Choosing a Program: Interests in Animal Behavior, Autism Research, Music Psychology, Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology

[kittyoverthemoon]

Well, if the title isn't busy enough...

I'm a recent graduate from a Bachelor of Science program in Child & Family Studies with a minor in Psychology. I added the minor quite late in the game and realized that my interests are more compatible with the area of psychology research than human services work. You know that moment right before graduation when you contemplate every decision you've made over the past 4 years and either confirm or regret it all? I switched my major 3 times, and I don't regret it, but I know I've been fooling myself. I know where my passions have always been, but I chose to neglect them because they were within fields that weren't known for their high monetary output. That said, I'm making a switch for graduate school and want to pick the right area of study. 

My academic background relevant to my future consists of child development and the major areas of psychology, including Developmental, Abnormal, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Cognitive Psychology. I also have basic chemistry and biology classes taken care of. 

My field experience includes a semester working under a music theorist in a Music Cognition lab, and one year of working as an ABA therapist at a preschool for autistic children.

So my interests (both personal and professional) include:

-music (learning music theory, vocal production/pedagogy, music therapy neuroscience)--I have a natural talent for music and so this will not be an extreme challenge.

-animals (ethology (behavior) and communication, especially vocal signalling)

-autism (hearing + language development and production, sensory issues, music therapy)

I just can't decide whether to go for practice (as an SLP/AuD) or research. I am very introverted and get very drained around a lot of people after a short time, which makes me weary about SLP. But given my somewhat sparse academic background, I'm not sure if I can make it as a research scientist, much less narrow down an area of specialization to choose a program. 

Occupational therapy and music therapy are out, as I've researched those careers and don't believe they are right for me. 

So, any of you who have had interest enough to read up to now, thanks, I hope I can get some insight from some of you!

 

 

[reddog]

Read your post, and although I have no experience in your field whatsoever.. I just want to say, although I do not know you particularly well , I am proud of you for choosing for yourself. I've had the same struggles during my undergraduate, and after 3 years of internships and a completed master study I am finally able to say I have found my place in the 'right area of study'. So good luck!

[kokobanana]

On 11/29/2015 at 2:22 PM, kittyoverthemoon said:

Well, if the title isn't busy enough...

I'm a recent graduate from a Bachelor of Science program in Child & Family Studies with a minor in Psychology. I added the minor quite late in the game and realized that my interests are more compatible with the area of psychology research than human services work. You know that moment right before graduation when you contemplate every decision you've made over the past 4 years and either confirm or regret it all? I switched my major 3 times, and I don't regret it, but I know I've been fooling myself. I know where my passions have always been, but I chose to neglect them because they were within fields that weren't known for their high monetary output. That said, I'm making a switch for graduate school and want to pick the right area of study. 

My academic background relevant to my future consists of child development and the major areas of psychology, including Developmental, Abnormal, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Cognitive Psychology. I also have basic chemistry and biology classes taken care of. 

My field experience includes a semester working under a music theorist in a Music Cognition lab, and one year of working as an ABA therapist at a preschool for autistic children.

So my interests (both personal and professional) include:

-music (learning music theory, vocal production/pedagogy, music therapy neuroscience)--I have a natural talent for music and so this will not be an extreme challenge.

-animals (ethology (behavior) and communication, especially vocal signalling)

-autism (hearing + language development and production, sensory issues, music therapy)

I just can't decide whether to go for practice (as an SLP/AuD) or research. I am very introverted and get very drained around a lot of people after a short time, which makes me weary about SLP. But given my somewhat sparse academic background, I'm not sure if I can make it as a research scientist, much less narrow down an area of specialization to choose a program. 

Occupational therapy and music therapy are out, as I've researched those careers and don't believe they are right for me. 

So, any of you who have had interest enough to read up to now, thanks, I hope I can get some insight from some of you!

 

 

Have you considered working as a researcher for a few years to see if it is right for you? I was in a similar situation after graduation - I wasn't sure if I wanted to go to medical school / graduate school / or something completely different. To be honest, I wasn't really sure what I was interested in either, and I was going through what felt like a massive crisis (I woke up every day thinking "what am I doing with my life?!?!?"). So I took a total of 3 years off, and I don't regret any of it. I think the key is to spend your time away from school effectively by getting a position in something that will allow you to explore your interests. I worked as a researcher assistant in a field I was interested in for the last year and a half, and the pay was not bad, and it allowed me to take courses part time at a night school (the university subsidized the tuition heavily).

And the thing with research (in my opinion) is that it's hard to figure out what you are interested in until you really do it. It helps to have a general interest in the area first, but finding a passion for a subject is hard to predict.

But don't worry about not knowing what to do... so many people feel the same way after graduation. They just don't show it.

[Dedi]

Your interests may be broad, but they centralize (mostly) on one topic: music/sound and its interpretation.

I had really niche interests, then got really broad as I learned more about a topic, and then parsed down to a manageable research topic that encompasses what I want to do most. You may have to do that, should you want to continue in research. Also, it is not unheard of doing an AuD and becoming a professor with research on the side (more or less clinical). My friend is considering that. 

That being said, I agree that maybe you can take a year to explore if research is something that you are comfortable doing for most of your life. Grad schools are not going to disappear anytime soon.

[Cio_Chris]

My advice to you, SLPs/AUDs work with people all day long so if you don't like working with people, I suggest picking a research career. Its up to you, as you only know yourself the best. It is possible to be an SLP and an introvert. I'm not the biggest extrovert around but I do enjoy working with people and do so in my current job a lot and I plan on being an slp/resercher. Research might be a promising career for you as its a bit of the best of both worlds. I suggest working as a home healthcare aid/nursinghome/school aid/, as you will have to work with people all day long in a setting similar to that of an SLP/AUD setting. That will let you know if you will be okay with that part. You can also take some time to do even more research and take some classes to help support your research career.  Your previous project sounds really cool by the way. Good luck. I know you'll land where you need to. 

[kittyoverthemoon]

On 12/15/2015 at 8:48 AM, reddog said:

Read your post, and although I have no experience in your field whatsoever.. I just want to say, although I do not know you particularly well , I am proud of you for choosing for yourself. I've had the same struggles during my undergraduate, and after 3 years of internships and a completed master study I am finally able to say I have found my place in the 'right area of study'. So good luck!

Thank you so much! It's been the strangest thing to suddenly come upon undergrad graduation and feel like you haven't just changed over the past 4 years, but are still changing and kind of don't recognize yourself. I'm glad that you have found your place! I'm from a small town and so even though I had high standards for myself growing up, I never contemplated going so far as a career in research. Anyway, I wish you luck and happiness in your continuing studies and endeavors as well!

[kittyoverthemoon]

11 hours ago, Cio_Chris said:

My advice to you, SLPs/AUDs work with people all day long so if you don't like working with people, I suggest picking a research career. Its up to you, as you only know yourself the best. It is possible to be an SLP and an introvert. I'm not the biggest extrovert around but I do enjoy working with people and do so in my current job a lot and I plan on being an slp/resercher. Research might be a promising career for you as its a bit of the best of both worlds. I suggest working as a home healthcare aid/nursinghome/school aid/, as you will have to work with people all day long in a setting similar to that of an SLP/AUD setting. That will let you know if you will be okay with that part. You can also take some time to do even more research and take some classes to help support your research career.  Your previous project sounds really cool by the way. Good luck. I know you'll land where you need to. 

Thanks for the advice! I did work at an outpatient therapy facility with an autism program for children and was around SLPs all the time, so I still don't know why I can't choose. I replied to someone else in this post that I feel like I've completely changed over my undergrad years, almost by personality. I thought I was outgoing as a child, and maybe that dwindled through high school, but now, I only really enjoy quiet time reading literature on my favorite topics with my cat or something and just really don't enjoy being around anyone. I have had depression since I was 12 and I guess it's gotten worse the last two years of my undergrad, but this is the first time in my life that I feel that some kind of social anxiety is affecting me, for example, in my job that I described above. I LOVED being with my kids and observing the cute things that they say and do, but I had a constant anxiety hovering every time I would work, almost like a performance anxiety or something. I don't know if this is something of my own adult personality that I don't recognize or if it could be "fixed" by continuing my psychotherapy. You think I could figure this out as someone interested in the psych field, right? Anyway, you've learned way more about me than anyone on here should, but hey, what are forums for? Thanks for listening, and for your encouraging post. Best of luck to you as well!

[kittyoverthemoon]

On 12/15/2015 at 9:05 AM, kokobanana said:

Have you considered working as a researcher for a few years to see if it is right for you? I was in a similar situation after graduation - I wasn't sure if I wanted to go to medical school / graduate school / or something completely different. To be honest, I wasn't really sure what I was interested in either, and I was going through what felt like a massive crisis (I woke up every day thinking "what am I doing with my life?!?!?"). So I took a total of 3 years off, and I don't regret any of it. I think the key is to spend your time away from school effectively by getting a position in something that will allow you to explore your interests. I worked as a researcher assistant in a field I was interested in for the last year and a half, and the pay was not bad, and it allowed me to take courses part time at a night school (the university subsidized the tuition heavily).

And the thing with research (in my opinion) is that it's hard to figure out what you are interested in until you really do it. It helps to have a general interest in the area first, but finding a passion for a subject is hard to predict.

But don't worry about not knowing what to do... so many people feel the same way after graduation. They just don't show it.

Thanks for the reply, actually, I've just recently submitted my application (complete with what seemed like tons of documents) to a research position in the psychology department at my alma mater. But I'm sure it's competitive, especially since I don't have a psychology B.S. And I really don't have a plan B as far as jobs for now, but I do need some time to figure my life out. My dad is really not aware of the decisions that people my age have to make nowadays with grad school becoming more of an acceptable option, and he's always saying that he's concerned that I'm going to have too much debt and that grad school won't be worth it. Hopefully, I can begin to support myself while at the same time continue to further my career goals before the half of the year is up. I know I'll always have a spot volunteering in the Music Cognition lab that I'm in though, so that's a good thing. Thanks for your support, it means a lot.