Questions for a current grad student!

[bibliophile222]

I'm bumping this thread because I've seen some recent ones with current students offering advice about specific programs, but not a more general "life in grad school" vibe. At this time last year I kept looking up YouTube videos about life in grad school, but I really wanted to know more specifics like daily schedules and what assignments and clinical paperwork were like. You know, the nitty-gritty, day-to-day stuff that's not really covered anywhere else. So if anyone has any general questions I'd love to answer them! I know a lot of things will be program-specific, but if other current grad students have differing opinions they could still post them here so people could get an overall viewpoint.

[bibliophile222]

On 4/25/2018 at 6:43 PM, EatSleepStudy said:

I have a question! Do you use a computer at school frequently for non-notetaking tasks? I prefer handwriting my notes, but am wondering if I will find that I need a laptop with me at school for other tasks. While I obviously used my laptop a lot during my post-bacc, I never felt like I needed to actually bring it to school. I'm wondering if I should invest in a newer, light computer for grad school. Thanks for any advice! 

I take notes the old-fashioned way, but I still bring my computer to school every day (including days I don't have class) so I can get work done. There's often down-time in between classes that aren't long enough to make it worthwhile to go home and back. I also am usually more focused and get more accomplished at school than at home (boyfriend + 2 cats = lots of distractions!). Maximize your work time during the week so you have less to do on the weekends!

[krinklecat]

1 hour ago, bibliophile222 said:

I'm bumping this thread because I've seen some recent ones with current students offering advice about specific programs, but not a more general "life in grad school" vibe. At this time last year I kept looking up YouTube videos about life in grad school, but I really wanted to know more specifics like daily schedules and what assignments and clinical paperwork were like. You know, the nitty-gritty, day-to-day stuff that's not really covered anywhere else. So if anyone has any general questions I'd love to answer them! I know a lot of things will be program-specific, but if other current grad students have differing opinions they could still post them here so people could get an overall viewpoint.

Hi! Can you speak on your clinic experiences i.e prepping for therapy, how it is with clients and their families, clinical educators, etc

[bibliophile222]

7 hours ago, doodlydoe said:

Hi! Can you speak on your clinic experiences i.e prepping for therapy, how it is with clients and their families, clinical educators, etc

Sure! So a week before the semester starts we get our client assignments and meet with our clinical supervisor. I researched ahead of time to get some ideas for the first session, but my supervisors have been full of helpful ideas and have really helped me craft the plan for the first session. They encourage independence but are willing to sit in the room with you for the first session if you need it. Our clinic has the one-way mirror observation rooms, where they sit. They typically observe the whole session but might have to leave early or cancel on occasion. 

I've read online about some people's horror stories with nasty/incompetent clinical supervisors, but mine have all been awesome so far. They've all given mostly positive feedback in a compliment sandwich with constructive feedback, so it's easy to handle. The constructive criticism is almost all stuff I've noticed about myself anyways. One of my supervisors gives EXTENSIVE edits of projected treatment plans and dx reports and requires multiple drafts, which can get a little overwhelming, but the rest have given pretty minimal edits.

I've been trying to spend less time on prep lately but still spend far more time than someone out in the field would, but this is pretty typical of grad students! If you have kiddo clients you can use board games, which helps, but people also make colorful target words, scavenger hunts, crafts, etc. All my clients have been teens and adults so far, so my prep mostly includes printing out lists of words or topic starters or rating scales (I have fluency clients this semester, so it's very qualitative in nature). Last semester I spent far too much time on activities--one time I spent probably 2 hours sorting and taping magnetic poetry words to different colored construction paper for an activity that took 10 minutes. Sigh. Don't be like me!!!

Your experiences with clients and families will obviously vary. Sometimes parents can be problematic--they may disagree with your therapy goals, want to sit in the clinic room when it would be better for them not to, etc. However, I think in a university clinic you are much less likely to get real problem behaviors from either parent or child--the parents know we're still just students, which is why they're paying less than they would at a private clinic! So far I haven't had any real difficulty working with my clients. As I said, they're all teens or adults. Two out of the three have been talkative and self-motivated, which makes it easy to build rapport and work hard in the sessions. One client is very quiet and shy, and one of my personal goals has just been to connect with him and get him to open up a bit. There's definitely a counseling component, which is challenging but satisfying when you make a breakthrough.

Also, this is a bit of a tangent, but if you have any student observers, make the most of it! At first the idea of other people watching your session is scary, but for one of my fluency clients I drag any observers into the session so my client can practice with unfamiliar listeners. It's nice to give them a brief about your client before beginning and let them know you can answer questions after if they'd like. It feels really good to pay it forward for other future grads.

[krinklecat]

@bibliophile222 great stuff!! Thank you for sharing! As a grad student, do you feel burn out? If so, how do you cope?

[bibliophile222]

2 hours ago, doodlydoe said:

@bibliophile222 great stuff!! Thank you for sharing! As a grad student, do you feel burn out? If so, how do you cope?

I haven't felt burned out on the program or career, which is good! At the end of last semester I felt mentally fried, but I think that was partly due to the adjustment to the program/workload and partly because Thanksgiving break is fairly late in the semester, so we went 3 months without a real break. At the end of the semester I spent most of my winter break in my PJs watching Netflix, which was WONDERFUL. The only problem is my brain turned to mush over break so it took me about a week to get motivated to work again. I'm on spring break now, so my semester's broken up a bit better and I feel saner. I think we've also all adjusted by now and everything seems a bit more manageable.

The bad news is that even though it's spring break I'm still doing homework (finishing up the midterm for my aphasia class). The good news is that I'm also currently in my PJs watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the 70's one), so it's not like you won't get any down time!

[futurespeechpath1]

On 3/6/2018 at 9:56 PM, speechpathy said:

I'm actually waiting to hear the decision from Governors State University! Is that where you're currently attending? If so, how do you like the program? How do you like the professors? I interviewed at this school and liked the setup, but a bit worried because it seemed like the area was lacking places to find jobs/things to do. Obviously Chicago is super close, but I'm worried about having nothing to do on weekends lol. I have been accepted at Saint Xavier, so I'm considering that program as well. Have you heard anything about that specific program? If so, how do you feel it related/differs from GSU? Sorry for all of the questions! But making a decision will be hard and I want to make an informed decision  

If you don't mind me asking what was your undergrad GPA and GRE score? I really want to get into GSU and SXU! I heard the stats on EdFind aren't that reliable

[Toya]

For those of you that were SLPAs prior to grad school do you think you found the clinic experience easier? Prepping for clients, working with families etc are all things I do now so I am hoping I won't be AS stressed. I've been in several IEPs with my supervisor, as I was the treating therapist and I know I will be extremely nervous to present ( I am definitely an introvert). Upon leaving grad school do you think you are prepared to present in an IEP?

[CHOCCOCO]

Hi grad student!

1. How are you graded? Do you have practicals? How is it conducted?

2. I hate people watching me especially if I am unsure of doing something and not 100% comfortable. Any tips on getting over this? 

 

[Toya]

3 hours ago, CHOCCOCO said:

Hi grad student!

1. How are you graded? Do you have practicals? How is it conducted?

2. I hate people watching me especially if I am unsure of doing something and not 100% comfortable. Any tips on getting over this? 

 

Omg me too!  I hate being watched, it makes me feel uneasy. 

[CHOCCOCO]

45 minutes ago, Toya said:

Omg me too!  I hate being watched, it makes me feel uneasy. 

Haha! I feel that I change when I’m observed. My pitch gets higher, I ramble, and smile awkwardly. I’ve been working on this but still bothers me to be watched. I feel I’m being watched under a lens. 

[slpisthedream]

1 hour ago, CHOCCOCO said:

Haha! I feel that I change when I’m observed. My pitch gets higher, I ramble, and smile awkwardly. I’ve been working on this but still bothers me to be watched. I feel I’m being watched under a lens. 

hey! im a current SLP grad student and I'm naturally a very shy and an introvert but when I'm in clinic it's so easy for me to forget I'm being watched. I had clients who kept me very busy and focused on them, trust me when I say that you'll forget they're watching, I know you're thinking "theres no way I'll forget" but you will lol. the way my program is set up the grad clinicians are observed by the parents, undergrad SLP majors (sometimes I'll pop my head out of my room and see that i have over 10 students watching me lol), and the supervisor. they observe me through a double sided window and they're able to hear everything. The best thing to remember is that your client/their family knows that it's a learning environment and you're supervisor popping into your room to help you is no the end of the world, you're learning, everyone knows it, and you will improve. Also if you're unsure talk to your supervisor, it's their job to clear any confusion. 

My clinic is graded by a credit/no credit. basically we have to get a 4 out of 5 to get credit. which just means that your competent.  But in my program if you're doing really bad you'll get told whether you'll fail in the evaluations that are done by the supervisor 3 times in the semester. If you do poorly they'll let you know and give you an opportunity to show improvement over a few sessions, if you don't then it's a no credit for the semester. very rare occurrence in my program though. 

[Toya]

43 minutes ago, slpisthedream said:

hey! im a current SLP grad student and I'm naturally a very shy and an introvert but when I'm in clinic it's so easy for me to forget I'm being watched. I had clients who kept me very busy and focused on them, trust me when I say that you'll forget they're watching, I know you're thinking "theres no way I'll forget" but you will lol. the way my program is set up the grad clinicians are observed by the parents, undergrad SLP majors (sometimes I'll pop my head out of my room and see that i have over 10 students watching me lol), and the supervisor. they observe me through a double sided window and they're able to hear everything. The best thing to remember is that your client/their family knows that it's a learning environment and you're supervisor popping into your room to help you is no the end of the world, you're learning, everyone knows it, and you will improve. Also if you're unsure talk to your supervisor, it's their job to clear any confusion. 

My clinic is graded by a credit/no credit. basically we have to get a 4 out of 5 to get credit. which just means that your competent.  But in my program if you're doing really bad you'll get told whether you'll fail in the evaluations that are done by the supervisor 3 times in the semester. If you do poorly they'll let you know and give you an opportunity to show improvement over a few sessions, if you don't then it's a no credit for the semester. very rare occurrence in my program though. 

Haha my heart dropped when I read "10 students watching", lol. 

[CHOCCOCO]

1 hour ago, Toya said:

Haha my heart dropped when I read "10 students watching", lol. 

Omg, same! 10! I think for this many people to come watch is because they like what they see. 

[bibliophile222]

10 hours ago, CHOCCOCO said:

Hi grad student!

1. How are you graded? Do you have practicals? How is it conducted?

2. I hate people watching me especially if I am unsure of doing something and not 100% comfortable. Any tips on getting over this? 

 

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by practicals. Is that the same as clinic? We get graded normally for class (A, B, etc). For clinic we have a final grade where different components get a 1-4 rating, with a 3 being "meets expectations". We also do a mid-semester evaluation where we come up with personal goals.

I actually feel fine being observed, although I was nervous the first time I had parents and students observe. The way I look at it, I'm already being "observed" by my client, and my supervisors have been really nice and understanding, so I feel fine with them observing me. I think it really helps having a separate observation room--even though I know people are watching I can put it out of my mind. I think you'll adjust to it after the first couple sessions. I won't lie, the first few are rough, but you'll make it!

[CHOCCOCO]

13 hours ago, bibliophile222 said:

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by practicals. Is that the same as clinic? We get graded normally for class (A, B, etc). For clinic we have a final grade where different components get a 1-4 rating, with a 3 being "meets expectations". We also do a mid-semester evaluation where we come up with personal goals.

I actually feel fine being observed, although I was nervous the first time I had parents and students observe. The way I look at it, I'm already being "observed" by my client, and my supervisors have been really nice and understanding, so I feel fine with them observing me. I think it really helps having a separate observation room--even though I know people are watching I can put it out of my mind. I think you'll adjust to it after the first couple sessions. I won't lie, the first few are rough, but you'll make it!

Yes, the clinical aspect. Thank you for sharing. My friend is in PT school and told me about her “clinic” grading. Apparently, the professor role plays and gives hypothetical questions one on one and the students have to do well to be competent. She made it sound intense.

For grad Students: how in depth does your neuroanatomy course go into studying nerves and muscles? Is it similar to undergrad or more detailed?

[AlwaysaFalcon]

On 3/18/2019 at 5:09 AM, CHOCCOCO said:

Hi grad student!

1. How are you graded? Do you have practicals? How is it conducted?

2. I hate people watching me especially if I am unsure of doing something and not 100% comfortable. Any tips on getting over this? 

 

So for my practicum experiences it is on off campus sites because my program does not have a clinic. My program you complete all of your classes first and then start your practicums full time your last three semesters. I start my practicum settings in the fall semester so I can't give you advise about that right now! However, I know that our practicums count as a class so they are graded on the A, B, C scale. 

[bibliophile222]

2 hours ago, CHOCCOCO said:

Yes, the clinical aspect. Thank you for sharing. My friend is in PT school and told me about her “clinic” grading. Apparently, the professor role plays and gives hypothetical questions one on one and the students have to do well to be competent. She made it sound intense.

For grad Students: how in depth does your neuroanatomy course go into studying nerves and muscles? Is it similar to undergrad or more detailed?

I was under the impression that neuroanatomy is either/or versus undergrad or grad, meaning that you either take it as an undergrad prereq or take it in grad school. From what I've heard the trend is to move away from offering it in grad school and switching to a prereq. My program doesn't have a grad neuroanatomy course because it's a required prereq.

[Ecstatic!]

I'm bumping this thread as I have a question for current graduate students.

What is the work-life balance like in speech pathology graduate school? For example, is it possible to take evenings and/or weekends off like a regular job or do you find yourself working on evenings/weekends? Is there time to fit in a social life while still keeping up with the workload? 

Any insights are appreciated. Thank you!

 

[bibliophile222]

6 hours ago, Ecstatic! said:

I'm bumping this thread as I have a question for current graduate students.

What is the work-life balance like in speech pathology graduate school? For example, is it possible to take evenings and/or weekends off like a regular job or do you find yourself working on evenings/weekends? Is there time to fit in a social life while still keeping up with the workload? 

Any insights are appreciated. Thank you!

 

Good question! I think this will depend A LOT on your study habits. It is possible to work part time, but I wouldn't recommend more than 10-15 hours a week if you want to stay sane or sleep. IF you don't procrastinate AND can work without being easily distracted, then you can have some time in the evenings and weekends.

I'm the type that procrastinates beginning assignments AND gets distracted when there's conversation/TV/music on. I try to do a lot of work at school (I typically stay till 5 even when we don't have class). I then go home, procrastinate/watch TV/try to work and get distracted for a few hours, then buckle down and do more work for a couple hours. Because I stretch my work out, I don't usually have whole days without schoolwork, but other people work smarter than I do and are able to take weekend trips and work more than I do.

On the other hand, one girl in my cohort puts way too much work into her assignments and regularly stays up till 3 am. Don't worry though, she is not typical. The latest I've stayed up doing work was 1 am, and that's because I was watching the World Series while trying to write a paper, which didn't work too well!

[Ecstatic!]

10 hours ago, bibliophile222 said:

Good question! I think this will depend A LOT on your study habits. It is possible to work part time, but I wouldn't recommend more than 10-15 hours a week if you want to stay sane or sleep. IF you don't procrastinate AND can work without being easily distracted, then you can have some time in the evenings and weekends.

I'm the type that procrastinates beginning assignments AND gets distracted when there's conversation/TV/music on. I try to do a lot of work at school (I typically stay till 5 even when we don't have class). I then go home, procrastinate/watch TV/try to work and get distracted for a few hours, then buckle down and do more work for a couple hours. Because I stretch my work out, I don't usually have whole days without schoolwork, but other people work smarter than I do and are able to take weekend trips and work more than I do.

On the other hand, one girl in my cohort puts way too much work into her assignments and regularly stays up till 3 am. Don't worry though, she is not typical. The latest I've stayed up doing work was 1 am, and that's because I was watching the World Series while trying to write a paper, which didn't work too well!

Thank you so much - that is really helpful. I don't plan to work (as in take a job) during my program but I have a family to take care off as I'm a non-traditional older student, so in a way I could count that as a 'part time' job. It sounds that from your experience it's not so insanely busy, that you have no life outside the program - that is good news to hear. I was hoping there would be breathing space. Thanks.

[AlwaysaFalcon]

20 hours ago, Ecstatic! said:

I'm bumping this thread as I have a question for current graduate students.

What is the work-life balance like in speech pathology graduate school? For example, is it possible to take evenings and/or weekends off like a regular job or do you find yourself working on evenings/weekends? Is there time to fit in a social life while still keeping up with the workload? 

Any insights are appreciated. Thank you!

 

Personally for me I am the type of student that needs to keep myself busy in order to keep myself accountable so I do have a part time job. I work on campus as part of federal work study about 15 hours a week. For me it's just enough to make some extra money to support myself with food & utilities. However when I start my full time practicum experience I will not be able to work, which will be in the Fall semester so I am working while I can. Personally it's up to what you can handle and the program. For my program it's very manageable to work and have classes, most of my classmates work. That's one of the reasons why I like my program. It's easy to manage both