Blog

The Introduction to Psychology class changed everything for me. And by that I mean I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life until I found psychology, my sophomore year at Furman University. My sole major at the time was Spanish, with the intention of proficiency in my future career- whatever that may be. I knew little to nothing about the subject of psychology, which is why an introduction course covering the basics of the twenty some odd fields was more than eye-opening. Although not offered as a course, my fields of interest have recently become Clinical and Forensic Psychology, which is what brought me to Dr. Lockard. I chose to shadow her for a month this summer to acquire a good understanding of what it truly means to be in the field and to help me assess my plans going forward. In that short period of time, I learned so much and couldn’t imagine a better path for me. Not only was Dr. Lockard more than willing to take me in and teach me all that she could, I was also able to experience Bill Reynolds and Erica Fleming’s perspectives as therapists, and Dr. Wiley’s as a psychiatrist as well. But not only that; the patients that I encountered were just as invaluable. They so graciously allowed me to sit in on their sessions, and from that I have gotten a perspective unique from what is taught in a course, which offers the best possible glimpse to fully appreciate the field that I plan to enter. For the rest of the summer, I am working as a research assistant for the psychology department at Furman. We are currently working on a longitudinal study of undergraduate students from Furman, Davidson, Duke, and Johnson C. Smith Universities on interventions to help students set and achieve their academic goals. This experience has allowed me to see and appreciate the research side of psychology and just how vital it can be to support the field and its professionals. Only having been immersed for a year, there is a long way to go in my psychology career; however, that being said, I continuously gain insight and a new respect for my path. Walden Floyd.