Faculty / Staff Resources Student Resources
University of Southern California
University of Southern California
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
X/Twitter Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube
People
People

Sleepy head

Alisa

February 20, 2013
by
Alisa

Life Hacks School/Life Balance

X/Twitter Facebook LinkedIn email

I haven’t been getting good sleep, and partly because I get woken up in the middle of the night. I’m holding the duty phone as a resident advisor, and I’m worried that the phone will ring in the middle of the night. It affects me in that I don’t want to wake up in the morning. The hardest part of waking up is getting up. Today, my alarm clock went off at 7:45, but I didn’t actually get up into 8:16. I set a new record, where I got ready in 6 minutes just in time to catch the tram. It helped that I had my clothes all laid out the night before. I usually catch up on sleep on the weekend, but sleep is something that I’ll be more conscious now. On average my body needs at least 7 hours to be able to fully function. In my undergraduate career I have pulled one all-nighter, and in grad school about once a semester. It’s just me having poor time management skills since I often get distracted by all the wonderful opportunities at USC. Sometimes there just not time in the day to accomplish everything that I wanted to. Yesterday, Kal Penn was speaking on-campus. Today, I’m attending an event at USC where Landon Donovan will be speaking! I’m looking forward to that.

I can’t believe I’m leaving for Thailand in a week! It seems that there is so much more to do between now and when I leave, but I tell myself I’ll get through it. I set smaller goals for myself and tackle them one at a time. Of course, I reward myself for accomplishing those tasks. For my externship in Thailand, I’ll be shadowing my aunt who owns a health spa and is involved in many charitable organizations. I’ll be learning about corporate social responsibility and leadership in the health and wellness industry. I’ll also get to spend more time with my beloved grandmother as well.

1. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | April 2, 2013

Hi Alisa,

I would like to apply to USC in the near future.  I have heard wonderful things about the OT program.  In reading a few of your posts, I saw that you are a Resident Advisor.  I was wondering how did you come about becoming one?  Was there anything posted for it? Did you have previous residential life experience?  What percentage of tuition does the position cover? Is it a 2 year position or do you have to apply annually?  Any information you can send my way would be appreciated.

Hope you enjoyed your time in Thailand, especially with your grandmother

Best,
Jazz

2. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | April 3, 2013

Hi Jazz,

Thank you for your interest in the program! I went through undergrad at USC and became a Resident Advisor during my junior year. Now, I’m in the graduate program, and I’m still enjoying my Resident Advisor experience. When you get admitted to USC OT Program, you’ll get more information about financial aid opportunities, and there you’ll find out contact info in becoming a Resident Advisor. It covers housing for 1 academic year and a monthly meal stipend. You’ll have to reapply for the position each year.

I had a great time in Thailand! Please my most recent post 😊