The Science of People: Cirrus Jones
Cirrus Jones came to ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ for ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ's winters and stayed for the close-knit psychology community. Through supportive faculty, research opportunities and leadership in the Psychology Club, Cirrus gained confidence, built lasting connections and prepared for the next step in a psychology career. Read on to learn more about Cirrus' ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ journey.
Cirrus Jones
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Cirrus Jones, and I'm studying psychology.
Something interesting about me is that I currently have two cats, but over the summer I also took care of my brother's cats and my mom's dog. Altogether, I was taking care of five pets.
What brought you to ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ?
What brought me to ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ was mainly the winter, surprisingly. I like the cold and the snow, and I wanted to stay in ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ.
ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ was also the first university to offer me a scholarship when I was applying, and the ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ Performance Scholarship helped a lot.
In your own words, why study the liberal arts?
The reason I study the liberal arts is to take a more humanistic approach. At first, I didn't realize psychology was part of the liberal arts until I came to college. I enjoy learning about people, so that's a big part of it.
I also think it's important to think more critically about the information that's handed to you instead of just taking it at face value. What I like is that, at least in a lot of my classes, it's less about regurgitating information on a test and more about presentations and papers where you put what you've learned over the semester to use.
How has your time at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ changed you, either academically, personally, or professionally?
My time at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ has definitely changed me. I've noticed I've become a tad more confident and more sociable.
Academically, I've learned how to write in APA format. I didn't know how to do that when I first came here, but now I can do it pretty well without looking things up. I never thought I'd get to that point because I was used to MLA, and then I switched to APA for psychology. At first I thought, "What is all this?" Now it actually seems a lot easier than MLA.
I've also learned how to write literature reviews by reading the research, bringing it together and condensing it into a paper. I've gotten much more comfortable reading research papers, taking notes and using the library databases. I didn't really know how to do that before, but now I know how to search the databases and find what I need.
What’s one experience at ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ that really stands out to you, and why?
A moment that really shaped my experience was joining the Psychology Club. I got to make new friends and have people in my major to talk to.
Before that, I was kind of on my own. I didn't really have anyone to talk to about psychology. Then I went to a Psychology Club meeting, and I was like, "Oh yeah, this is fun. Psychology! I have people to talk to now."
What are you excited about next, and how has ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ prepared you for it?
What I'm excited for next is pursuing more education in psychology, or even using my psychology degree. I spent four years here studying psychology, so I want to continue that.
ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ has prepared me through its professors. They've helped me with the graduate school process and the internship process. I'm still working on both of those, but they've been a big help and have given me good advice along the way.
The classes, the quality of the professors, the projects and papers have also helped me learn how to write and present. We've done a lot of research in our classes. In one of Dr. Sheppard's classes, we read the textbook and then went out and found our own sources.
I also appreciate the quality of the teaching. Because the classes are small, we can ask a lot of questions and get in-depth explanations.
What advice would you give to future ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ students?
The advice I'd give to incoming and new ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ students is to talk with your professors. Ask them questions, go to their office hours and get to know them. They're not that scary once you get to know them.
When you show up to lectures, attend office hours and talk with your professors, they can put a face to your name and get to know you personally. That can really help later if you need a recommendation or someone to vouch for you for graduate school, an internship or another opportunity.
One other thing I'd share is that if you're interested in doing research, whether it's helping with a faculty project or doing your own, don't be afraid to ask your professors about opportunities. Academic advisors don't always know what's available within every department, but your professors do. If you ask, "Do you need a student to help with a study?" there may be opportunities to earn credit or even get paid. Either way, the experience is valuable.
Congratulations again to Cirrus on being recognized as an Outstanding Student. Learn more about the Department of Psychology and the opportunities available to ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ students, and watch for more Outstanding Student spotlights from the College of Liberal Arts.