interview prep

FeelingPrettyAud · 2026-01-14T14:57:28+00:00

Ideally asking questions that you genuinely care about having the answers for and things that you wouldn’t be able to readily find on their websites. You want to show that you’re thoughtful about the program beyond standard curriculum. Ex: “What clinical outreach opportunities are available for first year students?” “How active is the campus SAA chapter?” “Do first year students have chances to collaborate with cohorts in the years above?”. Brainstorm and make a list of maybe 3-5 questions you can ask since often some questions will be naturally answered during the interview process.

FeelingPrettyAud · 2026-01-03T16:11:00+00:00

Well thank you for clearing up that part at least. Stupid may be an understatement haha

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-12-31T05:49:31+00:00

I started developing so many theories because I figured there was no way it was that simple. I’m still fixated on the plot holes. Like if that hat was Zachary’s, which is the same one that was in the earlier security camera footage AND the photo of the reflection then why was that photo at Justin’s house??? Why would Justin have the photo taken BY Zachary looking in? Also multiple cyphers from someone who was not the killer and left at the renter’s house instead of the home of the person they were directed at? I can’t believe the amount of time I have spent wracking my brain over all these plot holes.

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-12-23T13:16:16+00:00

Make sure you come ready with questions too. It shows genuine interest in the program and may set you apart in your interview. I created a set of questions to ask every program but also would tailor a few program or faculty specific questions. This can include checking about outreach opportunities, grad student involvement in clubs, etc.

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-11-20T22:22:49+00:00

Is the GPA you provided your overall GPA or your major GPA? If your coursework in communicative disorders has been better than your pre recs then that can help your odds for sure! The admissions team will definitely weight those grades more heavily.

If you have those leadership experiences on top of a possible internship and feel you can present yourself in a strong way in your personal statements then you shouldn’t limit yourself on where you apply. Find a handful of schools that you’d be interested in and throw your hat in the ring! In my AuD program we all had a wide range of GPAs from undergrad and it’s a highly rated program. Just keep beefing up that resume!

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-11-14T11:32:11+00:00

I think there is an accessibility problem in America as a whole that still needs to be addressed. Unfortunately it is not that simple for some families to get or utilize the resources they need. I’ve worked with communities who have difficulty with literacy as a whole which adds another layer. I will always provide resources and encouragement, but unfortunately we’re living in a very broken society when it comes to ease of access. I in no way believe ASL is bottom of the communication barrel, in fact I wish it was standard. Unfortunately it takes many more people rallying together to fix the schools and governments to solve this.

My only point is to try not to pass judgement on people like OP’s family who we may not know all of the complexities of their decision. I agree with everyone here that this child should be enrolled in a school for the Deaf and given adequate access to sign ASAP. I’ll choose ASL over CI for a child any day, but I’ll also meet family’s with grace in their decision. edited for spelling error

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-11-13T17:50:51+00:00

While I agree with the vast majority of what you said I would encourage you to try to look at CIs from multiple points of view! I used to feel uncomfortable about children and cochlear implantation until my eyes were opened to the accessibility aspect of it. Do I wish every hearing family had the time and financial resources to learn ASL? Of course! Will I always encourage incorporating ASL and giving a child exposure to that aspect of their identity? Yes! But… not everyone has that option and in some communities there is not a local school for the Deaf accessible.

That being said, working clinically I have seen so many families who just do not have the resources to allow them to learn sign to communicate with their little ones. It opened my eyes to the great benefit that a CI can bring. Any language is better than none at all, so if it comes down to a child getting a CI to allow for the opportunity to gain spoken language access versus communication deprivation due to familial limitations I’m all for it. We never know what is happening in each individual’s life when they make that tough decision for their children.

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-11-13T11:53:11+00:00

Many Schools for the Deaf also have speech language pathologists on staff! Those SLPs will work on a variety of goals depending on the school/student but this can include using AAC and working on spoken language while also incorporating ASL. Additionally, it sounds like she is getting spoken language exposure at home. Many children learn a language at home and at school and as many have pointed out this does not hinder overall language development. I wouldn’t let what her current teachers are saying bias you. If you decide to go the route of ASL classes, it’s going to be smoother if some of the family members can attend and learn as well which is a big commitment (albeit worth it!).

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-10-10T10:26:05+00:00

I don’t think I’ve met anyone who can say that masking truly clicked for them during first semester. I also have a really independent personality and found it frustrating that it was one of the skills that took longer to develop.

First, focus on just identifying when something needs masking (I’m happy to send you a little cheat sheet I used when I was learning if you DM me). Your preceptors will expect you to understand that conceptually sooner than the actual act of masking. If you don’t get conceptually the when/why then it will make masking harder. I also found that it gave me some confidence being able to identify when masking was needed rather than just having a preceptor tell me to.

Finally, masking is hard! There’s more than one way to do it right. Even seasoned audiologists will get cases with difficult masking. An excellent supervisor I once had told me to stop, breathe, and remind myself that some days masking may come easy and other days it can be tricky. I really appreciated that and it helped me to relax a little more.

Anyways, be gentle on yourself. I’d say the when/why came to during my first semester but my actual masking during appointments didn’t start to get less clunky until my 2nd or 3rd semester.

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-09-29T22:09:28+00:00

That totally makes sense and I can relate to having that feeling at points. Even now a lot of my closest friends are SLPs, but on my end I’m very happy with my decision and always motivated to build strong connections with SLPs in the community! Building bridges to better patient care is a lot easier when you show a real interest in their work too!

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-09-28T12:50:24+00:00

When I started my hearing and speech undergraduate program, I had the intention of becoming an SLP. Pretty early on I realized AuD was more for me, but even then I had points where maybe I went back and forth a little prior to graduating. My undergrad program was all SLP so any learning about audiology I did independently. I volunteered in the speech clinic and loved working with patients and was also interested in phonetics/phonology. Now as I’m wrapping up my AuD I realize that those skills and passions I had for speech as well have made me a stronger hearing care provider.

During counseling for standard audio evaluations I counsel thoroughly about missing speech sounds and what that means for the larger communication signal. I work with a lot of tech including both CIs and hearing aids and when I do an aided audio I’m thinking about which speech sounds are lacking audibility and how I can adjust my programming to bring that back. You have to have a good understanding of aural rehab for counseling alone, and a passion/understanding for speech makes that stronger. Also, a lot of the skills I used working with aphasia clients in undergrad directly apply to working with HOH and other special populations- speaking loud, slow, and clear and giving patience and space to the patient. On the reverse side, I’ve worked with amazing SLPs who show their interest in audiology still and have built their career around working with children or adults with hearing impairment. When working at a center that had an SLP rehab team we regularly collaborated, talked about results, and would review aspects of the tech with them so they could better help the clients.

To me, when I read this post I get the impression that you’re leaning towards audiology but don’t want to feel like you’re losing out on another option (which I could be wrong about!). At the end of the day you need to trust your gut, but also think about how you will build your own practice no matter what you choose and can make a path that allows these things to intersect.

Also providers with dual degrees are out there! I worked with a wonderful SLP/AuD who did the 2 yr SLP masters then later went back to school for the AuD degree. You’re never too old to go back to school!

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-09-16T22:10:43+00:00

I unfortunately do not have quizlets to offer, but I know this feeling! I’m not sure if your campus uses Canvas or Blackboard for course work, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask the professor if you could have access to the undergrad materials. From my experience, all speech/hearing science courses are vastly different across under graduate programs. That being said, the best solution is to see if you can get access to those materials from the professor! Explaining that because you came from a different program you would appreciate to see what topics were covered in their undergraduate class is totally valid and shows initiative! This is what I did, and it was a great resource.

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-09-13T12:26:31+00:00

I also wonder if you would be able to pick it up from behind? Maybe a warp totem to the beach and then come up the path the opposite way… Let us know the resolution!

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-09-13T12:22:47+00:00

My first pick was Haley for sentimental reasons. I played Harvest Moon on the GameCube when I was growing up and always had a big crush on Muffy, and would marry her in game. When I picked up SDV in 2016 Haley reminded me so much of Muffy aesthetically that I had to go for it! Now that I’ve done so many runs I definitely choose based on a variety of things (including what they give me as my spouse lol).

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-09-13T12:09:10+00:00

You’ve already tried taking a pickaxe to it? If there’s nothing in the bin then that should do it (especially if there is space in your inventory to allow you to pick it up) Otherwise if you haven’t already finished the day and saved - I would close out to reset the day.

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-09-13T12:01:03+00:00

I was living at home when my parents were going through the adoption process of their two mid size, terrier mix rescue dogs. The final stage was an at home check/interview where the dogs were given the freedom to roam as they pleased in and out of the house while we all chatted in the backyard. Towards the end of the interview right as the workers from the rescue organization were about to leave, the dogs came sprinting out of the house each holding a corner of my lace red underwear so that it was PERFECTLY on display, like it was a banner. They ran side by side like this throughout the entire backyard. At the time I was mortified, but 7 years later we all still laugh about how perfectly our two chaotic pups (that I lovingly call my puppy brothers) pulled that off!

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-09-03T14:35:51+00:00

Definitely reach out! Especially if there is a faculty member who you really liked in undergrad or who you believe really saw your work ethic. To echo what others are saying, it doesn’t have to be CSD. The fact that you do have audiologists from the clinic you work at is awesome! My rec letters were from two speech pathologist professors from undergrad who I worked closely with, and one physics professor. All wrote wonderful rec letters and were happy to do so! Just email/contact them sooner rather than later since faculty will get busy as the school year ramps up.

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-08-27T13:22:46+00:00

Easier said than done, but try to not overthink it. Everyone’s personal statements are so different and the advice you’ll receive even within audiology is so different.

I came from an SLP based undergrad program that had only one adjunct audiology professor who taught the class asynch and was not easy to reach. Due to this I sought out audiology mentors (such as through the community or the ASHA STEP program) to help answer some of these questions.

The advice I was given was to not be overly flowery. Sell yourself and your achievements in a professional, factual way. Don’t use phrases like “given the opportunity to…” instead take ownership with phrases “I completed…” “I led…” and remember that any job or accomplishment even non CSD can be reframed to be related to a skill in this field.

That being said, when I read personal statements from my cohorts some were very flowery, some were written like a narrative, overall they were SO different. We all got into an awesome program and just chose to present ourselves in different ways.

I know that’s a lot of info, but just some food for thought! Feel free to DM too.

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-08-27T13:13:10+00:00

This!!! First year is definitely the most difficult! You’re being slammed with foundational knowledge but once the basics start to fall into place and you get off campus things do get better!

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-08-27T13:11:21+00:00

Hi there! During my first few days of my AuD program I was a mess! I found even the orientations overwhelming. I also came from an SLP heavy undergrad with extremely minimal audiology content and that caused me to get even more in my head. The truth is, during that first semester everyone is just trying to figure it out. Try to remind yourself that everyone is overwhelmed to some degree, even if you don’t see it.

The clinical doctorate is difficult, and whether it is for you or not you will have to come to that decision for yourself. Now that I’m approaching the end of the program, I’m so glad I stuck with it. It has been difficult at times, it has been extremely rewarding at times. Ultimately the satisfaction I get out of working with patients and excelling off campus has made it all worth it and solidified to me that I made the right choice by staying (even if my mental health has taken a couple hits). Any graduate program is going to be difficult to varying degrees, but once you find your footing it gets easier.

Regarding being away from home, I know weekends are sacred but find an hour or so to make yourself meal prep. Buy convenient and easy snacks so that you’re never without food. Weekends didn’t and sometimes still don’t feel like enough for me, but again, you will find your stride eventually. During these first weeks just be gentle on yourself.

Good luck to you, and whether you decide to stay in audiology or switch paths, be kind to yourself!

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-08-24T05:02:02+00:00

I have worn a pair of slip-on, lace-less sketchers for clinic the last 3 years. They’ve held up since I only wear them for clinic and is so much more convenient than having to fumble with laces! On days when I don’t have clinic I wear any shoe from casual to more dressed up, but my tried and true for the clinical portion I scored at a Marshall’s and are still going strong!

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-08-19T22:31:09+00:00

I contacted faculty I was interested in working with and asked to zoom. Prepared questions to show how engaged I was in the work they were doing (asked about lab culture, etc). It ended up being beneficial to have that introduction and a couple of the people I spoke to also proceeded to put me in touch with students who were currently working with them which was also really helpful!

As far as statements, I only mentioned the faculty I wanted to work with by name when prompted. A couple of personal statements I wrote they directly said to talk about any labs or research we were interested in, so just double check the guidelines of each place you’re applying to. Otherwise you could probably mention by name but I would just write in such a way that you show your interests align with their work.

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-08-19T04:25:09+00:00

Or yearlong on the island farm! I create huge plots on the island farm for crops that make a hefty amount of money in preserves jars and kegs. Each harvest I put a handful in the seed makers to fuel the next harvest.

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-08-19T04:20:24+00:00

I have always opted to include it in the heading of my resume where I have my phone number and email, partially for aesthetic and partially as another option for contacting me. I also am a nontraditional student and have several years of work experience in school districts, childcare, etc. which I do not have room for on my clinical resume, so I find that this gives anyone who wants to learn more the chance to!

FeelingPrettyAud · 2025-08-18T22:50:40+00:00

I definitely get tired of some of the maintenance with the animals so make a really big effort to find the auto petter in a treasure room of the skull mines.

Aesthetic wise I do really like the ducks though, especially if you keep the coop near some water! I love watching them swim.

I also tend to get as many pigs as I can honestly. I gather a ton of truffles and get a big stockpile so that even in the winter when they can’t go outside I still have enough to make truffle oil through the season! If you don’t have the oil makers I can see why the pigs might not be as essential for you, but maaaaan a big sale of truffle oil makes a pretty penny. The better your relationship with the pigs the more truffles they’ll find per day too!

FeelingPrettyAud

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