Fun Times as a MSCD Student

As the final weeks of the semester are fast approaching I wanted to share some of the fun times we have as MSCD students. It's not all work work work...... we have some play time too!


                                                                                                                                         -Jessica

                                                Cohort 4 love <3

Second Year as an MSCD Student..

It's been about 8 months since my last post, so I apologize for my lack of input!  Since April, a lot has changed in my academic and work life.  This past summer consisted of two classes and my first clinical (taken at Stockton's Speech & Hearing Clinic).  Over the summer, I was able to take my first elective.  I chose "School Programs in Speech-Language Pathology" and this was extremely helpful because of what I had in store for the fall.  This class, taught by Dr. Hernandez, provided the students with insight into everything an SLP needs to know while working in a school from creating a schedule with a full caseload to writing an IEP.  The second class, and the only required class for the summer, was Audiology.  Lastly, I completed my first clinical at Stockton's Clinic.  Including my undergraduate career, this was my second clinical completed at Stockton's Clinic where I was providing therapy.  It was a great experience and I was fortunate enough to be able to work with an adult and a child, which was great for my resume.

In September of 2014, I began working as a speech therapist at Middle Township Elementary #1 School while completing my fall semester.  I work full time, five days a week, and am extremely lucky to have an SLP within the district agree to supervise me.  This means that while being a Middle Twp employee, I am also completing clinical hours.  I am able to count my supervised treatment and diagnostic hours towards the required 400 hours needed for a Master's Degree.  I love my job and I have learned so much from the exposure, my colleagues, and my supervisor.  Being part of a Child Study Team is rewarding and I feel as though I am able to have a positive impact on the lives of the children I am treating.  I look forward to work and seeing the kids I have in therapy everyday!

The classes I am taking now are my favorite classes I have taken thus far in the program.  This fall I am taking Motor Speech Disorders, Dysphasia, and Research Methods in Communication Disorders. I absolutely love my classes this semester because the fields we are learning about in these classes is where I want to be when I graduate.  I would love to work in a hospital or rehabilitation setting.  If you have any desire to work in a medical based setting, this semester will be your favorite.

What I can say about this year so far is that it is completely different than last year.  Although I have a lot more on my plate, I can confidently say that I am much less stressed than I was last year.  I've learned to not stress too much about school work because I always get it done.  I have learned so much from my Clinic I&II and my job as a Speech-Language Specialist has taught me better organization skills and that being conscientious is very important.

I am looking forward to the hours of treatment and diagnosis at my clinical placement/job.  I learn something new every day.  I am particularly excited for the summer when I will be completing my Adult and final clinical practicum at a Rehabilitation Hospital.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful and productive fall semester!

- Kaitlyn

Group Projects and Presentations

Group Projects and Presentations

 I am learning rather quickly that group projects and presentations are a big part of my curriculum for my courses. I like this (Now) lol! In the beginning I had my doubts because well let’s face it, no one really likes group projects. People don’t like them not because of the work or assignments themselves, but the fact that usually one person ends up doing ALL of the work. That gets old really fast, and from my personal experiences I was usually that person in my groups! This is where Grad School differs from your undergrad. In undergrad you have the overachievers, the type- A personalities, the procrastinators, the I don’t care that much group, the oh a B- that’s great group, and etc., I think you’re getting the idea. However, in Graduate School we are all the overachievers and type- A personalities who want that A+ and to do our very best work. This is a wonderful thing because everyone shares ideas, puts in the time and effort, and at the end of it you make some great friends who you may want to work with again and hopefully get that A+. In Grad School everyone wants to do well and you will all be from the top of your classes, striving to be the very best you can.

Why I now like group projects/presentations

I like group presentations now because they help me learn things through other people’s eyes. For example, in my advanced clinical methods class we have to do chapter presentations and therapy presentations. I will now always and forever remember Joint Attention as one of my classmates using a baby doll to demonstrate it. That image instantly pops into my head when I hear the words. Also, our brains are only so big and so creative, it is nice to see other people’s perspectives, therapy ideas, and activities. Group presentations and projects allow you to make friends, work with others, increase your public speaking, and allow you to really engage in what you are learning/presenting.

Helpful suggestions for how to master group presentations

·         Start early

·         Divide the work evenly

·         Set up meeting times ahead of time

·         Come to meeting prepared by reading the necessary material, taking notes, and knowing about the topic (this helps cut down on time).

·         Stay organized

·         Dress business casual

·         Be mindful of your “ums”, speed, and eye contact

·         Practice your presentations before you present (this helps you work out any kinks your presentation has, determine an order that flows, and helps you become more comfortable).

Hope this helps you look at group presentations with a different outlook and feel more confident when completing one!

                                                                        -Jess