Appetizers

Starting with some basics.

 Fun Starters

Getting to know the human side.

 Main Course

A quick deep dive into the day-to-day student life.

Tell us about yourself and what you're studying.

I'm currently getting my master's degree to become a speech-language pathologist (SLP). We work with both children and adults to help them communicate effectively. We also help with swallowing and feeding.

How did you end up in your field? What do you like about it?

I always knew I wanted to do something that was more fast-paced and not a typical desk job. I also love working with people and enjoy health care, to a certain extent. After taking some GE courses in my undergrad at Cal State LA, I ended up taking an introduction to communicative disorders class and was introduced to speech pathology. Ever since then, I knew this is what I wanted to do. I enjoy the idea that I can work with kids or adults every day and each day will always be different.

What classes are you taking right now? Which is your favorite and why?

Right now, I'm at the end of my graduate program so I'm pretty much done with most of my classes. I'm mostly doing practicum hours to gain more experience in the field. However, my favorite class so far has been articulation/phonetics. It's basically a new language and the professor made it fun!

Let's say the school day just started, what's a typical morning look like?

Each semester is different since we have different practicum sites every semester. For this semester, on days where I have practicum/school, I wake up, get ready, eat breakfast, and get to my practicum site by 8:00 AM. My supervisor and I prepare therapy materials for teletherapy. Each session is 30 minutes long and we have 3 group sessions each day. If I have a class, I would log into Zoom to join my online classes.

Cool, then what does a typical afternoon look like?

It really depends if we have appointments for evaluations that day. But if we do, we prepare all our testing materials and do in-person testing, which takes about an hour long. We may also take that time to type reports if there's an upcoming IEP meeting.

How are your classes/exams and how do you keep up? How many hours per week do you spend studying or doing assignments?

I think this really depends on the class and professor. Typically, exams are taken through ProctorFree. It's an app that records your activities when you're taking the exam. I would definitely say the exams are very intense and detailed. It requires a lot of studying! I would say I spend about 3 hours a day studying/doing homework. As it gets closer to the exam day, I would join study groups with my classmates.

 Dessert

Now for some juicy insights in the tea room.

What's the most challenging thing about your grad program?

I would say balancing the program and just everyday life. For our first semester, we were required to stay on-campus to attend in-person classes and do in-person therapy. There was nothing to do in the small town and I was not around friends or family. I was able to eliminate a lot of distractions and spent most of my days with my classmates doing homework or studying. As we were allowed to move back home after the first semester, I found myself struggling to find time to hang out with family, do homework, study, and attend practicum.

What are some characteristics that help someone succeed in your grad program specifically?

I think it's important to be organized. There are a lot of things to do at once and it's really easy to forget something. I also think it's important to really talk to your professors and classmates. Don't be afraid to ask for help! Lastly, don't give up. It may seem really difficult at first, but your professors, advisors, and classmates will always help you find a way to finish.

Any advice on how to stand out and get into your grad program for those just starting off?

I don't think I can really say what worked/didn't work for me, but after I finished my undergrad, I applied for grad school right away and didn't get in. So I decided to get my speech-language pathologist assistant (SLPA) license to get more experience with therapy. After I worked for about 2 years, I finally got into a graduate program. I can't really say if that was the reason why I got in, but I didn't have any other related experience prior.

What's something that surprised you about grad school?

I received A LOT of support from professors and classmates. The professors were really attentive. They knew each student personally and made time to help us individually. If something was tough, there was always someone to help us find the best solution.

Any last thoughts, advice, or recommendations for someone who wants to get into your program?

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or need advice!

Here’s my email: Courtney.trinh@enmu.edu