Student Blog
Oh Sandy ⟩
October 31, 2012, by Kendra
I lived in New York City for four years before moving out west. Each time a blizzard or nor’easter (as the locals call it) would shut down a bus line or impede the usual hustle and bustle of the city that never sleeps, my mom would call up frantically wondering if my disaster kit was assembled and if my windows were sealed. And each time I would calmly tell her that the news media is making it out to be way worse than it actually is. Usually I’d be waiting for my sushi delivery as I told her this.
But this time it’s different. Due to a perfect confluence of variables, the storm has taken the city from fast-paced to off the grid.
And it’s during times like these that I love New Yorkers most.
Instead of hearing stories from friends of looting and violence, you hear about neighbors helping neighbors. You hear of businesses making pizza in the dark for 15 hours just because they have gas and want to provide hot food to their neighborhood.
You read posts on facebook, people offering their hot water and dry homes to those that need it. Despite their reputation for being rude, fast-talking people during times of trouble New Yorkers come together demonstrating one of the greatest human capacities: support and caring. It is a truly beautiful thing.
In learning about the physiological aspects of the stress response we learn of a number of factors that can help ameliorate its effects. One of those is social support. Talking to a friend about a bad day helps someone unwind. Going to church weekly helps a person find peace and understanding in a busy life. And having a community of 9 million people come together after a shared trauma to help rebuild helps each person cope with the tragedy in a healthy, productive way.
So hats off to you New York City. My heart goes out to you, but I know New York will continue to stand tall.
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Career Fair! ⟩
October 25, 2012, by Ricky
Career fair tomorrow folks! So, as a 2nd-year student, this is kinda’ a big deal. 1st-year students are recommended to attend, but it isn’t mandatory. I’ve talked to a few 1st-year students and some are pretty gung-ho about it (which I think I awesome!). Others are on the fence. In my opinion, they should most definitely attend — it’s great practice for next year’s and you never know how long a good first impression might last. While chatting with some 2nd-year students, I was surprised to hear that some were not planning to attend. I was like “what!” I couldn’t believe it. Some of these guys/gals are stellar students too, so I thought, “they probably already got something lined up.” But, no, not the case. One girl said she didn’t feel like making the commute on her day off. To her, and others like her: c’mon guys, what the heck are ya’ll working so hard for!? To get straight A’s!? YOU NEED TO GO TO THIS THING! Grades do not get you jobs. They help, but that’s not all that’s gonna count when it comes getting the job of your dreams. Employers are going to want someone who is solid academically/technically, but who will also contribute to the culture of the organization and fit in well with other employees. Chances are that if you are in OT school at USC, you are pretty well-rounded — what better way to showcase your great qualities than to show up in person and make that good first impression? NETWORKING people — it’s sooo important. There are few opportunities better than this career fair to get your foot in the door. Applying on-line or sending your resume just doesn’t cut it these days. A strong resume is also super important, but look at it this way: resumes don’t get you jobs, they get you interviews; show up to the career fair and it’s almost like a mini-interview. Bring a solid resume and good attitude, and you’re golden. You don’t really have all the pressure of an interview, too — I’ve been to quite a few career fairs in my day (I’m old-er), and I have never been quizzed on-the-spot or anything. If you need to settle the nerves or something, swing by the Division’s table and see how awkward I am . . . I’ll tell you a cheesy joke or something. My routine at career fairs is to actually hit the employers I have the least bit of interest in. This is a great way to prime myself and settle nerves before hitting the employers I really care about. Also, I was once told to feel sorry for the people doing the recruiting or interviewing. If you think about it, there’s a lot of pressure on them to pick the right people. Do you know how expensive it is to hire someone and then not have it work out? See ya’ll at the career fair mañana.
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No phone for 24 hours? No problem ⟩
October 25, 2012, by Alisa
Life Hacks School/Life Balance
So, I went to my parents’ house for the weekend, and when I was on the freeway coming back to school, I realized I had forgotten my phone at home! I had to make a decision between driving back, which would take about 15 minutes or just go to class. I chose the latter. I knew I could live without a phone. I felt that I got a lot more free time because when I had my smart phone with me, I tend to check it quite often. It’s become a habit, but I do try to refrain from it. Those emails and notifications can wait. Go live your life now. Connect with the people around you. We are humans. We crave social interactions, or at least I do.
The positive side to leaving my phone at home was the fact that I would get to visit home again soon. I didn’t know that it was going to be the very next day! I went back the next day after fieldwork, and it was my dad’s birthday, too! So, we found an excuse to all go out and have dinner together. With the exception of my sister, no one else in my family had been to The Boiling Crab before. We had sweet potato fries, sausage, corn, shrimp, crawfish, and king crab. If you haven’t been to a restaurant like The Boiling Crab, it will get messy! You will be given a bib. It is a totally hands-on experience. You have to do everything yourself from taking off the peel to squeezing the lemon. I was stuffed, but, it was so good. A little on the salty side, but hey, you can for less salt on your orders. I got creative when I ate shrimp with a ball of rice. It reminded me of spam musubi. We’re not done yet. Afterwards, we went to BJ’s just to have pizooki (cookie with ice cream). It reminded me of my childhood since my dad used to get it for us when he got off work as a sheriff. The combination of cookie and ice cream is my guilty pleasure, indeed. The phone that I forgot at home was what brought me back home, and we all happen to be able to celebrate on his special day. Good times.
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Creative ways to achieve balance ⟩
October 24, 2012, by Kendra
It’s the middle of the semester which means mid-terms, papers, and presentations hitting us like a tidal wave. Students start showing up in pajamas with dark shadows under their eyes. Backpacks appear fuller and heavier and there’s always someone staring intently at a laptop in a corner or empty classroom.
It is during times like these that I absolutely love my zany cohort. Last week a classmate decided to introduce arbitrary color coordination day. One day each week we all dress up in a color or pattern for absolutely no reason other than we can. Last week was blue.
It really makes no sense why we do this and why we all seem to enjoy attempting to get 45 people to match outfits, but it’s a great way to have fun and de-stress for a few minutes or hours. When we learned about balance in our Health Promotion and Wellness class, we talked about eating healthy meals, getting enough rest, and finding leisure time within a working day. Shockingly the textbooks don’t mention that matching outfits helps you find balance. 😊 And yet, it does. It is something to laugh about, something we all share (in addition to the shared stress about tests and papers) and for a brief moment the stress disappears and we are just friends being silly about arbitrarily coordinating.
Somehow this weird little tradition has become my favorite part of the week and a wonderful reminder of why I love OT school!
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Fight On! ⟩
October 23, 2012, by Amber
One of the most enjoyable things about being a Trojan is attending the USC football games. It is at these events that our incredible pride and school spirit is on the greatest display. Never before in my life have I witnessed so many people that were so excited about the same thing. It really is incredible to walk onto campus on the day of a game. Fans dressed in red and gold cover the entire campus, the marching band and cheer squad parade throughout, and everyone engages in the great tradition of tailgating. The Occupational Therapy students teamed up with the Pharmacy students for the festivities, and new friends were made. I was excited to have my father with me, who had never attended a college football game. On the way into the game, we caught a glimpse of the retired space shuttle Endeavor on display at the California Science Center. I spent the game teaching my dad the fight songs and game day traditions. He had a wonderful time and said it was more fun than any NFL football game. I felt proud to be a Trojan!
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