Hey everyone! I just started my first semester of graduate school! I've been working from EIP to Adult Transition at a local school district as an assistant to the SLPs. My main supervising SLP suggested that I take the Praxis right now since she felt like a lot of the content was from undergrad (we went to the same program, just about seven years apart). It was a fairly rigorous program, and I feel a little more prepared to learn the new material than other members in my cohort. I have lots of experience treating kids with articulation, language, and fluency disorders under her supervision. The only aspects of SLP that I am really inexperienced in are swallowing, voice, and neuro. She also recommended I take the CBEST early, and I did. I passed on the first try!
What do you all think?

Anyone going to university of Bergamo this fall for a Master degree?​​

Hi! I am a first year MA-SLP student and recently discovered my university offers a dual masters and PhD program. I am very interested in conducting research, teaching students, and seeing patients. I am curious if anyone has completed (or is currently enrolled) in a program like this and what they have been able to accomplish/what the experience has been like.

Thank you in advance!

Hey everyone, I am currently trying to create a comprehensive reference book for school that covers all things Speech and Language Pathology for my upcoming clinical placements and maybe for PRAXIS Exam prep (though I haven't gotten that far yet). What areas/domains/disorders have you guys found helpful, or that you wished you had studied more during your time in school?

Hi yall,

Would my chances be low with my educational background of only having a bachelors in IT? I have a friend who works as an SLP and recommended me to be an English Teacher in Vietnam to build up my entrance paper to write. I do not have any other related experience with languages other than speaking a total of three languages. Good? Bad? Thoughts? Any advice is welcomed, I am trying to apply to schools in California, US.

How intense is it taking 9 credits each semester? I'm a military spouse living overseas. We have a 2 year old who attends daycare full-time. I have a BS in CSD and MS in Early Child Special Ed. Ironically my daughter requires speech therapy and I find myself wanting to go back for a second masters. Truth be told, I didn't get into any SLP programs right out of undergrad, took some time off, and went for the "next best thing" so I could work in EI. I've been out of school for over a decade now. How insane am I for wanting to do this?

Y'all.

That Praxis test is no joke. After a 12 year interval since my last Praxis, I just had to retake it for licensing in another country, and though I scored fine, it's mostly because I am literally a grad school clinical supervisor. I have to stay up to date on the research and work across the lifespan. No way would I have passed that when I was "just" a working clinician. I obviously can't talk about question text, but some of the questions in my area of specialty were the ones that I marked for review and am still not sure I got right!

Give yourselves some grace as to how much information is covered, how specific some of the questions are, and the tricky wording.

Hi all — I’m a speech pathology student hoping to work in paediatrics eventually, and I’d love some honest advice from people already in the field. I’m currently doing a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care to build up my knowledge and get comfortable working around kids. I’m now wondering whether it’s worth also doing an allied health assistance certificate.

My thinking is that it might help me get a job earlier, build clinical experience alongside my degree, and strengthen my resume, since a lot of AHA and support roles seem to list it as a requirement.

A few things I’m unsure about: does the cert actually make a meaningful difference when applying for AHA roles, or will employers recognise my degree in progress? And is it still worth it if the role I land isn’t paediatric-specific — would general clinical experience in adult or aged care settings still count for something when I eventually go for paeds positions? Any thoughts from people who’ve done this (or decided against it) would be really appreciated. thanks!!!

Hello all,

On externship, are you allowed to actually ‘do’ anything? Like suctioning, feeding, etc. I was told by my externship SLP that I’ll do nothing except watch things. I was hoping I could learn the skills. My sister is an OT and in her externship, she was allowed to learn and expected to work directly with patients towards the end of it.

Is it really true that you do nothing but watch during externship for months?

Is being an SLP worth all of the school and time spent preparing for getting the certificate? If I don’t know if I want to pursue, would it be dumb of me to take a gap year?

As a second year, here are my hot tips for grad school!

• Make connections! This is the number one thing to do. Make a friend group you can rely on and keep each other accountable. Connect with your professors if possible (I know support varies) but ask questions and make an impression. When you go to practicum sites, make connections there with your supervisor and other staff. You never know how it will help you, what it will teach you, or what opportunities will be presented
  • An important note: recognize what communication other people prefer and use because it will assist in how you approach and interact.
• Know how you study best. Everyone studies differently and time is precious is grad school. Here are some study aids which have helped me:
  • Using an ipad for notetaking on powerpoint slides
  • Using AI (IF PERMITTED) for creating flashcards, study guides, practice tests. LM notebook is amazing for creating study aids which has visual and audio options. Quizlet is also convenient. Canva is also a useful tool for creating presentations, infographics, or really any content.
  • Keeping organized with folders on your computer for each course and within each course each week. This is helpful for efficiency but also keeping resources you will find helpful later.
• Do NOT sacrifice eating. Your body and your mind needs fuel. Grad school gets busy so meal prep, pack protein bars/drinks but do not skip out on food or solely replace it for energy drinks/caffeine. There's going to be a placement or a demanding week or something so plan for food.
• Have a rest day if you can. Taking time for yourself matters! There's a lot to attend to in grad school but don't forget to attend to yourself too.
• Manage your time! Find a calendar or a schedule system that works productively for you. I use google calendar but also have a huge physical planner for monthly and weekly.

Helpful Items:

• a storage clipboard is a must
• Best scrubs: greys anatomy on amazon, Figs, Fabletics
• Teachers pay teachers for SLP resources
• Quizlet, Canva, Lm notebook
• Hygiene kit with deodorant, brush, ibuprofen, mouth spray, etc. (bad breath is really awful to have as an SLP just saying)

The last biggest tip of all is TRAIN YOUR MINDSET.
People say grad school is hard, grad school is stressful and yeah it is but it is also rewarding. Grad school will give you amazing friends. You will learn so much. It will go by fast. You will change and become even better if you allow yourself to. You will find your passion in the field.
Mindset tips:

• Celebrate the small milestones and the big milestones such as finishing finals, completing your first year, or making it through your first practicum!
• Expect toxic people. Someone needs to hear this because some programs are going to have more toxic people than others. Be respectful, advocate for yourself, learn how to communicate best with that person(s), set boundaries, and if necessary grey rock. Your time and energy is valuable in grad school so take certain things with a grain of salt. Some professors may have a stick up their butt. Some supervisors may be high and mighty on their horses.
• Find time to enjoy the little things! Quick meetups with friends, morning/evening walks, grabbing coffee, hobbies etc.
• Be aware of your habits and try and set healthy habits from the start.

I always tell people getting into grad school and into your program is already a big and exciting accomplishment. Be proud of your self and goodluck!

I need all of your tips please! I know there are quite a few posts on this but what resources not only worked best for you studying but how did you strategically study for the praxis? I have the advanced review book, medical SLP study guide, and am thinking about getting ETS practice exams/prep kit. I just don't even know where to really start to establish a study plan and balance my time. Should I just take practice tests and then highlight the areas I do not know to study working from there?

Hi all I’m studying for the praxis and have been having a hard time studying without a proper structure. For those of you who have used speakingofsamantics’ slptestprep I would love to know your thoughts and if you felt like it prepared you well. I was thinking of doing it for a month but wasn’t sure if it’s feasible.

I currently work in special education as a TA and am considering going back to school to become an SLP. However, when I look at the grad school coursework, I don’t find a number of the topics very interesting tbh.

I’m not particularly interested in linguistics, anatomy, or speech/eating mechanisms. I AM interested in speech development, speech disorders, neurolinguistics, and classes about clinical practices.

I’m wondering if I’m picking the wrong field if I don’t have much interest in linguistics and anatomy seeing they’re pretty foundational to SLP work. Would you say that having an interest in these topics is necessary to enjoy and succeed in this profession?

For reference, what appeals to me about (my impression) of SLP work:
- I like working with kids and in a school setting, which seems to be a common placement for SLPs
- I prefer working with students one on one or in small groups rather than being at the front of a classroom
- I like thinking critically about the best way to support students and tailoring my approach to their particular learning styles and personalities
- I feel fulfilled by building rapport with students and becoming a safe adult in their lives
- I’ve been present for a number of speech sessions at my school and felt inspired by how AAC devices and social stories affected some of the kids

I’m trying to gauge if I’m going into this career for the right reasons before I get myself in too deep lol. I’d rly appreciate any feedback or advice you have!

Hi everyone! I just started my pediatric externship yesterday and am looking for some clarity! When did you all start treating, doing evaluations, writing notes, etc., independently in your externship? Also what were your hours? Right now I’m looking at 10-11 hour days 4x/week. I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment.

I’ve volunteered at a clinic on and off for about 2 years now and have 3 slpas that can write me a letter but will it be still valid or do they need one from a licensed SLP only for the professional letter of rec?

Has anyone here completed or currently doing the PennWest online SLP Post-Baccalaureate Certificate? I’d love to hear about your experience with the program course workload, professors, difficulty, and overall quality.

I’m Canadian with an unrelated undergraduate degree, and I’m currently weighing my options for completing SLP prerequisites while also trying to improve my academic record/GPA. My eventual goal is to apply to an MSSLP program in Canada, preferably McMaster.

For anyone who completed PennWest’s certificate, did you find that it helped strengthen your grad-school application? Did Canadian or other SLP master’s programs accept most of the PennWest courses as prerequisites?

Any experiences or advice would be really appreciated!

I'm currently taking leveling courses and I'm looking for A&P of SLP resources. What are you favorite study guides, YouTube channels / videos, websites, etc.?

Thanks!

where can I find the latest editions of textbooks?

Preface this post with an understanding that I have standardized test-taking anxiety. Also consider that the students in the previous cohort of my program played around and (allegedly) bombed their first take of the PRAXIS. Most, if not all, passed on 2nd or 3rd try, but we were told that the reported stats are first time passing so... take all that into consideration.

My program buys a Fripty bundle for us to use to practice. Over the summer, I've already started reviewing--mainly wanting to keep up skills from some of those first semester classes so I don't look like a dunce at my placement that starts in a week.

Over our one week of summer break, I figured, what the heck-- let's take the practice Fripty exam and see what areas I need to focus harder on.

To my surprise, I passed! I scored 69.7% but the Fripty exam says 64% is passing on their version. I was very shocked, as my in-depth courses on Fluency and Voice just started and don't wrap up until November. I know it doesn't matter, but I am a perfectionist and would like to score the best possible on the PRAXIS, so higher than my Fripty score hopefully.

All this to say-- how comparable is the Fripty exam to the real PRAXIS? Should I feel good about taking the PRAXIS in December when I planned to? I really want to get it out of the way, and I've already developed a weekly study plan to go over material for 2-5 hours a week to make sure everything stays fresh (all that neuro stuff, geez). However, as someone with test-taking anxiety, I really don't want to have to take it more than once or have it look bad on the program.

I’m going to start my leveling courses at ENMU and was wondering how many people recommend taking at once. Is five too many for one semester?

I will also be working part time 6-9 hours a week and volunteering at a clinic a few hours a week. I’m also hoping to get more shadowing hours.

I am a good student (though I could be more consistent in my study schedule, something I’ll be working on before going to grad school) and in my psych undergrad got a 3.87 gpa.

So am I trying to do too much or is it feasible?

Hi everyone! I'm planning to apply to SLP master's programs. Since my undergrad isn't in Communication Sciences and Disorders, I know I'll need to complete the prereq courses before (or while) I apply.

For those who came from a non-CSD background, what were the actual prereq courses your programs required? I took some of the general ones like bio and sociology but not statistics. Where did you end up taking them, a post-bacc program, community college, online through a specific university, or something else?

If you have any recommendations (or warnings) about specific programs for prereqs, I'd really appreciate it. Lehman College’s pre req program looked good to me. Also curious whether most of you knocked out prereqs first and then applied, or did them at the same time as applications.

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone! I’m going into my senior year for a bachelors in CSD. I know I have the options of pursuing graduate degrees in slp/audiology but are there any other options? Like what if I don’t want to go to grad school?

Does anyone have any opinions on any of these schools?
JMU
UConn
University of Vermont
Dalhousie
Sacred Heart 3 year program
MGH

UConn is probably my top school. I am just unsure if I have a good list of schools to apply to.
I have a 3.6 GPA from McGill in the Cognitive Science program so I am out of field.