

Be yourself!

Don’t forget that you worked hard and were chosen to interview at this school. You got this! 

Always follow up with a thank you note/email

Resources:
 
Dr. Mitch Prinstein has an EXCELLENT handbook with all things related to clinical psychology. Section three: I just got an interview for a clinical psychology doctoral program – What do I do?! 
 
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Practice mindfulness during breaks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-6f5wQXSu8

by Jordan Donson (2022-2023 Secretary)

If you ever find yourself looking for a new podcast that is not only entertaining but also educational, then you have come to the right place! Listed below are the top 12 podcasts to fit all your psychology, law, and grad school needs. 
 

1. Speaking of Psychology: Produced by the American Psychological Association, this podcast helps listeners apply the science of psychology to their everyday lives by highlighting some of the latest, most important and relevant psychological research being conducted today. 
2. The Forensic Psychologist Podcast: This podcast discusses the niche practice area of forensic psychology and delves into the realms of psychology, law, and human behavior. Hosted by Dr. Nicole Vienna, Forensic Psychologist and Clinical Director at Vienna Psychological Group, Inc. 
3. Clinically Thinking: A podcast by clinical psychologists, for clinical psychologists. Deep-dive conversations with clinicians and academics at the forefront of their fields. A great resource for all clinicians at every stage. 
4. Due Process – The Interviews: This podcast is the side-feed of the podcast ‘Due Process,’ a show dedicated to examining Canada’s Criminal Justice System. This side-feed features full-length interviews with guests who have appeared on Due Process. The interviews on this feed focus on topics and issues related to law, forensic psychology, and Canada’s Criminal Justice System. 
5. Grad School is Hard, But...: A podcast from Dr. Katy Peplin of Thrive PhD, this is helpful for anyone trying to be a human and a scholar. This podcast helps you dive deeper into how your brain and body work best. Each episode features practical experiments to try to help you find your way through the hard work of grad school. 
6. The Forensic Psychology Podcast: In this podcast Sally Tilt and Dr. Kerensa Hocken from HM Prison and Probation Service Psychology team interview colleagues who do vitally important work in prisons across the U.K. 
7. Clinically Psyched: A realistic guide to applying to Clinical Psychology PhD programs in North America. 
8. The Law Garage: In this podcast you can learn from leading professionals in the criminal bar. From the beginning of a police investigation to the trial or jury trial, gain insight into the working minds of experienced defense practitioners. 
9. This is Grad School: A podcast for grad students, by grad students. Two applied social psychology PhD students have casual conversations about issues relevant to graduate students in psychology and beyond. This podcast aims to provide a place for grad students to decompress, process, and discuss the real experiences graduate students have, both positive and negative. 
10. Forensic Minds: Currently studying psychology? Early career forensic psychologist? Interested in the work of forensic psychologists? This is the podcast for you! Forensic Minds – Australia, hosted by the Australian Psychological Society – College of Forensic Psychologists. 
11. The Litigation Psychology Podcast: This podcast, presented by Courtroom Sciences, Inc. (CSI) is for in-house and outside defense counsel about the intersection of science and litigation. It explores topics of interest to the defense bar, with a particular emphasis on subjects that don’t get enough attention. Hosted by PhD-level social scientists, clinical scientists, and psychology experts with a wealth of knowledge about science, research, human behavior, and decision making, which they apply in the context of civil litigation. 
12. Psychology Unplugged: This podcast features weekly discussions and perspectives on all aspects of psychology, neuropsychology, psychopharmacology, and mental health topics. Psychoeducation, information, misinformation, controversy, and passion about an incredibly relevant and misunderstood field.