Speech Pathology as an undergrad?

[alyrose83]

Hello, I am currently finishing up my first year as an undergrad pre-nursing student and have recently decided to switch to Speech Language Pathology. The reason why I am switching is due to the fact that nursing is not in my heart and I believe that I wouldn't be capable of such a job for the rest of my life. I've only found out about Speech Language Pathology this year and it has definitely sparked my interest. I love the idea of helping others, especially children with their speech development. I feel as if I'd feel truly accomplished and moved by such experiences. 

 

I've done a lot of research in the program and am aware that you need a Masters. I also know that it is a highly competitive program to get into, especially in California (unfortunately I live here). I also know it's a lot of paperwork when you're working as a speech pathologist. I'm willing to do whatever it takes in order for me to be successful in this field. 

 

Now, my question is... How hard is the undergraduate and Masters program? Especially compared to fields such as Nursing. What should I expect in the courses as an undergraduate student? Is it more on memorization or more on critical thinking?

 

Also, I am very interested in applying to CSUN and CSULA for the Masters programs. Anyone who is familiar or who has attended their SLP program, what was your experience like? What other schools in California should I look in to? 

 

Am I just jeopardizing my future by switching majors? I really want to become a SLP, but I'm just so terrified that I won't make it. 

 

How are the GREs? How should I prepare myself? Please add as much information as you can! Thank you so much!

[sayjo]

Hey there!  I was a teacher for five years before I decided to make the switch.  While change is scary, it's definitely worth it if you feel like SLP is what you really want to do.

 

I, like you, was nervous about the coursework when I first began SLP.  My first degree was in English and education, so my undergrad work had lots of paper writing, but few tests and little memorization.  I was extremely apprehensive about taking science classes for SLP (having somewhat of a bad track record in science as a high school student); however, I've found most of my science-y classes for SLP to be extremely interesting since they are applicable to my future career.  While SLP classes definitely require more memorization than my previous coursework, I've found it easy to be successful.

 

Honestly, the GREs just...suck.  It's a completely stupid exam, but it is a necessary evil if you're going to get into grad school.  The first time I took the GRE (many years ago), I barely studied since I tend to be a pretty good test taker.  I thought, "Oh, I can wing this."  DON'T WING IT.  Everyone taking the GREs is smart.  Your score will most likely not be good unless you study.  Start studying 2-3 months ahead of time.  Buy yourself a prep book, a math review book, and a GRE vocab book.  My #1 piece of advice is to memorize tons of vocab.  I swear that's the only reason I got such a high score on the verbal section.  

 

My one last piece of advice - consider double majoring so that you have something to fall back on if you don't get into grad school your first year applying.  Or at least have a plan B on what you will do if you don't get in (i.e. work as a paraprofessional in a school for a year; get your ABA license).  This will give you peace of mind as you begin on your journey.  Best of luck to you!

[emikate51]

I went into undergrad as a biochem major planning to go to pharmacy school. I switched after one semester to speech path and was still able to graduate in three years. For me, the classes haven't been bad, but science and math come pretty easy to me. There are some similarities to nursing with the anatomy and everything. The large majority of my classes were mainly test based, with a combination of memorizing and a little critical thinking. I took 18 credits every semester, had a 3.8 GPA for most semester and never really felt stressed about classes,  buttt that totally depends on the person and the school. GRE also wasn't bad because I feel I'm a decent standardized test taker, but I did buy a book to look through and I would recommend that. If you don't get into grad school you could always go back and get an associate's nursing degree since you'll already have some classes out of the way. Just try to be really involved in classes and outside of class, go see professors for office hours, since you'll likely need their letters of recommendation, join NSSLHA, volunteer, find related work experience if possible, etc just to make your resume look more appealing to grad schools. 

[ljhslp]

Hi! I'm not really an expert on switching majors because I've known I wanted to go into speech since high school. However, when I was in college, I lived with a nursing student (already in the nursing program). I would have to say that as an undergrad, it's probably fairly similar to the nursing program in terms of difficulty. We spent hours every day studying, writing papers, doing group projects, etc. in the library, and it never seemed that one ran out of homework/things to study any sooner than the other. We didn't have a lot of free time because both of us worked full-time, but if you're not working much, you should have plenty of time to relax and enjoy yourself still. However, I know that grad school is much, much more difficult that undergrad. There is a lot more time spent on class work (whether it's projects, researching, writing papers, etc), and you have clients on top of that. If it's something you love and you're willing to take the time to study, learn, plan for clients, etc. you will be just fine As far as the GRE goes, definitely study! I was near the top of my class, but I didn't study for the GRE, so I came out with a 150 and 159 (not very good scores). A lot of my classmates who studied saw the terms they studied on the test, and they did very well (160-167s). If you don't have a great score, be sure to look into other schools that would more likely accept you. Also, make sure you have a solid resume. If you have time to volunteer, do it. If you can find a job somewhere that will help you learn more about speech, take it. I decided to take a year off before applying because my resume hardly had anything on it. I worked full time during undergrad and never had the time to volunteer, job shadow, observe, etc. I volunteered at three places and worked as an SLPA during my year off and actually got accepted and waitlisted at more schools than I planned (especially considering my low scores). As the person said above, always have a plan B. Sometimes things don't work out the way we plan, so be sure to have something planned in case you don't get in your first or secnod years applying.

[hopefulspeechie16]

What's the best way to study for the GRE? Books or online programs?

I've heard mixed reviews.

[sayjo]

What's the best way to study for the GRE? Books or online programs?

I've heard mixed reviews.

 

I think you just have to do what's best for you.  A lot of people rave about Magoosh, but my understanding is that it is quite expensive and I personally did just fine with used copies of GRE books I bought on Amazon.  I don't necessarily think that the format you choose matters, just that you study effectively and for a certain amount of time each day.

[Missthang]

What's the best way to study for the GRE? Books or online programs?

I've heard mixed reviews.

I took a couple of the free online bootcamp sessions they offer. It was really helpful to watch the instructor work out different problems and you're allowed to use a chat area to ask them questions. I also bought several different gre prep books thru amazon (they ended up basically being the same thing). Definitely go thru them because it's all about knowing strategies for each section.

[Persis]

If the GRE only test how well you can take the GRE and not your knowledge then i am not sure why we need to study to get the right answers? any thoughts?

[skeener687]

If the GRE only test how well you can take the GRE and not your knowledge then i am not sure why we need to study to get the right answers? any thoughts?

 

From what I understand, the idea is that doing well on the GRE is a way of showing that you prepared for the test, and thus will show schools that you have the will and ability to succeed in grad school. I don't truly believe that, but that's what I take it to mean.

[Persis]

From what I understand, the idea is that doing well on the GRE is a way of showing that you prepared for the test, and thus will show schools that you have the will and ability to succeed in grad school. I don't truly believe that, but that's what I take it to mean.

Interesting to know. Thanks

[Greyhound111]

I went into undergrad as a Biology major (originally I wanted to be an Orthodontist) and switched to SLP after Freshman year after Chem 101 proved far more problematic than I had originally thought... (then, I either couldn't make the switch after semester #1 or wasn't yet sure that was going to be the field for me) ...

 

While I am still going to be able to graduate with a B.A. within the normal four years, the time I spent "catching up" went all the way through my senior year, when most of the students who started as SLP's were moving through electives and padding their overall GPA's, instead of finishing up SLP class requirements.  Because of timing, I don't have my "highest" SLP GPA (which will come in May when I graduate) as when I first applied to Master's programs in late 2013.  Due to the SLP class "catching-up" aspect, I feel my GRE preparation suffered (cause I was so focused on GPA) ... and my 1st attempt at the test resulted in "aggressively average" scores. 

 

Furthermore, I somewhat underestimated how competitive it is to get into a Master's program at all.  I have credentials as good as other candidates out there (high GPA in my SLP major (3.8+) which will be higher still upon Graduation, volunteer / internship, the usual shadowing, part time work in the health care field outside semesters).

 

Plan "B" is a must, as the previous posters all recommend.  Especially for me, as I am not yet willing to leave the tri-state area (NY / NY / CT / PA) to get into a Master's program, my plan "A" schools list is smaller than others.  Since each year moving forward in time from today is going to be more and more competitive than the previous year, there's no guarantee all of us will ever get into a Master's SLP program (but I will keep trying).  The double major is a great idea (and I feel is a "must" if you are still an undergrad in freshman or sophomore year), cause there is very little anyone can do with just a B.A. in SLP and earn a living (to even be an SLPA you need 100 hours supervised field work PLUS the B.A. in NJ).  I am strongly considering other Master's programs (ABA especially) to continue my education while I apply annually for an SLP Master's program as the calendar rolls ahead.

 

I found all my SLP coursework fun in a challenging way... much better than the hard science materials involved in being a Biology or Chemistry major... 

 

Remember that when you get your B.A. in SLP, and apply to Master's, you're competing in an already hyper-competitive and selective field, with other candidates whom have been spending their year(s) after undergrad accumulating the experience that an undergrad student may not be able to accumulate (due to class load, attending school away from home, etc...) ... plus there are more and more people with Bachelor's degrees outside the SLP field getting into Master's SLP programs... combined with their field work experiences (if accumulated), those candidates would always be somewhat more attractive to admissions personnel cause they demonstrate more well-rounded-"ness" to combine with the academic achievements everyone has also.

[hopefulspeechie16]

I think you just have to do what's best for you.  A lot of people rave about Magoosh, but my understanding is that it is quite expensive and I personally did just fine with used copies of GRE books I bought on Amazon.  I don't necessarily think that the format you choose matters, just that you study effectively and for a certain amount of time each day.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'm planning to take it at the end of August. So hopefully an hour a day till then will be good enough.