What, when, why. . . all important questions when you are beginning to prepare for a St. Mary's Project in Psychology! Here are some tips to get you pointed in the right direction, a list of topics to stir your interests, and contact information.

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What do you do for your St. Mary's Project in Psychology? Don't know? Not sure? Start simple. You don't have to decide all at once. Ask yourself the following questions:

1. What areas of psychology interest you?
2. What are your career interests?
3. Do you want a project to include specific experiences such as doing an off-campus internship or conducting laboratory research?
4. What was your favorite class and why?
5. Would a topic from a class be something you would like to pursue further?

The key to identifying a topic area begins with your interests. Talk to your professors and friends. Maybe they can suggest some new areas or connections you hadn't considered.

 When do you need to start thinking about your SMP? Start getting ideas early in your college career. Exploring topic ideas during your sophomore and early junior year gives you plenty of time to make decisions before your senior year. Here's an ideal time line:

First year students and sophomores

• Consider your interests, keep track of favorite and interesting topics.
• Don't be too specific, keep it broad.
• Talk to friends and seniors doing projects.

First semester of junior year

• Explore your interests by answering questions above.
• Talk to faculty and seniors doing projects.
• Consider whether you wish to incorporate an off-campus experience (e.g. internship) into your project.
• Consider whether you want to collaborate with others.
• Consider whether you want to utilize the local public school system
• Think about whether you want to do the project in two 4-credit blocks or employ some other sequence (i.e. include a third term or a summer).
• If you plan to start early (for example, your 2nd semester of your junior year), please fill out a Declaration of Intent form and turn into Angela Draheim, SMP Coordinator (see instructions below). 

Second semester of junior year

• Narrow your choice to one or two topics and consider faculty specialties and interests so that your mentor needs can be met properly.
• Discuss and develop your topic ideas with faculty members who might be good mentors.
• Talk to Dr. Dana Van Abemma or Jean Beard of the Career Center if you want to include an off-campus component to your project.
• Talk to Julia Bates, education coordinator, if you would like to use the local public school system
• Decide if you will be collaborating with a fellow student.
  
  
• Have a good idea of what you want to do by advising day.
• Inform the psychology department of your intentions by completing the St. Mary's Project Declaration . You'll notice that there is a space to list faculty interest sheet topics that may relate to your topic idea(s). The various faculty interest sheets are available on the web at: http://www.smcm.edu/Psyc/smp/ProspectiveSMPs/DeclareIntent.htm and to pick up from the SMP information center outside of GH125. Turn in the completed form to the SMP coordinator (Angela Draheim- GH125) during the advising period.

Beginning the project

In many cases, you can use the first few weeks of a project to hone your ideas with your mentor. You don't need to have a detailed plan of action for the entire project, but you do need to have a sense of what you want to accomplish. Don't procrastinate, but take the planning a step at a time.

Why start early? To save yourself from the panic of returning for your senior year without an idea of what to do next. Former students have said they wished they had started preparations at the end of their junior year. For example, students who do not request a mentor before enrolling in a St. Mary's Project will be assigned a mentor. If you follow the above time line and have a topic in mind and what you want to accomplish, you will get yourself off to a good start on your project!


Below is a list of possible topic areas, broken down by major category and faculty member. Remember, these are only suggestions to get you thinking! Talk to your advisor or a faculty member below about any topic area you are interested in - they can help you to mold your idea into a workable SMP topic!


WHO else can help you?

Faculty Contact Information is listed on the possible topics page.

Angela Draheim
Departmental Assistant, SMP Coordinator