By Sarah — SLP, June Residency Cohort Lead
Track assignments, clinic hours, and meetings with a planner or digital calendar. Studies show that structured organization reduces stress and improves time management in graduate students.
Many SLPs recommend color-coding academic, clinical, and personal commitments to visualize workload balance instantly. This habit helps avoid burnout and maintains consistent engagement.
Your supervisors expect your questions—they’re part of your learning. Asking now builds skills you’ll rely on later when working independently with clients.
This aligns with best practice in clinical education: when novices ask more questions, they develop stronger metacognition and confidence over time.
Archive therapy materials, cueing strategies, data sheets, and notes from grad school. These become your toolkit in clinical practice.
One seasoned clinician advises: “Your grad school resources may be more valuable in your first job than your resume.” They help you hit the ground running.
ASHA’s requirements are specific: log client demographics, disorder types, and settings from day one. Procrastinating clinical hour logs can lead to rushed corrections—and stress.
A grad student shared on Reddit: “Grad school and mental health don’t mix well when you leave things to the end.” Consistent tracking avoids last-minute panic.
Clinical growth thrives on feedback—and on reflecting afterward. Embrace being uncomfortable—it’s often how true learning unfolds.
“Being uncomfortable will make you the best clinician you can be.”— Sarah
Grad school isn’t a prestige contest. Saying no to extra commitments is an act of self-care—and essential for longevity in your profession.
Prioritize one recharge activity weekly—be it downtime, exercise, or a short nature break. These pauses significantly improve resilience over time.
Your classmates are your best support system. Share struggles, celebrate wins, and recognize your cohort as teammates—not competition.
As one student put it: “Keep balance in your life and remember you’ll be learning forever—so it doesn’t all have to happen right now.”
Sample different clinical contexts—schools, hospitals, home health. That exposure helps you refine your interests before committing long-term.
Network with supervisors and guest speakers. Their guidance and willingness to serve as references often become invaluable when job-hunting.
Create study outlines for each course as you go—don’t cram everything at the end. The cumulative method eases stress and improves retention.
One SLP prep guide suggests narrating concepts out loud to yourself regularly—it reinforces knowledge, especially for practical reasoning.
When grad school gets tough, pause and reconnect with your mission—making a difference in clients’ lives. That purpose fuels perseverance during long days.
Many SLPs reflect back on their toughest semesters and say: “Remembering my why pulled me through.”