SUNY New Paltz

[2bridges]

Hey guys,

I have just been accepted to the online Post Bacc program at New Paltz. Does anyone have any information about it? I spoke the director Dr. Stella Turk and her assistant Nina JeckerBryne and they seem really nice and accommodating.

I'm not sure how many classes I should take my first semester. These will be the first Speech pre reqs I have every taken. I can register for 2 or 3 classes but I will be working full time for the first 5 weeks of the semester, until the end of June (yay summer vacation!) and I will be free the remaining 4 weeks of the semester. I don't want to overload myself but I would like to get my prereqs done asap, as I probably will only have 4-5 pre reqs completed when I start the application process at the end of 2015.

Do you think 3 online classes is too much?

How are the classes structured? Synchronously at certain times and days of the week or must I log on everyday?

How are tests midterms, finals and quizzes given? Must I pay and take tests at proctured sites?

What is your experience with this program. I took one online course a few years ago that was not difficult, but it was time consuming and tedious. I hope that is not the case with this program. Dr. Turk said I should budget 50-60 hours of week for these courses. Is that the norm???

Thank for reading this!

[jlgpoint169]

Hi,

I am in my final (and 4th) semester on the New Paltz post bacc program - I've just been accepted at my top choice grad program and I think that is down in part to the great program run at New Paltz.

I did 3 courses in my first semester and 2 per semester after that - it was a lot of work, but not 50-60 hours per week, that seems like a bit of an overestimate.  I did all my work in the evenings and at weekends and managed to get it all done, so you should be fine doing it while working (the majority of people on course have day jobs).  I did work pretty much every evening and weekend day during that first semester.

The tests are mostly online - the questions / timing are set up in such a way that even though they're 'open book' you still need to have studied to do well.  There are a few final / midterms which require you to go to a proctored site, or use an online proctoring service.

Good luck!  I think it's a great program

[2bridges]

Jlgpoint169,

Hi and thanks for your response

You said you did all your work in the evenings and during the weekend. Are you required to be online everyday for the classes? Or do certain classes meet at certain days/times? I was also accepted to the WKU online Post BaCc program and I know their classes meet at certain days/times. I'm leaning toward SUNY because the tuition would be cheaper for me as a NY resident.

I am thinking I will register for 3 classes but I'm a bit hesitant. I took one online class a couple of years ago that was all busy work. Everyday we had to comment on topics and repond to others comments. It became tedious. Would you say the SUNY post bacc is like that?

Also, will I have to teach myself using the course materials or are there videos of the professor teaching the lesson?

Any other tips for me as I begin the New Paltz program would be greatly appreciated!

[jlgpoint169]

Hi,

They say that you're supposed to login and check for messages everyday, but it's pretty much up to you when you view presentations or chats (there are a few scheduled web chats, but aside from initial chats at the start of semester, students are not required to be present at those, they are recorded and you can listen afterwards).

Most of the courses have audio or video of the professors which enhances the written material - and they encourage (actually usually require) that you take part in discussions with classmates.

This was my first experience with online learning, so I don't have anything to compare it to, but overall I think it's been great.

Good luck!

[2bridges]

Hi,

 

Thanks for the info you provided! I registered for 3 classes, Audiology, Intro to Comm. Dis. and Anatomy and Phys. I'm really nervous because I haven't been to school in 6 years. I hope 3 classes will not be too much for my first semester. The good thing is that I only have to work the first 4 weeks of the semester, then I am on summer vacation and the Pre Reqs will be my sole focus.

 

Just thinking ahead, did you find it difficult to acquire quality letters of recommendation from the professors? Being that I live 2 hours away from the school, I doubt I will meet them, and I am wondering how I can stand out and make an impression on them.

 

Do you know what the general impression of the SUNY online program is amongst SLP graduate programs in NY? I spoke to a GA from Brooklyn College and she said that they have had graduate students who took Pre Reqs through New Paltz, so that put me at ease a bit.

[pikafuerte]

Hi, 2bridges!

It's one year since you've posted this, and as a student about to begin the SUNY New Paltz program, I've got many of the same questions. If you're still active on these boards, I wonder if you would be able to take a few minutes to answer the questions you posed? 

I'm supposed to go to a wedding the very first week of classes, and I'm wondering whether that's a bad idea or totally do-able. 

I'm also curious if you were able to get the letters of recommendation that you needed.

Final question--because I'm old and did my undergraduate many years ago--should I be prepared to haul textbooks around with me if I'm studying on the road, or are most textbooks online and/or digital these days?

Thanks for your help, or anyone else who can answer these questions!

Edited April 2, 2016 by pikafuerte
spelling error

[Speechpath2016]

43 minutes ago, pikafuerte said:

Hi, 2bridges!

It's one year since you've posted this, and as a student about to begin the SUNY New Paltz program, I've got many of the same questions. If you're still active on these boards, I wonder if you would be able to take a few minutes to answer the questions you posed? 

I'm supposed to go to a wedding the very first week of classes, and I'm wondering whether that's a bad idea or totally do-able. 

I'm also curious if you were able to get the letters of recommendation that you needed.

Final question--because I'm old and did my undergraduate many years ago--should I be prepared to haul textbooks around with me if I'm studying on the road, or are most textbooks online and/or digital these days?

Thanks for your help, or anyone else who can answer these questions!

Hello,

I'm not OP, but I am in my last semester of the Post Bacc program at New Paltz. I applied to grad school this application cycle and was accepted to 3 schools in NY. I'm in a slightly different position than you, as I took some prereqs during undergrad - I only needed 3 classes total to complete my prereqs. However, I did take 2 courses last semester, and I found it really overwhelming. However, that had a lot to do with one specific class - the Observations course. They have you do either a writeup on a few observations sessions or a mandatory discussion board on alternating weeks. There's something due every single week that class. It didn't help that my TA was a particularly harsh grader. The other two courses that I took were much easier to manage. Oh but I should also mention that I was working full time while taking the courses, so that definitely had an effect on things as well. 

I can't speak on letters of rec, as I got mine from my undergrad professors, but I had a friend in the program who obtained one from one of the professors in the post bacc. If you're planning on getting a letter, I would recommend interacting with that professor a lot so that they get a sense of who you are. 

Going to a wedding your first week should be fine - just make sure you check your syllabuses to make sure you get in everything that is due. As for the textbooks, you could find textbooks in both physical copies and ebooks - however, physical books tend to be cheaper since you can find them used. I hope this long winded post helped somewhat, haha! As long as you do well in the courses, I think the post bacc program is a great way to jump into the field and eventually apply for grad school!

Edited April 2, 2016 by Speechpath2016
clarification

[pikafuerte]

Thank you so much, Speechpath2016! (I'm new to these boards so didn't see your response until now.) I really appreciate hearing from someone who's in the program. And congrats on all the schools you were accepted into!