Student Blog
School/Life Balance

How to Find Scholarships (yes, you qualify!) ⟩
November 5, 2024, by Avery

Admissions Life Hacks School/Life Balance

Let’s be honest — education is expensive, especially at USC. That first time you open your financial aid report can be scary and overwhelming. The weight of potential debt and student loans is daunting, and for many of us, staying in school requires tough sacrifices and working multiple jobs just to make ends meet.

One thing that many students don’t realize however, is just how much free money is available to them in the form of scholarships! I’ve heard it all:

“Oh, I don’t think there’s a chance I would actually win the scholarship.”

“I didn’t realize that I qualified!”

“Wait, I didn’t know this many scholarships were out there!”

“I don’t want to take the time to apply when I could be doing other things or just working a job instead.”

In reality, there are numerous independent organizations that WANT to give you their money so that you can pursue your education. Sometimes, it just takes a little digging to get there! I’ll be honest, taking the time to write the essays, figure out the deadlines, and get letters of recommendation is time consuming. This can feel overwhelming and exhausting, especially with the constant demands of schoolwork as a full-time student. However, at the end of the day, the rate of return on these awards is HIGH. Let’s say you spent 3 hours applying for a $500 scholarship. That equates to earning over $160 an hour. Now imagine if that is a $1,000 application? $5,000? It quickly begins to feel like the time applying for scholarships is being much smarter spent than working a few extra hours at a minimum wage job.

So, where to start? I like to begin by researching scholarship opportunities specific to the area where I am from. While many of these local scholarships are only available for high school seniors, I was really surprised to find out my freshman year that quite a few of them have money available for those already in college as well. These awards are great as they are designated only to a specific area or field, meaning less people can apply = you have a better chance of receiving the money.

Now let’s look towards USC specifically. To begin, when applying to USC (undergrad or OT school), be sure to hit that November 1st EA deadline so that you can be considered for the large merit-based scholarships that are available.

The Chan website has links to resources of external scholarships. The list is long, which means there have to be at least a few you qualify for. My advice is to open a Google Spreadsheet, make columns to label the due date, amount, name of award, link, and basic things needed to apply (essay, letter of rec, transcript, etc). Then, go through every award and add any to your spreadsheet that you meet the criteria to apply to. This will keep you organized and will help to not let any deadlines sneak up on you.

Chan has a page with resources for their internal scholarships. Add these to your spreadsheet as well.

USC also has several scholarships for those engaged in unpaid research. Check out Dornsife’s SOAR-SURF-SHURE scholarships, as well as Chan’s Occupational Therapy Student Research Fund. These can be incredible opportunities to learn and be involved in something that interests you academically, add to your professional resume, and get ‘paid’ simultaneously.

Next, put together a list of companies you have ties to. Think about places you work, shop, where your family and friends work, where you do your banking, non-profits you volunteer at, etc. There’s a good chance one of these organizations has an annual scholarship award.

Finally, many scholarship search engines exist such as scholarships.com and fastweb.com, where you can filter your search based on your area of study and demographics.

Keep track of those deadlines, and happy applying!

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12 Tiny Habits That Transformed My Life in 6 Months as a Student ⟩
October 29, 2024, by Jowy

School/Life Balance

Hi there! I’m Jowy Cenat, and today I’m sharing the small, consistent habits that changed my life over the last six months. These might seem simple, but trust me — they’ve been game-changers.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” — Leonardo da Vinci

1. Two minutes of jump-rope:
No need for an intense workout first thing in the morning. Two minutes of jump rope gets my heart pumping and my mind awake. It’s quick, easy, and surprisingly powerful.

2. Stepping outside:
Nothing beats stepping outside for a bit of fresh air and sunlight. It’s become my morning ritual for alertness and grounding. I’ll sometimes combine this with the jump rope for a two-for-one!

3. Revewing my goals:
Taking a few moments to look over my goals reminds me of what I’m aiming for. It’s like a reset that refocuses my mind and makes those long-term plans more achievable.

4. Reading a passage in the morning:
Instead of checking my phone first thing, I read something inspirational or philosophical. It’s a nice mental start to the day before the notifications start rolling in.

5. Practicing gratitude:
A few moments spent reflecting on what I’m grateful for grounds me. Gratitude has shifted my perspective, helping me start each day feeling more positive and centered.

6. Ending the day with a reflection:
I take a few minutes every night to reflect on the day — what went well, what could be better. This habit has been a great way to learn from each day and to let go of what didn’t work.

7. Keeping a reading habit:
I made it a point to read something every day, even if it’s just a few pages. The consistency has kept me curious, entertained, and always learning something new.

8. Setting micro-goals:
Breaking down big goals into smaller steps has been empowering. Each completed step brings a little victory, making the bigger picture feel achievable.

9. Walking 13,000 steps a day:
Getting my daily steps in has kept me active and energized. Sometimes it’s through a workout, other times just through exploring a park or neighborhood. The movement has done wonders. I was born in NYC, and unfortunately, I miss the walkability of the city.

10. Prioritizing sleep:
I started tracking my sleep and making it a priority. Once I realized how big of an impact rest has on my productivity and mood, it became non-negotiable.

-Sleep-

11. Celebrating small wins:
Finally, I learned to celebrate the small wins. Whether it’s hitting my daily steps or finishing a task, I let myself feel proud of those moments. They keep me going and remind me that progress is being made.

Bonus:
Implementing these habits has been an incredible journey. They might seem small, but the impact has been huge throughout my time in the program. Having my own habits, best practices, as well as learning from various courses, like health promotion or lifestyle redesign has been a game changer. I hope you find something here that inspires you!

*If I were to add another #12, I’d say boba + matcha is a tiny habit. Just a small habit . . . but let’s be real, life is better with a little boba and matcha in the mix!

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A Legacy of Hard Work, Perseverance, and Occupation ⟩
September 27, 2024, by Mason

Beginnings and Endings School/Life Balance

Hi everyone! In my introductory blog post, I talked to you all about why I chose to take on the challenge of becoming an occupational therapist. In case you missed it, let me give you a refresher. My mother is a pediatric occupational therapist and has served various populations of children with special needs and developmental disabilities for over 30 years. Growing up around my mother and watching her treat and impact the lives of the children she worked with sparked my passion and lifelong goal to help others. My mother always taught me that no matter what you do, you should leave the world better than you found it, and use your energy, health, and opportunities to help those who have less or do not have the same luxuries. Throughout this program, there have been many times when I doubted myself and my abilities to succeed as a student, clinician, and overall individual. But in those moments I have always had my mother and her lessons to support me.

My mother has always been a key pillar of support in my life. However, my mother was also not shy about pushing me to do my best. Growing up, my mother always had one rule: it was okay to fail as long as you tried your best. In every moment of failure or setback throughout my college years so far I always tried to remember that simple lesson because I knew that my best was within reach if I worked hard and put in the effort. It wasn’t easy to move across the country to a state I had barely visited, work multiple jobs to support myself throughout my education or start a full graduate course load while my friends moved on to full careers after their undergrad. College is not an easy challenge, and it’s not meant to be. After 4 years of strong effort, I still find challenges and overwhelming moments every other week. But I know I can get through it because I have the people around me that make me feel supported.

In a funny way life always comes full circle. This year to my utmost pride, pleasure, and enthusiasm my mother started a new journey of her own and returned to school to earn her post-professional doctorate in occupational therapy. Despite not being in school for almost 30 years and diving into an educational landscape that has changed fourfold, she’s taking on this challenge to grow and better herself, and I couldn’t be more proud. As children, you always view the relationship you have with your parents as a one-sided transaction. They teach you, they support you, and they help you grow to dreams and goals they know you can accomplish. However, as you inevitably grow up and expand in your ability to understand those around you, you begin to realize how much you impact their lives as well. We can teach our parents, we can help them grow, but most importantly we have the ability to support them amid the vulnerability that makes change so scary.

My mother inspired me to become the person I am today, and today I’m lucky enough to inspire my mother to reach the exact same potential she has always seen in me. So when you’re reflecting on the challenges and obstacles that stand in your way, don’t ever forget about the people in your life that lead you to greatness. Cherish those who have always supported you and take any opportunity you can to return the favor by supporting them.

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

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From Worker to Student: A New Occupation ⟩
September 26, 2024, by Tanya

Beginnings and Endings Community International Life Hacks Living in LA School/Life Balance

It is week 3 of school and perhaps with the exploration of Occupational Science, it made me reflect about the current journey I’ve chosen to embark on; a new occupation. I am no longer a working adult but one who is back in school — an adult student. It has been approximately a month since I said goodbye to the familiar, the known and the expected. Things are no longer as familiar, and navigating through this change has not been the easiest, to say the least.

I have stepped into the unknown and the unfamiliar in the decision to pursue the Post-Professional Master’s degree here at USC Chan, and if I were to use the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) Model (Law et al., 1996) to frame my life, you could say that I am still learning to maximize the fit to attain the same occupational performance I had back home. There is not just a literal change, in the physical change in environment, but also a change in my social environment. Social supports that I could turn to immediately had a 15 hour time difference. Even though this is not the first time living alone in a foreign country, it does not get any easier. There are some days I still get teary looking at pictures or Instagram videos and wish I could teleport home to be part of a special event, to comfort a friend or just to get a physical hug from a loved one. Leisure activities which I could engage in frequently are harder to access as I do not drive, or are things that I could not bring over (e.g., my sewing machine).

Even the most simple things require unlearning and relearning — take the metric systems — I am still learning how to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, Pounds to Kilograms and Miles to Kilometres. It does get better with practice and of course, consulting with Google Converter, especially when I am at the grocery store, has been such help to me. Exploring the transportation systems might be a little tricky, but I am thankful that I got the chance to explore with my course mates, who are becoming a different sort of support system.

Having a new occupation as a student comes with new expectations and responsibilities. I used to read journal articles that I received from my monthly BJOT subscription or when I was reading up on the evidence of interventions that I would like to use. However, being a student means reading and trying to synthesize the contents of the articles for each module that you take. Living alone also means that that are other things you need to manage and set aside time for, such as meal-prep, household chores, figuring out how the dryer works and grocery runs.

Though the Occupation and Environment has changed, one thing that remained constant is the Person (that’s me). The changes might seem overwhelming initially but your abilities that enabled you to navigate the challenges, difficulties and new seasons in your life in a place of familiarity and comfort do not change amidst the change in the environment. The routines that you have created for yourself back home can also be replicated here — it just takes a little time to figure and analyse what is better and suitable. I’ve resumed my curiosity in cooking and explored the different dishes and cooking hacks on social media. This has not only provided me with affordable and delicious meals, but it has been a nice and relaxing activity and a way for me to connect with my housemates.

Being a planner, I have plans to crochet and hit the gym with my house/course mate Kate — we will get to it soon! Being away makes you grow as an individual as you reflect and learn to see things from a different perspective — who knew that just having dinner and chatting by the pool with friends is something so enjoyable and refreshing, an activity that I hope will be part of my new routine. Change is hard but it can also be an experience that will shape, develop and make you a better OT as you view things from new and different perspectives. It is also important to be intentional, not just here, but with the people back home, technology in this case is truly a blessing. Being 8811 miles away does feel shorter with the texts and calls.

One thing I am thankful for are my course mates, they make home feel a little less far. My new social environment, but one I am thrilled to share the remaining year with as we learn, laugh and eat together.

Stay tuned if you are interested in finding out what my remaining year will be like as a new adult student — I personally know it will be an amazing one and one that I will proudly say that I have maximized the PEO fit at the end of it.

Reference
Law, M., Cooper, B., Strong, S., Stewart, D., Rigby, P., & Letts, L. (1996). The Person-Environment-Occupation Model: A transactive approach to occupational performance. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63(1), 9–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/000841749606300103

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Shifting the Balance ⟩
August 22, 2024, by Patricia

School/Life Balance

Is it possible to work while being in grad school? Is there enough time to do my school work and study? Can I balance it all on top of trying to be an individual outside of all these roles? The answer to these questions is it depends on you and the reason I say that is because you are the best person who knows yourself. For me, being a full-time student, having two jobs, and living at home which if you know you know that living at home comes with additional roles (i.e., being a sister, a daughter, etc.) all while trying to remember that I’m still me is a lot. And balancing all these roles can be exhausting and throughout this semester-year I’ve learned how to set up my schedule to balance all I have going on. Here is a picture of my calendar in May, this was the start of the summer semester and looking back it was pretty packed.

My schedule is only a visual of what I have going on for the day, it doesn’t include the extra hidden items of what my days actually look like (e.g., studying, how I’m feeling, did I get enough sleep, etc.).

School
My school schedule is pretty consistent unless otherwise shared by the professors. What has been my biggest challenge is getting my school work and studying done because I do live at home. I stay on campus after classes are over either in the after hours support provided by the student support services or I find an available room at CHP. I’ve also stayed up late to get everything done which doesn’t sound as great, but it has worked for me. I also appreciate the early sign-ups on assignments, and or assignments that have a specific deadline, because I get to plan accordingly ahead of time. However, I will note that there have been unexpected moments (e.g., getting sick) that have side-tracked me. I’ve learned that communicating with your professors about what is going on in advance makes a difference. If you need help with the class material and/or assignments you should reach out earlier rather than later.

Work
My work schedule has been constantly changing since day one, but I have been very fortunate to have a job(s) that are flexible and accommodating to my student schedule. My job as a therapy aide is beyond amazing as I plan my work days carefully around the semester. My job as an ambassador is also flexible in understanding my role and priority as a student, if I’m not working in the office, I’m working remotely which is helpful to my schedule. I understand that not all workplaces are as flexible and accommodating. I do recommend you to guide your work days based on your class schedule, assignments, midterms, practicums, and finals. The first semester allows you to work more days but as you begin your spring semester, the immersion courses will add an additional day to your school schedule.

Life Outside of Work & School
I will admit I do take breaks in between it all and a huge thank you to my family and friends who constantly remind me to take care of myself. Sometimes I’ve gotten home from a long day and all I want to do is sleep and so I do. Take care of yourself, do what you need to do too, for instance engage in your favorite activities. Some of my favorite activities include playing video games, cooking, listening to music, sleeping, and spending time with my family members. I will engage in these activities before I start my school work or after, and it’s okay! Sometimes you just got to.

So after all that being said, is it possible to balance it all? I’m going to say, “yes.” I have done it this semester-year which is somehow unbelievable. But I also want to emphasize that you know yourself best! Balancing it all does have its challenges; it’s not perfect. I hope my sharing provides an insight to you all, as always I’m glad to answer any questions you may have. Fight On!

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