Speech Pathologists - We See Dead People

So I'm getting soo excited to go back to school. Fuelling the flames are the emails the department is sending us, tips for the coming year and such. In fact, I find them so exciting that I'm going to post them here. I hope you find them exciting, too!

Welcome Class of 2008!

First off, we second years would like to offer you a belated congrats on getting into the program! We know, first hand, the seemingly endless hoops you’ve jumped through—the GRE, academic references, and an obscene amount of applications. You exhaled a sigh of relief when you were accepted, and now you’re only about a month away from the first day. A few words of advice—use your 2^nd year buddy! They have survived the first year of the program and have a wealth of information to share with you.

Admittedly biased, our class can agree that you’re entering a mighty fine profession at a stellar school. The number of resources you’ll have at your disposal for your education is something you won’t experience in the workplace- take advantage of them as much as possible. Every professor is knowledgeable and willing to lend you his or her time to help you learn what you need to learn. Plus, when you first start working with clients in May you can do it within the comfortable confines of Corbett Hall teamed with a fellow classmate—a clinical program that is second to none in Canada.

Make sure to check out the attached survival guide for you eager youngsters. Honestly, if you’re at all apprehensive or scared about the program (perfectly normal!), these feelings will be amplified enormously for the first couple days. Trying to remember the name of 39 new people, getting a new student card, (maybe) adjusting to a new home or city, paying tuition, getting your schedule straight, and appearing somewhat well-adjusted to your classmates is tough. You might shed some tears sometime at the start of the program. That said, let it be known that after the initial start-of-the-program shenanigans are over with, and you are immersed in the program, things seem a lot less intimidating! You will survive!

A final, cliché before we sign off: time will fly by. You’re going to meet 39 really cool people who all have different personalities and interests, and you don’t have a lot of time together. Make sure to take the time to get to know your classmates. And please, please, enjoy the rest of your summer!

See you in September!

The Class of 2007

Tips For First Year SLP Students – Class of 2008

(From your second year buddies)

1. CARRY CHEQUES OR CASH ALWAYS! There are hidden fees everywhere…During the first week of school fees will add up for computer lab access, deposits, memberships, photocopying, textbooks, etc.
2. BUY BINDERS (DUOTANGS, CLIPBOARDS, ETC.). A giant 3” binder will be useful for Anatomy/Physiology and Speech science. We get an unbelievable amount of handouts and you will need a place to put them all. It is especially useful when clinic comes around in the summer, but it is advantageous to buy them in September while prices are low.
3. ON THE NOTE OF ORGANIZATION… items like highlighters (in all possible colours) and mini staplers are very useful and may save your life!
4. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! You are important! Make sure you get enough SLEEP. Bring healthy snacks and a water bottle to school.
5. GET TO KNOW YOUR CLASSMATES! They will be an amazing group of people with similar interests and great insight. They will also be your strongest support system, as they will go through the same things you will. It will be important to you. HOWEVER, REMEMBER THE “OUTSIDERS” WHO CARE ABOUT YOU. It’s easy to get wrapped up in all the school stuff, but life exists outside the walls of Corbett. You will always be busy, but don’t forget about you “non-speech” friends and family. They will be waiting for you when you get out (sounds like prison!) and you will need their guidance and support for life on the outside.
6. LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE! Have a sense of humour and laugh, laugh, laugh. You will find this useful, especially around mid-October and end of December.
7. THINK OF YOUR CLASS AS A 40 PERSON TEAM! Being competitive is not as helpful as working together.
8. DON’T EXPECT TO DO ALL THE READING! You may not believe us now, but we are assigned massive amounts of reading. Don’t feel bad if you don’t read it all. Learn how to skim read and prioritize.
9. DON’T GET HUNG UP ON MARKS! Another thing you might not believe, but marks don’t matter anymore. It’s time to focus on knowledge and ideas; you will actually get to apply this in “real life”.
10. TAKE IT A DAY AT A TIME! Keep things in perspective
11. YOU WILL “SEE DEAD PEOPLE”. This is no joke. Some of you may not realize this yet, but you get to have fun in cadaver lab as part of your anatomy/physiology class. For this, VICKS is a must have.
12. LOCKERS. It may not seem important now, but it will be helpful to have a locker come spring/summer session. Think about sharing with a classmate or 2^nd year student.
13. OASIS WEBSITE. Check out the OASIS website www.ualberta.ca/~uaspeech for a “sneak peek” at your second year buddy, links to information on housing, entertainment and much more!
14. YOUR SECOND YEAR BUDDY IS A RESOURCE. Use the knowledge that your buddy has acquired. Don’t be shy to ask questions about anything from classes, profs to personal experiences.
15. WEAR NAMETAGS FOR THE FIRST WEEK! This will make remembering names SO MUCH easier and result in a lot less embarrassing mix-ups.
16. Last but certainly not least…BE PROUD OF YOURSELF. YOU GOT INTO THIS PROGRAM FOR A REASON.

Just over a month! Just over a month! And I'm getting a laptop, and a locker, and school supplies, and new textbooks - ooooh, I'm so excited!

Love,
me