Student Blog
School/Life Balance

My SChedule ⟩
November 17, 2018, by Jessica P.

Classes Fieldwork School/Life Balance

As an ambassador, one of the most common questions I get from prospective students is “what does your typical schedule look like?” Along with this, people ask if there’s time to work, time for self-care, and balance in your weekly schedule. My fellow ambassadors, Joyce and Evan, recently discussed working and having a baby in grad school. From my personal experience, I think it all has to do with balance.

Throughout the program, it is typical to be in the classroom 3 days a week, 1 day in fieldwork, and 1 day off. For the days that we’re in the classroom, it is normal to have class 9am-12pm, a lunch break 12pm-1pm, and then class again from 1pm-4pm. For many people, like myself, a three-hour class may sound daunting, but it’s not. Luckily, all of our professors give us breaks with plenty of time to grab coffee, snacks, or simply take a quick walk outside to get some fresh air. Most of our classes utilize team-based learning, meaning that we usually are not getting a lecture for the entire class time. For example, in my Adult Physical Rehabilitation course we spend class time doing hands-on case applications where we apply what we have already studied on our own.

Everyone’s fieldwork hours will be slightly different, as you will follow whatever hours your clinical instructor works. The hours occupational therapists work may look different in the various settings. For example, my pediatrics level I fieldwork was 10am-6pm as many of our pediatric clients were coming after school. This semester, I just finished my last level I fieldwork at an outpatient lymphedema clinic where my hours were 8am-4:30pm.

As a student ambassador, I have the privilege to work 10 hours a week for the division doing various tasks and events. I have found working 10 hours per week is manageable, but it is something I have to plan for. I know that I have weekly quizzes on Tuesday, so on Sunday’s I study for my quizzes instead of cramming late on Monday night. Many of my classmates also work around 10 hours, doing other student worker positions at USC, such as being classroom assistants or research assistants. We probably would all agree that working that amount is doable, but anything more than that could be stressful on top of your coursework.

One of my favorite days though is my day off. While I love being in the classroom and at fieldwork, I depend on my day off to recharge and prepare for the upcoming week ahead. By having a day off, I think it really allows us to have a balanced schedule with time to have doctor’s appointments, work, catch up readings, etc.

Throughout grad school, there will definitely be weeks where it can feel overwhelming. My best advice is to listen to your own body and what balance looks like for you. You may need a full 8 hours of sleep while some of your classmates seem to fully function off of only 5 hours, but always listen to what is best for you. Transitioning to grad school is definitely a transition into a new role in life, but once you get a hang of the schedule and what works for you — you will own it!

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Having a Baby While in Grad School ⟩
November 14, 2018, by Evan

Life Hacks School/Life Balance

The biggest thing going on in my life at the moment is that my wife and I are expecting a baby girl this January. It will be our second (we also have a 2.5-year-old boy) and we are grateful that all signs so far point toward a healthy pregnancy. When sharing this news with my student colleagues, I get mixed responses. Of course, everyone is excited first and foremost. But then for some the excitement melts away into a touch of concern. One classmate last week even went so far to ask, “How are you going to manage it?”

My response is always the same: “Having babies in graduate school doesn’t have to be more difficult than having a baby with a full-time job!” In fact, in some ways it may even be easier. Let me explain:

USC CHAN OFFERS AN INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT — most of my teachers have families of their own and have been very supportive about my journey into the occupational role of being a parent. Even though I am a male and not physically carrying a child, they recognize the importance of my presence and involvement during the critical moments of pregnancy, the birthing process, and early childhood. It’s wonderful to know that I will always be able to be there for my family without incurring unreasonable academic penalty.

THERE ARE OPTIONS — while I am electing not to take time off school, it was made clear to me from the beginning that it was an option. Students in the past have chosen to take a semester off class, or delayed a level II fieldwork, and then were able to pick back up right where they left off several months down the road. This is also true with regard to my student job. I am so grateful that my supervisor has given me some flexibility on hours during the month of birth.

BALANCE CAN BE ACHIEVED — of course grad school is academically rigorous, but I honestly find my live-work balance to be healthier now than it was during the years working a full-time job in the film business. Most days I get home between 5-6pm and have the opportunity to eat dinner, give baths, and put my son to bed. This simply would not have been possible in my old job. People always ask when I have time for schoolwork — let me tell you there’s plenty of time after bedtime for homework, especially when you can’t really leave the house!

So for me, having a baby in grad school is doable, and even preferable to trying to manage it while working full-time at my previous job. If anyone out there is hesitant about OT school because they are ready to start a family, I’d encourage them to not feel held back by those fears. Rest assured those feelings are normal — I had them too — but I’m here to tell you it’s possible to earn a master’s degree with a young family. (And even have fun in the process!)

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Work, Work, Work, Work . . . Balance in Grad School ⟩
September 15, 2017, by Kaitlyn

Life Hacks School/Life Balance

With everything in life, I like to be all in. Thus, when I entered graduate school I knew that I wanted to dedicate every possible ounce of myself to the experience of being an OT student (because hey, you’re only an OT student for so long!). With the responsibility of being an involved student, however, also comes the responsibility of taking time for yourself and embracing the concept of: WORK-LIFE BALANCE. It is absolutely essential to our health and well-being, especially in graduate school.

Work-life balance is still a work in progress for me, and I think it is something that will continue to be a work in progress, as life itself is so fluid. Here are a few basic things that I’ve learned along the way — via classes at USC and also through personal experience — that have helped me have a decently balanced life thus far:

Time management is key
I personally keep a color-coded planner that I can write in and also a Google calendar synced to my iPhone. I quite literally do not know how I would live my life without the two because they both keep me in check. For both, I make sure I write things down by the hour because it allows me to see the breakdown of my day and where there is time for what. I also color code by classes (pink), work (blue), social (purple), and school-affiliated events events (orange) so that I can see exactly how balanced my week is. By color-coding, I can also see if I’m maybe working myself too hard and need to wedge out a time to see my family or friends (it also just makes the calendar more aesthetically appealing to be honest).

Prioritize your schoolwork and work on it when you have free parts in your day (even if they’re small!)
It may be 30 minutes before meeting a friend for dinner or 2 hours in between events. I am always surprised at how much I can accomplish even in 10 minutes.

Invest time in things that matter to you
Basically: engage in your meaningful occupations! For me, that’s a lot of things: it means going to a new coffee shop, going to OTAC events to advocate for the profession, taking pictures, spending time with people in the program (i.e., at our OT/PT tailgates and football games), reading a good book, going on a hike, exploring different places around LA, and so on. I just make sure that whatever it is, it is something I genuinely find enjoyment in and contributes to the betterment of myself.

See people you actually want to see
It’s true that life can get busy in grad school. What I’ve found, however, is that there is always time for the people you care about when you make the effort. Therefore, I make sure that a lot of my free time is spent with my family and friends even if I can only spare a few hours in my week. A few hours is better than nothing. On a serious note though, nothing releases oxytocin and reduces stress like having a “Frozen” sing-along with my 4-year-old niece and 2-year-old nephew.

Take time for yourself
This concept is something I am constantly grappling with because I love being on the go at all times and also have an embarrassing case of “fomo” (fear of missing out). Most recently, I’ve been spending about 15 minutes each night writing at least 3 things I am grateful for everyday in my gratitude journal. Writing in my gratitude journal has been the perfect form of taking time for myself because it allows me to be able to spend time with my thoughts while also ending my day on a positive note. Even though it’s only 15 minutes, it’s still better than nothing!

As previously mentioned before, work-life balance is a work in progress! Some weeks are more balanced than others and work-life balance means different things to different people, but what is important is that you’re striving for YOUR best quality of life along the way. Good luck and happy balancing!

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Freshman Fall Bucket List ⟩
August 1, 2017, by Jessica P.

Getting Involved Living in LA School/Life Balance

In just a few short weeks, our incoming class of Bachelor to Master’s students will officially be Trojans as they begin their freshman year. While freshman year can be overwhelming, it is also one of the best times of your life. From navigating a new campus to dorms and dining halls, there is so much to be immersed in at USC from the start. Here are my recommendations for what you must do your freshman fall.

Attend Football Games
USC and football go hand in hand. Whether you are a football fan or not, game days are some of the best and most memorable days you will have at USC. Make sure to purchase your student football tickets!

Go to the Involvement Fair
Towards the beginning of the semester, USC will host an involvement fair where you can visit and learn about all of the student organizations on campus. Whether it’s joining the Pre-OT club, an intramural sports team, or a volunteer organization, there are limitless options to get involved on campus.

Take a Random Class
Some of the best classes I have taken are ones that I would have never originally considered. One of my personal recommendations is taking a 1-unit physical education yoga class. I loved being able to take yoga as a part of my curriculum since it kept me active and stress-free!

Go to the Weekender
One of my favorite memories every year is attending the weekender. Each year, USC students head up to the Bay Area when our football team plays either Stanford or UC Berkeley. Taking a fun break to travel for the weekend is a great way to bond with your new friends and cheer on our Trojans.

Find Your Study Spot
In order to play hard, it is even more important to work hard. Finding your best study environment may take awhile, but luckily USC has 23 libraries to choose from. My personal favorite is the philosophy library, located in Mudd Hall. If a library isn’t your vibe, try studying outdoors!

Relax!
It is so easy to get overwhelmed your first semester of college, but that is totally normal! Adjusting to being apart of a new community will take time. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed with all of the things you feel like you need to be doing. Find an activity that is relaxing for you — whether that’s exercising, binge-watching Netflix, or taking excessive naps.

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Momma, I Made It! ⟩
June 27, 2017, by Erwin

Classes Community Getting Involved School/Life Balance

Wow! Where has the time gone? It really seems like yesterday that I was a newly-admitted student walking on campus for the first day of classes. My time at USC has been nothing short of amazing and I can honestly say that I’ve grown so much here — not only as a therapist, but as a person.

Looking back at my career at USC, here are my few words of wisdom:

Learn: Don’t study for the sake of passing a class. This isn’t undergrad anymore; what you’re learning in occupational therapy school is going to be your craft. So don’t come in with the mindset of, “I need to get an A in this class.” It’s much more important to really understand the material and knowing how to apply it rather than knowing how to get an A. After all, an employer isn’t going to ask what your GPA was — they’re going to care if you’re good at what you do.

Get involved: USC has so many opportunities to get involved and it would be unfortunate not to take advantage of these opportunities. Exploring different opportunities allows you to discover your passions and strengths, connect you to USC, foster community, and build your resume. While at USC, I tried to get involved as much as possible. I’ve developed my leadership skills, built life-long friendships, and opened doors that would not have been possible.

Enjoy yourself: Graduate school can be stressful. There will be papers, exam, and projects — you might even question, “is this really worth it?” Just relax! We always encourage our clients to live balanced lives and we have to practice what we preach. After all, a balanced life is a healthy life. So while in grad school, take time to take care of yourself, enjoy the company of others, and don’t stress out too much about your classes. Like I said before, employers aren’t concerned about your grades.

Although graduation has arrived, I know what I’ve learned at USC will carry on throughout my lifetime. Occupational therapy is such a beautiful and rewarding profession, and regardless if you pursue a degree at USC or another university, the profession will be nothing but good to you.

Before I go, I want to share with you some of the people and moments that have meant the most to me while at USC.

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