First Impressions

So, here I am, in week 2 as a first year grad student. I have successfully made the adjustment from employee/student to grad assistant/graduate student. In the last two and a half weeks, I have gone to the SLP orientation, met with my academic adviser, registered for classes, bought textbooks, met with my TA supervisor, got my first clinic assignment, studied my client's file, met with my clinic supervisor, and went to classes. Whoa. It's been an adventure.

At Ithaca, we begin our clinical practicum first semester of first year. I like this because I feel that I will greatly benefit from as many semesters of experience as I can get under my belt before the outside placements during the spring semester of year two. So this semester, I will have my very first client, one on one in the clinic on campus! It's a crazy thought for a girl who was told at the beginning of her journey that she'd never make it to grad school.

Anyway, I have a few thoughts about grad school so far that might be helpful to anyone thinking about going someday. First, try as hard as you can to visit your school before you accept a spot there. My first impression of IC were very accurate, and I am so glad that I was able to get a preview of what my time would be like here while on my tour. My first thought about the clinic was: ideal. It was updated and modern, unlike some of the other clinics I had seen, and it had everything nicely fit within a relatively small space (clinic rooms, sound booths, voice lab, observation rooms, etc). Ithaca had a great clinic. Not only was the clinic impressive, but my tour guide and co-assistant chair of the department was more than happy to answer any questions I had and to encourage me during my application process. Now, I find that IC's faculty and staff in the SLPA department are all friendly, encouraging, and very intelligent. All of my professors, I feel confident, are ready to prepare us for the field--not to trick us on tests, or make us do busy work, no, they want us to do well and they want us to know our stuff. It's quite exciting. I'm also a nerd.

Second, don't freak out too much about clinic. So this is actually something I've had to repeat to myself for the last two weeks. And honestly, I'm still repeating it. My first client is AAC. I don't have any experience with AAC at all, and I haven't completed any clinic hours yet (FYI: ASHA requires you to have 400 clinical hours by the time you receive your Master's degree). So reflecting on my inexperience and the fact that I will be planning treatments and goals for an individual in just a few days, I tend to be inclined to freakout. But then I take a step back and think about the individual, my client. This is another person, and people I have experience with. My whole life up until this point has consisted of interacting with people in different settings and for various purposes, so this is just another experience. A new one. I'm sure that everyone can relate, and this is why we shouldn't freak out about clinic. Also, we have an awesome team of faculty or staff members behind us to help us figure out how to serve our clients and to guide us to success! So each time I'm ready to run for the hills from worrying, I try to remember these things.

Third, there are some things you have to consider that you didn't think of before. Just be prepared for point number 3, no matter how vague it might seem. I came here with a budget, lists of things I'd need, and expectations in my mind of how things would go. So far, things are very different than I thought they would be--and this isn't a bad thing! There are things you just don't know to think about in advance, but you will figure it out along the way. Here's a list of a few physical objects I didn't even consider working into my school supplies budget:

1. Children's books
You'll probably want these for use with kids or maybe even adults. You can use them for reading passages for assessment or therapy, but they are just a nice tool to have for your own stash of SLP supplies. Fun tip: I got about 30 books from my local thrift store, and only 1 was over a dollar!

2. White board
I didn't even think to buy a white board for therapy, but it's essential for my client, and I'm sure will be useful for many others as well. I'm also planning on buying a large mirror for artic therapies, but I don't need one quite yet.


3. Snacks
My client will be with me for over an hour once every week, so my client needs breaks. And snacks. She loves her snack time and it acts as a reward time in and of itself. You might need to have some snacks on hand for your clinical time. Note: be sure to get any dietary needs from your client before you get snacks for them.


4. Voice recorder
I actually cheated here. I already had a voice recorder from when I did voice lessons in undergrad (it was fun!), but I know that some people might not even think to buy one on their own. Not everyone at IC has one, but I think it's a great thing to add to your supplies stash so that you have it when you do need it.


5. iPad
I've never owned anything Apple related in my life. I am, though, planning on purchasing an iPad next fall before I start my externship semester (Spring of second year). The reason why I'm planning on going iPad is because the App Store has so so sooooo many apps for SLPs. More than what Android is offering. Also, my very first client uses an iPad as her AAC device. There's an app right on there that you can program for them! And she has the same app on her iPad at home. So right off the bat, I feel like my future purchase is justified! It's going to be such an awesome tool to use in therapy. I can't wait to explore it! Note: Buying in October or November (Black Friday!) is the most cost effective way to go. Apple usually releases the new model in October, so the previous year's model goes on sale after that. Or you could wait for the deals for Black Friday, because I know there are some great ones out there then. One of the reasons I want to get one while I'm still in school is because you can get a discount for being a student from Apple iteself. So check out all of your options if you're looking to buy one of those pricey tablets.

So these are just a few of my thoughts thus far into my program. I absolutely love my school and department, and feel so privileged to be here. And I am definitely feeling the support from all of my mentors/faculty members. I wish you the same in your own journeys to grad school!

Applying for Grad School: Where to Start?

As I'm changing my address, packing up my life, and getting ready to move for grad school, I'm also thinking about where I was last year at this time. At the end of my summer semester, I was just getting ready to start gathering my grad school app materials together. How crazy is that?

So I thought this might be the right time for me to share three ways that might help you get on top of the applying process, stay organized, and just be successful in the process overall:

1. Get Your Info

So first things first, you'll want to use ASHA's life-saving tool: EdFind. The best way to discover schools where you might want to apply is to explore EdFind, and I did it by browsing states that were close to where I lived at the time: PA and NY. Once you click on the state you want, a list of schools will come up for you to choose from. The page for each school will tell you what degrees are offered there and other really helpful bits of info like what their MS application requirements are, what the average GRE scores are for their applicants, and who the graduate admissions contact is. These are the types of things you will want to write down and keep easily accessible for your application process, which brings me to my next point.

Here's the browsing link for you to follow: EdFind


2. Get Organized

So after I checked out local schools with Masters programs, I made a list of the ones I wanted to apply to. My list had 12 schools initially, but I ended up only applying to 10 of them. So once I had my top schools picked out--and you'll probably want to also visit their websites to determine where you want to apply--I made an Excel spreadsheet that had basic info for each school. Make sure to include things like: school name, mailing address, admissions contact name and email, application deadline, and admissions requirements. Once I started applying, I made an additional page on my spreadsheet for all of the documents required for admissions at each school and when I had sent them in. Doing this will help so much as you get lost in which transcripts you've already sent, and which GRE scores still need to be sent in.



3. Get Your Foot in the Door

Once I started my applications, I tried to figure out how I could set myself apart from all of the other applicants out there. I knew that if I scheduled an interview, that would be an ideal way for the department to remember me...but let me tell you, it is so hard to schedule an interview with Speech Path departments! Everyone I emailed from the contacts provided on EdFind said that the number of applicants was way too large to let people schedule interviews. So I was feeling pretty discouraged AND nervous, until I discovered department tours. Asking for a tour is a whole different approach to getting an "in" with the Speech Path departments at these schools. When you ask for a tour, you are coming from a position where the school needs to appeal to you, rather than you appealing to the school. Well I guess it still works both ways, but for some reason, schools are much more willing to schedule a tour with you to tell you why their program is the best out there, than to let you come and tell them about yourself in an interview.

Luckily, I was able to schedule 4 (out of 10) tours of grad programs to which I wanted to apply. This experience was so very valuable to my application process, so don't miss out by passing up the touring opportunity! The tours provide you with a great opportunity to not only get your foot in the door, but to get a real feel for the programs you are applying to. It's because of tours that my whole preference order for my schools changed. My top choice, which I initially thought was the best school in the area, became my last choice because of the graduate coordinator I met with. I got very bad vibes from the school, and when compared with the other schools I had seen, I realized my top choice was not the best place for me to be. Fortunately for me, I was accepted to 2 of the schools I toured at (and probably would have been accepted to a third if one of my recommendation letters hadn't been lost in the mail), and another I hadn't been able to see. The school I accepted at wasn't initially my first choice, but my tour at the school completely changed my mind. The coordinator was so helpful and knowledgeable, and I immediately felt like it was the ideal program (and school!) for me.


So as you're starting to think about applications, check out EdFind, make yourself a chart or spreadsheet, and get those tours on your calendar! You won't regret taking the time to do any of these things.