76: Getting Into Grad School in Psychology with Eva Meza

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Okay, we are live. I am really excited. Today, we have another really great guest speaker. Her name is Eva Meza. She is going to be talking to us today about getting into grad school in psychology. I'm going to go ahead and get started with her bio.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Eva Meza is an incoming first year psychology PhD student at UC Davis. She has been awarded the Distinguished Scholar fellowship. Eva is from San Jose, California. I've actually got a good girlfriend who just move there. She is a first generation born, low income student, and she's very passionate about increasing Latinx enrollment into graduate school. Welcome so much Eva.

Eva Meza

Thank you so much for having me. It's an honor to be here, and I love listening to your podcast.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Oh, that means a lot. Just to get us started, I would love for me to get to know you a little bit more, for the listeners to get to know you a little bit more. Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself, your background, your backstory, and also everything that led you to pursuing the graduate program you're about to start now?

Eva Meza

Yes. My parents were both born in Mexico. My mom is from Mexico City. My dad is from Nayarit. And I was born here in San Jose, California. I attended school here. My mom was very adamant about me attending Catholic school. We were very low income, but I got by on scholarships and things like that. And I really enjoyed my education. I feel like it was a very good foundation.

Eva Meza

My mom, although she had an education here, she grew up like a Chicana. She's fluent in Spanish and English. She actually did go to college. When I started school, she also started school. She did her Bachelor's in Psychology, and she became a teacher. And I saw that. I saw her go through her educational journey, and that really normalized college for me. I remember going to her classes and sitting in her classes. Her professors would give me toys and things to play with to keep me entertained while she did her schooling, and she got her credential and became a teacher.

Eva Meza

I remember going to her classes as a fourth grader. She was teaching fourth grade. It would be so much fun just interacting with other kids, and I would try to teach them. It was a very good childhood. I got to interact with a lot of kids, and I got to see my mom go through her educational journey. My dad was also very encouraging and motivating when it came to education. I'm an only child, so all their resources and all their love and attention was funneled through me. I had a very good educational foundation, as well as a very good family, very good support system.

Eva Meza

I never didn't think about going to college. I always thought I was going to college. It was just something so normal for me. I was at Notre Dame High School here in San Jose, and it was an all girls Catholic school. So I was very excited to go to a co-ed undergraduate, and I chose UC Riverside. It was just an amazing school. It was exactly what I needed. My first choice was actually UC Davis, and I didn't get in. I thought, oh, you know, I was a bit disappointed. But I feel like life gives you what you need, not what you want. UC Riverside was exactly what I needed.

Eva Meza

I just had an amazing time. I really got to grow as a person. I really made a great support system. I met a lot of friends, a lot of Latinos that looked like me. It also normalize the whole graduate school thing for me as well. I came in as a chemistry major, so a lot of the friends that I made were pre- med. They were all translators at clinics and scribes, and really into the medical field. And I thought, all these people around me are going to be doctors, and they're all applying to grad school. It just really continued to normalize the continuance of school for me. Yeah.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Wow. There's so much there, so much from hearing your backstory about your mom and dad being so critical to shaping your interest. That's so amazing that you got to witness your mom go through her own educational process, and to have a very encouraging dad. Like you said, education was normalized for you. Then you said something that stuck with me.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

You said, life gives you what you need, not what you want. I love that. That's such a great quote in terms of how you ended up going to UCR, instead of UC Davis. And now, I feel like everything comes full circle, because you're gonna start at UC Davis, right?

Eva Meza

I know.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

So can you tell us- before you talk about applying to grad school, and what it's like now about to go to UC Davis. Can you tell us a little bit more about how you even got to psychology? Aside from your mom, I know you said you were around a lot of peers that were interested in med school. So I'm surprised to hear you say that you didn't go that route. How did you go from having a bunch of friends interested in med school to then thinking- actually, maybe I want to stick to psychology. What was your thinking when it came to that?

Eva Meza

Right. So yes, I started as a chemistry major. It wasn't until my second year- I was doing organic chemistry. And I was like, this isn't for me.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Oh, O chem. They're called weeder courses for a reason.

Eva Meza

They are. It was like trying to fit my foot into a shoe that didn't fit. I struggled a lot. I consider myself a good student. But the classes were just so difficult, and I just was not getting it. And I was not happy. On Tuesdays, I would just cry from just being overwhelmed. I was not happy, and I didn't see the big picture of- what am I going to do with this? Am I gonna go to med school? Do I want to go to med school? Am I just here because everyone else is doing it? I don't want to conform. But at the same time, I thought, what are people gonna think of me? I'm quitting.

Eva Meza

So I was like, okay, let me try neuroscience. Then I did neuroscience for like, a quarter, two quarters. Then I joined a neuro lab, and I liked the lab. It was great. I had to do experiments with mice. That wasn't so great. I worked in a basement, and I was thinking, no. This isn't for me, either. I can't imagine myself working in a basement with mice the rest of my life. And I still didn't see myself going into a medical field.

Eva Meza

So I did translating at a clinic. I was a Spanish translator, and I got some hands on learning with what the medical field would be like, maybe even public health. It also wasn't, it wasn't for me. And I had applied to many public health internships, and I got rejected from all of them. I don't even know if they were really hard to get into. I just, I kept getting rejected from them. And it was just a redirection, because I ended up applying to my Ph.D program. It was a lot harder to get in than all the public health internships that I had applied for.

Eva Meza

So as I transitioned out of neuroscience, I took a psychology course, and I loved it. It was great. I absorbed the information quickly. I just learned so well, and so much. I was so engaged. Then it wasn't until I took my first social psychology course- I was sitting in lecture, and she was talking about relationships, attraction, attachment theory, Gottman's. It was so interesting to me, and so engaging, and I was so passionate about the material. I would think about it often. I would study it. I would have study groups with my friends and explain everything to them. I was so engaged, and I was so passionate.

Eva Meza

It was the first time where I felt like- this is for me. This is what I'm supposed to do. And I just love the aspect of also teaching it to other people. I thought it was- there's a certain, I don't know, enthusiasm to teaching others about something you're passionate about. I thought maybe grad school for psychology, maybe my Master's. But I know that the job market for a Master's in psychology could be very competitive. So I thought maybe a PhD. But I was also too scared to think of- what if I don't get in? What if I get rejected?

Eva Meza

Then I talked to my godfather, and he told me- he's like, don't eliminate yourself. Let them eliminate you. And I thought, okay, I'm just gonna apply. I'm going to see what happens. So I decided to apply. I emailed some professors from different schools, and they got back to me. One of them taught relationship research at UC Davis, and we just connected very well. He seems like a very good person, a very good mentor. I could see that he saw a lot of potential in me.

Eva Meza

The next day after I applied, he emailed me. He's like, you have an interview. And I honestly started crying, because I was so like, I don't know. I was so surprised. I was shocked. I was like, wow. He wants me to go to this school. That's the next step towards actually getting in. And you know, UC Davis has always been my dream school. Five years ago, when I had first applied, I had a dream that I was riding my bike on campus- because it's a biking campus It was so- it was a wonderful dream. I was so happy. Then I didn't get in, so I was very disappointed. But I feel like now I'm reliving that dream, now that I'm actually going to go there in September.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

That's really inspiring to hear you say so many words of wisdom. I'm just like, how did you learn all of that already? From earlier, saying that you were applying to all these public health internships. And you're like, oh, that was actually a redirection- instead of what a lot of people do, is they take rejection as this personal hit. Like there's something wrong with me. Instead of thinking- actually, I'm supposed to do something else for now.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Then your godfather telling you- let them eliminate you. Let them say no to you. Don't say no to yourself- that's the way I took it when you said that. Hopefully some people- that will stay with them too. It's like, don't be the one to say no to yourself. Because that's the thing, when something is like your dream- like your dream school, UC Davis. It is a big deal. It's no wonder you were crying. I mean, it doesn't feel real. You're just like, are you sure? Did they make a mistake? Are they gonna think twice? There's always that voice in the back of your head, especially if it's new to you.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

So I'm curious- you mentioned that you took a social psychology course. That was one of the turning points for you. Then you had this conversation with this professor about relationship research. I would love to hear more- because you're here to talk about psychology- is that what you're going to be pursuing? Is it social psychology that you're going to be studying? And if so, can you say a little bit more about that? What is it that you're going to be studying? Why did you choose social psychology?

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

In case there are other psychology majors among my listeners, and also because I know for a fact- I've worked with students who are psych majors. It's such a broad major. So number one is - it's one of the - psych and sociology are some of the majors that have the highest enrollment rates on our campus. Then two, because it's so popular, there's also that competition. It's no surprise that you were intimidated to apply, because it's- I know I've told my students, you usually have to have a high GPA. It's very competitive. So I would just love to hear- you know, if there is a student out there who is currently majoring in psych, or thinking about majoring in psych, what made you choose social psych versus other forms of psych?

Eva Meza

Right. I believe it was mostly my coursework from my undergraduate. I took developmental psych. I took perception Psych. And out of all of the psychology courses I took, social psychology just stuck with me. I was so involved in learning more about the way people interact with others. Social psychology happens every day in our lives, and there's always so much to learn.

Eva Meza

Another aspect is the lack of studies on Latinos and the Latino population, and the lack of graduate students in the psychology field. I feel like I need to fill in those gaps, and I need to encourage other Latinos to go into graduate school- into whatever they feel the need, they feel compelled to. But in my field of psychology, I was very interested in relationships and attraction, specifically within the Latino population. I also want to learn more about machismo- how machismo affects relationships. Is machismo still very prevalent in our society today? Is it prevalent within Chicanos, or just within Mexicanos?

Eva Meza

There's so many topics that I have thought of. I also want to study about Tinder- the effects of Tinder. There's so many interesting topics that I would be very willing to study about and do research on. That's why I'm going into this field. It's because I'd rather study about relationships and people than babies in developmental psychology, or perception. And psychology all around is just so interesting. I think that I'm very privileged to have the opportunity to study something I'm very passionate about.

Eva Meza

A lot of people think like, oh, five years in school? You're going to do another five years? But I'm so excited, because I feel like my last four years were not enough for me. I love learning and I love being a student. And I like continuing to learn, and I love reading books. I love learning more about others and interacting with other people. I feel like social psychology really, it's a full circle for me. It helps me be who I want to be, and study what I like, and be a passionate person that's doing- that tries to do good for others and encourage other people to do this.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

I am trying to process. This is what happens. I try not to go from one question to the next. I like to give myself time to process what you're saying when you're giving me your answers, because I can't guess what you're gonna say. And you said something right now that I think- because I do want us to talk about the whole process of applying to grad school. But you said the last four years were not enough for me.

Eva Meza

Yeah.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

And how you want to make a difference through what you're studying, so you need more time with it.

Eva Meza

Yeah.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

That's one of the things that sometimes people ask me. Well, should I or shouldn't I go to grad school? Like, how do I know. And I think that's one of the ways that you can tell whether or not you might be a good fit to apply to grad program, is if you feel like undergrad was not enough. Because definitely, for me, I feel like it was all surface level information. I kind of got to some more substance through undergraduate research, but it still didn't feel like enough. I still felt like I had so many questions, and so much more than I wanted to study.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

So you saying the last four years were not enough, and that led to you applying to grad school. I want to hear a little bit more about the whole process of applying. I would love to hear your experience, because I didn't apply to grad school during the pandemic, you know? I didn't apply to grad school, during the times of social media and all these apps, and all this probably information overload.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

So I'm curious if you could talk about your experience in applying within the last cycle, and also just what you learned along the way. I know a lot of people who are just starting to listen to my podcast, it's because a friend of a friend told them because they're interested in applying to grad school this fall. So what was your process- application process- like? Then also, for someone who's doing it for the first time, in light of everything that's going on- you know, there's the pandemic. It's still technically not gone. It's still happening. What advice would you give someone who's going through this process in these strange times?

Eva Meza

Right. Actually, the pandemic was a blessing in disguise for me, because the GRE is required for most cycles. But I'm a horrible tester, a very bad tester.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

OMG, me too. I'm so glad the GRE is becoming less and less of a thing.

Eva Meza

Oh, me too. Actually, I didn't have to take it this cycle because of the pandemic. You couldn't go to a testing site, and a lot of people didn't have access to internet and things like that. So it was waived for me. And it was just a huge blessing, because they relied on my strengths, my grades, my essays, my recommendation letters. That was amazing. But I was going to say- when I first graduated undergrad, I actually didn't know what I wanted to do. I was still very indecisive about going to grad school, and I think that my gap year really solidified what I like, what I don't like.

Eva Meza

It gave me time to be very introspective about my passions and who I am as a person, what I want to do, what my goals are. It gave me a lot of time to also read a lot of self help and psychology books that helped me become the best version of myself, and really showed me what I wanted my future to look like. I took a lot of time for myself. And I actually got a nine to five job. I'm working at Intel right now, and I actually don't like it that much. It's great. I like the job. But I just can't imagine working nine to five every day, forty hours a week, for the rest of my life. Unless it was a job I was very passionate about, and I felt like I was - my potential was being very fulfilling.

Eva Meza

But in this case, it's not. It's very tedious, very routine like. And it solidified the fact that I need to go to grad school. I need to have more opportunities available. I'm actually very excited to go back to school. Once I graduated, I thought- I was in denial, because it was just so abrupt. Because of the pandemic, I had lost a quarter and a half of normal school time and I had to finish my classes online. I didn't have my normal commencement, and it was very- I was very shocked. And I felt like I was going back. I felt like I was a junior, and I still had to finish my senior year.

Eva Meza

Then September came around, and I didn't go back to school and I just really missed it. I missed the environment. I missed being on my own. I missed being independent. I missed the flexibility. With the job that I have now, you clock in, you clock out and you're done. But I feel like with school, it could be hard sometimes because you never really clock out. You always have to- you always think about what's next, what you have to do. We have a huge to do list. But at the same time, it's all for your own benefit. You're not benefiting a corporation. You're benefiting yourself, your community, the people around you, the psychology field or the research field you're doing. So it's a lot more fulfilling doing that.

Eva Meza

And I think my advice to someone who's applying to grad school is to do it. I think that we need more Latinos in grad school. We need more people of color in grad school. I know I'm not looking forward to being the only one, the only Latina there. I don't know if people are going to think I'm a diversity hire, or whatever the case may be. I know I'll have impostor syndrome moments, but I'm willing to go through that for the good of other people. I want people to see me maybe as a professor, whoever I decide to do, or whatever I decide to be. I want them to think, if she could do it, I could do it.

Eva Meza

So yeah. I think that they should do it. They should reach out to me. They should reach out to other people of color who are in the field, and just don't be scared to reach out to them. They're willing to give you good advice. They want to see you succeed. And anyone who reaches out to me, I'm willing to help them as much as I can for free. I wouldn't charge people to help them. I want to see them succeed, and I want to see more people of color in higher education.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

That's amazing. When I asked you that question- I know that I asked you to share advice for anybody who is applying this fall. But then you mentioned something that I don't think I quite realized, even though I knew you were working. I didn't make the connection that this is your gap year.

Eva Meza

Yes.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

And I feel like that's something that comes up over and over and over again, this question of a gap year. Folks have asked, how do I make the most of a gap year? What do I do during a gap year? How do I even apply to grad school during a gap year? Are my professors or the recommenders gonna forget about me? Did you run into any of those concerns when you were thinking of applying to grad programs? Were you thinking- well, now I'm no longer a student. How am I going to navigate this process? How did you do that all while working, or while no longer being enrolled and having access to university resources- all of that?

Eva Meza

Right. So I made connections during my gap year. It all started- I joined this program called Cientifico Latino. They help Latinos, underprivileged students, get into graduate school in STEM and psychology. I applied to the program. I was paired with a mentor named Karen, and she's from the University of Wisconsin- a professor, super nice. She helped me with everything. She was studying- or she teaches perceptional psychology. Then she connected me with her colleague, Dr. Brower, who is a psychologist as well and a researcher.

Eva Meza

And I worked in his lab during my gap year. I did some things for him, and I earned a lot from the lab. I learned a lot of statistical knowledge as well that I'll be using in grad school. Making that connection secured one of my letters. The other two letters came from my professor that I worked with in my neuroscience lab, and I worked with him throughout my sophomore year to my senior year. He gave me very good advice as well when I was applying. He encouraged me to apply, and he was just a really strong mentor for me. I really appreciated all his help, and he wrote me a letter as well.

Eva Meza

Then my third rec letter came from my public speaking teacher. I had a class- and I loved her. She was great. She was a really great lecturer. She gave very enthused lectures. I always thought, if I was going to be a professor, I would want my lectures to be as enthusiastic as hers, as engaging as hers. And I kept in touch with her through the years. Anytime she gave a brown bag talk or discussion in a conference room, I would go to all of them. I would email her. I went to office hours. So she remembered me.

Eva Meza

I really admired her and I think that's why I stayed in contact with her, because I feel the need to make connections with people that I admire that I want to be more like and that I respect. She was just one of those people and she really shed light on my character, because she's known me throughout the years. Versus my research professor highlighted what I could do, my research skills, because he got to see that firsthand throughout the years. Then my new professor got to highlight who I am as a person- even though he didn't know me that long- that I'm a fast learner, and things like that. I feel like those three different recommendation letters really helped shape my application as a person and helped whoever read it to know who I am as a person, and the different aspects of me- not just one aspect, not just my academic aspect, but also my character, my personality, and different things like that.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

So while you were doing your gap year, you said you were involved in this Cientifo Latinos program. Then you ended up doing some work in a lab. But then you also secured a full time job with Intel. I'm trying to figure out your timeline of what you did when, because for me, it's hard to give advice on how to make the most of a gap year because it's not my lived experience. I can give examples of people that I know that might have done that. And I'm always curious, like, what do you think helped you out the most? Was it that reflection time? Was it the working full time? Was it that program- the Cientifo Latinos program? Was it that connection with the professor? Was it the lab- the additional lab work? You've done a lot.

Eva Meza

Yes, I did. I did make the most of my gap year, and I'm really happy with my lived experiences during this time. So I graduated, and I decided to take maybe six months- I didn't really keep track. I thought I'll get a full time job when I get one. It'll appear when I need it to appear. During this time, I was just helping my mom out with her classes. She was doing online classes, and I was there as her technical support if she needed anything. She's actually a master at it, so she didn't need my help much. I dedicated time to exercising. I got really into books. I read a lot of books. And then I joined that program. I joined Cientifo Latino the day- the deadline of the program. I decided to join- to apply- and I got in. It was during the graduate school application program, I was not working during that time. I was just chatting with my mentor. I was in the lab. I was doing that maybe three times a week. You know, just work for the lab.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

This was- was this in person, when you say worked in the lab?

Eva Meza

It's online, yes.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Oh okay. When you say worked in the lab, for some reason, I just can't help but think of you being there in person.

Eva Meza

No, sorry. It's all remote, because they're in Wisconsin. I'm not flying out there. I'm from California.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

You never know. I did hear of a student who did a summer experience, and they did fly them out in person.

Eva Meza

Oh, wow. No, this was all remote. When I say in the lab, I mean on my computer, doing work for the lab. So I did that. Then it wasn't until February that I actually started working in person. I've been working the past seven months. But in February, I had already turned everything in. Everything for me was due in December, I believe. So I just focused on that. First, I took time to be introspective and reflect and do everything I needed to do- self care. Then once I decided I wanted to actually apply to grad school, I applied. I focused all my energy on that- just applying, doing my essays. My mentor helped keep me on track with everything. It's just so much to remember, so it's really beneficial to have a support system.

Eva Meza

After I applied, then I decided to start working and save money. So I started working. I started my 401k. I started my Roth IRA. I learned a lot about being financially stable and what to do in the stock market. I think that it's important to take that time to become financially literate, I think that we as a society don't place enough value on the importance of being financially literate and what you need to do, and techniques and strategies. So I took time to study that. Now I'm working. I've saved a lot of money. My program is fully funded, but I also want to have an emergency fund in case I ever need money, or I want to travel. I decided to also put money towards my travel funds. I'm going to Hawaii and going to different places that also brings me a lot of happiness. I want to make sure my gap year is - well, I wanted to make sure my gap year was a really happy time for me and I've done that so far. So I'm excited. I'm refreshed, and I'm ready to go into school again.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

I feel like if someone were to ask me, how do I make the most of my gap year? I'm gonna be like, talk to Eva.

Eva Meza

Yeah, they could talk to me.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

You've done it all. Wow. You know, I don't want to completely gloss over the fact that you mentioned financial literacy and how important that is. That's something that- for those of us that are first gen, or those of us that come from low income or working class backgrounds- it's not a privilege that we have. We're not taught these things, and it's really hard to take the step to even get started learning. It's really overwhelming. For some of us, it can induce feelings of shame, or it can just be really scary to confront your finances and numbers. Some people insist that they're not a math person, they're not a numbers person. And sometimes that can get in the way of them learning about financial literacy.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Hopefully- this is not an episode about financial literacy. But I'm glad that you mentioned it, because I do think it's important. And I do think it's even more important to do that- not just during grad school, but as you're getting ready to start graduate school. That way, you're going to graduate school. You've made an informed decision. You know- like you said- you're gonna have your emergency savings. You're also thinking about it as-it's not just, okay, now I'm going to be a student. But you want to have a life outside of graduate school too.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

So not only do you have an emergency savings, but also to have the capacity to plan for some joy, for taking vacations, for taking trips, and so on. I know that wasn't the case for me, and it isn't the case for a lot of current graduate students. They get so caught up in the daily grind of graduate school -work, work, work, work- that it's really hard to take time off. Even more so if you're really tight on finances and can't afford to take a trip or do something that would allow them to rest or take care of themselves. So thank you for sharing that.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

We're getting close to wrapping up. I wanted to ask if there's anything else that you wanted to share around the topic of applying to graduate school, getting into graduate school specifically in psychology? Or any final words of advice for folks who are going to be applying this fall?

Eva Meza

Right. Yes, I feel like the most important thing is to just make connections. They always say your network is your net worth. I've learned so much from other people, from connecting with other people. Your next job could be a new connection. It's really important to make friends, and read a lot. I think that there is a treasure. Reading is a treasure. Books are a treasure. I've learned a lot about finances, about myself, about psychology. Anything you're interested in, you could just grab a book- fifteen dollar, twenty dollars. That's the best investment you can make is reading.

Eva Meza

I think that if I were to recommend a book for anyone in their 20s, it's called Defining the Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How You Can Make the Most of Them. Even if you're indecisive about going to grad school, or whatever it may be, you should pick up that book. It really impacted me and I recommend it to any person in their 20s. It's such a great book. But yeah, I think making connections is the most important and just reading, learning about yourself. My last piece of advice is if you look good, you feel good, you do good. So take that time for self care, and really make sure that you're happy inside because then whatever you do- all your work- will come out great.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

That's great. That's a perfect way to end today's episode. One last thing before I let you go. How can folks listening reach out to you if they want to contact you, follow you, connect in some way, what's the best way for them to do that?

Eva Meza

I am starting a new Instagram called @LatinxSuccessNetwork. So if they want to contact me, I'm definitely open to helping others. They could reach me on that platform on Instagram.

Dra. Yvette Martinez-Vu

Awesome. I'll make sure to tag you in the flyer on IG. That's a great way for us to be in touch. I'll be following you as well. All right, thank you so much. It's been so nice to have you today. I've learned so much. I'm sure everybody else has learned a lot. You dropped quite a bit of knowledge and wisdom there in today's episode. Thank you.

Eva Meza

Thank you for having me.