Lex DeVille's - Journey To Doctor

[Lex DeVille]

Holy F*cking shit. You are reading way to deep into what I posted. I'm not Plato.

Believing that something is wrong is not the same as the 'my way or the highway' mentality.



And you're dumb enough to not use your own teachings in your own life. You introduced me to the Enneagram and I am a type 1 "The Reformer." Changing things for the better is what drives me and for you to say that is dumb is ridiculous since you are the one that showed me this in the first place.

I'm definitely dumb. I don't hate you. I make a lot of mistakes. We're both dumb. We can still be friends. I definitely read too much into things and I'm a hothead too. I might be an eight except I think about things too much. Five connects to eight and eight is basically the opposite of one. So it makes sense that we should disagree so much and that our life approaches would clash.

My approach is the approach of a Five. Fives are survivalist who go through life not depending on other people, and seeming as though they think others are beneath them. So that perception makes sense.

Your approach seems appropriate for a One. Neither is right or wrong though. Just different paths. I do value this discussion more now, if only for the personality insights.

 

[Timmy C]

Research design is rough. I'm hanging in there thanks to an F-ton of reading. A couple days ago the instructor sent an email:

View attachment 33972

Pretty cool getting a note like that. This is one of the harder classes I've taken and the instructor has high standards. I also got invited to another honor society. That email came through this morning.

View attachment 33973

There's another honor society, the Sigma Nu Tau entrepreneur society, which I'm not eligible for because I'm not enrolled in a business program haha.

One benefit of joining honor societies is the potential for scholarship access. Although, I may not be eligible for scholarships based on the color of my skin these days.

In total, I have four classes left before I finish the Master's (or whatever woke term we're using).

I'm starting to think about how I'll use the M.A. in business. An M.A. isn't the end goal, but it's still a valuable credibility marker. Looking forward to entering the doctoral program.

Sadly, I fear I'll earn that PhD only to be stripped of it at some future point due to perceived inequality between people who earn degrees and society's dredges. This will likely be the catalyst that propels me fully into a supervillain identity where the only path left is to carry out plans for world domination.

Funny that the one person who should be let in to the entrepreneur society, that will most likely give everyone great value, and knowledge on the topic is not allowed in.

You can only laugh.

 

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[USN-Ken]

people who got an email from me: what’s the M.A. after your name stand for?

me: Master of Arts.

them: you studied ART? Sweet!

me: ....

 

[LordGanon]

membership when it expires.

2. Therapy is bullshit


3. Psychology as a Field is Bullshit
At this point, I can barely take the field of psychology seriously. Authors openly proclaim their feminist background in the beginning of course texts, and you can practically feel the man-hate seething through their words. The APA has even taken a stance against masculinity stating that traditional masculinity can lead to mental health issues among other problems. In other words, don't be a man because men = bad.

So what the f*ck?!
I don't even want to be a Doctor of Psychology anymore

Good you've figured that out so soon. My best friend is currently in training as a psychotherapist. Funnily enough, we both agree that psychotherapy is bullshit to a large degree. For him, it's just the most comfortable option after studying psychology.

I've worked in psychiatry as an art therapist for a while. Actually, I nearly became a psychoanalyst. I shared a flat with two psychologists while working at uni. My father was a psychiatrist. My ex was a psychiatrist. The ex before that a psychologist and psychiatrist. So I know a little about the field.

Psychotherapy can't prove any great effects, anyway, and if we take away publication bias, the result would probably even be more bitter.

The only thing psychotherapy leads to far too often, if you ask me, is that people are even encouraged to identify with their problems, which gives them something to attach to, then they can put it in their Twitter bio or post stupid WhatsApp status updates to keep everyone informed that they're soooo special and need "treatment", which, of course, is "special treatment".

And psychology, as a discipline at the moment, is heavily biased against men. I guess there are two reasons for this: You need good grades to get into it, and females do better in school (which is again because of gender bias, because most teachers are women), and the idiotic third-wave feminism ruining universities, freedom of research and teaching, and a whole generation for more than a decade, now.

Over the last years, I've also noticed a lot more pathologizing when it came to ex-boyfriends, for example. No woman's ex-boyfriend was an "a**hole" anymore, or there were just "problems that couldn't be overcome". Nonono! Every woman insists that she has suffered at the hands of a malignant narcissist (just use YouTube search for "my relationship with a narcissist"), psychopath or gaslighter.

On the other hand, far too willing female psychotherapists tell their clients that their own issues are harmless or even just symptoms of their great traits. I used to date a girl that was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. She just switched psychotherapists, and the next therapist told her that she was just "hypersensible". Oh, she had BPD, and really a tough one. But it didn't really take long until I learned through Facebook that declaring women with BPD "hypersensible" had become a trend. Now everyone and her mother was "hypersensible".

That's not funny. BPD is hard on the people who have it, yes. But do you have any idea how hard it is for the people around them? If you want to kiss your own mental health goodbye, that's your perfect dating option to end up with clinical depression and deeply hurt, after manipulated in ways you've never thought possible.

 

[Lex DeVille]

Hey, Lex.

Love your journey through academia. Your insights mirror a lot of what I've realized through my own stint and my interactions with professors and students, save the cultural propagandizing that seems to be an American thing, at least for now.

I'd like to bring you back a bit to the idea of research design and its challenges...

Do you think research critique has potential to be a valuable niche?

As a copywriter with lots of practical experience in psychology, and probably a lot of tangential experience in many other fields (due to the nature of the job and all the research involved), one is uniquely positioned to parse through difficult topics and communicate them in a way that the intended audience better understands.

And given your observations of your fellow classmates who struggle to write 1500 word essays... Most people in academia (un)surprisingly are not.

Furthermore, the current state of scientific journalism is not just disappointing, but outright appalling, with massive politicization and even blatant misinformation. This to me signals huge NEED in the market for proper, honest, objective, interesting, and actionable scientific communication.

Did you get the same feeling while experiencing academia?

The issue is that, from what I can tell, there is a lot of incentive to be biased, with various interest groups, including states/academia authority structures themselves, their combatants, and specific industries looking for research woke points. This leads to a perceived bias even when there is none there, with all sides throwing accusations of "being funded by X" and "shilling for Y" so there is an inherent difficulty in establishing generalized authority as a communicator. Makes for an interesting barrier to entry.

I've always thought facilitating discussion and interactions between "worlds" including interdisciplinary research, but also researcher-to-consumer relations, to be a huge failure in current society... but is there market demand for such a thing? Interdisciplinary Ambassadors.

What are your thoughts on this?

If you started a research critiquing business, how would you ensure the critiquers aren't biased? The academic journals are supposed to filter who gets published, but they have proven to be biased.

The general public doesn't understand research. They can't interpret meaning from it. Critiques would need to be simplified or else Average Joe has no way to know if the research is biased or not.

I think there's room for content creators in this space. The challenge will be distilling research into simplified concepts and delivering them in ways that hold viewer attention and come across as just the facts.

A YouTube channel or blog could do well once it gains traction.

Look at Kurzgesagt on YouTube as an example. They simplify topics and make them fun to watch. Similarly, this guy has over a million subscribers. All he does is share a once-daily news report that states facts without opinion on political topics.

If someone could break down research, explain the numbers and ideas, and do it in a way that comes across unbiased and easy to understand, then I think it would be a big hit, especially if it is low or no-cost for consumers.

You would need clear filters for bias and to make them known to the public. Repeat them again and again and follow with legit critiques by smart people and you'd have a good shot at success.

 

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[ZF Lee]

I made a last-minute change to my enrollment. I was browsing the online options with the school and saw that they have a Juris Master's degree (law degree) that will only take one year to complete. I've wanted to study law in a structured way and build a foundation for that, so I decided to go into that program before completing the Ph.D.

I was back and forth about which program made more sense to start with, but law is more relevant to my current business pursuits, and the Ph.D. will take around three years. Once I complete the J.M., I'll hold two graduate degrees, a lot more credibility, and even a new skill set that can be applied within my business, and also as a freelance writer to target niches where there is no competition if I want to go that route.

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Ultimately, I want to study law for a while. Plus, I'll still get the alumni benefits and discounts that will go toward the Ph.D. afterward. Basically, the only drawback is that it will take an extra year to earn a Ph.D. But that's not a big deal to me since I don't need to leverage the Ph.D. for anything other than to build another piece of legacy.

So that's the latest update. If you don't like it, I will sue you... in about a year.

Many of the world's most famous leaders (and masters in persuasion) studied law...Lee Kuan Yew, Obama, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, even Putin himself (studied law in Leningrad State University, wrote a thesis titled 'The Most Favored Nation Trading Principle in International Law').

That would be an insane credibility marker for your copywriting works -- probably more unique than just a direct-line marketer.

I did a few modules in business law in college myself...and I actually enjoyed it. Very evidence-based, no room for the social justice woke-crap...all about looking at how to interpret problems and different scenarios as they come.

 

[Lex DeVille]

An update...

After changing my degree program with the intent to earn a law degree, I never got into it. Since two semesters have passed and I still haven't enrolled in courses, I decided to get going with my Ph.D. in Psychology before I get any older.

I start courses on Monday.

The doctoral program is broken into three pieces. The first 21 credits are part of an Executive Certificate in Psychology at the doctoral level. Once I complete those credits, I'll be 1/3rd through the Ph.D. program and I'll have a fancy certificate.

The certificate courses roll into the total doctoral program. Essentially, I'm knocking out the boring core courses (Mostly statistics, research, and analysis) upfront in exchange for a lower price per credit hour.

The second 21 credit hours are the "fun" courses. As of now, I intend to specialize in social psychology, so these courses will center around that subject and will take up the second year of the program.

The final 18 credit hours are for my dissertation.

Joining the Psi-Chi Honor Society is still high on my to-do list, and I'm only 3 courses away, so that is the next closest goal.

Hopefully, I can reveal more soon about how I'll leverage this degree once I have it and also share insights from the perspective of a student attending a conservative Christian college.

 

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[Lex DeVille]

Shudder. Definitely feel for you doing all that complicated stats. CTR, CPC, ROI. That's the level of maths I care about.

I split my studies up for the week. I did the reading over several days while waiting to pick my daughter up from school (I arrive about an hour early so I can get a close parking spot lol). I watched the video content in the evenings and then worked on my assignment first thing in the morning when my mind was fresh.

I also created a playlist on YouTube for statistics so I can save helpful videos. So far, it's working well.

I found an interesting problem. One of the questions on this week's assignment was almost impossible to answer. It asks for an example of a variable that would result in a platykurtic distribution.

First, I turned to my textbook to find an example to spur ideas. The textbook had none. Then I went to the video content. No examples. So I turned to Brave browser and also Google search. No clear examples. So I turned to YouTube. No clear examples.

How the hell do I give a real-world example of a variable that would result in this outcome when apparently nobody in the history of mankind can explain how this shit works?!

Eventually, I did find one or two examples after reading a bunch of Google articles. They just weren't very clear and didn't explain the concept well, so I'm still not 100% sure my answer is correct (but I think it is). Assuming my response is correct, then I could come up with additional examples and publish those on a blog or YouTube and pick up a shitload of views/traffic.

When it comes to statistics simplified for regular people, there are some big a$$ gaps in the market.

 

[Lex DeVille]

Sometimes sleeping on it makes it crystal clear in the morning.

Sounds like you could indeed hire a tutor and move forward faster and easier.

As it turns out, a website called "Course Hero" (that you have to pay for) showed a preview of the solution for the exact problem I've attempted to solve. I didn't pay for Course Hero, but from the preview, I can tell that I have correctly solved the problem. I think the issue is that I'm overthinking the equations to the point that I second-guess my answers and then spend so much time trying to figure out if I missed something that I lose the bigger picture.

 

[msufan]

Great thread to read -- tracking a very different kind of progress than many other threads on here, but it's the same mindset and approach that wins the day in either case.

 

[Lex DeVille]

After making adjustments to my study patterns, I'm seeing improved results. My homework and test scores are much higher. I've raised my grade back into the mid-90s. There are two weeks left of class.

I'm starting to look for research questions for my dissertation. I'm considering topics in the areas of social and behavioral fear. There aren't many studies on recreational fear (fun activities that trigger fear), so that's an area I'm considering.

When it comes to psychology topics, there are a few main areas I've put focus on over the years:

- Influence & Persuasion
- Hypnotherapy
- Warfare
- Dangerous Cults

Fear typically falls within these areas as a sub-topic.

For instance, fear can be used to influence and persuade mass audiences. It can be used in war to keep an enemy on their toes and in dangerous cults to keep members in line. Hypnotherapy often aims to resolve fear; however, used in reverse, it can install fear.

Currently, I run a blog where I talk about recreational fear in the context of haunted attractions. I've considered opening a local attraction since 2019, and I'm currently looking at it as an option for next year.

To specialize in fear would add a great deal of branding power to the backstory and lore of any future attraction. Plus, it would just be different and fun.

 

[Lex DeVille]

Well, I think I've correctly solved each problem I missed. One of them was missed due to an oversight. I didn't read the question carefully enough. If I had, I would've known the answer.

In review, almost all of the other questions could be considered oversights now that I've reviewed the material. I think part of the challenge was the added pressure of the time limit.

For example:

Are you happy, yes or no? This should be a nominal scale of measurement since it only presents identity (happy or not happy). It's like saying do you identify as "Republican or Democrat?" It is not a measure of magnitude (how happy are you?), so it should not be an ordinal scale of measure.

Productivity, on the other hand, measured as "higher" or "lower" should be ordinal instead of nominal because it does present magnitude. You do not identify as higher or lower. You score higher or lower, so there is a ranking order.

Grr, it seems silly in reflection, but I didn't go deep enough with my thought process. Probably due to worrying about spending too much time per question.

 

[Lex DeVille]

This second statistics class is a real slog.

With last week's assignments, plus a better score on this week's exam, I've raised my grade from a 76% to 89.05%.

Assuming I did this week's homework correctly, then I should enter next week with a 90% or higher which will put me back into the A-range.

The work is tiresome. I'm getting burned out on statistics. Sick of word puzzles. Sick of equations. Blah.

The next class is on theological perspectives in psychology. I have no idea what to expect from that. I'm curious to see how religion/spirituality and psychology come together.

If nothing else, the subject material should be interesting.

 

[Andy Black]

With all the work that you've been doing, you probably have the work ethic of all the students in your class combined and then still some.

Indeed. And that's just for this progress thread...

 

[Vinz]

As we move deeper into statistics, the class is showing its true colors. Almost everyone waits for the last minute to post anything. Some have no sense of reading comprehension.

One strange new development is some students write with an air of superiority. They purposely use big/fancy words, and I'm not sure if it's because they're retarded or they actually talk that way. Personally, I do not find them superior, just annoying.

One of those students quoted the Bible in response to my post. When she cited the bible...what a coincidence?! She has the EXACT same Bible by the same publisher with the same publication year as the one I quoted in my own post?! OR... she copied my citation because she didn't know how to cite the Bible/didn't want to dig out the information for her own Bible.

Beyond that, the coursework hasn't been bad. I wish the schools would show a comparison of student grades. That would be more fun and would promote competition among students to work harder.

This bothers me. These students consciously chose to get a Ph.D, and they don't even try to write proper grammar ?
From the reports you gave, 95% percent of students barely even try to do good work...
We are not in high school anymore !! And these should become DOCTORS and THERAPISTS ??
Ok, some parents force kids to choose a specific school. But most of them ? Come on.
No wonder why quiet quitting is so popular.

/Rant over

Anyways, love this post. Great read.
Honestly it inspires me than most other gold post. Maybe because of the school environment, and I can relate more to it.
And the right mindset and hard work, like you said, show in this case clear results, which are top grades and performance.
It shows me how the right mindset can make you successful at ANYTHING.
Thanks !

 

[Lex DeVille]

I'm on the downward slope for Statistics II.

My research study is going well.

A gap in my notes resulted in an incorrect statistical test selection that cost a few points on my latest assignment. Thankfully, perfect scores on my three latest exams made up the difference.

My grade has risen from the dead to just under 93%.

Three weeks remain.

This week looks fairly straightforward.

Next week will be more difficult.

The final week will not be the hardest, but the final assignment is worth more points than any other assignment, so it will be the most daunting.

Thankfully, the next class should be easier and I'll finally have breathing room again.

 

[Lex DeVille]

I've submitted my final assignment of Statistics II.

I have a 93.8% and I'm awaiting two grades before I know how it all ends. Whatever happens... Good riddance.

So happy to be done with statistics for a while. So happy to be on break until the 16th of next month!

 

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[Simon Angel]

Funny you should mention that. It's something I'm working through in therapy. Since I started dating again, it's hard to break away from analyzing people and just let them show me who they are.

I ended a potential relationship even though we connected well because she turned out to be a Two and I don't think I could ever get along with a Two for more than short periods.

It's hard to know if you're protecting yourself or screwing up something that could be amazing...ugh. At this point, it's second nature to analyze everyone and then future cast like a f*cking fortune teller. Except I'm not!

Oh, yeah.

My girl is a 2w3 and an undesirable match in terms of MBTI. It just about took 3 years before we began to really understand each other and enjoy our differences. I'm an 8w7.

She's kept me accountable and pretty much remedied my natural/learned laziness. She also pushed me to get out of my comfort zone when it came to registering a company, paying taxes, making my bed, being on time, and getting my own place.

She basically made me a man even though she was really pissing me off at first. I considered breaking it off many, many times — and so did she!

Similarly, I've helped her become more assertive and direct with people when it comes to her needs. She was used to trusting people too much and getting taken advantage of while I'm very impulsive with my anger toward anyone that comes close to disrespecting or manipulating me.

Oh, and I may have destabilized her innocent brain a bit with my philosophical ramblings and divergent thinking...

 

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[Primeperiwinkle]

My next major milestone along the road to becoming a doctor is completed!

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Ohmygoshohmygodhohmygoshohmygoshhhhhhh!!!

YOU DID SO GOOD!!! Congratulations!!! You should go do something really weird to celebrate like book a floating tank session. What are those called? I can’t remember right now but you know what I mean. Or like ummm. Go book a formula one race car session.. something fun! You did it!!

Celebrate. You deserve a celebration!

 

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[Lex DeVille]

The latest class sucks so hard...

It's another quantitative statistics class and my highest quiz grade across three quizzes has been an 88/100.

I should've taken this class back-to-back with my other statistics classes.

It's harder than the other ones and builds upon them.

Oh well, I'm already in Psi Chi, so my GPA doesn't matter (except for my own feelings of accomplishment).

Technically, I still have an A in the class with 92% but I dunno how much longer I can hang on to that.

If I survive this one, then I've got another qualitative statistics class coming up... FML.

 

[Primeperiwinkle]

Current Course
I'm surviving advanced qualitative research. It hasn't heavily focused on statistical analysis. Most of the analysis is qualitative (as one might expect). Qualitative research is time-consuming, but some aspects, such as text analysis, are enjoyable.

Going Forward
A month has passed since my last update. I've had time to reflect on my direction. I've decided to continue the PhD program; however, I'm going to adjust course slightly. Rather than taking the social psychology path, I'll switch to developmental psychology for the remainder and for my dissertation.

After watching my child go through pre-school, and now Kindergarten, I'm starting to notice many of the failures of early childhood learning in public (and potentially in private) institutions. Short of keeping my kid home and teaching her myself, there's not much I can do to affect change within the institutions without wasting a lot of my time.

Nonetheless, it is still my responsibility to shape this child's mind and position her for the best possible life outcomes. So I find myself asking, how do I do that?

I've answered the question. In answering it, I believe I've identified my next Fastlane opportunity. As such, a degree in developmental psychology will add credibility toward that direction (although the business should be operational long before I graduate lol).

That's it for now. Back to work.

You might find Philosophy of Education (Vol 6) by Charlotte Mason quite helpful. Alternatively, Mind to Mind by Karen Glass is intriguing.

 

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[Lex DeVille]

@Lex DeVille It is interesting to read you talking about his, when a few days ago, @MJ DeMarco started a thread asking for feedback on ideas for a book for young kids that he is thinking of writing.

It seems to me that if you Lex, have a kid and some psychology knowledge and MJ is a writer, that it might be possible for the two of you to collaborate on some opportunity together. Why don't you set up a zoom call with coffee to discuss possibilities?

Just a suggestion. Thanks.

It might be possible, but I wouldn't do it. MJ doesn't need help with a project like this, and I'd be a liability due to my sketchy past. As a general rule, I don't team up with people from the Fastlane Forum on projects because if the project goes south (and they sometimes do), it gets weird for everyone involved.

 

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[Lex DeVille]

The final course of the Executive Certificate program is off to a weird start.

There are basically no discussions at this point. Everything is focused on research. The course is interesting. It covers developmental psychology research. I screwed up my first assignment. Hopefully the teacher grades easy for the first week.

Once I finish this, I'll earn a diploma. Then I have to finish the remaining 2/3rds of the PhD.

I switched back to the social psychology concentration. It was a tough decision, and I'm still not 100% sure it's the right one. I love social psychology. I also love developmental psychology. Ultimately, it doesn't make a huge difference, except that it changes the courses slightly.

In addition to schoolwork, I'm considering doing solo research and submitting it to academic journals for peer-review and publication. This may come in handy at some point in the future.

 

[Lex DeVille]

What would make you this committed to a business idea?

YES. What is it: the external accountability? The sunk cost??

Don't know. Probably nothing. I don't view college as a sunk cost. My degrees are a force multiplier for credibility. There's no external accountability in online courses.

The degree plays into my identity. Course subjects change every 8 weeks. I have clear milestones and a clear goal that I will achieve for certain as long as I continue in that direction, but I don't think any of those things would keep me committed to a business idea in the same way.

 

[Lex DeVille]

You've lasted way longer than I did when I went back to study a one year MSc. I loved the first semester but the second was BS about how to format a dissertation etc. I bailed straight away. No sunk-cost fallacy with me over that.

You mention being tired a lot in your post. Could being tired be affecting how you view things? In your case, you've put in way more time and effort than my one semester. It would be a shame to stop for the wrong reasons. (Not saying not to stop if that's the right choice.)

I doubt I'll quit at this point, but I might take a semester off. My next couple of classes are the classes I was most looking forward to from the entire program. By the time I finish those, most of the year will be behind me, and all that will remain are the five dissertation courses. If anything, I'll probably finish the *fun* classes and then take a semester or two off before I return to finish up the dissertation.

I'm definitely physically tired. I've been waking up too early and not getting enough sleep. Small things I don't normally care about (like quality of class peers) seems more annoying than usual.

 

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[BellaPippin]

I'd listen the crap out of that.

 

[MaxKhalus]

There's always a way.

If you become Dr. Lex, you could find a cure for this HOT TOPIC - Will the Wuhan Coronavirus kill us all?
lol

 

[foodiepersecond]

All I really want is to be a successful Seattle-based psychotherapy radio talk show host.

How hard can it be?

I would go through 8 years of school to look at Roz for a living

 

[zblundell]

If you'd asked three years ago about grad school I would've laughed in your face. I hadn't even finished the undergrad degree I started in 2007, one of the longest, most agonizing experiences of my life. I'd hopped from one major to another and from school to school searching for the right program. All of those switches caused years of setbacks and added costs. Luckily, I served in the military and Post 9-11 GI Bill covered it all (almost). Unfortunately, I ran out of GI Bill with a few classes remaining, and because I didn't value degrees (reinforced by success in freelancing) and didn't want to pay out of pocket, I dropped out in 2016 vowing never to go to college again.

But two years later (2018) I logged into the old online classroom to see if I still had access. Turns out I did, so I checked the degree progress report which showed a GPA in the mid 2.5 range and four classes remaining to graduate. I was nine months into being a first time dad, and nearly nine years into entrepreneurship and as I looked at that progress I couldn't help but think, four classes left? WTF why didn't you just finish it?! I don't know if it was the potential for credibility or maybe that I want my daughter to grow up with an educated dad, but I decided to break my vow, pay out of pocket, and finish what I started. I also committed to doing the best I could to raise my GPA. All of this while managing my business systems and operating as a full-time stay at home dad.

In early 2019 I graduated with a B.A. in Psychology, officially surpassing both of my parents in education. I'd also managed to raise my GPA to a 3.1. It took weeks for the diploma to arrive in the mail, and to be honest, I didn't think I'd care. But when it showed up and I had it in hand, something switched in my mind. This was one of the most rewarding experiences in the world. A kid who'd barely passed high school and spent 10 years working on a degree that most people earn in four, was finally a college graduate.

View attachment 29969

Shortly after receiving the diploma I started to imagine what it would be like to go beyond. I joked about it with my wife, "What if I became a Doctor? You'd have to call me Dr. DeVille!" And at first it was only a joke. But then that joke turned into a thought seed. The more I joked, the more curious I became. Soon the thought seed started to grow. I looked into what it would take to become a Doctor of Psychology and realized it would be a lot of work, likely 10 times harder than undergraduate, and would require another six to ten years of school.

The time frame was daunting, but that little curiosity seed wouldn't let go, and within a month I made the decision to enroll again, this time into a Masters program for psychology which would be paid for out of pocket. The degree would come from the same school I'd already graduated from and would prep me for doctoral training, plus, even if I decided not to go through with a PhD program, I'd still come away with a Master's. Unlike the undergrad degree, this time I made a new commitment. Not only would I finish the degree in the shortest time possible without breaks, but I'd also work to maintain a 4.0 GPA and be the top student in every class.

So far I've finished 4 of the 12 Master's classes, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and was invited to two honor's societies. I'm currently on track to graduate in February of 2021.

View attachment 29971
So I thought I'd document the progress from this point forward since I've recently read posts by people who felt that doing school plus running a business is impossible. To those people...it is not.

From this point forward is my Journey to become a Doctor of Psychology.

Current Obstacles
1. The program I want to enter requires completion of a Master's degree.
2. The nearest APA accredited Doctoral programs are 1.5 hours away.
3. Clinical and other APA accredited programs are highly competitive.
4. Need to complete the GRE which was waived for my current school.
5. Need letters of recommendation.
6. Need to maintain a high GPA.
7. Need to get better at statistics.
8. Need to improve my technical writing skills.
9. Need to clean up online presence.
10. Need to join honor societies.
11. Need to do all of this while managing my business and being a dad.

On a bright note, when I finally get accepted into one of the nearby programs, the degree will mostly be funded by the school. I may not have to pay anything out of pocket for that. But no matter what happens, I will have that degree.

For now I'm focused on the first goal, the Master's degree. This week I'll also start to study for the GRE. The plan is to take the GRE early to see where I stand, and then to take it again in six months after studying to improve the scores as needed to be competitive for surrounding programs.

So that's it for now. Don't know how often I'll update, but you're welcome to follow along if you want.

ZF Lee sent me a link from another post when I commented about being in school while working and having a family. I am glad that they did because we all are meant to interact with other people for some purpose. We actually have a lot in common. I too was in the military and am a few classes shy from a bachelors in healthcare administration from Ashford University. I have a bachelors in Radiologic Science through Northwestern State University and I am working on finishing my Masters degree in Radiologic Administration. So I believe we can help each other some how. You have your business now and finishing school and I am going in reverse order by finishing school while working on my niche. I wish you all the best and look forward to hearing updates about your journey. Thanks again to ZF Lee for linking your post for me. It’s a great read.

 

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[lewj24]

Opinions?
How do you feel about this situation? If I would let it go, I'd enable the behavior not only by those students, but by others. However, reporting it is likely to cause extra work and potentially frustration for the instructor which could have negative side-effects for me. For now I only contacted the offenders directly. Nobody else is involved.

I know this is a late reply but I'll give my opinion.

I don't think sending them a warning was a good move. You don't gain anything from doing so and will hurt your relationships with them.

Nobody likes being accused of cheating. Whether they did it or not. Even if they did cheat they won't tell you, especially not in writing.

This might burn some bridges before there were even any bridges to burn. They could have been helpful in the future but now they might not want to help you ever.