Since my last post, the volatile economic changes of the past few weeks present some serious implications regarding some areas for funding undergraduate and graduate education. As community members, we are not immune to the vicissitudes of the American economy. Students are beginning to appear at food banks in order to make ends meet and this certainly won't stop given the economic predictions for the near future. I have written about the different avenues for obtaining financial assistance including grants, scholarships and student loans. However, this drastic transformation of the economic landscape warrants further discussion about financial aid in the form of the availability of loans, their interest rates and tax implications.

Forgive me; this post is nothing if not provocative. But I cannot help myself. Just yesterday I avoided referencing the #1 spots on each ticket for president when introducing my "New & Improved" blog, and this evening a quote attributed to Barack Obama is forcing me to take portable-keyboard-in-hand again.

Welcome to my “New & Improved” blog, The Business Coach: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About What Coaches Do, and Cannot Do For You, but Didn’t Know You Could Ask. To answer the obvious question, “Why switch from ‘Success Without Distress’ to this subject?” it’ easy: I think this will be of greater interest to Psychology Today’s readers.

For most students, paying for your college education can prove to be a daunting task. Graduate educational costs can demonstrate to be an even more frighteningly expensive prospect. Within colleges and universities, there is an aid process that as a student progresses through higher levels of graduate education, the financial burden is somewhat alleviated by greater institutional support. Yet many universities are revamping their financial aid priorities to provide more assistance for undergraduate education, especially to middle class students and their families who have found themselves increasingly overburdened by college costs. What isn't being publicly discussed is that there are repercussions for this shift in institutional support. For grad students, it means LESS money available for their financial aid.

The effect of culture on the field of psychology has become a main consideration for researchers and clinicians. In the delivery of appropriate and comprehensive treatment, some may feel that if everyone is treated the same that you are addressing the issue of cultural differences by acting for the larger concept of global humanity. Yet are we losing part of the story that may assist the therapeutic relationship or direct the path of research into some societal phenomenon?

This past week I participated in a panel discussion as part of a training workshop for new graduate TAs. I was asked to speak briefly about how to juggle the many responsibilities of a new graduate student, specifically those of research, teaching, and classwork. So while it'll be a bit of a departure from this blog's typical focus, I thought I'd share some of these thoughts I prepared for the workshop for any interested readers who are also beginning (or thinking of beginning) graduate study.  So there's good news and bad news when it comes to balancing the responsibilities of grad school...

Of late, there has been a flurry of discourse, public and private, about the role of race in American society. Some have spoken to the progress that has been made while others have expressed deep concern for the work that still needs to be done. A fascinating aspect of the entire phenomenon is how race may influence individuals' thoughts and decisions.

An earlier post on this blog centered on finding your path to a career in psychology. In response, a reader asked about defining her path given that she would be working in a remote community. Would she truly be serving the community if she specialized in one area of clinical psychology?

Sometimes, the first few steps can be the most difficult to finding a career. This can be especially true for psychology given the wide variety of opportunities that exist. As noted in a previous post, one of the most important decisions is the selection of a pathway for a psychological career. Maybe some remarkable stories of beginnings can be inspirational.

Let's begin with another word association experiment: What first comes to mind when you hear the phrase forensic psychology? How many of you are right now wondering whether (and how!) forensic psychology deals with dead people? You are not alone. What exactly is forensic psychology? Who can practice it? What is its contribution? And why is it suddenly so hot?

Well, maybe not a shrink but you want a career in psychology. Traditionally, the term "psychologist" evokes images of therapists who provide mental health treatment in settings such as a private practice or mental health clinic. Though therapy is one possibility, it is by no means the only type of livelihood in the field of psychology.

Most of you are familiar with the light-side of science; designing empirical experiments, discovering new information, presenting data and crafting theories. But that is only half of the picture. The often ignored dark-side of science; correcting flawed experiments, criticizing inappropriate data analysis, and tearing down the ideas of fellow scientists. Yes, the peer-review process is a harsh mistress but is equally important to the scientific process (some might argue more so) as its light-sided counterparts. As such, developing a thick-skin to the criticism of others, is a vital step for any developing scientist.

If there's one message I try to get across to new students who come to work with me, it's this: keep your eyes open. There are research ideas everywhere. And one other thing, your heart can lead you astray over the next few years, or at least cloud your vision. Be especially wary of that.

First time authors of a Curriculum Vitae (CV or Vita) can easily be intimidated by the task. If you've never created a resume' (or even if you have) knowing what to write, and how to write, and even in which order to write your vita is a challenge. Hopefully this blog-post can point you in the right direction and by the time you submit your graduate school applications you can have a polished looking vita. Or if you are already in graduate school, dig out the vita you sent with your application and update it with all you've been doing; someday you'll be applying for post-doctoral fellowships or faculty positions and you'll want your vita to look its best.

Everyone wondered what Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's farewell would sound like as she prepared to deliver her "exit" speech.

A minor in a related area can be a great addition to your education if it is well planned. As APS Preseident John T. Cacloppo wrote in September of last year, "Psychology is a Hub Science." This means that psychology as a field integrates with a lot of other scientific disciplines. An academic background in these synergistic fields can make a huge difference in your graduate school applications (and thus your career as a research scientist). Adding in a second field of study is something that ideally would happen early in your academic career, however it is a rare thing to meet a college Freshman that won't change her major at least once during her college career.  Peter Vogt, a MonsterTRAK Career Coach, claims that 60% of college students will change their majors at least once before graduating. So what are some useful disciplines to tack on to a psychology major?

You've just finished your Junior year as a psychology major and you want to know what to do next. Get a Job? Go to grad school? Add another major or minor? Which is right for you?