Welcome to UMass and Welcome to SLHS!

Because there are few required courses in the major, you should consult an advisor for registration information. You can make an appointment with Kat Hanson or contact slhs-peers@umass.edu for Peer Advising.

How to be Successful in SLHS

General Recommendations

It’s never too early – and never too late – to learn the skills to be a happy and successful adult. Put yourself out there: learn how to talk to new people.
Give yourself a break. It’s okay to choose activities that make you happy over activities that “look good.” It’s okay to try new things and fail at them.
As an underclassperson, you should spend time exploring new options and opportunities. Your only responsibilities in terms of graduate-school preparation during your first and second years are to explore your options and to maintain the best grades that are reasonable. If you spend your first years at UMass thinking only about graduate study, you will not have an interesting portfolio to present in an application.

First-year students

Get settled at UMass. Figure out how to study to keep your grades as high as you can.
Go to a NSSLHA (National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association) meeting and ask for a NSSLHA buddy.
Go to First-year and Sophomore class meetings with peer advisors. Ask questions!
Join at least one club, sport, or other activity. This does not have to be in-major or even related to the major, just get involved.
Make a point to meet your professors and talk to them. It can be hard to put yourself out there at first, but think about it as learning the skills to meet new people professionally, which you will need in your future career.
Go to https://www.umass.edu/careers/planning, take a self-assessment to start thinking about your future. Go to a career planning meeting, learn about internships, alumni networking, and handshake.
Learn about study abroad options. Make a decision about whether that might be a good option for you.