Student Blog
Life Hacks

Being Fine with Uncertainty ⟩
January 15, 2021, by Lamoni

Life Hacks

I am back and it is time for a new semester! Except I have no idea what I will be doing. Typically, we learn about our fieldwork placements at least one month before the start date. However, the pandemic has caused many changes. Several sites are delaying when they will take students, changing their format to telehealth, or they are not taking students at all. Already, our first level II fieldwork has moved from Summer 2020 to Spring 2021 but, as we all know, the virus has not slowed down. The fieldwork team has been working overtime but myself and nearly 30 other students still do not know when and where we will be. Any other time, I would be very anxious about the whole situation, but COVID-19 has taught me to take everything day by day. There are things that are out of my control therefore, I have no choice but to take a step back. *I want to acknowledge the privilege that I possess. I understand that my ability to not worry at a time like this means that I am in a very fortunate spot.

Being comfortable with the unknown did not happen overnight. Remember when we all thought COVID would be over in 3 weeks? I thought this would me a mini, much-needed break and that we would all return to school and work shortly. As time went on (long after 3 weeks), everything began to feel out of my grasp. I had no answers for anything. Now that we are less than 3 months short of it being a year and I do not have a placement, I have finally relinquished power and I have become more comfortable with not having an answer. To do that, I had to control other things in my life and be more intentional about them. For the things that were out of my hands, I had to create more things to hold on to. For example, I decided to read more books for leisure and to create a fitness routine. Within the past four weeks, I have already read three books. I have also gotten into such an exercise groove that I have to force myself to take days off. Additionally, I have been more intentional about checking on my friends and family. When I was busy with work, school, and research, I did not reach out often and I would take days to respond to their texts or calls. Now, I have more than enough time to build strong relationships and habits. Therefore, when I finally start fieldwork, these habits will be so engrained that I will keep them up.

Another way that I have learned to be more comfortable with my current situation is by putting it all into perspective. I am not dealing with this alone. The pandemic has changed the lives of everyone. If you are struggling with inconstancy and unpredictability, your mood is lower than usual, or your motivation has dropped, just know that others are having these feelings too. There is no “normal” way to feel because we have not experienced anything like this.

I typically like to create bullet points of tips and tricks but this time, my main advice would be to construct some sort of structure to your day and create small, attainable goals for yourself. The outdoors still has a big question mark on it but having a routine and something to work towards is important. Maybe your work or school goals cannot be accomplished at this time, but there are plenty of other ways to find fulfillment. We are often told to do our best but It is also okay to simply do what we can.

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New Year Resolutions ⟩
January 13, 2021, by Bethany

Life Hacks

Welcome to 2021! We’ve reached a whole new year. Now is the time when people expect change, when people make resolutions to be their own new and improved selves. I wanted to give you some encouragements about making life changes:

Any time is a good time to start — Yes, it’s a new year and a symbol for new beginnings, but January 1st does not have to be the start date of the new you. Sometimes change happens gradually or unexpectedly. Sometimes it starts January 2nd instead, and sometimes it starts in July. And that is okay. For me, I wrote a blog a while ago about tracking my calories for an assignment, and I have been doing so ever since. It may not be January 1st, but October 21st is just as good a day to start a change.

Set attainable goals — I think setting attainable goals is an important skill as a future occupational therapist. We have to know how to give our clients and ourselves something to celebrate. Do the same when you’re making changes for yourself. Putting yourself through a long Chloe Ting challenge? Celebrate the fact that you made time for it just today. If you can’t do a month-long challenge, go for two weeks. But celebrate milestones in the process of change, not just the end goal!

Change can happen slowly — Unfortunately, with the start of 2021, we’ve seen how January 1st is not COVID’s expiration date, but at the same time, we know that vaccines are developed, we are all getting more used to wearing masks and keeping our community safe, and we’re on our way to getting back to “normal” safely. Something similar is true about our own change. We can’t expect ourselves to learn a new instrument in one day, but we can practice. Give yourself some time to learn the sound of the instrument and see how long it takes to change your tone, to build up the endurance to play for longer than three minutes at a time. (Hint: It’s okay if it feels like a long time.) Celebrate that you’ve stuck with it for so long, because sometimes gradual change is more exciting and surprising when you look at how far you’ve come.

This week, I started a new change. I have been placed at my first Level II Fieldwork site! For me, this is an opportunity to build my clinical reasoning skills, to learn to think like an OT as I practice being an OT. I’m excited to apply what we learn to real life. My first couple days have been long. I went from having a winter-break brain to working from 9 to 5! But I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve set my own goals/resolutions for fieldwork, and I hope to be able to make progress towards them over the next twelve weeks:

1. Be okay with uncomfortable conversations
2. Initiate a new project
3. Make time for myself

Let’s work towards new goals together in this new year! We got this!

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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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Learning to Lean on Others ⟩
December 23, 2020, by Savi

Life Hacks

I got a text last night from one of my best friends in the program stating, “If I ever come to you seeking advice and you don’t have the mental capacity just let me know! And I seriously am here whenever you need advice or to vent!” To give you context to this message, earlier that day my friend had overheard me sigh heavily after looking at my phone. She asked what was wrong, and I explained that sometimes I just get overwhelmed by the number of people I feel like rely on me, even if deep down I know that they will be alright if I don’t answer their text or don’t help them problem-solve a solution to an issue. If friends, acquaintances, or family reach out to me, I know they believe I can help them and I feel compelled to go above and beyond in order to make their lives a little bit easier. I felt weird saying this out loud and immediately felt a sense of shame about believing that there was a lot of pressure on me to fulfill a role no one actually expects me to fulfill.

As occupational therapists, we are tasked with making meaningful occupations more accessible to our clients. I love my job, but I do find it difficult to switch off my “OT” lens/brain when I leave work or school.

I sat and tried to process how I could prevent this from happening and I soon came to terms with the fact that I will never fully feel like me unless I am there to listen to my friends or assist with problem-solving a solution to an issue they are experiencing. I feel honored to be someone that people feel comfortable confiding in and I take great pride in being there to help them better understand their worth, capabilities, and strengths.

For that reason, I have decided to focus on the second part of my friend’s message: “I am here if you need me.” I am so willing to be there for others to help them overcome hurdles to participating in their meaningful occupations, but I rarely find myself reaching out to others when I need help myself. I immediately replied to my friend and told her that I will definitely take her up on her offer because I know she truly means it. I also know that every one of my friends and family would do the same and that I am not a nuisance to any of them. I am not myself without my meaningful occupations, and I typically refrain from participating in them if I am overwhelmed or stressed. If people in my life are willing to come and open up to me then I should be willing to do the same! That way we can all participate in the activities and occupations that make us feel whole again . . . I mean I am definitely not the best version of myself unless I go on a walk/run outside, take a warm shower, and get at least 7 hours of sleep. 

So if you’re like me and you can’t seem to step away from the OT mindset even when you leave work, that is ok! Just know that you are surrounded by people who want to help you in the same way . . . even if they haven’t officially been trained to do it 😉. Know that you are not a burden and make sure that you are allowing yourself the opportunity to participate in the occupations that are most meaningful to you!

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Overcoming Rejection and Feelings of Inadequecy ⟩
December 9, 2020, by Savi

Classes Getting Involved Life Hacks

As my last semester of classes has come to an end, I had anticipated feeling relieved. I now sit here, having passed all of the courses I need to graduate from this Master’s program, feeling immensely overwhelmed and discouraged. Up until this moment, everything had been mapped out for me. Each class that I would take and when I would take them were pre-determined. I knew that I just had to work hard and do my best in order to be successful academically.

I am currently studying for the COMPS (comprehensive exam) that I will be taking on December 15th with the rest of my graduating class and I am worrying about my future. This future is not pre-determined and it is scary, especially amidst a global pandemic. It is up to me to pave the way.

During this hectic time, I have also decided to pursue my OTD. After going through the interview process for the USC Chan Division residencies and being informed that I did not receive one, I felt extremely discouraged. I took this rejection as an indication that I was not good enough to get the opportunities I had been aiming for. I became anxious over the fact that I would have to find my own residency, especially because I was worried that my lack of experience in my field of choice would prevent me not only from getting a residency but also a fieldwork II experience.

This stress and feeling of inadequacy was something that was difficult to overcome. After sitting back and reflecting, I came to realize that I was letting one rejection skew my view of my self-worth and capabilities . . . just one rejection held that much power over me!

It wasn’t until I realized that if I didn’t believe in myself then who would!? I decided that if I didn’t try my best to go after the positions and experiences I feel like I deserve and want then I would regret it tremendously. I couldn’t let one rejection deplete my confidence and I knew that even if there were more rejections to come I would learn from them and keep moving forward.

I spent the coming weeks being polite and persistent. I began communicating with people who could help me develop the residency position of my dreams. Putting all the pieces together was tricky, and it took a lot of persistence to progress things further. Advocating for myself and my worth was key in progressing things forward, as well as acknowledging the work and effort the people communicating with me were putting in. 

Your future is what you make of it. Be persistent, confident, understanding, and kind. Know that the person you are talking to will never know the mark you can make if you don’t advocate for yourself and your worth. Don’t let rejection take a toll on you. Sometimes putting in the extra work to make things happen really pays off! Advocate for yourself and believe in yourself because no one can do it better than you.

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