Student Professional Memberships

One of the things that students in the Behavioral Sciences should consider is belonging to a professional organization as a student member. Whether one is going on to graduate school or not, the sheer amount of information and the benefits received from joining such a group is invaluable. Psychology students can look to the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Counseling Association (ACA), or even the American Association of Christian Counselors. Sociology students can join the American Sociological Association (ASA) and those bent more towards the social work area can think about joining the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) or the National Association of Christian Social Workers (NACSW). And our Criminal Justice majors may want to consider the American Criminal Justice Association (ACJA-Lambda Alpha Epsilon).
Usually, for a very nominal membership fee as a student member, you would gain access to many helpful tools to assist you in career development. Information about how to get into the field and everything from graduate school preparation to up-to-date issues can be found. Additionally, you may have various newsletters, journals, or databases that you can access, which would increase your overall exposure to the discipline.
Therefore, I would encourage each of you to speak with your advisor or your professor about such memberships and see which one is right for you. Take a serious look at your professional development even now as a student and it could open a whole new perspective for you.