Student Blog
Life Hacks

When You Have a Full House Sheltering in Place ⟩
March 23, 2020, by Catherine

Life Hacks

Having just come back from Spring Break, many of us are trying to figure out our new routines.  I am grateful that despite being an international student, my family and I are together, safe and well.  Nevertheless, living in a house with a kindergartner, a fourth grader, two active older adults, and two adults working remotely makes one full house.  Boundaries need to be set in place, while new structures will need to be created while some old ones must be maintained.  As the resident OT in our home, I have set some new house rules that I hope will pull us through, and might inspire some ideas for you.

• Get out of your pajamas.  Despite having to stay home all day, we still have school and jobs to attend to.  Maintaining our morning routines as though we actually have to leave the home has been helpful in getting the day started.  Getting a little dressed up before I sit down in my work area has helped me get in the zone and stay focused.  I have seen that this has also worked with the kids.  Getting into their school clothes has reminded them that we are not on an extended vacation, but trying to go through business as usual.
• Separate your space.  Even before the struggles of “shelter in place” we had heard countless times that it is helpful to separate our work and rest space for our mental and physical health.  While working remotely has been a privilege, it can sometimes feel that I am constantly working, when I am never able to leave the confines of my desk in my bedroom.  To address this, I recently moved all work related materials into our shared “office” aka the dining room table that we rarely use.  This has become our new space where we each do our respective school assignments and work. A makeshift open office space if you will.  When we are sitting here, we are learning to be respectful of our time, but I can see that it is also teaching the little ones to practice social etiquette.  Nevertheless, I am just one poke away to answer any geometry questions should they come up.
• Make yourself a quiet place. During the unpredictable and challenging times we live in today, a quiet place to meditate, think, and even just breathe for a couple minutes have been a luxury.  Social distancing aside, as a caregiver and a member of the “sandwich generation” sometimes you need to give yourself some me time.  Especially if you can hear children screaming in the background for 90% your waking hours, silence is golden.  I have found that the car has been a refreshing place of a few minutes of peace and quiet.
• Don’t forget to connect to other people.  While I can not emphasize enough how much I love my family, it has been important to keep in touch with those I am not blood related to.  Thanks to the internet and all the apps out there, I have been able to stay connected with my network.  Whether it be through text or video chat, or just commenting on posts, it’s good to stay connected and check in.
• Communicate.  Sometimes when we are with our family we can forget basic communications.  We can make assumptions that we fully understand each other’s needs, leading to more misunderstandings and possibly even hurt feelings.  Extended periods of close connectedness,  can be met with unexpected challenges we may not have anticipated.  For example, when I need to concentrate, I prefer a calm environment, but my sister does her best work when she is talking and walking in circles, and prefers to use her speakerphone.  I never knew this until we tried to share a work space and I will leave the details out, but you probably can imagine.  Through open communication we were able to reach a compromise. I gifted her a pair of wireless earphones and she has agreed to take her important calls on the lawn.

These are just some reflections on my attempts to create some balance and productivity while we adapt to our current state of life in my family.  I hope to continue to share with you my progress with any new ideas or updates that I think may be helpful or entertaining.  As always, I am here for all of you who may have any questions about my life as an OTD resident, student, and as a resource of support.  Fight on!

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Sometimes life gets in the way — and it’s ok! ⟩
February 28, 2020, by Japeth

Life Hacks

Spring semester is almost over and my blogging life is halfway through. This area of work as a student ambassador has been a privilege and has served as a good way for me to share a bit of my life to all. This post is, by far, the most personal that I am posting; I am not one to post my thoughts and emotions online, but I feel like this post could be inspiring to everyone who might be going through a lot, all at once.

2019 was a good year to me: I was able to come to LA and take my MA at my dream university; I met so many friends from my cohort and other cohorts, and even outside of the Chan Division; I got the ambassador position which I really wanted; I am now specializing in the areas of OT that I am most interested in, and etc! So, how can one think that 2020 would be not so nice, right? When 2020 started, I had the most positive of thoughts I could ever think. However, as days and weeks unfold, I feel as though bad news just keep coming.

January-February have been really tough, not just for me but for most of the people I know. When bad times occur, we need to trust our coping mechanisms to help us get through the obstacles. Mine happens to be doing a lot of stress eating, retail therapy, or something spiritual like hearing a mass. In addition to these well-established coping strategies, I explored a new one this semester: self-talking. I think that it has been really helpful to me, especially in shaping my thoughts from a negative standpoint to becoming more positive, or at least to see the positive side of every awful situation.

My two takeaways in this entire two-month emotional and psychological rollercoaster ride would be:

1. There will always be things and situations that will come our way and are definitely out of our control; but what we do have control in is how we react to them. One example I can share would be the cancellation of our international externship. I am sure that everyone is frustrated and sad about this. But when I thoroughly reflect on the situation, I realized that nobody wanted this to happen and we are all victims of such circumstance. Maybe the healthiest way to deal with this is to accept that we cannot change it; rather, we can find a solution.
2. It is all about perspective. This is really difficult to practice because when we are under high levels of stress and tension, our perspective gets blurry. For me, it took me a long while to be able to really do this by heart. One time, Dr. Milman, one of USC Chan’s best professors, greeted me while we came across each other in the hallway. She asked me if I was having a good day since I was really smiling at her. All I said was, “You will have a good day if you think that it is a good day . . . perspective is everything!”

I have been using “Fight On” many, many times when I end a blog post, so now I want to end this one with the line that I have been telling my friends lately: “When you hit rock bottom, there is no way to go but UP!!!”

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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.

1. How to write a personal statement
2. How to explain what occupational therapy is
3. A Leadership Externship experience in South Korea
4. A breakdown of the workload/life of an OT student
5. Pros and cons of living at Currie Hall
6. Pros of living in OT House vs. Pros of living somewhere else
7. A different Leadership Externship experience in South Korea
8. Pros and Cons of living in OT House
9. Incorporating yoga into occupational therapy
10. The role of occupational therapy in oncology

Hope you find these helpful!

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Formula for Success ⟩
February 19, 2020, by Marilyn

Life Hacks

Town & Gown of USC is a non-profit philanthropic organization whose purpose is to support USC through scholarships for students, building and campus enhancements, and cultural programs. On February 4th, 2020 the USC Town & Gown Scholarship held its annual Town & Gown Scholars and Donors recognition lunch, in which Dr. Arthur C. Bartner (Director of the USC Trojan Marching Band) was celebrated and recognized for embodying the Spirit of Troy for the past 50 years. During his speech titled “The Man & Legend Behind the Spirit of Troy,”  Dr. Bartner shared with Town & Gown scholars and soon to be graduates 7 tips for the formula to success that I will be sharing in the blog post. As I reflect on these 7 tips for success, I recognize how blessed and grateful I am to learn alongside amazing and talented people. I have decided to share about peers in the program that embody one of the success tips mentioned in Dr. Bartner’s speech.

1. Busy people are successful people

LiShan Wee — “The key is doing something that you are very passionate about.” She currently serves as the Graduate Student Government Senator for the Occupational Therapy and Science Council and is part of the Global Initiatives team.

2. You have to believe in yourself

Nicole Yoon — Selected as a Presenter for the AOTA Occupational Therapy Inventors Showcase at the 2020 AOTA Annual Conference & Expo in Boston, Massachusetts. Nicole perseveres relentlessly regardless of previous rejections that could be deemed as setbacks. She rebuilds her self-confidence by taking on new challenges and always proves how much she can achieve. Her ambitious goals and grit will make her a global phenomenon in OT.

3. Seek out the mentors that can help you

Rachel Kent — After completing my Level II fieldwork with Rachel during summer 2019 at St. Joseph’s Center, I was reminded about the importance of mentorship. She was always open to reaching out to mentors for assistance and feedback, in order to best support her clients. Her willingness to seek out mentors will propel her to make an impact across multiple settings in OT.

4. You have to be ambitious

Janis Yue — Elected as the AOTA Student Representative to the Commission on Education

5. Continue to grow

Daniela Valle — “The key to success is accepting feedback. Aspiring to be the best version of myself is a daily challenge. I am happy to say that I have friends and faculty in the program that I can count on to give me feedback. (They are also more than willing to discuss heavy topics that affect our communities and clients.) By accepting feedback, I can hone my strengths and work on challenges. Receiving feedback on areas that need changes helps me put my ego aside and focus on what can essentially make me a better practitioner. I have learned to not take feedback personally, but rather understand that it is an opportunity for growth.” Feedback provided by a peer, professor, or supervisor can often seem intimidating, however Daniela’s approach to feedback is valuable. Often the individual providing constructive feedback has a genuine desire to help improve your performance, which will ultimately lead to growth!

6. Networking is a way of life

Ellie Bendetson — “Through networking, I have been able to pursue a variety of passions I didn’t know I had! During undergrad, I interviewed Dr. Stacy Schepens Niemiec about the use of technology to promote successful aging. After the interview, I continued to network and pursue opportunities in her lab and eventually gained a position assisting on a variety of exciting projects. I never thought I’d be interested in working with an older population or utilizing technology in my practice, but this networking allowed me to explore new areas of practice and build impactful connections.” I can relate to Ellie given my experience with volunteering in Dr. Schepens Niemiec’s lab on the Vivir Mi Vida pilot study. Networking often does not come easy to students, however it is encouraging to see peers use this tip to gain further research experiences in OT.

7. Be grateful

Kiana Phillips — Grateful people make the world a better place. In my case Kiana has been my gratitude anchor that keeps me present in the moment. Her gratitude can shift the energy of any conversation or clouded perspective whether it be professionally or personally related. I am certain that she will continue to be source of light and harmony in my life, but most importantly for her future clients.

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9 to 5? Working in Grad School ⟩
February 10, 2020, by Noelle

Life Hacks Living in LA School/Life Balance

Whether you are looking to earn a little spending money or pay next month’s rent, having a part-time job in grad school is definitely a possibility and reality for students here at Chan. On top of managing their coursework, I know babysitters, bartenders, and tutors, people who teach tennis lessons, pick up ride-sharers on their daily commute, and run their own businesses (check out Kevin’s side hustle if you haven’t already). Amazing right?!

As for me, I was a waitress during my first year and now work as a student ambassador. I remember applying for the waitressing job back in September 2018, nervous about having never held a tray in my life before, but more so, unsure of how I was going to maintain both a job and school. My only prior work experience was a low key student worker position that fit nicely into my flexible undergrad schedule, so I felt way in over my head just a couple weeks into grad school.

I was hired and started right as my first level one fieldwork began (great timing I know 😬). It was definitely a challenge at first to find a reasonable schedule and really, to learn how to be a waitress from scratch. But once I started getting into the groove (stopped spilling drinks and forgetting orders), it got way easier and dare I say fun? I worked on the school nights before fieldwork (because no homework was due the next day), weekends, and picked up extra shifts if it was a slower week at school. It was helpful that the restaurant was close to home/shuttle stop and my employers were pretty flexible about my schedule.

And I LOVED it. It was a great fit for my personality, gave me a little break from my student identity, and provided a whole different education and skill set. Second to my Level II fieldwork, it is my most prized bullet point on my résumé. It wasn’t all peaches and cream though. There were lots of late nights, crammed weekends, missed events, and several moments I had to remind myself that school was the priority. But I am so glad to have done it . . . and not just for the tips!

Of course, working during grad school looks very different from person to person. And my experience is just one example of how to make it work.

For this week’s song rec, let’s throw it back to 1973 with “For the Love of Money” by the O’Jays, a song I would frequently blast on my way home after a long day at the restaurant.

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