Kenna5027
30-08-13, 19:26
Hi all. I'm currently a senior in college, studying speech pathology. There really isn't any work with just a four year degree in this area (I'm in the US) which means I would have to go to graduate school - an additional 3 years of classes and clinic work and internships.
To be short, this terrifies me. I feel like three years is a LONG time, and I am scared to death that I am going to get out and end up realizing that I am not cut out for this career or good at it in the slightest. I like my classes, but I'm not absolutely in love with them - and all of my professors tell me that I need to be in love with the field in order to make it through grad school and beyond.
I briefly considered accounting, which would mean about another year of school for me just to get a degree since I haven't taken the right classes.
I also considered finishing my undergrad with this program, and applying to graduate school for gerontology. This wouldn't be a bad idea, since the program at this school is online so I could take the classes AND find work in a nursing home somewhere. Apparently the field is pretty broad, and I don't think I'd hate the work entirely.
There's not really a good gerontology department here, and I don't want to talk to my advisor as she's a speech pathology advisor and I'm afraid if I show doubt before I apply to any grad program (speech path or otherwise) she may think I'm not 100% committed and it may effect my chances of getting in. Plus, she's pretty spacey and I don't know if she'd know anyway. So I'm thinking of contacting a professor of one of the classes, to see if they can offer any guidance.
Any ideas/tips/stories to share? I'm 22 and I'm terrified of the future, especially since I'm almost out and I feel like I should know exactly what I want to do and how to get there. I just feel so lost, and it's really taking a toll on me -- I'm having headaches, panic attacks, I'm generally unhappy and miserable, etc.
To be short, this terrifies me. I feel like three years is a LONG time, and I am scared to death that I am going to get out and end up realizing that I am not cut out for this career or good at it in the slightest. I like my classes, but I'm not absolutely in love with them - and all of my professors tell me that I need to be in love with the field in order to make it through grad school and beyond.
I briefly considered accounting, which would mean about another year of school for me just to get a degree since I haven't taken the right classes.
I also considered finishing my undergrad with this program, and applying to graduate school for gerontology. This wouldn't be a bad idea, since the program at this school is online so I could take the classes AND find work in a nursing home somewhere. Apparently the field is pretty broad, and I don't think I'd hate the work entirely.
There's not really a good gerontology department here, and I don't want to talk to my advisor as she's a speech pathology advisor and I'm afraid if I show doubt before I apply to any grad program (speech path or otherwise) she may think I'm not 100% committed and it may effect my chances of getting in. Plus, she's pretty spacey and I don't know if she'd know anyway. So I'm thinking of contacting a professor of one of the classes, to see if they can offer any guidance.
Any ideas/tips/stories to share? I'm 22 and I'm terrified of the future, especially since I'm almost out and I feel like I should know exactly what I want to do and how to get there. I just feel so lost, and it's really taking a toll on me -- I'm having headaches, panic attacks, I'm generally unhappy and miserable, etc.