Student Blog
Getting Involved

Bachelor’s to Master’s in Occupational Therapy: A community not just a major ⟩
October 2, 2017, by Ali

Getting Involved

We just hosted our OT Welcome Back Dinner for the Bachelor’s to Master’s Degree Program students. With 9-11 students per graduating class, the Accelerated BS to MA community is a very small and connected group. Dr. Joanne Park and the rest of the admissions team organize events, such as this dinner, as an opportunity to share a meal with all the OT majors who can make it. We organized dinner, games, and the chance to meet their mentor/mentee groups for the first time.

Each student is assigned a mentor group, which consists of at least one freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior as a resource to ask questions and help support one another. We encourage these mentor groups to engage in their favorite occupations together or study together on campus.

These events are designed to foster the community, or OT Family, of progressive degree occupational therapy students throughout their five years with the program. As these students are on a fast track professional degrees, we want to ensure they feel a part of the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. It is important to note the BS degree does not permit students to be licensed therapists, but they will be ready to sit for the national board exam and become a therapist even sooner because they only have one more year of school to complete their Master’s degree.

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From Undergrad to Grad life ⟩
September 18, 2017, by Ali

Getting Involved Life Hacks Living in LA

Although I am a second year in the graduate program, I technically completed my undergraduate degree in May 2017. Therefore these first few weeks of classes have been full of transition and adjustment from living on the University Park Campus to living on the west side of Los Angeles and commuting to the Health Science Campus. Here are some things I have learned:

1. Moving to a new neighborhood in a familiar city
   This is my fifth year living in Los Angeles, but this is my first time living off campus in an apartment. I live in Culver City, which is a thirty minute drive from the Health Science Campus. This change of neighborhood has provided me the opportunity to find all new running routes, coffee shops for studying, and even a favorite laundromat. This move has opened up a whole new side of Los Angeles to my life.
2. The value of a planned social life
   Moving off campus means that I now live on average fifteen to twenty minutes away from my friends. I can no longer just drop by my friend’s apartment unannounced or walk to the library together late on a Sunday night. I have quickly learned the necessity that is planning in advance to go out to dinner or try a new ice cream shop with a friend. These things cannot be as spontaneous as they used to be, but that just means I get to have something fun on my calendar to look forward to.
3. The abundance of USC hosted graduate student events
   In just the first few weeks back to school, I have already seen the benefits and fun of being a graduate student. I went to the occupational therapy and physical therapy tailgate for our first football game. It was an easy way to be social with classmates as well as the physical therapy students, who we share a lunch patio with. I love that all the graduate school students have just as much Trojan pride as my undergraduate friends. I also attended a Los Angeles Dodgers game for five dollars organized by Graduate Student Government. There are always fun events for graduate students to opt into!
4. Everything we learn is valuable and relevant
   One aspect of graduate school that has only been solidified over the past few weeks upon returning from level II fieldwork, is just how relevant all of our coursework is to our future practice. Regardless of what area we specialize in or get advanced practice in, the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy has created a curriculum that molds us into generalists of the field of occupational therapy. Each course has its own value. Readings and assignments are all important because they are informing and building our occupational therapist lenses. It is motivating to know everything we are doing in and out of the classroom is valuable.
5. Classmates in graduate school have a lot in common
   Finally, as some of my undergraduate friends have moved away and out of Los Angeles, I have become closer with graduate school occupational therapy classmates. It is wonderful to be a part of a program that has students with diverse interests and backgrounds. We are all so different while simultaneously have a common interest entering a profession centered around helping people live their healthiest and happiest lives. Lunchtime is always a good time with the occupational therapy students.

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Signing Off for the Summer ⟩
August 19, 2017, by Jessica P.

Community Getting Involved

This summer working as a student ambassador has been one of my most memorable experiences at USC so far. From giving tours to prospective students to going to Meet USC events to speak to high school students, I have been busy spreading OT love everywhere.

I am even more confident now than I was three months ago that I am pursuing the perfect profession for me. The past few months I have learned more about the diversity within OT and all of the opportunities we have as occupational therapy students. Now when someone asks me, “What is OT?” — I always have an answer, and I could probably go on talking about OT for hours.

Next Monday I start the master’s portion of my academic career, beginning with the mental health practice immersion. I can’t wait to push myself even further to begin shaping myself as the occupational therapist I know USC will help me become. Being apart of the OT family at USC has opened doors to so many things and I know it will continue to do so for a lifetime.

I hope that everyone has a great fall semester and fight on!!

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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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