This past Tuesday, the Roanoke College Psychology Association (RCPA) hosted an engaging virtual alumni panel titled “What To Do With A Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.” The event featured three recent alumni who are now thriving in master’s programs, offering invaluable advice and insights to students navigating their own academic and professional paths. Here’s a closer look at the panelists:
Meet the Panelists
Kristi Rolf
After earning her psychology degree, Kristi took a gap year to figure out her next steps. She worked at the University of Virginia (UVA) in career counseling and later enrolled in UVA’s Master’s in Higher Education program. Her journey highlighted the benefits of gaining work experience before pursuing further education, including access to employee benefits and financial stability.
Raegan Middelthon
Raegan chose Virginia Tech for its master’s track in counseling, which offered both clinical and school counseling experiences. Her personal statement was a key component of her successful application, and her diverse background in research and applied behavior analysis (ABA) gave her a strong foundation.
Eliza Bain
Eliza, now a master’s student at Radford University, emphasized the importance of utilizing research opportunities during undergrad. Her distinction project at Roanoke gave her the skills needed to excel in grad school. She credits her neuroscience concentration and minor in French with helping her stand out during the application process.
Q&A Insights from the Panelists
The alumni shared their perspectives on navigating grad school, preparing applications, and getting the most out of undergraduate studies. Here are the highlights:
Feeling Prepared for Grad School
- Raegan: Roanoke’s rigorous coursework and research focus prepared her well for the demands of grad school. Writing-intensive courses like Quantitative and Qualitative Methods were particularly helpful.
- Eliza: Neuroscience seminar capstone boosted her ability to read and analyze literature, troubleshoot methods, and speak publicly.
- Kristi: Found developmental and social psychology classes especially relevant, as well as hands-on research experiences.
The Importance of Research
- Eliza: Quality matters more than quantity—be ready to explain how your experiences shape your interests and goals.
- Kristi: Psych Seminar and Quantitative Methods are great introductions to research, even without extracurricular projects.
- Raegan: Research is incredibly helpful in efforts to develop a strong graduate school application. Additionally, balancing research with internships provides a well-rounded skill set.
Crafting a Personal Statement
- Raegan: Start with a broad draft and refine it. Bragging about achievements is great—just don’t forget to connect them to the program you’re applying to.
- Kristi: Share turning points in your journey and focus on future aspirations. Always proofread!
- Eliza: Seek feedback from diverse perspectives—she even had a French professor review hers!
Advice on Diverse Experiences
- Eliza: Wishes she had explored more areas beyond neuroscience to diversify her perspective.
- Kristi: Encourages openness to career paths outside what you may currently envision for yourself.
- Raegan: Stressed the importance of self-care to avoid burnout.
Balancing Experiences in Undergrad
- Eliza: Focus on the depth and relevance of your experiences, not just the number.
- Raegan: It’s okay if someone has “more” experience—prioritize what works for you.
- Kristi: Use experiences to learn what you do not want to do, as much as what you do.
Key Takeaways for Psychology Majors
- Explore broadly: Seek opportunities across multiple fields to discover what resonates with you.
- Leverage your network: Professors, peers, and campus resources (like the Writing Center) can provide critical support for applications.
- Start early: Begin researching programs and drafting application materials well in advance.
- Prioritize mental health: Balance academics with self-care to maintain well-being.
RCPA extends its gratitude to Kristi, Raegan, and Eliza for sharing their stories and insights. Their diverse experiences demonstrate the many pathways a psychology degree can offer. Whether you’re planning to pursue grad school or entering the workforce, their advice highlights the importance of staying curious, prepared, and open to new possibilities. If you were not able to attend the panel, we hope this summary provides you with the information and confidence you need as you continue your undergraduate studies within the psychology department.
For more information on graduate school and careers in psychology, visit the psychology department website: https://www.roanoke.edu/inside/psychology/graduate_school_and_careers
Get Connected!
Blog: https://psych.pages.roanoke.edu/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rcpsychology
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/RC-Psychology-8140491/about
Website: http://www.roanoke.edu/inside/a-z_index/psychology
Instagram: rcpsychology
You do not need to have your future plans set in stone at any point during your college career, but it may be good to start considering different options and creating plans around those options. That is, look at what courses you will need to take to complete your major/minor/concentration and roughly layout when you will take them. Moreover, consider what you do and do not want to do while in college (e.g., internships, research, study abroad, etc.). This initial planning stage will help you in the long run but is not limited to those in their freshman year.
If you are looking to enter into a graduate program or a specific job, look at the application requirements and deadlines early on. Even if you have no idea where you want to go or what you want to do, looking into different programs and seeing what they require of applicants is a good start. In doing so, you may find that multiple programs are expecting similar requirements such as research experience or a GRE score. In noticing these commonalities, you can adjust what you are doing to ensure you complete these items on time.
While studying abroad is not for everyone, it is a great experience that not only enhances cultural knowledge but leads to self-development. Studying abroad offers a lot of self-development that can be beneficial and will look notable when applying to jobs or graduate programs. There are a variety of study abroad options available, and if you plan ahead early, you can ensure that courses you take while abroad can fill requirements you may need, as well as find a semester where studying abroad works best for you.
The psychology department would like to congratulate Noelle Warfford ’19 on her acceptance to The University of Toldeo’s Clinical Psychology PhD program!
in an international dorm where I also had the opportunity to learn about different cultures and build strong friendships with my roommates, who I still keep in touch with! (Fun fact: two of my friends that I studied abroad with actually live in Copenhagen and are students at CBS)!
have free time, I love to explore new places and experience different parts of the world. It’s funny because I actually spent more time traveling than I did at home this summer. I traveled around the US with my best friend, who was also a recent graduate of RC! We went to Charleston, South Carolina, went all over California (San Francisco, Napa Valley, and Los Angeles), and Kennebunkport, Maine. It was funny because I live in NJ and my friend lived in Maine, and since we weren’t ready to say goodbye to each other just yet, we would book trips every few weeks so we could see each other fairly often! I got to visit family in Cocoa Beach, FL, where I have gone every single year since I was born. I also got to travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for a couple weeks to visit my boyfriend and quite a few of the friends that I studied abroad with.
parks with all the fall foliage, and going to Tivoli at different times of the year (so far, I’ve got to experience the decorations for Summer, Halloween, Christmas). Outside of Copenhagen, I’ve done a road trip to Mons Klint, which are the cliffs in Denmark, which are absolutely stunning. I’ve also been to Odense to visit another Fulbrighter, which is an old town and also home to the birthplace of Hans Christian Anderson, one of Denmark’s most popular authors (he wrote the Little Mermaid). Outside of Denmark, I’ve been to Oslo, Norway which was another beautiful Scandinavian city. I also had some time to explore Malmö, 
Sweden, which is a 30 minute train ride from Denmark (you can actually see from Copenhagen)! My favorite trip I’ve been on so far is to Switzerland to visit one of the friends I lived with when I studied abroad in the Netherlands. She is now an intern for the United Nations in Geneva and it was so nice to catch up with her, explore the city, and meet some of her friends. Switzerland is absolutely gorgeous with the mountains and the lakes!
cool places to eat (Copenhagen street food and food markets are incredible)! The only downfall to Copenhagen is that it rains more than it does back in the States!
dogs have a ton of topping on them like onions, pickles, and a bunch of different sauces. Aside from food, beer is also huge in Denmark and they have tons of local beers. Tuborg and Carlsberg are the two most popular and a couple of weeks ago, the beer companies released their Christmas beers which was an (un)official holiday in Denmark!
we went to was Tivoli Gardens, which is a cute little amusement park in the middle of the city. Since it was October, the whole park was covered in Halloween decor which was so pretty! My Danish friend also came along and it was really nice for my two friends to meet some of my friends here in Copenhagen as well! I’m really grateful to have made such amazing friends at RC and miss them already!
In an interview with a student assistant, recent graduate Maddie McCall ’18 describes life after graduation and recalls her favorite memories from Roanoke College.
