Hey Everyone - Adam here!
Can I let you in on a secret?
Iāve created a few reading challenges and have not made it through all of the books I assigned myself. And you know what? Iām completely okay with it - as should you with your educational goals.
However - as I stated with my Psychology Reading Challenge newsletter, I am giving myself until the end of the summer to complete these books. I will mark the end date for this goal of reading these ten psychology reads by the āfirst day of schoolā which is on Wednesday, September 6th, 2023.
Thus far, I am 7 out of 10 of the books through my Psychology reading challenge. And you know what? I am not going to fret on this. As the main goal of these reading challenges is to open up more doors of curiosity, and to develop a more sustained focus on the topics which I really want to have an understanding in.
3 more books remain. Listing these here for accountability.
The Interpretation of Dreams by: Sigmund Freud.
Communication: The Social Matrix of Psychiatry by: Gregory Bateson.
The Language and Thought Of The Child by: Jean Piaget.
PhD in Clinical Psychology
I am quite psyched to continue this independent research into the greatest psychological thinkers. I am so pumped by this process that I am soon to embark on a more traditional path in regards to my study of Psychology, which I think long-term will pay off immensely.
I have begun to inquire with universities regarding their PhD programs in Clinical Psychology. I am prepared to make the commitment of studying solely towards Psychology, as I think my life experience, as well as genuine interest in the field positions me in the right spot at this time for this educational goal.
Iāve been debating on what the pursuit of a PhD looks like versus the pursuit of a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology. I would like to take the path with the lowest financial burden, and the highest intellectual payoff.
Increasingly, the route towards attaining a PhD with the help of an assistantship to put me through school - seems like the most appropriate and exciting route to take.
Based off of Wayne Stateās information online, here is what an assistantship entails.
"(teaching, research, placement) for at least the first 4 years (and often the 5th year) to allow them to focus primarily on their training.ā
Essentially, an assistantship is like a job with the university in which youād be studying for a PhD with. The work involved with an assistantship as mentioned above has to do with either teaching undergraduate courses, conducting research for faculty research, and/or working as a teaching assistant.
The assistantship role pays you as a student a yearly stipend, gives you some form of health insurance, as well as full tuition coverage assuming you are making good progress and performing well academically.
Specifically, where Iād like to get involved is with a Teaching Assistantship having the opportunity to teach undergraduate courses in Psychology. Already, Iāve enjoyed my experience in front of a classroom and just get even more genuinely excited as it relates to my passion in Psychology that Iād love to share with students. Doing so at a university level would be an absolute honor. Professor Bartley has a great ring to it :)
However, I am having an increasing awareness that the pursuit of a PhD as well as while also maintaining a job with the university will be quite the burden, requiring an adjustment to my approach to my self-education. This is something I will have to get more acquainted with - however, this leads to excitement in shaping this next year with my self-education as I seek to deepen my knowledge of Psychology.
This is my public commitment to submit my first wave of PhD applications to the universities in which I am interested by the end of the summer! (Wednesday, September 6th, 2023.)
What about this summer?
Iāve been working with Cranbrookās Educational Community for a camp called HUB (Horizon Upward Bound). A program designed for high-achieving inner city kids, where they stay on Cranbrookās upper school campus for six weeks. Staying on Cranbrookās campus has been an enabling environment for allowing me to dig deeper on how Iād like to approach my education in the coming future.
Iām learning a ton from these kids, as I hope they are from me. From my time in education working as a teacher/counselor Iāve learned to educate more by who I am as a person and what I represent, rather than by the words I say (although this also plays a role).
DJING. Iāve been holding down my slot as Resident DJ with Hanah Steakhouse, in Downtown Detroit DJING essentially every weekend of the summer.
Somehow.. someway Iām DJING more than I ever have while also further thinking through the route in which Iād like to take in regards to a career in Psychology.
PARTING NOTE
Itās been a lot of work, but this newsletter is an attempt to grapple with the immense progress that is being made in the process of my education!
I hope to write these sort of newsletters a lot more as we wrap up the summer - sharing the ideas that excite me most from my study of psychology, grad school updates, as well as taking the time to share some new music that has been in the works by myself :)
The idea of being a practicing clinical psychologist, professor and a DJ is something that gets me really hype for future Adam.
To be a Clinical DJ - is it really possible? It remains to be seen. Letās find out together.
Cheers to lifelong learning,
Adam Bartley