Student Blog
International

Winter Break Occupations ⟩
January 11, 2021, by Yna
Diversity International Videos
Happy 2021 everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful time during the holiday season and are feeling well-rested and ready to start this year anew. We are but a few days away from going back to school for the spring semester. Despite being in this extraordinary circumstance, it’s delightful to witness people finding unique ways to celebrate the season. I can say at least for myself that the break has been restful and rejuvenating, for I’ve had plenty of opportunities to catch up with closest family members as we stayed in and simply spent time with each other.
As all things must come to an end, it is now time to face reality—going back to school! I find it quite difficult to believe that this will already be my final semester before graduating. I know that once we step into the new term, we’re going to be too busy to even take note of the amount of time passing by — at least this was my experience during the last semester. But however daunting this may seem, it is also exciting to think about all the new experiences and learnings that I will be gaining with my amazing classmates and supportive professors as we all go through this common yet unique journey together. I try to remind myself to just enjoy the ride and keep in mind that everything’s going to be alright. Now, it’s time to turn any worry into productive preparation for all the exciting things in store for us this year!
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#NoRegrets ⟩
December 28, 2020, by Calvin
Admissions Getting Involved International Life Hacks Living in LA
Since OT school wasn’t an option for me right out of undergrad, I thought, “Well, I guess it’s time for plan B: to take a gap year.” Except, as time went by, it started to feel less like a back-up plan and more like the decision I should’ve gone with all along!
My gap year happened pretty unintentionally, but I’m honestly so glad that I took that time off. After 4 years of undergrad, I felt burnt out! A change of pace was something I needed and taking a year off to rest and try new things ended up serving me really well. It was because of my gap year that I was able to pursue research in another country, visit family and friends back in Hong Kong, travel around the world, build my professional experiences, study for the GRE, and just overall, take a break from school! Even though I wasn’t on vacation 24/7, my schedule definitely allowed for a lot more flexibility. I also want to emphasize that taking time off before heading to graduate school is completely normal. I might even suggest it because it gave me the time to reflect, mature, and refocus my goals.
I know what it’s like to feel the pressure of securing something for yourself after undergrad. I also know what it’s like when that doesn’t work out. Not knowing what’s going to happen next is a scary thing, but it’s also an opportunity to challenge ourselves and grow in ways that we might not have imagined before. So, do what you need to do before starting grad school, and know that you don’t need to jump into it right away. Take the time to think about what’s best for you and your future.
My Gap Year Memories in Photos
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Start Your Applications Early! ⟩
October 16, 2020, by Yna
Admissions International
It is now mid-October and I could hardly believe that it’s already been a year since I submitted my application for the Post-Professional Master’s Program at USC! It seems like it was only yesterday that I was browsing the USC Chan admissions website for hours on end, feeling anxious about my application. Luckily for me, the whole process went by smoothly and didn’t turn out to be as stressful as I had anticipated; and I’m about to share with you some tips that made my application hassle-free:
- Do your research. First and foremost, know what you’re getting into. The Chan Admissions page is a great resource where you can find all the information that you need. I know at first glance it could feel overwhelmingly packed with a lot of information from every tab, so what I did to help myself get organized was I created a document containing all the essential information about the program—location of the school, program duration, admission criteria, etc. Having this document handy makes it a lot easier whenever questions pop up at any time. Venturing onto something new always seems daunting at first, especially if you’ll be coming from a different country, but being informed helps you stay on top of things and consequently alleviate some anxiety you may be having about the application.
- Develop a plan. The application process entails a lot of steps that you can’t just complete all in one sitting. Once you’ve done your research and more or less get a sense of the requirements that you need to complete, it’s now time to create a checklist that will help you better track where you are at, and what else needs to be done. It is of course vital to take note of important deadlines so you don’t miss them. Should you need to take any exams, such as English proficiency, make sure to schedule them as soon as possible to give you some leeway for any potential delays. In doing so, take into consideration not only the length of time you need to prepare for the exam, but also the amount of time it takes for the results to come back (and if the results are going to be sent to you, consider also the time it’ll take you to mail the results to the university, if need be).
- Have your documents ready. This is particularly important if you’ll be coming from a different country—you want to make sure that you have everything that you need on hand before moving. Needless to say, it takes up more time, effort, and resources to be requesting for documents remotely; so before you go, request all the documents you think you may need, and get extra copies! Also keep in mind that for any document that is not in the English language, you may need to have them translated.
- Take time to create your personal statement. Irrespective of how good of a writer you are, really put much thought and effort into crafting your personal statement. Read and absorb the prompt, then answer it with honesty and in a manner that reflects who you are. Don’t feel pressured trying to figure out what they’re looking to read from your essay; instead, draw on your experiences that will make your application stand out. Last but not the least, stay within the word limit and be careful not to overlook any typographical and grammatical errors.
- Explore financial resources. Funding for graduate school can be quite challenging, so take advantage of the many financial resources being offered at USC. Aside from scholarships and awards, there are also student worker positions that you can apply for, with work hours that can adjust to fit around your class schedule. You can find more information in the Scholarships and Financial Aid page.
- Don’t hesitate to ask! If, at any step during the process, you find yourself in need of some clarification about anything, the student ambassadors Bethany, Calvin, Daniel, Lamoni, Liz, Savi, and myself are always willing to provide support!
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GI’s IG takeover! ⟩
April 14, 2020, by Japeth
Diversity International
First and foremost, I want to say that this blog post is dedicated to Global Initiatives, headed by Dr. Danny Park together with his team members James, Mariah, LiShan, Maggie, Katie, and Prutha. They have been doing a wonderful job in making the international students at USC Chan feel at home by organizing different activities (not to mention the free food that they always prepare!!!).
Some of the activities that we all enjoyed were:
- Global Corner (Meet and greet with local and international Chan students)
- Beach bonfire (I remember this happened around November and it was one of the best activities for me!)
- Thanksgiving dinner (It was their way of letting us feel the American culture during this occasion. I actually made a blog post about this!)
- Chinese New Year dinner (We had dinner in Chinatown together with faculty and staff; they also prepared games and activities)
- International Alumni Panel: Life after Graduation (This was supposed to be an in-person event, but due to the work-from-home set up, we had this online. It was an informative session where current international students like me, learn from alumni from different batches about tips on finding jobs, OPT processing, visa sponsorship, and many more!)
Sharing with you some snaps of the Life after Graduation event:
Actually, below is the highlight of this blog post — their latest Instagram Takeover where each of the team member has a day to show what their life is like! Being far from them and not having the usual bonding time that we used to enjoy makes me (and I’m sure the other students as well) really sad; but this takeover project made a way for us to know each other more despite the distance!! The photos below were just screen-captured from their official Instagram account. You may follow them on instagram (@uscchanosotglobal).
This is Maggie, one of my good friends here in LA! We became close because we see each other often at the office and extended our hangouts by drinking boba and eating Asian food! I couldn’t agree more with you on your explanation about OT, Maggie!
Although Areli and I only started seeing each other at the office during spring semester, we already had fun conversations about life, school, and everything in between. She’s also a coffee lover! Nothing that a coffee can’t fix, right Areli?
This is my small group leader LiShan! She was one of the first people who welcomed me at USC Chan and she also prepared a birthday cake for me last year during my birthday — that’s how thoughtful she is! Thanks for sharing some ergo tips too! We all can’t thank you enough for your thoughtfulness, LiShan.
No one can ever balance life better than this lady! Katie has organized many activities outside of school just to make sure that we are all enjoying our time here in LA. From oganizing fun activities to study session, Katie does it best! Thank you for allowing us to “Grow Together”!
Greetings from Minnesota to the world! Mariah is one of the Doctoral residents under Global Initiatives (together with James, another good friend!). She always fascinates me with her insight about life, politics, economy, and many more! And oh, you just made me crave tacos, Mariah!!
And that’s just the first wave of their Instagram activities. Rumor has it that they will do another takeover where they will share their travel pictures — exciting!! I hope they have pictures where they do a Fight On pose!! LOL
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Throwback Thursday ⟩
February 20, 2020, by Kaho
Admissions Externships Housing and Transportation International Life Hacks Living in LA What are OS/OT?
As I was brainstorming what to write for my upcoming blog posts, I found myself at a complete blank. Nothing came to mind. I thought, what unique information can I provide as a student? As an ambassador? Social media chair? Then, a lightbulb switched on. Why don’t I take advantage of the data I’ve learned to analyze this year and make a compilation of other amazing blog posts? So, here we are. Here are the top 10 most popular blog posts from past and current student ambassadors (from Jan 1, 2015 through today), according to page views by you all! There are some oldies but goodies and they’re all definitely worth a read, so check them out.
- How to write a personal statement
- How to explain what occupational therapy is
- A Leadership Externship experience in South Korea
- A breakdown of the workload/life of an OT student
- Pros and cons of living at Currie Hall
- Pros of living in OT House vs. Pros of living somewhere else
- A different Leadership Externship experience in South Korea
- Pros and Cons of living in OT House
- Incorporating yoga into occupational therapy
- The role of occupational therapy in oncology
Hope you find these helpful!
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