Sound off: What's it take to survive the first year of psychology graduate school?
Emily Gold: "Good friends in the program. Hands down, that's what got me through."
Shauna Summers: "Good grad school friends who you can vent to, a mentor and work, work, work. Oh yeah, and no social life."
Megan Bodine: "Wine."
Kristen Owens: "The ability to exist without sleep or a social life, and the most understanding family, because they will constantly think you're crazy or that you have been kidnapped."
Rashin D'Angelolots: "Great friends and a great sense of humor as you self-diagnose. The second year only gets better!"
Edna Braswell Conn: "The ability to have peace and quiet to write the endless papers."
Laurie A. Dean-Newton: "Preparation, determination, organization, discipline, and the ability to analyze and synthesize information in a meaningful way."
Barbara Tye: "Cookies, a sense of humor and a few loose screws. Oh, and did I mention cookies?"
Lisa Simmons: "Tenacity and keeping your eye on the end result."
Monica Perras: "Patience—lots of patience with yourself, as well as time management, discipline and an open mind."