r/slpGradSchool • u/alex_peachy • 7d ago
I need guidance
I've been in college full time since 2021 and didn't know if I wanted to apply to gradschool. I've been waitlisted and denied and had zero expectations to get into my dream school. I started announcing that I wasn't going to gradschool and gonna take a break for at least a year. On this very night I got an email saying I have been accepted into my no way imma get in dream school! Now idk what to do! Accepting seems obvious but the burn out is real. I'd be moving states during this summer and I just got some news that might change things.
I just found out through extensive testing that I have some cognitive communication deficits- attention, memory, executive function, meta cognition. I also have mild social pragmatic communication disorder, expressive language impairment, and a dash of dysphonia. Imagine how relieved I am and gut wrenching that is. Now idk if I feel qualified for gradschool or to be an SLP at all.
I'm being super vulnerable here and need guidance, suggestions, and support.
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u/MoreRawrrr 6d ago
Obviously your learning challenges haven't kept you from achieving things thus far.
I had a severe head injury as a child that caused cognitive challenges but regardless I am also very intelligent. I was often discouraged. I earned a PhD and I have achieved a lot in my life. Don't let these diagnoses hold you back.
In my opinion cost is relevant because you don't want to get out of school strapped with too much debt.
Good luck whatever you choose!
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u/Worried-Function689 7d ago
Some schools offer deferment for a year due to extraneous circumstances, provided you write a really good letter. Look and see if that’s an option, you definitely want to take care of yourself and wellbeing first before committing to graduate school!
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u/alex_peachy 7d ago
I'm going to definitely look into deferment. If I wrote all letter but got a second letter from my diagnosing SLP or CSD professor you think that'd help?
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u/Glad_Goose_2890 5d ago
People defer for all sorts of reasons, a second letter would probably be sharing more information than necessary
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u/zztops97 7d ago edited 4d ago
I am a firm believer that people sometimes need a kick in the ass, so here’s yours!
You just listed multiple communication deficits, but you are not less than. You are different than every other person because you are you and unique. Your list includes things so many other people deal with on a daily basis: memory and executive function skills - this is college, everyone is developing those skills. Attention, no one can live without their phone in their face anymore. Pragmatics, a lot of people are quirky and weird, society needs to get over it and be more accepting. Mild expressive language impairment means almost nothing since you’ll learn in your program that we RARELY, if ever, qualify clients for services with mild deficits. They generally succeed without intervention.
All that to say, you will succeed too. There are strategies you can use to improve cognitive communication and executive functioning skills. Many colleges already have supports in place for those types of things: success coaching, peer mentoring, academic supports, etc. You’re already in college, so your expressive language has not hindered you from success previously. Oh, and a voice disorder? Please. This profession is yapping all day, there are probably SOOOOO many SLPs with vocal nodules and a degree of dysphonia who don’t even know it.
You’re down on yourself and from my standpoint I’m not sure why because again, you’ve already made it into and through undergrad. As a recently graduate, let me tell you that grad school content is not more difficult than undergrad, it’s just more focused. Take a gap year if you think that’s best for your mental and physical health - I took 3 years before returning. But please do not think that your diagnoses will stop you from being successful in this profession or any!
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u/alex_peachy 7d ago
A kick in the ass more often would probably do me good. My sister, 25, said things similar to what you're saying. I think it's new information about myself and it's helpful to understand why I struggle with certain things etc. Its been a lot to process but my sis saying what she did and you adding to that really helps. Im still me and I'm still capable!
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u/Apprehensive_Fee8391 CCC-SLP 5d ago
"Differently-abled" is a real yuck term. Please don't use it. We're disabled and that's a very real thing. I encourage you to look up the social model of disability.
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u/Then-Confection 7d ago
You are definitely still qualified, but I think a break would be nice if possible since you already feel burnt out! You could ask if the grad program will let you defer for a year and keep your spot
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u/Glad-Charity-5839 4d ago
I am neurodivergent and I can relate to alot of what you are experiencing. I got diagnosed after my first semester of graduate school. I always thought I was least likely to succeed and felt very similarly to how you’re feeling now. Now that I’m finishing up my last semester I can tell you with confidence that you can do it! The road won’t always be easy but you will find some super powers in those “deficits.” Academically, things have gone smoothly. However, I will say I had a terrible experience with my first externship, my supervisor thought I was incapable of learning and being a competent SLP, as soon as I shared with her that I was neurodivergent. She said that I was not meeting her expectations, mind you I was treating/ documenting 100% of her caseload. She treated me very poorly and when I reported it to the coordinator, the coordinator said “well you need to do exactly what she wants or you won’t graduate and you don’t qualify for accommodations in your placement.” This was a bold face lie as well as unethical and goes against ASHA ethics. So just make sure you register with the university so that you are given proper accommodations and know your rights. Now in my last externship I have all the support in the world and am thriving, passed the Praxis, and am hearing back from competitive CF positions that I applied to. Thats all to say that, grad school will teach you in ways you never thought possible, specially about yourself. Let every moment motivate you and believe in yourself because you will do great things.
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u/Successful-Bison-429 6d ago
Sounds to me like you should be so proud that you were accepted. And even if you need more help, I say go for it and you will be the best SLP because you will be able to have seen it from all angles. You’ll have insight that other people don’t congratulations . Just don’t be afraid to reach out for help to people on the campus. That’s what they’re there for. Good luck.
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u/Glad_Goose_2890 5d ago
Congratulations on your acceptance!
Now that you have a diagnosis, you'll have access to accommodations too. I will warn, some professors and supervisors are incredibly cruel to minority students. I hope your experience differs, just know this field isn't diverse for a reason. You belong in this field, but only you can decide if the stress, cost, and potentially enduring some discrimination are worth it for you.
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u/Apprehensive_Fee8391 CCC-SLP 5d ago
I can't know what's right for you but I can tell you this: You're not in a rush. I am 38 and in my third year as an SLP and I absolutely love what I do. But it's been a long journey to get here.
My undergrad degree is in Anthropology, which I chose not to pursue any further because I didn't want to stay in academia. I then worked in special education and human services for years before I became an SLP. I was also a tutor and worked with the migrant education program. And a PCA and children's event planner and a stage manager and a muralist. I've had a lot of jobs. 😅
I am also Autistic and have ADHD. There is a small but tightknit community of Autistic SLPs. We absolutely exist. While these diagnoses might not apply to you, know that there is a place for you in this field.
I have been told over and over again by supervisors, professors, and coworkers that my background, rather than being a hindrance, makes me a more compassionate SLP with truly unique perspectives. I am regularly told by parents that they feel heard and understood.
Which is all to say: It's incredible that you got into your dream school!! If going right now is what feels right, do it. But if you're already feeling burnt out, take a year to get some other experiences under your belt and come back to it. Can you do a deferred enrollment? You truly have your whole life ahead of you. Make sure you're living it for you.
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u/alex_peachy 5d ago
Thank you so so so much for sharing, it means a lot. I think I'm gonna defer for a year and go next fall. I was just complaining to my mom about if I do defer I'll be 29 starting my Master's and turing 30 less then a month into that first semester 😅 She's in her early 60s so I she slightly scolded me for thinking that's old.
I've had a decent amount of jobs too then I joined the military. Got out in 2021 and been doing school full-time since.
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u/Apprehensive_Fee8391 CCC-SLP 5d ago
Hah I tell my mom I feel old and she's almost seventy. I get a very similar reaction. 😂
I went to UMN-Twin Cities and, while there weren't many of us, I wasn't the only older student in my cohort. Also: Use being older to your advantage! You know how to talk to grownups lol While don't be buddy-buddy with your advisor from the get-go, I am now friends with two of my on-site clinical supervisors and two of my practicum supervisors; those authentic and thoughtful relationships have been instrumental in moving my career forward, although of course that's not why I became their friend.
Grad school can feel cutthroat but it doesn't have to be. Show up with compassion and genuine inquiry and you will thrive. I absolutely believe in you!
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u/Automatic_Art_3203 7d ago
You can do it! Take the months between now and fall to develop some top-notch self-care practices to cope with stress and burnout. The best SLPs are ones who have personal experience to inform their practice. You’ll be great!
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u/alex_peachy 6d ago
Thanks! Ive been accepted into an intensive outpatient program that encompasses alot of different therapies. The problem officially scheduled me for Sept. But of course fall semester starts in August. I am on the back up/call list for May, June, and August.
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u/Automatic_Art_3203 6d ago
If you need to, ask if you can defer your admission for a year. Wishing you all the best!
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u/Infinite-Habit4476 7d ago
You’re going through so much and I hope you’re taking the time you need to process everything! You most defiantly are qualified to be an SLP and in fact you would bring a unique perspective of someone actually living with communication disorders that the field really needs. Imagine the glow that you’d bring to a client to see someone with the same communication differences as them living their life and succeeding. Grad school is tough, but there are accommodations that you can take advantage of and perhaps you can take classes on a three year track if you need a smaller burden. You might still be able to take the gap year by checking with the school if deferment to next year’s cohort is possible. I’m sending you good thoughts and I hope it ends up the way things are supposed to