Undergraduate Weighted Grade Tracking Chart

As I'm trying to reinvent my organization yet again (I'm so particular, especially with note-taking.), I've come across something that has been often overlooked in my records-- grade keeping. It seems that around finals time every semester I begin to freak out and don't figure out what I'll need to get on the exam ahead of time. Instead, I freak out a few days before, collect all my grades and figure out their weight and how much percentage that grade comes to in my cumulative score. That's why I've decided to be proactive and try to find a good technique to grade keeping and knowing how much I need to get on the final ahead of time.

Now, I'm not saying this isn't fool-proof, but I think this chart has promise, which is why I'm sharing it with everyone. Basically, you have a separate one for each class, and it'll have the date, assignment, grade, what that assignment's weight is out of everything, what the weighted percentage of that assignment is, and your total weighted grade. Here's an example (download link at bottom of post):

So, say that your class has 4 reflections worth a total of 20% of your grade... that makes each reflection 5% of your final grade (written under "Weight"). Since the grade on 'Reflection #1' is 25/25, that is equal to receiving the full possible 5% for that assignment ("Weighted Percent"). Since this is the first assignment logged, the "Total Percent" (your total percent so far in the class) is 5%. 

Now let's say you have 4 quizzes, worth a total of 60% of your final grade... that makes each quiz worth 15% of your grade individually ("Weight"). You only receive an 8/10, which is equal to 12% (of the total 15% available). So 12% now goes into "Weighted Percent". Now, add this to the percent above in "Total Percent" to get 17%, which is now what you currently have in the class.

Does this make sense?? I've attached the sheet to this post for anyone that wants it. Hope you find it helpful! Doe anyone else have some organization/ grade keeping tips?

CLICK HERE for the download link!

It's also available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. I'm currently working on a few new items... but check out my Teachers Pay Teachers store! :) http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Look-Whos-Talking-Slp

Common Undergraduate (and Beyond) #CSDProbs

Each major has it's own issues and commonalities that students realize as time passes by. I'm not sure how many other majors have, but Communication Science and Disorders certainly has many! Even the graduate life and working career of a Speech-Language Pathologist is filled with similarities that occur often. In fact, one way I spend my down time is skimming through the "What Should We Call SLP" Tumblr site, finding amusement in the gifs and their captions that capture the life of a student and clinician. (I suggest you do,too!)  To go along with this and the #slpprobz #csdprobs hashtags, I've come up with some of the most common issues, especially for undergrads... which can sometimes make your face look/feel like the one below!

1. Everyone shows up to class 20 minutes early. Finals also seem to mandate an unspoken 30-40 minute early arrival.

2.You suddenly become aware of your tongue movements and swallowing -- or get scared to death when others cough while eating.

3. You have an organization system with things labeled, color coded, in protective sheets and in individual binders based on subject. These are then kept for future classes that build off of that material.

4. Half  of the class is dressed perfectly for your 8 am and the other half looks like they rolled out of bed 15 minutes ago. And at least half of your classes are at 8 am.

5. People think you need to be in a psych ward for saying sounds to yourself while walking.

6. You've come to realize English orthography is horrible, despite that you can say words in other languages with the IPA.

7. Watching videos of kids while the class giggles at the cuteness is a fairly regular occurrence.

8. Once Junior year begins, everyone has a friendly but competitive nature that escalates as senior year begins. Getting a 'B+' is often accompanied with an empathetic " aww, next time" since everyone wants a 3.99 GPA.

9. Simply being in NSSLHA isn't enough. Everyone has their hands dipped into 8-10 things, some "bragging" that they've been volunteering in a camp for 6 years while those that just found out about the program freak out about only having 2 years experience tutoring kids.

10. You learn some really odd vocabulary and acronyms. Sometimes they seem dirty, other times you wonder how you can say them, let alone a patient.

There's many more, and if you can think of any feel free to comment!

Martin Luther King Jr Day!

Source: https://www.spoken.ly/detail.php?pid=hGfZrwqZrsMzXmj5pEWh8C1sY5jfOCT4

Out of Hibernation!

Hello all!

Wow, who knew a month could go by that quickly? As you can see, my blog went into a small hibernation... I had no idea my first official semester being in my undergrad SLP program would be this busy! November was especially hectic with numerous midterms (one class had two!), a visit from my boyfriend, research, Thanksgiving and now preparing for finals! Luckily most of my finals have been completed; I only have my anatomy and physiology of speech and my transcription phonetics finals left. Somehow my finals luck has continued and I have a Saturday final yet again. I guess I'm just destined to stay here til the end of every semester. ;)

This all comes with some good new though! I'm in the works of doing a guest interview for another website that's unrelated to SLP... It's for a blog by an american expat married to a Spaniard living in Spain. I'll be answering questions on my own relationship with a Spaniard! (That's right, I'm dating a foreigner ;) ) She has some great posts for expats/teaching English and just those interested in Spain. Check out her blog Y Mucho Mas

On a related note, I already have some posts in the works and am aiming on scheduling more. Since I'll be visiting my boyfriend over Christmas break, and not be busy with school, I'll have much more time to write posts and get some scheduled for the beginning of the school year!

Stay tuned!

An Eye for the Medical Side

Upon deciding to enter this field for my studies (and eventually as a career), I had no idea how vast the options were within Speech-Language Pathology. Adults vs Pediatrics, School or Medical, bilingual therapy, neurogenic or phonological disorders... the list goes on. It impresses me with how diverse not only the settings are, but what disorders are treated as well. With that said, I had no idea of all the questions I'd be asked by others when I decided on this career. What is Speech-Language Pathology? What population do you want to work with? What setting do you prefer? Would you rather help Autistic children or veterans with Aphasia? So many questions, most of which I haven't begun to draw conclusions about!

Currently, I'm on a medical setting kick. Part of the reason I was drawn to this career was that there is some science behind it, and that you can help others without being in a school setting. One issue, though. It's extremely difficult to get into this setting without experience. Next issue: how is one supposed to get experience without having the qualifications to work there to begin with, especially while pursuing an undergraduate (or even a graduate) degree? 

WORK EXPERIENCE

Photo by Keerati from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Although paid jobs/internships are difficult to come by there are some out there. This may require some deep searching, though. Or, if you're lucky, you may find one of these jobs through the grapevine. In fact, most employers don't even publicly mention they have a job opening. Instead, they rely on their employees to share the information to limit the pool to pick from. That's how I came by an opportunity to be a neonatal hearing screener/ audiology assistant-- from someone I was working with in a research lab. And you know what? They only had the application available for 3 days after she told me. So once you hear about these you have to act quick! I'd suggest viewing the website of (or hand-delivering your resume to)  local hospitals, clinics or even Veteran Affairs offices. I was lucky that this job is within speech/audiology, but even if you can find a job being an assistant or clerical person in a hospital, it could help boost your resume as it's experience in a medical facility that you can draw upon in interviews.

VOLUNTEER/EXTRA- CURRICULARS
See if your school has a club that volunteers in medical related settings or has a related mission. At my university there is a club that volunteers with children at hospitals, another that lets your volunteer at a regular hospital, Operation Smile, Ronald McDonald House, and a few others. Or, you can find places and apply to volunteer there. Medical-related volunteer positions could include: hospitals, Veteran Affairs, outpatient rehab, Make A Wish, and nursing homes.

GROW YOUR KNOWLEDGE BASE
As you have probably noticed, there is no end to learning in this field. Although this may not be an option for some, if you feel as though you have time to take some courses online, I suggest doing so. It's a win-win situation, as it will show graduate programs that you went above and beyond just learning in your classes, and you will gain invaluable insight into subject matter that interests you. There are some CEU websites that are free, some you pay a  a yearly fee, and others you pay by course. I prefer using speechpathology.com as it's a yearly fee that's fairly reasonable for students and I have access to all their courses (without earning CEUs, as I'm an undergraduate student).
Other facets that you can gain knowledge are:
-Workshops
-Conventions/conferences
-Certifications: CPR, FirstAid, HIPAA, Blood Borne Pathogens

-Research through school, summer research opportunities, and hospitals/organizations

NETWORKING

A major thing that I slightly touched on above is networking. If you are determined to work in a medical facility when you graduate and obtain your CCCs then you can never start too early. One way to do this is through your required shadowing/observation hours. It is suggested to shadow SLPs on both sides as an undergraduate, and I agree. There's no harm in seeing the other options and seeing how they run differently. Once/if you've decided the medical setting is for you, then try to observe as many hospital, in/outpatient, rehabilitation, skilled nursing facility SLPs and Audiologists that can. If possible, try to shadow some of the same people multiple times and keep in contact with them to build a relationship and build your network. Later on they can prove to be great references for grad school and jobs, and may even be able to suggest you for an open position in the future.

These are just some options that I believe could be helpful in gaining the knowledge, skill-set and network necessary for beginning a path towards the medical setting.

What are some tips that seasoned (or soon-to-be) SLPs and Audiologists have for undergraduates and grad students?