The End of the First Semester

It is currently December 15, 2013 and I have officially finished my first semester of Graduate School for Communication Disorders.  Let me tell you, it was a TOUGH semester, but it can be done!

We have endured a difficult first semester together, but we all made it through.  It was a tremendous amount of work and stress, but we had some laughs through it

Oral Mechanism Exams

Public Service Announcements for Phonological Disorders

Even though it was an extremely difficult semester, we had SOME fun 

Minute to Win It

And we ended it with a few friends

Have a Happy Holiday

Fun times in MSOT school...Yes we do have fun!

 Learning how to use the wheelchairs

 Working on transfers

 Having fun dancing

 Exploring the beautiful nature around us at Stockton

 Making gingerbread trees~ tis' the season!

 Running a group therapy session 

 Pink day~ We love <3T

Getting ready to meditate after a stressful week of exams

 Sensory walk around campus

Learning about pediatrics 

Getting to Know Classmates

I've been extremely fortunate to have made some great friends in this program already and it's only the third month of the program.  I think it is very important to maintain good relationships with classmates and peers in the classroom, but outside as well.  Throughout this semester, we have all worked on an absurd amount of group projects, bringing us all closer together in and OUT of the classroom.  Finding time to meet outside of class to work on assignments has been a little bit of a struggle since people are traveling and have jobs, but it gets done.

As the semester has gone on, I feel very lucky to be in the Cohort that I am in now.  I have a great group of classmates and have gotten very close to many of them at this point.  I know I can rely on them for help or any advice and feel comfortable talking to them about things I don't understand.  We all help each other and lean on one another when we need it.

Also, they're all hilarious!

Just some of us out for Josh's birthday :)

- Kaitlyn

Finals!

Talk About Craziness!

So I had one crazy week and I am SO glad it’s the weekend! I had two big exams back to back on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thankfully I did really well on both exams and got A’s! I did prepare well for both and started to study about a week before. I think it’s really important to dedicate time to studying before exams and not the day before. That may have worked for your undergraduate degree but it won’t anymore. Something that has helped me immensely was looking up videos on YouTube because I am a visual learner. If you’re a visual learner I would recommend it!

Now that this week is over, I have to prepare for another crazy week. I have two exams, a paper, a quiz, and a presentation. I’m going home this weekend so I will really have to work on time management.  Tonight I will be watching my dad’s football game but before I’m going to dedicate a few hours to school. Then Saturday, I’m going to go pumpkin picking with my boyfriend and parents and later that night I plan to study more. Sunday I’m going to have lunch with my whole family then come back to school to complete more work.

Weekends are definitely a great time to relax and rest your mind but when you’re in graduate school you rarely can take days off of doing school work. You really have to do a little bit each day. However, you really need that time on the weekends for fun! Even if it’s just for a few hours, remember that you deserve it!  Last weekend my boyfriend and I did the color run and this weekend we are going home to see my parents. Even though we are working hard in school, we still make that time for fun on the weekends!

My boyfriend and I before the run~ nice and clean!

After the run~ bright and colorful!

-Michelle

Making Time for YOU

As Michelle posted before, it is extremely important to take a break from your work; take a step away from all the stress and find somewhere to release it!  For me, I like to spend time with my friends.

I spent most of the Fridays and Saturday finishing up some homework and trying my best to get ahead so I can go home next weekend.  Getting ahead even a week is rare in the CMDS program.  Usually, I take it week by week and try to get ahead as much as I can, but with the amount of work, I just stay up to date.  But, because I had a weekend full of work and getting ahead as far as I could, I decided to take Sunday as a personal day.

I went to Medford to meet up with my best friends from undergraduate at Stockton.  When I got back to my apartment, my roommates and I carved pumpkins and made Halloween cupcakes.  It was a good release of stress and a very festive night!

-Kaitlyn

Smartphones

If you have a smartphone, you can use it as a clinical tool! For example, there are apps that you can download and use as a goniometer to measure ROM. There is an app with the DSM-5 criteria to look up different mental illnesses. There's an app called PocketPharmacist that you can use to look up different medications. These are just a few to name. There are so many more! All of these apps would be very beneficial for an OT and I would highly suggest checking it out!

Here's a link with some of the apps and descriptions:
http://medicalappjournal.com/medicalblog/category/app-regulation/

-Michelle

Studying Skills

Studying hard pays off! Here are some tips that may help you with your studies that have helped me immensely!

1. Do the readings before class and preview your notes before class. This will give you some understanding of what the professors are talking about in class.

2. Review your notes after class or at least later that day.

3.  Come to class with questions and if you don’t understand something ask! Chances are someone else doesn't get it either.

4. Use the internet. There are plenty of resources you can use! I ALWAYS use the internet when there are things I don’t understand completely. Youtube and google are life savers!

5. If you have time, rewrite your notes into your own words. It’s time consuming but it helps you to better understand concepts.

6. It’s helpful to be able to explain everything into your own words. After class I will talk to my boyfriend about things I learned in class that day. I will word things in my own words so he understands and I will demonstrate activities I learned in class like testing muscle tone!

7. You have to study things repeatedly. You can’t look at something once or twice and expect to know everything.

8. Apply your learned knowledge into everyday life. For example, when I am at the gym lifting weights I imagine the actin or myosin in my muscles getting bigger. Also, when I do certain exercises at the gym I ask myself if it’s closed or open chain. Things like that will help you understand the concepts that you are learning in class.

9. A study tool I would recommend to use is quizlet! My classmates and I create flashcards for each test and it helps me study effectively.

10. Use your classmates. Anytime there is an upcoming test, meet with classmates to study. They will help you more than you may realize. 

-Michelle

Mastering Group Work

Group projects were difficult for me in my undergraduate years. I ended up doing a majority of the work without much help from my classmates. It was never teamwork, which was the goal. Now as a graduate student, all members work together as a team which is very assuring. We have five classes and about 2 projects for each class. So overall, 10 group projects!  It’s definitely overwhelming but having everyone work together makes it much easier. In graduate school you do not pick your groups. Our professors create the groups. It’s hard to keep up with who’s in what group for what. So I created Facebook groups for each project including each group member for all my projects. This was one way to help us all stay organized and a way to communicate ideas with each other.  I would recommend having a discussion meeting for all your groups even if it’s just for 10 minutes. This will allow you to discuss the project itself and desired results.  Next, I would make sure everyone has a role and task for the group project and when each member works on their task have them post it on Facebook so everyone can see. When taking on different tasks, make sure everyone has an equal amount of work so it’s fair. Create deadlines within your group so you can record progress and have everything done on time. Also, by creating deadlines allows everyone to stay on top of things and motivated. Also, meet up at least once a week to go over the project and combine everything. You want everything to flow in your project. You don’t want professors to read through your project and be able to tell different students did different things. Remember, everyone gets the same grade on the project so work together! You’re part of a team now. 

-Michelle

Professional Behaviors

In the occupational therapy program, we are assessed on our professional behaviors (PBA) which is a portion of our grade for every class. It’s important to practice professional behavior because you want to give others a good impression of yourself. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. It’s important to have and follow on the graduate level because it will prepare us for when we begin fieldwork and work. In the past, some students were failing their fieldwork so the professors implemented the PBA and found that the number of students failing field work decreased! This is just another method that our professors use to prepare us for the future.  

Some of the things that are included on the PBA are arriving on time (being 5 minutes early is on time), dressing in a modest manner, no revealing clothing, wearing closed toe shoes at all times, tattoos are fully covered, minimal piercings, clean and well groomed, participation, respect classmates, having a positive attitude, and body posture showing that we are paying attention. This may seem like a lot but they are important concepts to practice now. When you enter the working world, your professional behavior will be essential. You will have to be professional at all times! You need to be professional with clients, co-workers, and with those above you. Your professional behavior is very telling and it could help you get a pay raise or even a promotion. It’s essential to your future. What you do and say will define you so choose wisely!

-Michelle

Studying Abroad & Study Tours

As a graduate student or a prospective graduate student, studying abroad and study tours may seem impossible to incorporate in your studies.  Finding the right semester or right time in your student career to spend time abroad may be difficult to ensure your graduation date stays the same, but it is definitely do-able.

As an undergraduate student, there are some majors that make studying abroad a little more challenging to fit into your schedule.  Majors like Nursing or Speech-Language Pathology may require you to take certain classes in certain semesters in order to keep up with your classmates.

As a Speech-Language Pathology student, I was able to study abroad in London for six months.  To stay up to date and on my graduation timeline, I met with the study abroad advisor, then Ms. Janice Joseph, and my academic advisor.  I found taking general courses that would transfer for my B.S. in Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology came in handy.  Most students seem to take the opportunity to study abroad their Junior year, but I went my Sophomore year to ensure I was not missing any important courses that would keep me even a semester behind.

Some graduate programs offer Study Tours for undergraduate and graduate levels.  In May, 2014, Stockton College will host another Study Tour for its students.  Undergraduate students wishing to join this Study Tour must be enrolled in the GSS: Study Tour class and the graduate students must be enrolled in the MAHG 5022 Study Tour.  This tour will include visits to Germany, Poland, and Lithuania to learn about the Nazi Holocaust and visit concentration camps.  The advisors on the trip will be Mrs. Gail Rosenthal and Dr. Michael Hayse.

Dr. Shameka Johnson, a current graduate level professors for the Communication Disorders Masters program, is organizing the Communication Disorders Study Abroad Cultural Experience program.  This program will give its students hands on experience clinically with children of the Caribbean culture.  Four study abroad trips will be offered for the students in one year to the Bahamas, St. Lucia, and Turks and Caicos.

After experiencing a semester abroad, I can honestly say it was the best experience of my life.  My six months in England were life changing and I think it is important for students to take advantage of this opportunity.  I traveled to Portugal, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Scotland and throughout England while I was abroad and tried to make most of my six months in Europe.  These experiences made me a better person, opened my eyes to different cultures, and taught me so many things I would not learn in a classroom.

 Stonehenge

Tower Bridge

Walking to Buckingham Palace after watching the Royal Wedding

We slept outside of Westminster Abbey and actually saw Kate & Will, the Queen of England etc. on the ACTUAL WEDDING DAY

 

We spent a week on an island in Greece called Corfu at an authentic Greek hostel run by a family.

And Easter at the Duomo in Florence, Italy

I could keep uploading pictures, but then this post would be entirely too long.  Just to give you an idea of my study abroad experience, it was basically the absolute BEST!

I met some absolutely amazing friends.  We try to keep in touch and plan trips so we can see each other even though we live all over the US.  

Our first reunion in San Francisco,California

I strongly urge everyone reading this to visit the study abroad website or stop in the International Studies Office at F-101.

- Kaitlyn

Resources for Graduate Students

Finding activities and programs for your clients can be difficult.  Finding study tools and helpful hints for yourself can also be difficult, but don't fret, there are resources that will definitely help!

1.  Pinterest.  MAKE A PINTEREST (especially as an SLP)  Pinterest is an addictive website, if I do say so myself, that inspires and opens your eyes to new ideas and crafts!  For an SLP, you can find fun activities for your clients, whether is its AAC devices or just captivating articulation ideas!  As a CMDS student it is helpful to find ideas for your clinical sessions but also for studying tools.

Pinterest Ideas for SLPs

2.  Find other Graduate Blogs.  Following people on Tumblr or even just googling "Graduate Student Blogs" can be a boost of morale or the support you are in need of.  These student blogs will show you that the stress and worry you may be feeling is 100% normal!  Some of the blogs, especially on Tumblr, will give you a few laughs and take your mind off of the 100 million things you need to do for a few minutes, too!  

Speech Student Blog

Gradness Madness - pretty self explanatory!

3.  Facebook.  Facebook will definitely help you stay connected with your peers.  Finding each other on Facebook, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, will allow you to connect with your classmates.  I found using Facebook made it really easy for me keep up with my group projects, make meeting times, and ask my classmates for homework or study advice.  Having a Facebook during graduate school seems essential to stay in touch and up to date with your classmates!

4.  Stockton's pages have general and specific information about graduate programs, campus events, campus activities, games, and just college information in general.  Stockton is on almost every form of Social Media, so check us out!

Stockton College Facebook

Stockton Graduate & Continuing Studies Facebook

Stockton College Twitter

Stockton College Instagram

Stockton College Undergrad Blog

Social media is everywhere nowadays and prove to be extremely helpful.  The sites provided by Stockton do serve as up-to-date informational sources for all prospective students, current students and alumni!

- Kaitlyn