How to S.H.I.N.E. in Grad School
W.R.A.P. - it’s something I often recommend to patients with cognitive-communication deficits. It’s an anagram for a set of compensatory memory strategies:
Write information down
Repeat information (aloud or silently to oneself)
Associate information with something familiar
Picture information
The more I recommend these to patients, the more I find myself using them - jotting down notes in short-hand about patients’ progress and performance during sessions and cues I provided.
Along with the list above, which I believe are essential to weathering grad school, I want to propose an additional set of strategies I found crucial to succeed (i.e., a mixture of thriving and surviving).
Schedule - I cannot stress enough how important it is to use a task list, planner, calendar app, or another type of timetable to keep track of assignments, courses, labs, and life events outside of work. I’ve found Google calendar and a custom paper calendar, like the one included in my planner, work best for me.
Help - A sound support system, whether it's classmates, family, childhood friends, or another group you feel comfortable with, is critical to a good grad school experience.
Intent - Grad school is tough, but when you have a strong passion, or intent, behind why you're pursuing this degree, it makes the challenging tasks a little less daunting. During those moments of imposter syndrome and doubt, remind yourself why you're doing it. Read about my ‘why’ here.
Network - Connect and check in with your classmates, supervisors, professors, and the SLP community on social media platforms. Start building your community of support and advice now; it'll make a difference in your CFY and career. Start networking by connecting with me on LinkedIn.
Evaluate (and re-evaluate periodically) - Reflect on what's working well for you and what isn't; modify accordingly. Reach out to your network to find what's working for them - maybe it's something you haven't thought of or tried yet.
