Student Blog
Ricky

New Digs ⟩
February 7, 2013, by Ricky

Housing and Transportation Living in LA School/Life Balance

Some of you might remember me venting about all the things I had going on last semester. Winter break gave me some time to reassess and consider making a few changes. I concluded that the likely best thing I could do was rent a room nearby campus, just for the last semester. But being the budget-conscious ex-accountant that I am, I was still hesitant . . . up until my first week of classes. After sitting through all 6 classes for the first time, I was like, “oh heavens no. I need to move closer . . . and then I have the comp exam to worry about . . . oh my . . . looks like I’m moving to LA.” All I really needed was a place nearby to lay my head and shower — I planned on going back home on weekends anyway. I came pretty close to renting a couch in someone’s living room — so glad I didn’t. I ended finding a great place down the street from campus, with my own bed and bath for a very affordable price. It’s in “not-the-nicest” area of Los Angeles, but it’s really not so bad for a guy who can hold his own. It’s close, clean, gated, has pretty much all my preferred amenities, and my landlady is great. While I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone, I just thought I’d let ya’ll in on the fact that options like this exist. While searching for a place, I looked on Craigslist, asked classmates/friends, and checked for postings around campus. Take note of that last point because the best places I saw came from ads in the med-school buildings across the street from our building. I’ve only been living there for 2 weeks and so-far-so-good. I’ll be sure to give ya’ll an update later down the road. Cheers!

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Data Phone! ⟩
January 24, 2013, by Ricky

Life Hacks

Oh my goonies! So up until two weeks ago I had a classic, no-nonsense (and no data) flip-phone. The main reason for holding-out on the data was that I just couldn’t afford it. Sure I could save up for the phone, but what about the monthly $30 perpetuity? These are things an ex-accountant thinks about. So I reasoned, ‘what’s the point — besides, it is a phone after-all . . . a device that can make and receive telephone calls, right?’ Boy, was I wrong. The productivity that these little “miracle boxes” afford, indisputably trumps the cost. These things are no longer phones — how many people do you even catch anymore using their phones to make a long-winded phone-call? No, they are much more than that. That is, if you use them for the power of good. I can totally see how data phones can readily become a distraction, but if you consider it a tool versus a toy, then it can make you better. Life is fast these days — especially for a working graduate student. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve missed opportunities because I was the last one to check the email, or because I didn’t have my calendar memorized or in my pocket. Productivity tools like the list app called WorkFlowyare making me more efficient. Oh, and one more thing about apps, Google Maps (end of apps discussion). Yep, things are going well for me and my data phone. If I ever had to go back to the trusty ‘ol flip-phone, I think I could pull it off, but I just don’t want to.

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Back At It ⟩
January 17, 2013, by Ricky

Classes

Day 4 of the new semester! I hadn’t fully comprehended how I’d be putting in 11–12 hr days. Don’t be alarmed, that’s only 2 days a week. The cool thing is, I have very light days just after to recover. So far it doesn’t even matter because I’m absolutely loving my courses. That may have something to do with the fact that I got to choose them. That’s not to say that some of the courses I’ve completed to date aren’t great; I’m just saying it’s always better when you hand pick ‘em. So one of courses is a USC OT staple: Sensory Integration (SI). SI is an approach that was pioneered by USC’s own A. Jean Ayres. My professor was a student of Ayres’ and is very accomplished in her own right. So exciting! Another of my self-selected electives is the Motor Control best-practice course at a renowned local rehabilitation hospital. This class is a late one, but I don’t think I’ll have any trouble staying awake seeing as how yesterday was our first day and already we were practicing transfers. So hands-on — I love it! The instructor is very engaging as well. Well, let me see how today’s 12 hr-day goes, and I’ll check in with ya’ll shortly. Oh, also, what’s the deal with Manti Te’o? C’mon bro, really?

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Resolutions ⟩
January 8, 2013, by Ricky

Life Hacks School/Life Balance

As of today, I am beginning operation Get Fit (Registered Trademark by Ricky — not really). So I know we’ve been in the New Year for a few days now, but I was on vacation up through yesterday — well . . . technically, I started work yesterday, but yesterday was the BCS Bowl (which turned out to be a disappointment) and I knew I’d be enjoying several delicious beverages and a few unhealthy snacks. Anyhow, as of today, it’s go-time! Operation Get Fit is a work in progress, but the foundation includes daily physical exercise, meditation, and eating healthy. The focus right now is maximizing mornings. My ideal morning includes some exercise, a warm shower, and a solid breakfast. I always feel more productive and satisfied with my performance if I start the day with a good jog. This might actually have something to do with my sensory preferences — I may just be giving my body what it needs to start the day. The real challenge with my fitness goals is being able to make the time. My schedule is pretty tight, with school, work, the fiancée, and living so far from everything. But it is as they say, “Where there’s a will there’s a way.” There is always a way. One strength is having a gym nearby wherever I’m at. And another strength is the fact that I love the gym. I get so pumped when I walk in and see super-fit people grinding on the machines and weights. I get even more pumped when I see people that are in non-ideal shape hitting it hard. I’m like “yeah, get your health on!” I guess I’m lucky to feel this way because I know some people who hate the gym. Anyhow, as most college students probably do, I am really reconsidering my living arrangements as of late — I may just rent someone’s couch for the remaining semester. Anybody got a living-room couch for rent? Haha. We’ll see how it all works out, one thing’s for sure, I am getting FIT! I’ll be getting married this summer and I want to be in top shape. Next on the list: figuring out how to grow some more hair. 😊

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FIN ⟩
December 14, 2012, by Ricky

Ahhh . . . nothing like being done with another semester. On the real, these last two weeks were the roughest yet (for me). The schoolwork wasn’t that hard, it was the volume of stuff that piled up towards the end that did it. That, and my time management skills (or lack thereof . . . no, definitely lack thereof). I was done on Wednesday — it’s Friday now, and I am still recovering. My battle scars were comprised of tightness in the chest, tension in all parts of my body down to my little toes, and some peculiar behavior in my eyes — darn you laptop screen! (fist clenched . . . ever so tightly). My adversary consisted of the following:

Week 1
Monday — early final (yay)
Thursday — group presentation
Friday — community program poster presentation + proposal (oh, roughly 100 pages)

Week 2
Wednesday — 10 page paper
Wednesday (yes, same Wednesday) — 10 page case study

To some, it may seem like just another finals period, but in my lived-experience, I no likey :( The happily-ever-after in this story is that I am still breathing. I am always amazed of what we are capable of when we are put to the test (literally, in this case). Plus, there’s always room for it to be worse. I always tell myself that it isn’t really that bad until I get that bad metallic taste in my mouth . . . you know what I mean? You’ve read Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, right? Anybody? Anyhow, thank you all for the chance to vent a bit.  Now for a little recess . . .

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