GA POSITIONS

[Soon2beSLP]

I have been debating if I want to apply to be a GA. I know not everyone gets one but I was wondering if anyone had any pros and cons of working as a GA. I guess my only concern is timing but I didn't know if anyone had any insight?

[ell012]

I was a GA and it helped me tremendously- at my school, GAs got a substantial discount on tuition as well as a paycheck. The time commitment was sometimes difficult- we had to do about 12 hours a week, so sometimes I had to go in on the weekend if things had been too crazy during the week. It wasn't impossible, though. It also exposed me to working in a lab and what goes into research "behind the scenes." I'm super grateful that I managed to obtain a GA position.

[SpeechLaedy]

I just had an interview to become a GA at my school in the clinic You should specifically ask if you get a discount on tuition because they told me we only get $10/hr and that's pretty much it. The value in a GA position (for my case at least) really comes from the experience you gain. We get to help the clinicians and also form special bonds/relationships with the professors that many of the other grad students may not get the opportunity to make, which can lead to networking and other possibly great opportunities later on. And like ell012 said, you get to see what goes on behind the scenes. For me, I see it as the closest thing to becoming an SLPA in NY (which does not exist unfortunately), so I want to learn as much as I can.

 

That being said, there is also the added responsibilities that it brings. Whether or not you want to have to balance a job during grad school is something you would have to consider. Although I am a lot better and continue to work on it, I am not the best at time management. I am still willing to challenge myself to get better and I believe I will succeed as a GA + grad student. But everyone is different, and it's better to be honest with yourself about whether you will or will not want to juggle added responsibilities.

 

And for someone who has a family or financial responsibilities to take care of, $10/hr may not be feasible, even if becoming a GA is a good opportunity. I don't have any children right now, but my husband and I definitely had to weigh the pros and cons before we decided becoming a GA would actually be a good decision for us in the long run. I would have to decrease my hours at my full time job or quit to allow time for this new commitment. So if I start as a GA in the Fall, my hubs may have to pay my bills and other things which is added stress for him since he pays most of the bills already. But since we're all about "the big picture," he will do his best to manage that since it is for the greater good. 

 

Someone in a different situation may or may not see the same cons, or it may not greatly affect them like it did for us. Hope that helps! 

Edited May 6, 2017 by SpeechLaedy