Undergrad courses vs Grad course

[Pjeak]

Hello. I will be starting grad school in august and I don't really know what to expect. Everyone is always talking about how stressful and hard it is, but never explain how and why. Is it that much different than undergrad? Are the classes harder than they were in undergrad or is it just time constraints with clinic? Thank you!

[angela4]

I haven't started SLP grad school yet, but I have been in grad school for a different field. For what it's worth, I found that the coursework itself was not harder, just more time consuming.The assignments were different because I had to think in a more analytical way - not just memorizing information, but thinking for myself, and analyzing the type of work I did in internships and relating it to what we were learning. I did not think the actual material (the readings, etc). was any harder than in undergrad! I'm not sure if it will be like this for SLP, but I hope so :). 

[angela4]

To add to my previous post, I think there are always people who talk about how hard grad school is- when it might just be their way of coping with extra stress. Especially because it is socially expected and acceptable to talk about how busy you are while in grad school. There are tons of challenging times in life, whether it's stressful times at work, with family, etc. Some things are more acceptable to "complain" about, and grad school is one of them. It's sort of like a badge of honor for some people. But that's just what I think.

Edited June 4, 2017 by angela4

[tonguelover]

I have taken one graduate class, an online grad class in insect ecology just a couple years ago. I have a (admittedly dated) Biology degree, took several undergraduate classes in entomology, and have worked in the field for many years. The graduate class was much, much more difficult than anything ever I took as an undergrad. I managed an A but I found the class brutal and it was the only class I was taking AND I was only working a few hours a day. I managed an A beause I'm a good test-taker but I honestly didn't understand a lot of it very well.  

I'm hoping grad work in SLP won't be anything like that, or I'm doomed.

[YaketyYak]

I think it depends on the program. Some programs are not much harder than undergrad classes while other programs are extremely rigorous, and it can also differ from professor to professor. I have heard many different stories from graduate students in other programs. Personally, I would see about connecting with a second year student from your program and getting their feedback. It'll probably be much more useful than generalized information.  

[ThousandsHardships]

I can't speak for your field, but I've been through two graduate programs and will be starting a third, so I'll just talk about what my experiences have been.

For me, I feel that the stress is rarely due to the classes themselves. One key thing I've found is that in order to succeed, what you do in the program needs to match your goals for going into the program. What I mean by that is, those who start grad school to improve the world may be discouraged to find that the chances of truly making a difference are minimal. Those who want a PhD just to teach may suffer when they discover that research isn't their calling. Those who start a program with a tenure-track faculty position as their only goal may stress when they find colleagues struggle in the job market. Most of us know how to write papers and take tests, and sometimes we think we know what we want because we've read about it somewhere or talked to someone. But book learning doesn't always transfer as we get more in-depth into the field. As we begin to experience the uncertainty and the not-so-fun parts of grad school, we sometimes begin to question what we're really in it for and whether it's worth it to keep going, whether our goals really match the reality of the program. The hard fact is that very rarely do we get exposed to the types of work we're required to do as a grad student, and for those who've never been through grad school before, we end up discovering more about us and our discipline than we'd care to know, things that really don't come up on our radars until we're actually in it.

Grad students can also get sucked up into departmental politics. You can no longer avoid the professors that didn't like you. They will know exactly who you are, and they will talk to their colleagues about you, and if you don't have someone who's got your back in the event of a conflict, one person's opinion can spread through the entire department and they can make your life hell. Many grad students are also at that point when they are starting a family. Imagine taking three classes, spending 20 hours a week on teaching duties, and trying to prioritize research and attend conferences. If you add on a toddler and a nursing infant to the mix, all while getting paid less than $1500 a month, no wonder these people are stressed out! Some students also say that they don't feel that their advisers support their goals, so that's another source of stress sometimes.

Edited June 4, 2017 by ThousandsHardships

[eggfish]

On 6/4/2017 at 11:18 AM, angela4 said:

I haven't started SLP grad school yet, but I have been in grad school for a different field. For what it's worth, I found that the coursework itself was not harder, just more time consuming.The assignments were different because I had to think in a more analytical way - not just memorizing information, but thinking for myself, and analyzing the type of work I did in internships and relating it to what we were learning. I did not think the actual material (the readings, etc). was any harder than in undergrad! I'm not sure if it will be like this for SLP, but I hope so :). 

This is my experience as well in SLP.

I also find it difficult to balance coursework with clinical placements.  However, I seem to put more effort into clinical placements than most of my classmates, who seem more concerned with maintaining a 4.0 GPA than learning via practicing. 

Edited June 8, 2017 by eggfish

[jpiccolo]

Recent slp grad here. My entire cohort agreed that grad school wasn't hard; it's time consuming. You have to balance class and clinic and prioritize and that is the hardest part. Yes we had tough exams but nothing significantly harder than undergrad. It's a challenge to study/do hw and constantly be making therapy plans. If you do a thesis, then that just adds to the pile. But hands down it was all about time management. 

[Pjeak]

Thanks for the responses everyone!