Student Blog
Why I Chose OT ⟩
September 7, 2012, by Alisa
I started out on the pre-med track like many others, but I quickly realized that it wasn’t for me. I didn’t enjoy the courses and felt that my classmates were too competitive. I flipped through the USC Catalogue and considered all the majors USC offers. Being that I have many interests, I could only narrow the list of possible majors down to ten majors. I needed advice from someone whom I could trust, so I turned to my pediatrician of twenty years about what careers I should look into. I told him I wanted to be in a helping profession with the lowest stress possible. He suggested I look into occupational therapy (OT) since his wife is an OT (USC graduate, too!). From then on, I joined the Pre-OT Club at school, saw an OT advisor, and even visited the first and most prestigious OT school in Thailand while on vacation (I should add that the person who greeted me got her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy at USC). The more I looked into OT, the more I got into it.
I felt OT was a perfect fit for me because I get bored easily. In OT I know that I am encouraged to use creativity with clients and tailor to their own needs and wants. Each client that I work with will have different stories to tell and come from various backgrounds. As an OT, I will be able to do storymaking with them. I can empower clients to write their own chapters of life filled with meaningful activities of their own choosing. Through my fieldwork experiences, I have worked with newborns in the hospitals to the elderly in a community-based setting. One day I hope to own my own clinic or day program with a built-in yoga studio, so that caregivers can do yoga while waiting for their loved ones getting OT.
⋯
Time for Rest! ⟩
May 8, 2012, by Kimberly
Living in LA School/Life Balance
Wow. What a year it has been! If these blogs have been any indication of what it’s like to be a student, then you know it’s a crazy, busy ride! We have now all finished the comprehensive exams, some of us are in the process of moving home or elsewhere, all are prepping for graduation, and some of us are even getting married (refer to Alix’s previous blog 😊). I have to admit it is a little strange not having days planned out to a tee with school and social stuff alike. But I’m going to try and take advantage of at least a couple days of rest before graduation. My calendar for tomorrow literally says “sleep.”
I’m house sitting all summer, so I have already moved my things into storage and am currently residing in Santa Monica. The house I’m at has a nice porch that gets some afternoon sun and is literally a 5 minute walk from the sand. It will be nice to take runs at the beach for at least a couple of months. Of couse it won’t stay quiet for too long with fieldwork on the agenda for Monday morning . . . but for now . . . rest. If there’s one thing we’ve all learned it is the importance of restful occupational engagement to refuel and keep our bodies healthy. So Happy Summer everyone! Hope you can find some restful days yourselves.
⋯
Future Occupations! Meet the Jetsons ⟩
May 7, 2012, by Chris
I’ve spent a great deal of time thinking about the occupations of the future. What kind of sports will we be playing?Where will we eat? What will we be eating? And so on. This got me thinking about how all of our daily occupations will be impacted by a reduction in the NASA budget. The technological advances brought by the necessities of space exploration can have a valuable impact on the world of OT.
⋯
Almost Done . . . ⟩
May 1, 2012, by Alix
Beginnings and Endings School/Life Balance
I can’t believe that the year is almost finished. It’s flown by so quickly! We’re only one little comprehensive exam away from a Master’s Degree.
On my to-do list:
- Take comps
- OT Prom (annual end-of-year soiree for students, faculty, and staff)
- Get married (nbd)
- GO TO HAWAII FOR HONEYMOON!
- Fieldwork all summer
- OTD
It’s been a pleasure guest-blogging on behalf of the Division for the past few months. Get excited for a brand new batch of Student Ambassadors to start blogging for the next year.
⋯
LA Times Festival of Books at USC ⟩
April 23, 2012, by Floyd
This past weekend was the annual LA Times Festival of Books at USC and it was a lot of fun! It was great to see and meet so many avid readers and distinguished authors at the central of Los Angeles. Every morning, we started off the grand sunny day with the music played by the one and only, USC Trojan Marching Band. This starting was a great lift for the day full of amusement, reading, and delicious food from food trucks.
USC OT had a booth in the center of campus that marketed what OT was and how people can learn more about our program. We also occupied the health tent that focused on health promotion and education on OT. Inside the tent, we welcomed participants to learn more about the different services that OT had to offer. We had for areas of practice: Low vision, weight management, stress management, and sensory integration. People received quick assessments of low vision, weighed themselves and learned what their BMI scores mean, create their own stress-relief balls and heat packs, and play in an obstacle course (Kids only please). Everyone had a lot of fun and we got a lot of great feedback from the participants and staff.
What a wonderful weekend full of good books, great company, and occupational therapy!
⋯
Subscribe | RSS