slporbust2016

Praxis-around the time of comps and when you've completed most of your coursework CF-depends on the provisional licensing requirements of the state in which you want to work. You won't be able to officially count any hours for ASHA's purposes until you've completed all requirements and graduated, but some states will let you start work early if you're done with everything needed per your university. Some won't let you apply for provisional licensure until your degree is officially conferred. Some don't have provisional licensure. It really just depends on the state.

What do your last 30 hours look like? If you do a 2nd bachelors and get a great GPA then your last 60 hours should be pretty competitive so you can look for programs that look heavily at the last 60 hours.

The number one thing that I appreciated having during grad school is Google Drive. I'd recommend organizing by classes as well as making folders for topic areas for resources. It's amazing to be at an externship and be able to pull up all of your materials. Also, when a computer died on me during grad school--no problem. I had everything organized and backed up already.

Utah State does, and you could use Master Clinican for part of the hours when I took it.

That's been my experience on the job hunt and what every single one of my supervisors has told me. I'm sure there are some circles where it might matter a little, but not for the vast majority of things.

It is NOT worth it to go to a school that's going to leave you with a lot of debt. I'm wrapping up grad school and applying for jobs, and literally no one cares what my grad school was. They care about my externship experiences, my skill set, and the fact that I've done what I need to in order to apply for licensure. Choose the less expensive option. You'll be glad you did in a couple of years when you don't have that loan hanging over you.

UWEC. The lectures are recorded. You will have group work, and you will have an occasional required video chat with a professor that you need to schedule, but you can work with your schedule.

I did a second BS in Communication Disorders through Utah State. No one knows they're online classes unless you tell them that. It's not like it's stamped on your degree. I'm also just about to finish my MS through University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's distance program, so I'm probably coming from a different place than you are about online programs.

I think you might want to actually reach out to a few programs that you are interested in and see if they have any suggestions for you. Although many programs state that a 3.0 is the cut-off, it's actually much higher in many cases. If you retake speech classes, CSDCAS will average the two scores which is important to know for future GPA considerations if you are applying to schools that use CSDCAS. That said, I'd be concerned that you might not have an adequte base of background knowledge if you don't. I don't want to discourage you, but I think you need to do a bunch of research and look at different options. Speech is highly competitive, and it's probably going to take more than retaking a few classes and studying for the GRE.

I had to get my letters of ref from an online post-bacc program because it'd been forever since I did my first undergrad. I simply wrote them a little about myself and asked them for help. When they agreed, I included things like my transcripts, a short resume, etc. Most professors as used to these kinds of requests.

I have a Lenovo Yoga, too, and it's great for my needs. Reliable wifi and access to a backup computer are definitely plusses.

I'm sure it depends on the exact program and what connections they have existing, but yes, mine will. The plus side of finding your own clinicals is that people are much more willing to work with your schedule and be creative about how it gets done. It was the part of the program that concerned me the most, but in the end, I think it actually worked out well for me as I've been able to do clinicals that met my personal needs. FWIW, this is the same process I'm about to use again to find a job. It's just part of the professional world.

I've found mine through networking, other SLPs helping me, and cold calling until someone says yes. Starting very early is key.

I've given different supervisors things based on what I think they would like. I gave my first supervisor an inexpensive laminator because she loved my laminated materials I made. I gave my next one a basket of some of her favorite treats/a couple fun, new things to enjoy over Christmas break. Last semester, I had two, and I gave them each flowers (nice grocery store ones that I arranged in thrifted vases). I also brought in store-bought cookies on my last day for the office staff and the other therapists at that site because they had all been so welcoming and helpful to me. I always write a personalized note detailing what I enjoyed about working with them and thanking them for their investment in me. Other ideas are to give a gift like a game or donate needed supplies instead of giving something directly to the supervisor. I've also donated things like copies of games I've bought inexpensively at the thrift store or yard sales after I've used them with clients. My program has never mentioned anything about giving a gift, but I know that many of my classmates do give them as well. Keep it reasonably priced, and based on something that person would like. Definitely don't give something overly expensive that would make someone feel uncomfortable.

Ask questions that show that you're interested in your clients and being as evidence-based as possible. Everyone has something that you can learn from them. One of my absolute favorite parts of my clinicals is having people to ask questions to all of the time and discuss my ideas with. I'm a curious person, and it works for my learning style. It seems that's not the case for you, but you've been told that you need to improve in this area. When you're in grad school, you get a lot of feedback, and it's a time to work on addressing it. Good questions show you want to collaborate and grow as a clinician like "I felt X was a little frustrated during that activity, is there something else you would have tried" or "I was reading about (tx intervention) last night, and I'm thinking about trying it out with Y. What do you think?" not ones that can be found in textbooks. If I was someone's supervisor, I would expect and want them to ask me questions because it's a lot easier to discuss this stuff on a daily basis and brainstorm as it's happening.

Lots of schools require them to be done as part of coursework. I'd talk to the schools that you're interested in about what they will accept.

I had a very similar situation. 15 years between when I finished my first BA and when I started leveling courses. Utah State has a good online program. I liked that it was an actual second BS because that can make it easier for transferring some coursework. I got all my letters from those professors and got into grad school which I will finish next year.

I'm still in an online grad program, but no one in the classes of my program before me has had an issue getting hired. I think a big part of getting a job will be clinical practicum experiences and supervisors. All three of my supervisors have told me that they would recommend me without hesitation for a job, and I've made lots of good contacts, so I'm not particularly worried about finding a job next year. Part of it is also dependent on the job market in your area, I'm sure, but there are always unfilled SLP jobs in mine.

I don't think it's going to be easy to transfer grad schools at all. Most programs are run as cohorts and depend on people going through all together for their funding and plans. Personally, I would do everything in my power to make it work where you are.

I think that's an insane amount of money to pay to become an SLP based on the real wages of SLPs. Can you ask them for a deferral for a year? Then you could apply to programs next year and decide if you really want to go there badly enough to pay that much if you don't make it into any.

I did a 2nd BS through the Utah State program, too. There are FB groups for almost every class which might prove very useful to you.

Great post. My advice is to start early, ask different types of people for constructive feedback (I asked a nitpicky editor friend and a college professor friend), and revise, revise, revise. Also, be absolutely certain that you follow any formatting information that they have outlined in the requirements.

I'm in the UWEC distance program, and I'm happy to answer any questions you have. It's a solid program, and I enjoy it a lot.

$0 at my school. It's going to just depend on school policy.

Yes, you're correct that you will need to meet the basic ASHA requirements. Some grad schools might let you take it prior to graduation while you're in the program, but most of them are going to want you to have it completed before you start. You'd be wise to have them done either way as grad school is enough work without adding that on top. You can find a list on ASHA. https://www.asha.org/Certification/Course-Content-Areas-for-SLP-Standards/ I had that all done from my undergrad work, but I would take those classes at a community college if I needed them before applying for grad school.