Happy 2020, everyone!


     I hope that everyone had a fun and safe New Year's Eve and that you are ready for the new decade! 2019 was a great year for me, filled with adventure, learning, and growth. I definitely spent a solid chunk of the last few months of 2019 applying to graduate school, but I was also happy to meet some goals that I had set for myself for the year.

     I have always loved setting New Year's resolutions and do not think of them as milestones that I absolutely have to reach, but rather as steps I would like to take in order to become a more fully realized version of myself. I am always striving to be kinder, more mindful, and to improve my skills and knowledge in both my career and hobbies. So, this year, here are a few of my goals for 2020:

Career / Education

• Maintain organized planner & calendar for coursework
• Maintain at least 3.5 GPA

Financial:

• Due to starting graduate school, my budget is going to have to be pretty tight for awhile. This means: halting all superfluous spending. If I do not need it, I will not be buying it (particularly when it comes to clothing, makeup, and fragrances)
• Limit eating out to once per week 

Hobby / Self Improvement:

• Continue to limit my consumption of animal products (I am vegetarian and do not consume dairy, so I am slowly making my way toward veganism)
• Challenge myself in what new recipes I try out in baking
• Volunteer at least once a month at TravelingStories
• Read at least 12 books

That's it! What are some of your goals for this year? Or, if you do not believe in setting New Year's resolutions, what are you looking forward to this year?

Grad School Update!

Hi everyone!

The past couple months have been a whirlwind! I celebrated my 27 birthday, took the GRE, furiously typed a dozen graduate school applications / essays, and we just wrapped up Christmas!

About a week before Christmas I received a call from a graduate program asking if I would be interested in applying for their Spring 2020 program as opposed to Fall. Overwhelmed by the excitement of talking to an admissions counselor for a graduate program, I said "absolutely!" and decided I would figure it out later. Well, just later that day I received an email letting me know of my acceptance to Eastern New Mexico University's Speech Language Pathology program!

Since I was accepted into the Spring 2020 cohort, my classes start mid-January! Much sooner than I ever expected to be attending graduate school, as I had been applying to Fall programs, but I am overjoyed! Fortunately, this is a hybrid program so I am able to take my classes online in Spring and Summer, but I will need to complete practicum on campus in Fall so...guess I'm moving 😄


I am so excited and cannot wait to being this journey toward becoming a Speech Language Pathologist!

This is a quick post, but I've got a study playlist coming up soon 😊

GRE Study Essentials

                                                  


If you're planning on applying to graduate school, chances are you've heard or the GRE, or Graduate Record Examinations. 


1. Set Your Timeline

I cannot stress the importance of giving yourself enough time to study. I would suggest adding two months extra on top of your current timeline to make up for potential missed study days and extra review of material you don't feel confident in. 

I went into my first GRE blind, just hoping to gage my starting point. I scheduled my second test the latest possible date I could to still be able to apply to my programs on time.

PrepScholar recommends taking the GRE no later than three weeks prior to your earliest application deadline. I would add a buffer week, just to be safe (scores could get lost or misreported).



2. Materials 

Here is a list of study materials that I felt were invaluable to the increase in my GRE score:

• ETS 5lb Book
• This book is filled with practice questions from vocabulary, essay prompts, and math concepts you may encounter on the GRE
  
• GRE Mat
• GRE Mat's videos are honestly a lifesaver! The amount of free, easy to understand tutoring videos he produces is astounding. I credit all of my quant score improvements to him.
  
• Quizlet to review vocabulary & math formulas
• Here is a list of 52 Common Vocabulary Words on the GRE
  
• ETS Practice Tests
• These can be found on the ETS website and are free to take and retake as you please

3. Study Playlists

I really like to study to playlists that add to the ambiance, here are some that I listen to often:

• Chilled Cow
• Harry Potter Playlist
• Animal Crossing
• Legend of Zelda

4. On Test Day

Some advice for your test day!

• Eat breakfast & Pack Snacks 
• Mental work needs fuel! The second time I took the GRE I doubled down and had a huge breakfast and was still starving by the time I got my 10 minute break.
  
• Arrive Early
• To ensure you find parking, the actual room your test will be in, and get checked in on time
  
• Dress Warmly!
• During my first test, it was 90 degrees outside but I knew test rooms could be chilly. I wore a long sleeved shirt and leggings and was freezing!
  
• Remove All Jewelry Prior
• I was even asked to remove my wedding bands before taking the test! My glasses were inspected, as well, so just be prepared and avoid wearing extra jewelry because they will ask you to remove it.
  
• Most Importantly: You Got This!
• After all the time you put into preparing and studying, feel confident and you will do great!

Good Luck!

1st Anniversary Trip to SF

Hi all,

I thought I would do a little roundup on our first anniversary trip up to San Francisco. We took a long weekend and flew up on Thursday, giving us the whole weekend to explore the city!

My husband booked our hotel for us, so I was shocked when I saw the beautiful view from our hotel room: a straight shot of Coit Tower.

     

Friday was our first full day in the city, so we took to the streets of San Francisco early in the AM in search of one of my favorite coffee spots, Philz 😊


We walked down the Embarcadero to Fisherman's Warf, where we tried to get a picture in front of the Golden Gate Bridge, but our plans were foiled by Karl. We were not dismayed, though, and decided to walk up to the Ghirardelli factory to split an ice cream sundae.

     

We spent the rest of the day exploring North Park, walking to and up Coit Tower, and stopping in cafes intermittently for much needed coffees and pastries.

We both woke up the next morning ready for another day of exploring but also absolutely exhausted! After realizing we had walked 8 miles the previous day, we decided to Uber to the Mission district for brunch and ended up at Stone Mill Matcha, where I had the best Swiss roll and matcha latte ever. Plus, just look how sweet their presentation is!

     

As our trip came to a close, we crossed the Golden Gate to spend some time wandering through Sausalito before heading back over the bridge to Golden Gate Park. The weather became quite gloomy so we stopped in for dumpling soup & dim sum (so delicious).

    


Overall, I couldn't have asked for a more fun or perfect anniversary trip. I feel so lucky to have gotten to go to this beautiful city with my best friend 😊

     

Grad School Applications & Update!

Hi all!

Well, I successfully completed my cohort program in Speech Language Pathology! I learned so much in such a short amount of time, but it only deepened my interest in the field. 

Now, I am in the process of applying to graduate programs! Maybe it's because I am applying to quite a few programs (eleven as of now), but between writing essays, racking up observation hours, volunteering, studying for the GRE, and working full-time, I feel like I'm constantly running. Fortunately, I love being busy and I love what I'm doing! Despite having a busy schedule, I always feel like I am working toward something bigger and better. And if that isn't enough to get me out of bed in the morning, a little extra coffee does the trick 😁

Also, an update to my introduction post, we just celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary this October! A year flew by so fast it honestly felt like we've been married for only a month. To celebrate, my husband and I went up to San Fransisco and wandered around the city in search of the best dim sum (we believe we found it!). It was such a great trip, I'll probably post some pictures in a separate post.

To end this post, I am making a commitment: I am going to begin posting more regularly on this blog, as well. There, I said (wrote) it, and therefore it will be. Look out for more posts about my process of applying to graduate school, study tips, and some personal musings, as well.

First Post!

Hi everyone! 

So, this is my first post on this blog. How exciting!

 I'm hoping to eventually connect with others who are in preparatory programs for Speech-Language Pathology Masters programs and then hopefully to blog about my life in graduate school. I've noticed that there are several Speech-Language pathologist bloggers out there, but not many students who write about their experience so I am hoping my blog will be helpful for prospective students.

Since this is an introductory post, I guess I should introduce myself a little before diving right in. My name is Nicole and I am currently in a prep cohort for a Masters in Speech-Language Pathology program. I am hoping to work with the geriatric community, but who knows what will strike my interest once I get deeper into the program.

In my free time I like to read (mostly fiction), volunteer, play ukulele, draw, and pretend to be a badass weightlifter.

Also, I am getting married in October! So, you know, not a lot on my plate at all. Not even a little, nope...(so, naturally, I thought I'd start blogging lol)

I'm really looking forward to eventually connecting with others out there who might be studying the same subjects as I am! I am really loving my cohort program so far!

Until next post,

Nicole