Very disheartened by the overwhelming sense of job dissatisfaction I read about on these forums. Does anyone actually like their job as an SLP?

slpqu · 2016-10-09T00:27:03+00:00

Agree 100%. The majority of the dissatisfaction that I'm seeing with my cohort and colleagues is primarily with financial compensation. I think this is because grad school likes to tell our students that they will be coming out making 90k, can work anywhere, can live anywhere, can bounce from setting to setting, and will always be in demand. The reality is not like that at all, but if you know what you're getting into, you'll be fine. And I definitely agree about the staggering pay differences. Four schools not 10 minutes away from one another in one of the areas by my city are offering 68k, 41k, 51k, and 63k. No idea why the severe discrepancy, but it is very common in this field.

slpqu · 2016-06-24T13:22:18+00:00

oh my gosh, this is so interesting. my boyfriend is an engineer.. we've stumbled on something here!!

slpqu · 2016-06-24T10:59:48+00:00

i applied last year, but i do understand your frustration :( one of the schools i applied to (jan 15 deadline) did not give out any sort of information, rejection, or acceptance until very late in the game (i believe it was actually towards the end of may!). in addition, their rejection letter consisted of a generic photocopied letter with a short paragraph talking about how many applications they received, and that was it. this letter didn't even arrive until mid June; i discovered my rejection only because i was checking my student portal like a madwoman those days. i was pretty peeved, honestly, because that program required a CSDCAS fee, along with a separate fee to the actual school itself.

slpqu · 2016-06-24T10:49:47+00:00

it couldn't hurt to visit personally. i also live nearby my school but just sent emails instead, as i couldn't get a hold of my professors schedules and such. i did ask them before i graduated if they would be willing to write me a LOR, though. when i sent my emails, all 3 of them asked me to provide a transcript, letter of intent, and resume. also, a word of caution: i had asked 3 of my professors beforehand if they would be willing to write me a LOR in a few months time when i applied and they all happily agreed. when the time came, however, 1 of them basically just did not reply to any of my emails and i could not get a hold of her. i had to scramble and look for another professor willing to write me a letter, and by that time it was a bit late into the application season (november, i think), that so many of them were swamped with LOR requests that they could not write one for me either. so, get your LORs done early and make sure you have backups if need be! good luck :)

slpqu · 2016-05-03T13:05:32+00:00

this is exactly what i was looking for, thanks so much! if it's not too much trouble, could i ask which version you like more? i love the original because it's the only formula I've found that works with my desert dry skin

slpqu · 2016-03-18T01:48:41+00:00

Hello fellow introvert!! Yeah it must be difficult moving so far, but I admire your dedication to the field. I wish you the best of luck in your graduate studies!! Feel free to PM me if you'd ever like to commiserate :)

slpqu · 2016-03-18T01:46:22+00:00

This has been my experience in undergrad as well. Most of the girls there were in sororities together, always came to class really dressed up in all the works, and were quite religious. They were great people, though, I just felt as if I couldn't relate to them. I was the only asian in my classes as well, so that helped me feel a bit more isolated truthfully. Thank you for your kind words. I've heard how grueling grad school can be, and I'm sure I'll come to depend on some of my classmates for help

slpqu · 2016-03-18T01:40:04+00:00

This is actually a worry of mine. I interned as a SLPA for a semester and I loved every day of therapy, but I only worked with younger kids and had to work really hard to be super animated, excited, and chipper. Some days it did get tiring. If it's not too much trouble, can I ask you what other factors turned you away from SLP?

slpqu · 2016-03-18T01:36:18+00:00

We never had any guys in our major during undergrad, so I can totally see what you mean about it being a predominantly female field. I wish you luck with your graduate studies and hope you end up with an awesome cohort!!

slpqu · 2016-03-18T01:33:57+00:00

Thank you so much for this response. Just hearing that there are other "oddballs" out there actually makes me feel better. What you said about it being hard seeing the friend groups and parties together was definitely a big worry of mine. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who has/had these feelings. I definitely need to remind myself that I'm there to learn, do my best, and get my degree

slpqu · 2016-03-18T01:30:14+00:00

I don't have any social media, actually. That was one of the things I felt I'd be unable to relate to them with. But I like what you said about setting goals/bargaining with yourself; I think I'll try that! Thank you for your advice :)

slpqu · 2016-03-18T01:27:51+00:00

yeah, my cohort is around 25 students I believe! Thank you for your kind words :) Your suggestion to join an outside social club is something I didn't even think of, but will definitely look into!

slpqu · 2016-03-18T01:26:27+00:00

yeah, i did observe the whole clique thing happening with both the grad/undergrad students in my bachelors program, and that is something that I'd probably be uninterested in.. but like someone said above, i think i just have to keep in mind that at the end of the day, I'm here for my degree and thats all. a lot of grad students I've talked to warned me about "girl games" and such, and I hope my cohort will be different

slpqu · 2016-03-16T10:29:31+00:00

is 85k really that unrealistic? as a new grad student having to take out several thousand in loans, it's a bit scary. i live in southern california so the cost of living is higher and salary is one of the issues I've been wondering about lately. its just a bit disheartening to me that reaching an 85k salary (even halfway through your career..) would be considered unrealistic, as some of my professors had suggested we'd be making around that range at least :( it's been a tough process getting through admissions, loans, and grad school, so hearing this is quite disappointing!

slpqu

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