bibliophile222

Some schools offer little to no funding (but you can still get federal student loans) and others are pretty generous with funding. I've heard of some schools (sorry I can't remember which ones) that offer every admitted student a GA that takes care of most tuition. Other schools offer merit scholarships for a few students in each cohort. I got a partial scholarship from my program. It was only for the first year, but anything helps!

Someone else just asked the same question (see "what should I purchase"). I left quite a lengthy reply on that one. ?

Maple creemees are amazing. Shout out if you're one of the rare people who knows what a creemee is! ?

This is a reply I wrote for an identical question back in July. If you search the forum I'm sure you'll find several similar posts with lots of great information! 1. Some sort of planning system, whether it's a physical planner or on your phone/computer. There are so many moving pieces in grad school that I can't imagine not using a planner--I'd probably forget about half my deadlines! And this is coming from someone who NEVER used a planner before grad school! 2. A working laptop. Pretty much everyone in my cohort brings their laptop to school every day to take notes or just do work. It does NOT have to be fancy, just something that is fairly portable and not likely to break down anytime soon, ideally with a decent battery life. If you already have a nice computer, then that's fine, but don't feel like you have to get the latest MacBook Air or anything that will wreck your budget! 3. A clipboard with storage. Mine has enough room to hold miscellaneous papers for 2-3 clients at a time, my audio recorder, and a couple pens. 4. An audio recorder that ISN'T your phone. Seriously. Most people just use their phone as an audio backup, but some people have had trouble with their phones stopping part-way through if they also decide to record video or use a phone app during the session. I have this audio recorder here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XFTWCBJ/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and I absolutely adore it. The sound quality is excellent and it has a USB drive so I can download files onto my computer. 5. Nice pens! You'll be doing a lot of writing, so you might as well use pens that make you happy. I'm partial to Pentel Energels. 6. A lot of people will say a laminator. Honestly, so far I haven't seen the need for it. I've used self-adhesive laminating sheets for the few things I've needed laminated, so I don't think a laminator would have been worth it for me. Also, some schools have a laminator for student use, so I would double-check before you buy anything pricey. 7. I don't think it's worth buying a penlight unless your school/internships have a strict no-phone policy in sessions. I use my phone flashlight and it does just fine. But to each their own, I guess. 8. Maybe this should have been in the top five... Clinic-appropriate clothes! On-campus clinics tend to have stricter dress codes than your placement sites--for instance, I can wear sneakers at my placement, but not in our on-campus clinic. Get a good variety of business casual clothing: pants that aren't jeans, blouses, cardigans, skirts/dresses, close-toed shoes that aren't sneakers ? No cleavage, no exposed skin when you bend over or raise your arms, nothing really tight, and definitely wear pants if you're playing on the floor! 9. Miscellaneous office supplies! Our grad room has scissors and tape, but I've had to use my own post-it notes, paperclips, and index cards. 10. As far as any toys/games/materials go, I say skip it unless you're sure that you want to work in a school and need to start slowly accumulating materials. The school clinic and placements should have everything you need. If they don't, just do what your supervisor does and make do. Grad school is expensive enough as it is! Plus, if you're forced to make do with what you have, it makes you adaptable and hones your creativity! 11. A combo printer/scanner/copier (this should also have been in the top five). This one isn't essential, just super convenient. Your school will probably have a printer you can use for clinic stuff, but ours isn't in color, so I have to use mine at home if I want color. Also, some professors are better than others with going digital, so some of them may give you a lot of handouts, and once you scan them you can get rid of them.

I solemnly promise myself that some day I'll live in a building that wasn't built in the 1800s and doesn't have chronically persnickety plumbing...

I finished my first external placement today! I'm happy to be done with the semester, but sorry to leave because of the facility, staff, and patients. One patient cried when I said goodbye to her, so I gave her lots of hugs. ?

I'm just entering my second year at UVM if you have any questions! It is a great program, although if you don't get a scholarship it's pretty expensive.

I'm sorry you've been having a bad time in your current setting, but it sounds like your personal rancor at your hospital is seriously biasing your opinion of the entire field. To play devil's advocate, the school setting has problems too: packed schedules with group sessions that mean not enough time is spent on individual goals; having to provide therapy in a broom closet, cafeteria, or hallway; and living in fear of litigious parents that are made their kid doesn't qualify for services. For that matter, any job anywhere has its problems! Productivity demands in the healthcare field are problematic and cause serious ethical dilemmas. If you work in a place like this, get the hell out and try something new, but don't dump all over the profession in the process. Research shows that when were treating APPROPRIATE patients, we can and do make a difference!

Yup. Some professors say everything in the lecture that's in the reading and never refer to the reading on tests, and some professors will have test questions that you can only get from the readings. On one test, we were asked to give the initials of a patient in a case study in an article we read. I hadn't written in my notes because I didn't think it was important, and I'm still kind of annoyed about it!

Get started as early as possible, ESPECIALLY asking your LOR writers. I waited too long and had wicked anxiety waiting for them to submit their letters. One person actually submitted a couple weeks late. Fortunately it didn't affect my application, since it was still winter break and they weren't reviewing apps yet, but it was kind of horrible! There are only so many polite follow-up emails you can send (and have ignored) without going kind of nuts. I would ask at least two months before the deadline to be safe.

You're correct in that you do have to work everything else around clinic, but I think your CI might also be willing to work with you. I was looking at a work-study job for my first semester and asked the clinical director if there was clinic on Mondays. She replied that it would be fine to schedule me for another day and gave me Tuesday instead. That being said, programs can be different, and some arrange it so that all students have clinic on, say, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Another possible reason they're waiting to release clinic schedules is to match clients to the students' experience levels and even interests. My clinical director didn't decide clinical assignments until our 3rd day of orientation because she wanted to learn more about us first. I ended up doing accent mod my first semester because of my linguistics background (yay!).

From everything I've heard, GPA doesn't matter in the slightest for jobs, except maaaaaybe if you're applying for some insanely competitve position? Still, probably not. Most employers (check the reddit slp thread for some of these posts) say they could care less about grades, it's all about experiences and references.

I had to go look at my coat to find the brand, since I bought it about ten years ago. it's definitely not a fancy name-brand: it's Athletic Works, if that means anything to you. ? Seriously, though, just go into Target, Walmart, etc and try on some coats. If you can wear one for more than a minute or so indoors without starting to roast, it's not warm enough! If you start to sweat after 30 seconds, buy it! On another note, this is the winter hat I bought this last winter that's the warmest, best hat I've ever owned: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077YB5HJZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm finally done with an intensive 4-week course that took up all of my free time and made me an overworked zombie! Yay!!!!!!!! Now the rest of my summer will be fine less busy.

No problem! Winter is definitely not my favorite season, but it's doable as long as you have the right clothing. I forgot to mention--they're not clinic appropriate, but I have a couple pairs of fleece pants that are very warm and can work as snow pants in a pinch. I've waited for the bus in single digits and been perfectly cozy. I also forgot to mention the importance of a heavy-duty winter coat. Don't suffer through the winter with a thin wool pea coat because it looks nicer. Get either a knee-length down-filled coat or a nice thick ski parka. I have one I got at Walmart for like 30 bucks that has an outer shell and a removable inner coat. I also have a down coat, but my cheapo parka is warmer.

I did a two-semester online post-bacc program through Pacific University. It's a great program, not outrageously expensive (and you can get federal student loans for it, so no out-of-pocket payment necessary) and 8 courses. It also had a good selection. One thing you really want to watch out for when you're taking prereqs is that they can vary widely by school. Some programs only require 5 or 6, others might want 12 that include some courses that are typically done in grad school, like fluency. If you have certain schools in mind, check out the prereqs to figure out the best option. The Pacific University program covered almost everything I needed (except audiology and hearing rehab was combined into one course, so my program only let me count audiology and I'm doing hearing rehab this summer). If you think you'll only need a few prereqs, there are a bunch of schools both in person and online that will let you take individual courses--ENMU and Utah State are popular choices for this. Also, make sure you've taken all the required ASHA prereqs: bio, physics or chemistry, statistics, and a social science course, but I'm guessing that with your background you're probably all set with these! Another option is to apply to grad programs that have a leveling option. You take a year or so of prereqs either before or concurrently with grad courses. The nice thing about this is that once you're in, you don't need to apply anywhere else. The downside is that these programs can be very competitive and require high GPA and GRE. Also, the total cost is probably higher this way. Good luck with your searching and future career! Lots of people have been in your shoes (me included) and it's certainly attainable!

I listed some stuff up above, but basically nothing suggestive/revealing, and NOT jeans (or leggings unless you wear something over them). Khakis or similar cloth pants work fine (a lot of people have suggested Old Navy Pixie Pants). Think of what people might wear in a more casual office, like blouses, no shirts with writing on them, no short skirts. I like shirts that have a bit of embroidery detail but are otherwise plain/solid colored. For shoes, I got a couple pairs of Sketchers loafers that are suuuper comfortable but still presentable. Flats would work, as would other close-toed shoes that are kind of nice. Nice boots would be fine (but not winter boots). I have a couple long-sleeved open sweatery things, plus a couple traditional solid-colored sweaters. One warning for cold weather: DO NOT wear skirts/dresses from about November to April unless you want to freeze your legs off. Layers are key--you want to stay warm outside but not roast inside. Also, as far as cold weather goes, I recommend mittens over gloves and hats with earflaps. Dorky, but sooooo much warmer! Edit: I assumed that you're female--in case you're not (and for all the guys out there), clothing is much simpler: Khakis or dark pants, button-down shirt, shoes that aren't sneakers. Easy-peasy!

This reminds me of another helpful tip regarding outlets: check out how many outlets are in each room and determine whether that is enough for your needs! If you have a newer apartment it most likely won't be an issue, but having rented exclusively in old New England houses, there are often only two outlets per room (and maybe none in the bathroom), which means that you have to plan your furniture setup very carefully and/or have wires running all over the floor!

1. Some sort of planning system, whether it's a physical planner or on your phone/computer. There are so many moving pieces in grad school that I can't imagine not using a planner--I'd probably forget about half my deadlines! And this is coming from someone who NEVER used a planner before grad school! 2. A working laptop. Pretty much everyone in my cohort brings their laptop to school every day to take notes or just do work. It does NOT have to be fancy, just something that is fairly portable and not likely to break down anytime soon, ideally with a decent battery life. If you already have a nice computer, then that's fine, but don't feel like you have to get the latest MacBook Air or anything that will wreck your budget! 3. A clipboard with storage. Mine has enough room to hold miscellaneous papers for 2-3 clients at a time, my audio recorder, and a couple pens. 4. An audio recorder that ISN'T your phone. Seriously. Most people just use their phone as an audio backup, but some people have had trouble with their phones stopping part-way through if they also decide to record video or use a phone app during the session. I have this audio recorder here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XFTWCBJ/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and I absolutely adore it. The sound quality is excellent and it has a USB drive so I can download files onto my computer. 5. Nice pens! You'll be doing a lot of writing, so you might as well use pens that make you happy. I'm partial to Pentel Energels. 6. A lot of people will say a laminator. Honestly, so far I haven't seen the need for it. I've used self-adhesive laminating sheets for the few things I've needed laminated, so I don't think a laminator would have been worth it for me. Also, some schools have a laminator for student use, so I would double-check before you buy anything pricey. 7. I don't think it's worth buying a penlight unless your school/internships have a strict no-phone policy in sessions. I use my phone flashlight and it does just fine. But to each their own, I guess. 8. Maybe this should have been in the top five... Clinic-appropriate clothes! On-campus clinics tend to have stricter dress codes than your placement sites--for instance, I can wear sneakers at my placement, but not in our on-campus clinic. Get a good variety of business casual clothing: pants that aren't jeans, blouses, cardigans, skirts/dresses, close-toed shoes that aren't sneakers ? No cleavage, no exposed skin when you bend over or raise your arms, nothing really tight, and definitely wear pants if you're playing on the floor! 9. Miscellaneous office supplies! Our grad room has scissors and tape, but I've had to use my own post-it notes, paperclips, and index cards. 10. As far as any toys/games/materials go, I say skip it unless you're sure that you want to work in a school and need to start slowly accumulating materials. The school clinic and placements should have everything you need. If they don't, just do what your supervisor does and make do. Grad school is expensive enough as it is! Plus, if you're forced to make do with what you have, it makes you adaptable and hones your creativity! 11. A combo printer/scanner/copier (this should also have been in the top five). This one isn't essential, just super convenient. Your school will probably have a printer you can use for clinic stuff, but ours isn't in color, so I have to use mine at home if I want color. Also, some professors are better than others with going digital, so some of them may give you a lot of handouts, and once you scan them you can get rid of them. I'll add on if I think of anything else!

No one in my cohort has left after a year, and no one in our previous cohort did either. If you check the program completion rates of various schools, you'll see that many of them are at or near 100%, so I don't think it's super common for most programs to have tons of people quitting or failing. From what I've heard/experienced, your professors want you to succeed once you're in the program and will work with you if you're struggling. I actually haven't found it to be that difficult to get good grades as far as the assignments themselves go, it's just a lot of work overall, and you have to be able to stay on top of everything.

It's a sparkling, dazzling, gorgeous summer Sunday and I'm going to be stuck inside all day, doing work that cannot be done outside because I need access to HIPAA-protected information. ?

One of the more unusual questions I've seen on this forum--I like it! I'm from New England (a few different states) and say it with a v. I did my linguistics program online, so I don't actually remember if/when I heard anyone else say it. I just based it on my knowledge of German pronunciation. My prereqs were also online, but there were video lectures, and I believe my neuro professor also said it with a v.

It's amazing how much beautiful weather improves my mood. Right now it's 74 degrees, sunny, a light breeze, and I'm sitting under a tree. Sheer bliss.

Have you checked out the SLP forum on Grad Cafe? If not, go to the menu, then scroll down until you see Professional Programs. You'll find a very active forum with lots of field-specific advice. As far as your specific questions, I do work a teeny bit, but it's all been work-study, first as a TA (just a grader, though, so minimal hours) then an RA. I think most people in my cohort have some sort of part-time work. Make sure that it's something flexible, since your school schedule will be pretty packed. I'm not the greatest at time management, but if you're good at it, it can be arranged so that you don't do schoolwork every day of the week. I recommend figuring out how you work best and pick a study space that complements that. I need quiet and as few distractions as possible, so I work best in a quiet study room on the top floor of our building, away from everyone. I'm not sure what to say as far as study tools. I take very thorough notes in class and on the readings, then I just reread my notes before tests. I hand-write my notes because research has found that people retain information better that way.

As long as you have a decent credit history, you can get GradPlus loans through FAFSA. There aren't any extra steps you need to take to apply for it and it covers the whole cost of tuition and living expenses if it's more than the Stafford loans. The interest rate is higher than the Stafford loans, but I think (?) it's still better than private loans.