just another day.

I really don't have much to update.

More classes. More homework. More planning therapy. blah, blah, blah...

so instead, I will blog about something EXCITING...

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Ole Miss Football!

Saturday is our first game of the season, and I am oh so excited. Don't get me wrong, I hate football. I do not understand it one bit. And I hate having to stand up for the entire game in the student section for four hours. And I hate annoying, intoxicated people. And I hate that it will take away much needed studying/planning time. And I really don't care if we win or lose, but...

I do love this "tailgating" thing I have become a part of. And I am so looking forward to the Grove atmosphere once again. The people we tailgate with do it right. I love gathering with our Memphis crew (crazy folks they are) and having the true "Ole Miss" gameday experience. I love my dresses and (most imporatantly) I love football food.

But unfortunately, it is only Monday. I have a long week of classes and hearing screenings ahead. Please hurry, Saturday!

ps. I cannot wait to see Lauren Patton's comment on this post. ;-)

week 1

I have officially survived my first week of gradute school. Overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted...these words only begin to describe what I am feeling. I have quickly figured out that graduate school is an entirely different ballgame than undergrad. It seems as though I never leave George Hall (the clinic). I think back on my 22 years of life at times when I thought I had "so much to do" and laugh.I have never in my life been this busy.

I have one more week before clinic starts, and preparation and classes/homework are already consuming my days and nights. I have no idea how I am going to balance all of this. I know that I CAN do it, I just have to figure out how. I am taking this one day at a time.

I knew graduate school would be tough, but I had no idea how tough. I'm still so thankful for the opportunity and I still KNOW that I am called to do this, but I am just a tad overwhelmed. I know once I have a routine things will be better, but right now I feel like a tiny fish swimming in a huge pond.

For the first time, I am doubting my skills and knowledge. Can I do this? Can I be a clinician? Do I know enough? Will I have any idea what to do with my clients? Will they make any progress? The hard thing about speech pathology is that there is no textbook method for what to do in certain situations or with certain clients. It's up to me and my base knowledge.

Sink or swim.

I am the little fish.

In the huge pond.

But I will SWIM.

I may not always know which direction I'm headed

but I WILL swim.

I will not sink.

Get ready, graduate school. It's time to do this.

Caseload!

Sorry, I didn't update sooner!

Monday morning I got my caseload for the semester. I was very nervous, but I ended up extremely happy with my clients!

I cannot reveal a lot of detail (HIPPA regulations!) but I can tell you that I got all child clients.

I will be working with a 3 yr old, a nine yr old, and a ten yr old. I will be learning/teaching a lot of sign language with one client, and the others I will be targeting literacy and aticulation skills.

I will also be working with a client at Willie Price (the preschool on campus) two days a week.

Today I went to Oxford Elementary to do hearing screening with Mrs. Andrews, the SLP and Kendra a second year grad student. I had a lot of fun and it was my first real SLP experience.

Classes are going to be TOUGH.

Workload will be TOUGH.

I already feel overwhelmed, but I am taking it one day at a time. Everything about this experience is brand new, and I am starting from square 1.

The next two weeks are going to be very stressful, please pray that my spirit would stay strong, my attitude positive, and my mind sharp!

Day 3 of orientation was an online training for Therasimplicity, an AMAZING program used to create/ customize all kinds of therapy materials. It is normally $200.00 a year but we Ole Miss students are getting free subsriptions until we graduate. :-)

Today (Saturday) was Meet the Rebels. This was my second year to attend. I enjoyed seeing all of our players and getting some of their autographs (including our corner who turned down a 1.5 MILLION dollar offer to play baseball so that he could play here).

I didn't get any pictures of the players, but here are some cute pictures from the day.

Little kids in actual jerseys. too cute.

And our new on-field mascot...

Loved this picture of him high-fiving the little boy!

As I've mentioned earlier, Monday at 8AM is the big caseload reveal. I'm so excited to find out what clients I will have... language, articulation, literacy, apraxia?? Can't wait to let you all know!

As for now, I am just getting settled in Oxford. Classes will start this week from 5-7:30 and clinic starts September 1st!

Love,

amy

Day 2- Orientation

Today was Day 2. This morning we had graduate school orientation at 8:30. This orientation had nothing to do with my speech program. None of my professors were there. It was just something the university makes you sign up for... Needless to say, I arrived at 8:30, signed in,...and left. I was gone by 8:35. I already knew everything they were going to tell me about the wonderful history of Ole Miss and I really didn't feel like sitting through three and a half hours of "how to get plugged in on campus!" I (and most of the other girls) made a quick exit.

At 2:00 I had audiology training which was very fun. We learned how to do otoscopy (like when you go the doctor and she shines the light in your ears), typanometry (measures how fast your ear drum vibrates), and pure tone testing ("raise your hand if you hear the beep!")

I only got to perform each task once, and I still need A LOT of practice before I am comfortable doing the procedures and really understand what it is I'm looking for and what the test results mean to me as a SLP. A lot of info was absorbed (and probably forgotten) today.

I am still excited and I loved every minute of training today. I know it will be awhile before I am confident in my skills though.

And just to add...

Evan and I had Lenny's today. When we got our sandwhiches, the lady had labled them "his" and "hers". I thought this was so cute. :-)

Hope you have all had a great week! Tomorrow is Friday!

Day 1- Orientation

Day 1 of orientation was all I had hoped! It was great to see friends that I haven't seen since graduation. I loved catching up with my girls and hearing about their wonderful summers. Unfortunately, all I had to add to the conversation was "...yeah. I pretty much just stayed in Oxford and worked." I am happy for them. Whit lived with a deaf family near Nashville and learned SO much sign language. Jen worked at a summer camp for delayed children/adults in New York.

It was also great to meet new friends. I am looking forward to building new friendships over the next few months. Everyone that I have met so far has been very nice. I know we will all become close as we tackle this journey together.

The "second years" warned us of how difficult the class are, and how overwhelmed we will be from juggling classes with clinic. I'm nervous about the workload, but I know that it will all be worth it.

On Monday morning I will get my caseload. This will be my schedule of clients for the semester. I am excited to see if I will have children, adult, or both. Will they be stuttering clients, aphasia clients, social skills clients? I am excited to see!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the day! Day 1 of orientation! I am very very excited. I feel like I have waited so long for this day. Tomorrow starts my journey towards becoming a real speech- language pathologist. I can't quite put into words how I feel, so I will share with you the words of

Megan Hodge: “…a career in speech-language pathology challenges you to use your intellect (the talents of your mind) in combination with your humanity (the gifts in your heart) to do meaningful work that feeds your soul… I am proud to be a member of what I consider to be the best profession on earth.”

I know that I am called to be a SLP. I have no doubt in my mind, and I do believe it is the BEST profession on earth. I know I am in for a tough 2 years. I am nervous and scared. But I WILL do this. This is me. This is who I am. Amy Simmons. Future speech- language pathologist.

Wrap up!

This week/weekend is the time for wrapping things up. I start orientation in FOUR days. I am still beyond words excited, but the nerves are creeping in.

On the list to "wrap up":

Finish moving into new place: CHECK

Visit friend in Memphis I know I won't get to see for awhile: CHECK

Buy last minute items for clinic/therapy/class: CHECK

Thank you, Target $1.00 section. You are amazing. Oxford/Tupelo definitely needs a Target.

I also LOVE cheating the system and getting free stuff. I had a coupon for "Buy 2 Bic products and save $1.00. " One of my Bic products was on sale for 99 cents! So basically, I got them for free. >>>>>>>>

Get hair cut: CHECK

I decided it was time for a graduate student haircut. I am well aware that I look much younger than I actually am, and the longer my hair...the younger I look. My biggest fear is that people will doubt my clinic abilities because I look like a 15 year old. I do not want to walk into the waiting room on the first day, call my client's name and have him or her (or his or her family members) to think "who is this little girl!? Surely she isn't doing the therapy!"

This was the inspiration photo:

"oh no...what if it looks horrible?"

Ta dah! I LOVE it! And I think I look older if I do say so myself!

Catch up!

July is o-v-e-r!

I didn't post much in July, because my days seemed to be all the same. Work. My last day was last Wednesday, and I am VERY glad to be done. Don't get me wrong, that job was a gift sent from heaven financially, but those kids drove me crazy.

Here are some of the girls on a day that we took the kids to Sno Biz for sno-cones.

This is me with my favorite "student". This little boy taught me so much that I can use in the future, and I LOVED having him in my class. Despite his having autism, he was probably the easiest to deal with! Everyday he reminded me why I am going to graduate school. He changed my heart forever. (I know the look on his face is awful, but I promise this is his smile!)

I am so thankful for money I earned this summer, but I have much more important things to focus on now... like the next steps in my life! (*notice the new blog title*)

It is August, the month that I start graduate school. The month that I become a clinician. The month that I sink or swim. The most exciting, most terrifying month. And in NINE days I will start orientation. Three days of orientation. I am so excited that I feel like shouting! I’m looking forward to seeing my old friends, meeting the other new girls in my program, and learning what types of clients I will have this semester!

I have been doing a lot to get ready for "school" to start back.

1. I bought scrubs. Red and Navy (Hotty Toddy!)

2. I got CPR certified.

3. I ordered $300.00 worth of textbooks.

4. I invested in the ultimate class/ therapy bag.

Ladies and gents, this is the LL Bean Boat and Tote, and it is AMAZING. Over dinner one night, Claire and I discussed my need for a big bag for my laptop, books, and therapy materials. She exclaimed "You need a teacher bag!" and suggested this beauty. While I am *refusing* to call it a teacher bag, (it's a "therapy bag") Claire's suggestion was just what I needed. I LOVE my boat and tote. It's HUGE and so well made. I know it will last me years! (just wish my initials didn't spell a word...)

5. Somewhat moved into my NEW apartment.

6. ...and took a quick trip to the coast to relax and see my sister and brother-in-law! Unfortunately my camera is still missing, so I have one picture from the beach that I took with my iPhone.

I've been super busy and it seems like I still have a million things to do before August 17th, but I'm sure I will get everything done. I have a GREAT support system behind me that I am SO thankful for.