Student Blog
School/Life Balance

Working in College Is Not One Size Fits All ⟩
July 18, 2024, by Mason

Getting Involved Life Hacks School/Life Balance

Throughout my undergraduate and graduate education at USC, I have always had some form of job, and these were often funded by federal work-study. Federal Work Study is a government-funded student aid program that students may be eligible to receive depending on their financial situation as governed by the yearly FAFSA. The full ins and outs of the program can be a bit confusing, but to simplify it, if a student is awarded federal work-study, the government will give an employer money to pay your wage and to incentivize the hiring of you as a worker. In my personal experience, having federal work-study was extremely helpful as an undergraduate student, as many of the on-campus jobs such as working at the library, bookstore, etc. would be much more likely to hire a student with a federal work-study award. That is not to say that there are no jobs for those without this distinction. Many of my close friends and even myself during the years I did not receive this award were still able to find great employment opportunities and jobs that were flexible enough to accommodate a college student’s scheduling needs. The key takeaway from this though is that federal work-study can be a great opportunity and tool in finding employment during college, so make sure to remember to fill out your FAFSA accurately each year and not to overlook the award in your financial aid package.

Now on a more personal note, I’d love to talk about my experience so far as a working college student. I was fortunate to be raised in a very hard-working family, where both my parents worked full-time jobs while raising my two sisters and me. While my parents were working hard in their careers, my sisters and I were taken care of by my Nonno (grandfather). My Nonno immigrated to America from Sicily when he was just 19 years old and it is from him that I owe my work ethic across all of the jobs I have worked so far. No matter what was going on in my life, my Nonno always raised me to be a hard worker. He taught me that if you wanted something in life, that it was your responsibility to work hard to achieve it, and that any aspiration no matter how big was achievable with hard work & determination.

I have worked many jobs in my life such as being a tutor, a beach lifeguard, a resident assistant, and a campus tour guide, and now I enjoy interacting with my community through blogs like this as a Chan student ambassador. For me, work has always brought me a sense of meaning and purpose. The idea of getting a job and working during college was never really a question in my mind, rather, it was more of an understanding I had made with myself to continue to work hard towards my goals. Students choose to work in college for a multitude of reasons, many work hard to pay for things like books, food, and rent. Some students choose to work so that they can have money to support themselves in meaningful activities like sports, exploring LA, or getting dinner with their friends. Finally, many students choose to work because having a job helps them derive meaning and purpose with their time in college. I have often found that people do not simply fall into one of these roles, rather, most students I know tackle every one of these goals simultaneously.

Working in college is not one size fits all. Each and every one of us is a different person, with different goals & aspirations, different finances, and importantly, different needs to succeed during our time here. So when considering whether or not to work during your academic pursuits the best advice I would give is to be honest with yourself and to think about what you need to succeed. Choosing not to work is just as meaningful as choosing to work if a job would jeopardize your success as a student. My advice, be open to trying new things! If a job doesn’t work out you can always stop and you can always try something else instead. Working in college is not perfect for everyone, but it can be a fantastic opportunity to set yourself up for financial, professional, and personal success in your future life and career.

That’s all for now, and remember to Fight On!

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Harmony in Hustle: Balancing Workload and Well-Being ⟩
May 24, 2024, by Shivani

School/Life Balance

Before starting grad school, I was told how easy it can be to become caught up in the workload and sacrifice self-care and your social life. I was terrified to start grad school because I wasn’t sure what my social life was going to look like. Would I have time to see my family? Would I have time to hang out with my friends? Would I have time to go to the gym? I really wished someone would give me a direct answer to my questions, but deep down, I knew that everyone has their respective ways of managing their schedules so creating a stable school/life balance would only come through my efforts. It wasn’t until I actually started grad school that I realized that creating a school/life balance was actually possible. Having gone through 2 semesters of the Entry-Level Doctorate program, I feel as though I’ve finally gotten the hang of ensuring that I place equal importance on school and my life outside of school. Here are some things I implemented and some takeaways that I hope can be helpful for you:

1. Create a schedule for yourself: Once I started school, I realized how I thrive off of scheduling. If I plan out every aspect of my day, I’ve found that I’m more productive. At the beginning of the Fall semester, I created a Google Calendar to help develop my daily routine. Alongside inputting my class schedule, I included time for homework, free time, going to the gym, meals, and completing any chores. While this may sound extreme, knowing what I was going to be doing almost every hour of the day made prioritizing school and my life outside of the classroom a lot easier.

2. Study outside of your home environment: Within the first couple of weeks of school, I quickly recognized that I couldn’t study in my apartment. I found myself easily distracted and spent countless hours scrolling through TikTok and other social media platforms. I began experimenting with different study spaces and ultimately found that I work best at the Currie Hall academic center or a coffee shop. I discovered that working outside of my home environment allows me to separate home and school. To expand, my motivation for getting my work done is to go back home, relax, and maybe even watch my favorite TV show or movie. It isn’t a secret that grad school can lead to feeling overwhelmed and stressed. With that in mind, working outside of my home environment allows me to be productive while preventing me from bringing any negative feelings into my home. My home is my safe space, and as a grad student, having that space makes my school/life balance easier to maintain.

3. Create your support system: An aspect of the program that I really like is the cohort system. Being placed in a group with approximately 40 students gave me the space to form genuine friendships with those around me. Within the first couple months of the semester, my closest friendships within the program were developed. We sit together at lunch, hang out after school, and also meet on our days off to study together. Having this solid support system has made each semester more memorable, fun, and less overwhelming. My friends within the program have played a significant role in developing my school/life balance, as we make time to do things outside of studying. To expand, study sessions also consist of various occupations, such as taking walks, trying new coffee shops, or rewarding ourselves with food/dessert. Integrating fun within our group study sessions has not only allowed us to enhance our productivity, but has also allowed us to create memorable moments. I’m so lucky to have been able to find friends who not only support and challenge me academically but also are there for me in almost every other aspect of my life. While grad school can be tough at times, don’t forget that these may be some of the best moments of your life, so be sure to make the most of it!

There are so many other takeaways I’ve gathered throughout my grad school experience thus far. To not make this a novel, I will keep it short and say that I’ve learned that it’s okay to take breaks and to prioritize yourself at times. A question I’ve asked myself multiple times is — How are you going to emphasize occupational balance as a future OT if you can’t implement it yourself? My advice to you would be: Don’t be so hard on yourself, take things one day at a time, implement the tactics that work best for you, and soak in every moment of this experience because it only comes once.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I’m here for you, and we are on this ride together 😊 ! Fight On <3

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Lessons I Did NOT Expect OT School to Teach Me ⟩
April 2, 2024, by Natalie

Classes Life Hacks School/Life Balance

Hey everyone! I am back with a new list that I hope you will relate to, save, and refer back to when needed. Looking back at my last two years, these lessons I have learned have helped me grow as a person, as a professional, and as a future clinician. These lessons are not listed in our “Program Outcomes” or “Learning Objectives”. They are lessons I think everyone eventually learns, but that I learned when I felt challenged and pushed past my comfort zone.

Grades do not matter as much as you think. The Division has strict rules about the grade students are required to earn in any course in order to have those course credits apply towards earning the degree. According to the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy (2023) student handbook:

The minimum passing grade in all OT required courses is C or above . . . To be eligible for graduation, a graduate OT student must achieve a final overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above AND a GPA of 3.0 or above on all courses applied to the entry-OTD degree (p. 15).

As long as you reach that required grade point average, there is no need to stress about every grade point percentage. No future client will ever ask you what grade you got on your adult rehab midterms; they will just be happy that you know what you need to know in order to help them. That being said . . .

You know so much more than you think. There have been too many times when I stress over an upcoming exam or feel a little reluctant to raise my hand in class because I feel unsure about my response, and more often than not, I come out doing pretty well! I do study and prepare for those exams and practicums though, I just usually feel I need a few more days to review. Personally, I have noticed that as long as I complete my readings and assignments and pay attention in class, my brain retains so much more than I realize.

Do not let your imposter syndrome get the best of you. You are capable, smart, and will be an amazing OT one day. You belong here at the top OT program in the nation, and you have the necessary tools and skills to earn your degree. When the imposter syndrome does hit, because it always does at some point, remember why you chose to pursue OT and what motivates you the most to always show up. Turn on music that helps you feel confident and powerful and push past the feelings of not being capable.

Remember that you are your harshest critic. It is important to keep in mind that you are likely the only person who expects you to do amazing in every single aspect of your life all the time. Obviously, give your best in everything that you do but recognize that your best may fluctuate depending on how many things you have going on at any given time. I read something once that said, “If one day, all you can give is 40% and you give that, you gave your 100% that day.” Being able to prioritize tasks and dividing your energy and focus in order for you to complete everything you have to get done is a really difficult but crucial skill that grad school will teach you if you have not learned it already.

Do NOT compare yourself to others. Everyone will tell you this tip from the start and it is easier said than done to learn, but the sooner you stop comparing yourself to others, the better. Save your energy and mental health and just do you.

Know yourself well. Know your strengths, your limitations, what strategies work for you, what type of help you need and when you need that help in order to keep yourself afloat. Also keep in mind that the strategies that work for you may change based on the situations or assignments you have going on. Adapt as needed and trust your gut.

Put your oxygen mask on first. With how busy grad school can get, it is so imperative that you take care of yourself first before anything else. You need to ensure you do what is needed for yourself in order to put your best effort forward in the work, activities, events, organizations, and relationships you are a part of. Taking care of yourself helps you avoid burnout and trust me, it is such a better option than trying to overcome the burnout.

Mistakes happen and are not the end of the world. In fact, mistakes help you learn! I have learned the most when I make mistakes because as human beings, we don’t like being wrong. It is better to make mistakes in class or during OT school than it is when you are out in the field later on (. . . and even then, those mistakes are okay too! Acknowledge the error, do your best to fix it, and move on!)

Trust the process. A lot of different things in OT will stress you out and may feel out of your control. Sometimes the material in a course is not coming together the way you thought it would. The course material will come together eventually (again, this varies per person: ask for help as you feel you need). The fieldwork process may be particularly stressful if you want any one specific site or practice area. You will get the experience required in order to earn your degree and sit for the NBCOT, even if it is not exactly what you want. In my mental health immersion I wanted to be placed in an inpatient psychiatric hospital and was placed in a Transitional Supported Housing Program. Looking back, I would not trade that experience for anything in the world.  Every single alumni member I have spoken to, whether they are on the faculty or not, have told me to trust the process, after assuring me that they too felt similarly when they were a student.

Generalist versus Specialist. This one probably feels out of place and is very OT school specific compared to the rest of these lessons — I know what these words mean, but in terms of being in OT school, I had to learn what that meant for what I was learning in class. There are so many different specialties that OTs can gain knowledge in and it is hard to remember that as an OT student I need to focus on learning enough about everything in order to pass the certification exam as well as be able to practice in almost any setting that I choose. My time for specializing in specific topics will come, as will yours.

There you have it! I hope this newfound knowledge inspires you and helps you feel prepared for when these lessons inevitably sneak up on you. If you have any questions or would like to chat, feel free to reach out to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and I will get back to you as soon as I can! Fight on!!

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Redesigning My Daily Life ⟩
December 20, 2023, by Cindy

Classes School/Life Balance

Occupational therapists help people participate in things they need to and want to do to increase their well-being. As a licensed and practicing occupational therapist in Taiwan for two years, did I live a balanced life? Unfortunately, not really. Being a student again in a foreign country, I decided to seize this opportunity to practice what I have learned at USC Chan.

But how could I start? As we all know, changing lifestyle can be frustrating. I know I have had numerous unsuccessful attempts. Luckily, this time, there is a better resource to support me in making the change.

I am taking the Foundations of Lifestyle Redesign® Graduate Certificate pathway. This past semester, we learned about Lifestyle Redesign for people with different physical conditions. The class contents also covered how to change various aspects of daily life, including physical activity, the things you eat, how to manage stress, etc. The goal is to help people construct daily routines that are the best fit for bolstering this person’s well-being. In addition, we also practiced leading individual sessions and group sessions. These sessions allowed us to practice the knowledge we learned.

As the semester went by, I became more conscious about my daily routine. I realized that in my past learning experience, I prioritized studying only. The rest of the things in my life, including eating, sleeping, social participation, and leisure, were somehow dispensable. With this realization and a new start, I gradually adjusted my daily life a little at a time with a spirit of experimentation. I slowly became aware of what food makes my body happy. I tried different times to go to bed and wake up. I find the best time management and study strategies to maximize my time. Besides adjusting what I have been doing, I spent more time on other activities. I created chances to increase my physical activity, including taking the stairs, working in person so I must walk to my office, doing quick stretching and bodyweight training when talking to my parents via phone, etc. I am more conscious about engaging in social participation. I spent more time on phone calls with my family and friends in Taiwan, staying with my relatives here, and hanging out with my classmates and students from other programs.

The most exciting change I made was adding more leisure activities and practicing prioritizing them. I don’t know how many times I have thought to do something fun and ended up studying or working instead. A part of me felt like I was not utilizing my time in the best way if I spent time playing when I could be doing assignments. However, I knew that not participating in leisure activities has led to feeling burnt out. This time, I decided to do something about this. The topic of the group session program I was in targeted our leisure and play participation. To follow the short-term goal we set each week, I consciously dedicated more time to leisure activities. I started to realize my productivity when studying increased. I was more motivated to study and do assignments. I felt less stressed since school was no longer the only emphasis in my life.

Now, I have a regular sleeping routine, a more nutritious diet, and a better balance between work and leisure participation. I also built strong connections with my group mates. It was a fun process to figure out what changes can make my daily life suit me better. The changes were small, but the progress was exciting! These changes have brought more colors and harmoniously constructed my everyday life into a beautiful painting.

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Trojan Spirit ⟩
December 3, 2023, by Samantha

Community Getting Involved School/Life Balance Videos

Hello! My name is Samantha Osuna. I’m in my second year of the Entry-Level OTD program & fifth at USC as a student in the Accelerated Bachelor’s to Doctorate program. As my fifth football season as a Trojan was coming to an end, I spent some time reflecting on the beauty of college football & the Trojan spirit that makes USC football games unique & exhilarating. I realized that this Trojan spirit–which represents the resilience, determination, & indomitable will of USC students on the field & in the classroom–is something I’ve cultivated over the last four & a half years or so. I know that not everyone in the Chan Division has had the same access that I have had and that American football may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I do believe that USC game day has something to offer everyone, from tailgating to watching the band. It is the ultimate representation of Trojan spirit & the perfect way to share about it with others through a vlog! The 2023 football season may be over, but it’s never too late to embrace the Trojan spirit &, as always, Fight On!

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