Student Blog
Living in LA

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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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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Why I use a paper planner . . . in addition to all my synced ones. ⟩
February 3, 2020, by Catherine

Life Hacks Living in LA

This weekend I had the opportunity to go to Newport with my family. Despite being a couple of weeks into the semester, meaning I am now revving into full gear of balancing residency, classes and my private life, one of the benefits of living in the Los Angeles County area is that no matter where you are living, you’re never too far away from some fun in the sun. Luckily, having visitors from out of the area always gives us the excuse to take full advantage of this.

Throughout my experience in the OTD program, I have found that it is helpful to not only develop a planning system that works for me, but to also to set realistic timelines for how much each task will take. Balancing the schedules of my family members with my own has taken a considerable amount of trial and error, but I’ve found a way that has worked for me and my family.

First is my schedule, it has been natural to utilize the Google Calendar and Outlook applications that connect seamlessly with my USC and Chan email accounts to make sure I am on top of any event invitations offered by the school, and any meetings that may be scheduled throughout the semester. I have been able to subscribe to my nephews’ school calendars that are automatically synced to my Google Calendar, so I can be aware of any school events or holidays in advance. This has allowed for a nicely organized monthly calendar on my laptop.

However, this can sometimes get a bit cluttered. While de-selecting some calendars will help in visual clarity, I have a secondary paper planner that I use to organize and orient myself daily.

I use this as my daily mental practice of calm. Going through my “master calendar”, cross referencing with my shared calendars, and then prioritizing my tasks into a to-do list. In my experience, taking about 10 minutes every morning to do this has been very helpful not only in keeping track of my tasks, but giving me a minute to connect with what is meaningful to me personally, and motivating me throughout my day.

With this daily practice, I am able to stay on track, plan my week, and make sure I make the time for not only my work, school, but for those special memory making moments with my loved ones.

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Winter Break with the cohort! ⟩
January 17, 2020, by Japeth

Life Hacks Living in LA

After the stressful finals week, some of my classmates organized an out-of-state trip to Utah to visit two national parks: Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. Driving to Utah takes about 8 to 9 hours, depending on the traffic, speed, and of course the rest breaks! So, we decided to do a stop over in Las Vegas and to eat lunch there, since Las Vegas is also known for its sumptuous buffets everywhere. By the way, driving from LA to Vegas takes about 4 to 5 hours.

After having lunch, we all decided to go back on the road and head to Utah. From Las Vegas to Utah, it took us almost five hours to get there. On the way to Utah from Vegas, we passed by Arizona — and the view is very relaxing! I am sharing some snaps of the view but my apologies if they are unclear, since the car was moving when I took them. 

We rented an Airbnb and surprisingly, the house was big enough to accommodate us all. One thing that made the house extra special was the hot tub that was available for use!

First day: Off to Zion National Park

In this national park, you can choose as many trails a you want to enjoy; but given our time shortage, we chose one of the easiest but beautiful trails there was: The Watchman Trail. This trail typically takes about less than 3 hours going back and forth. However, it took us more than four hours because we enjoyed so much on taking pictures almost in every good spot we find along the way.

When we finally reached the top, of course, we took more photos! We stayed on top for 30 minutes, enjoying the view while eating our snacks. The snow covering the mountains made the view extra beautiful. The sun being extra sunny that day, helped so much in braving the cold weather.

To end the day, we looked for a local coffee shop to warm ourselves up; and even the coffee shop did not fail to surprise us! The place was so beautiful, and they have a balcony area where you can sit outside, have your coffee, while looking at the lake and mountains.

Day 2: Bryce Canyon National Park – Sunrise Trail

This trail was amazingly beautiful as well! We started from the top and we trailed down. Just when I thought that in order to see the beautiful view, we need to reach the top first, this trail proved me otherwise. Going down from the top made me appreciate the scenic view too! It goes to show that sometimes, we shouldn’t just focus on the beginning or the end; rather, we can also focus on the journey and enjoy every moment with the people we are with.

Here are photos of us before and after the hike!

From the visitor center near the starting point of the Sunrise Trail, we drove a few miles from there going to Sunset Point — another point at the national park where the sunset is really gorgeous.

This trip will always have a special place in my heart and memory. Being with my classmates outside the classroom was a different kind of experience. It was a joy to be with them for several days and I certainly wish for more trips with them. Also in this trip, two other Trojan friends joined us: Nana Lin who is a Masters in Microbiology and Immunology student, and Eden Lin who is also doing her Masters in Computer Science.

Until our next adventure, Fight On!

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Winter in Los Angeles ⟩
January 16, 2020, by Kevin

Living in LA

“Winter in Los Angeles” . . . pretty much an oxymoron because it feels like summer here all year. So, how do winter enthusiasts such as myself get my fill of the cold seasons? It’s not easy, but here are some of my favorite winter activities to make this warm weather at least feel a little colder.

My first major strategy to get some winter vibes in my life is to change the decorations in my apartment. When I first moved here, I did not have many decorations, but after missing out on the seasons, I started changing my apartment decorations based on season I wanted my home to feel like. Right now, I am transitioning my fall decorations of pumpkins, spice-scented candles, reds, oranges, and browns to my winter decorations. The first thing I do when I get home to get in the winter mood is to light a pine scented candle, then I turn on the TV in the living room and play an ambient visual of a fireplace with crackling noises. While my apartment has a fireplace, I almost never use it because it just does not get cold enough, so the fake fireplace does wonders to give me the relaxing feel of a cozy fire. After setting the winter mood, I start busting out our winter décor including snowflake pillows, holiday lights, and pine-wreaths! It does not take much to create the feel of winter inside even though it’s still that perfect 65-70 degrees outside all year.

After my apartment has been transformed for winter, I start planning my winter themed activities. This includes blowing the dust of the board games for rainy days, making winter-themed crafts, and finding the best outdoor ice-skating location. Last, but certainly not least, I try to make a trip down to Disneyland because if there is any place that decorates for winter, Disney is sure to deliver.

With the changes to my decorations and leisure activities, “winter in Los Angeles” feels just as cozy and cold as I need!

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