What you wish you knew.....

[chopper42]

Hello!

 

I apologize in advance if this Is off-topic in anyway, but I would love to learn what it is you wish you knew now that your applying to a Graduate program. What is it that you wish you knew or did while getting your undergraduate degree, that could of prepared you better for the future.

 

Hindsight is always a killer.

 

Thank you!

[sayjo]

When I was getting my undergrad, I wish I had known that SLP existed. 

[fuzzylogician]

[karita]

When I was getting my undergrad, I wish I had known that SLP existed. 

 

Me too. 

[Persis]

I am not interested in research at all.  I did not do any research in my undergrad.  I just want to be a clinician.  Will not having any research experience affect me getting into grad school?

[Arcanelady27]

fuzzylogician, I see you posted this past posting. However, I think chopper42 is looking for answers that are SLP oriented. The posting you referenced are answers from all areas of study.

[Arcanelady27]

I wish I knew that it would be so tough to get into a graduate program. If I knew, I would not have been so hard on myself when I was rejected for this Spring semester!

[fuzzylogician]

fuzzylogician, I see you posted this past posting. However, I think chopper42 is looking for answers that are SLP oriented. The posting you referenced are answers from all areas of study.

The OP is a first time poster. Many new visitors to the site aren't familiar with its structure and either don't search or else fail to find existing threads with lots of useful information that us old timers know about and often have contributed to. I think the thread I linked to contains some very helpful advice, also relevant for the OP. True, it is not field specific, but the presence of the link in this thread does not stop you from replying with SLP specific advice. I think posting the link is a helpful gesture. I have to say, though, for someone who complains about the posting of non field specific advice in this thread, your advice is not SLP specific either, if you think about it for a moment.

[Arcanelady27]

The OP is a first time poster. Many new visitors to the site aren't familiar with its structure and either don't search or else fail to find existing threads with lots of useful information that us old timers know about and often have contributed to. I think the thread I linked to contains some very helpful advice, also relevant for the OP. True, it is not field specific, but the presence of the link in this thread does not stop you from replying with SLP specific advice. I think posting the link is a helpful gesture. I have to say, though, for someone who complains about the posting of non field specific advice in this thread, your advice is not SLP specific either, if you think about it for a moment.

How can you say my advice is not SLP specific? I am in  the SLP forum...am I not? Therefore, it is safe to assume that I am referring to SLP graduate school! 

 

I never said I was not a helpful gesture, maybe just not what the OP was looking for...

Edited January 16, 2014 by Arcanelady27

[autismadvocate]

I wish I'd known that I wanted to become an SLP all the way through. If I had, I would've graduated with a Communication Sciences and Disorders major instead of having to go back and get a post-bacc now (and I would have saved a lot of money).

 

That said, the way things are working out isn't that bad. I'm getting a lot of experience with kids on the spectrum this year and learning just how hard it is to be a caregiver for a child with autism, so I can relate better to parents now. And because of my extra year of schooling, I'm living at home with my parents and have developed a closer relationship with my stepdad. Would I trade my experiences of this year for having gotten my Communication Sciences and Disorders major right out of the gate and going straight to an SLP Masters? Yes, in a heartbeat. But this is a nice consolation prize...

[ImpulsiveNixie]

I am not interested in research at all.  I did not do any research in my undergrad.  I just want to be a clinician.  Will not having any research experience affect me getting into grad school?

 

I don't think that it will affect your getting into grad school if the schools you are applying to are not strong research colleges. However, I think this comment is a bit unsettling.

 

First) Evidence based practice is the way of the field. It is how we justify our practices and treatment as clinicians. If you do not want to do any research - how are you going to do find the treatment that is perfect and tailored for your client?

Second) Research and articles are the foundation for most grad programs. The programs aim is to teach us how to be our own advocates and what we need to do to be effective. 

 

While I am sure that you purely mentioning the fact that you don't find the idea of being a lab rat behind closed doors is appealing and you would prefer to be out in the trenches doing the leg work, I hope that you understand that research comes in all shapes and sizes. While in grad school (or at least I know here at SDSU and at NAU), you will be drowning in research articles and reviews. This is to prepare you for the influx of information and to hone your skills of knowing the difference between solid research and what is utter bullcrap. There are a lot of theories out there and some have more backing than others. My Phonetics/Phonology professor taught us that by showing us different methods of treatment and then showing us through research why one treatment would be better than another. 

[Persis]

I don't think that it will affect your getting into grad school if the schools you are applying to are not strong research colleges. However, I think this comment is a bit unsettling.

 

First) Evidence based practice is the way of the field. It is how we justify our practices and treatment as clinicians. If you do not want to do any research - how are you going to do find the treatment that is perfect and tailored for your client?

Second) Research and articles are the foundation for most grad programs. The programs aim is to teach us how to be our own advocates and what we need to do to be effective. 

 

While I am sure that you purely mentioning the fact that you don't find the idea of being a lab rat behind closed doors is appealing and you would prefer to be out in the trenches doing the leg work, I hope that you understand that research comes in all shapes and sizes. While in grad school (or at least I know here at SDSU and at NAU), you will be drowning in research articles and reviews. This is to prepare you for the influx of information and to hone your skills of knowing the difference between solid research and what is utter bullcrap. There are a lot of theories out there and some have more backing than others. My Phonetics/Phonology professor taught us that by showing us different methods of treatment and then showing us through research why one treatment would be better than another. 

ImpulsiveNixie, i know that i will be drowning in research articles and reviews.  I did a lot of those in my undergrad.  I am merely talking about helping professors in their research studies i have no interest in.  I am sure that i am not the only that doesn't want to be a lab rat.  People who are clinicians do not do research only professors do.  However, as clinicians we have to read the up to date techniques and strategies that works and doesn't work.  I am just saying that i have no interest in doing that.  I don't think there is anything wrong with it.

[SLPamy]

This is a good topic! I wish that I sought out an internship during my earlier years of college. If I had tried, I could have easily gotten one at a local speech and hearing center who frequently takes students from my school. I wish that I had tried to get involved in research. I also wish that I had more experience - even just shadowing/observing - in the medical setting.

I wish that when I took the GRE, I had known which schools to send my scores to. I took it early on last summer so I just picked a few schools I thought I'd be applying to. Later on, I had to resend my scores to a few of the schools I had chosen because I didn't send them to the CSDCAS code, but to the school code. Or, I had to resend them because the school didn't store GRE codes unless an application was already started/turned in.

Speaking of the GRE, I wish that I had practiced writing more of the essay prompts. That section totally freaked me out (mainly the time limit) and I know that I am capable of at least a 4.5 or greater. I just got so overwhelmed by that section.

I also wish that I had made an effort to do my personal statements sooner. I wish that I had started a few general drafts in the summer and had them all finished before winter break. I still have to write one more statement and I just really don't want to lol. UGH

[trejsi]

I wish I would have taken more psychology courses (maybe get a minor in psych), been involved in more research, and made stronger relationships with some of my professors.

[lisa19]

I wish I put more effort into my academics from day one. Those freshman year grades can come back to haunt you!

[ImpulsiveNixie]

ImpulsiveNixie, i know that i will be drowning in research articles and reviews.  I did a lot of those in my undergrad.  I am merely talking about helping professors in their research studies i have no interest in.  I am sure that i am not the only that doesn't want to be a lab rat.  People who are clinicians do not do research only professors do.  However, as clinicians we have to read the up to date techniques and strategies that works and doesn't work.  I am just saying that i have no interest in doing that.  I don't think there is anything wrong with it.

 

Ya, that is what I thought when I re-read your post and why I put a caveat. 

[mheroux92]

I wish I'd have known (sooner) about the prerequisites ASHA is now requiring for your C's. I'm lacking in statistics and a physical science.

[SweetPea21]

I wish I would have taken the GRE a lot sooner. I was only able to take it twice before I had to submit apps. If I could rewind time, I would have taken it a year before apps were do so I had more time to study in the areas I was weak.

 

I see that you are a USU online student. I wish I would have done more to get to know the professors better. Being an online student, you are a name among hundreds of others. I asked if I could join the honors group for Comm Disorders so I could work on a project with a professor, but they don't do the honors program with online students. So I had the idea to contact a couple of professors to see if I could do the same thing independent of the honors program... but never followed through on the idea. Now I wish I had... or at least tried to do something to set myself apart.

 

I am glad that I did get in a years worth of volunteer experience before I applied. It gave me more LOR writers besides professors, and they were able to write about my hands-on experience. I am glad I attended the Summer Seminars at USU last summer. I was able to meet some of the professors there and the presentations were awesome and insightful.

[Ssen]

I wish I put more effort into my academics from day one. Those freshman year grades can come back to haunt you!

I completely agree! On that same boat as you

[lisa19]

I completely agree! On that same boat as you

 

Glad to hear I'm not alone. Luckily many programs understand that freshman year is a transition period and is often not representative of who we are today and if not I made that very clear in my SOP haha

[Ssen]

Glad to hear I'm not alone. Luckily many programs understand that freshman year is a transition period and is often not representative of who we are today and if not I made that very clear in clear in my SOP haha

Same! I did so bad freshman year, it took forever to get my GPA back up and it's still not great   Which is why I looked to only apply to schools that would look into my SOP and be understanding of that! 

[Persis]

Same! I did so bad freshman year, it took forever to get my GPA back up and it's still not great   Which is why I looked to only apply to schools that would look into my SOP and be understanding of that! 

Ssen, what schools are those that would look into SOP and be understanding?

Edited February 1, 2014 by Asemooooooo

[Ssen]

Ssen, what schools are those that look would look into SOP and be understanding?

I applied to Seton Hall University, Montclair State University, Kean Univeristy, Monmouth University, Brooklyn College, Queens College, Hunter College and NYU...when I talked to people and looked up these schools, most of them seemed to have put more weight on getting to know the applicant through the SOP..I'm not too sure about Queens, Monmouth, and Hunter but I'm pretty sure about the others. I also was restricted with applying because I didn't want to leave the NJ/ NY area so I don't know about schools in other areas 

[queenleblanc]

So... here's my list of "I wish I knew" (back when). 

• I wish I knew how much I would grow to dislike my first career choice.
• I wish I knew that SLP existed, and that it is more than just teaching kids how to say their R's and L's. 
• I wish I knew that I could help people with voice disorders when I was teaching middle school chorus and elementary music.
• I wish I knew how much I would like the medical side of SLP ... especially voice and swallowing. 
• I wish I knew that SLP is so much more than speech and language. 

I don't regret my first career and I will always treasure those experiences and moments... but I could be SO much farther along.  Heck.  I could have my PhD by now.