1. Do I REALLY need this major?

HAHAHA this is me every time I walk into my classes and I am lost. I will admit sometimes I just want to leave and never come back, BUT my love for helping others brings me back every time.

2. How do you transcribe again?

The IPA is a type of alphabet that all speech pathologists know and use to some extent. It requires you to transcribe the words people speak to phonetic symbols. You learn during your linguistics classes, and it’s like learning a whole new language again. It’s fun when you understand how to transcribe it, but let’s be honest everyone just uses Google.

3. Oh my god, I am never getting into grad school.

Ah, grad school. Two more years of taking exams, writing papers, and stressing. This part of a journey to be a Speech Pathologist brings you so close that you can see the finish line. The process is stressful and it’s like applying to college all over again. It may seem scary and my greatest fear is that I will not get into any school I apply to. It’s cool, just take a deep breath, drink some coffee, and remember you got this and you will get in.

4. Why does it feel like everyone is getting this besides me?

The story of my life. It will seem as though everyone around is so smart and they all have their sh*t together. Guess what, they don’t. Even the smartest kid in the room will feel as though they are the only ones not getting the material. You don’t have to be the next Einstein to succeed in life. Push yourself to the limits that work for YOU not anyone else.

5. If I don’t get the same classes as you, I’m will die.

Number one rule of being a pre-speech pathology major. ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS take classes with your friends. Create a study group, and group chats. Life will be easier and you won’t hate yourself, and honestly you will need people to vent you. Taking all my core classes with my amazing (bless her for keeping up with me) has been the only reason why I don’t have a mental breakdown everyday.

6. What sound does a vowel make?

I hate vowels. The thing with vowels is that they don’t sound anything like what they look like. An [i] sounds like the [e] in tea. Confused? Same and I’ve been taking linguistics classes since freshman year. I have accepted that I will never conquer vowels and I am totally okay with it.

7. Wow I can’t wait to work in this field.

I almost dropped out of this major. True story I was going to be a Human Resource major because I felt that I was not smart enough to work in this field. I had my mind made up and the paperwork was already until I shadowed at a school and met this little boy. I saw how much this speech therapist impacted his life and the difference it made. I immediately knew this what I was meant to do. It’s going to be hard, but it’s my dream to help kids communicate better and work at CHOP. This field is hard and competitive, but at the end of the day your passion for this career outweighs any exam score and grades.