OT Chronicles Chapter 6: Week 1

Our first full week was way more overwhelming than our half-week, rightfully so.  We had three more “1st days” which is probably why I’m feeling a little more overwhelmed with everything that needs to get done.  However, I am continually reminding myself to take it one day at a time.

One highlight of the week included having our first SOTA meeting where we discussed upcoming conferences, volunteer opportunities, fundraising ideas, and elections.  I decided to run for a position but I wasn’t elected.  The election did not include speeches or even introductions; therefore, most votes were based on first-impressions or a game of eenie-meenie-minnie-moe.  I’m ok honestly with not being elected.  I started this blog without being elected with the full intention of advocating for the OT field.  I will advocate on this blog, my social media pages, and to anyone that wants to listen to me talk about what I learned in class so far.  Here, I can voice my opinion on my own time, in my own way, and with intrinsic purpose to self-reflect and teach others.

This week I also attended an adult autism support group where I interacted and played board games with the attendees.  It was a very relaxed environment and I know that the individuals enjoyed seeing a new face in their group.  I plan on trying to volunteer at the support group 1-2 times per month because I know how much they enjoyed having new people to play board games with!

This week we were assigned an activity log in which we have to record every activity we do in a day and how much time we spend doing it.  We then categorize each activity into one of the eight occupations listed on The Framework.  Once they are categorized, we have to make a pie chart.  A lot of my time (obviously) is spent doing educational occupations.  This has been a tedious assignment but it’s helped me become more familiar with The Framework.

Also noteworthy is that our professors have forced us to change where we are sitting every class and who we are sitting next to.  They’re teaching us not to get comfortable all the time with routine and to get to know our classmates better.  I was a little hesitant at first because I liked sitting on the left side of the classroom, but after moving to the other side/middle, I’m ok with it!

We also had two guest speakers who worked at a community-based mental health organization nearby to the university.  We participated in a “Hearing Voices” activity for about one hour to gain a better understanding of what individuals with schizophrenia experience on a day to day basis.

For an hour, we all wore earbuds and listened to an audio recording of voices that individuals with schizophrenia have heard themselves.  The guest speakers rotated the class through three distinct activities – an individual 10-question test on a packet of information we were given on hurricane preparedness, a 20 minute game of Scrabble with four classmates, and an interactive task with someone on campus.

This experience resulted in empathy and a better understanding of what individuals with schizophrenia experience daily.  It was very eye-opening for me because it can be very hard to relate to someone who experiences auditory hallucinations.  This activity provided me with a hands-on learning opportunity to gain insight on how difficult it can be for individuals with schizophrenia to socially interact or complete necessary tasks on a day to day basis.  A few days later, I spent at least a half hour teaching Josh all about schizophrenia to bring better awareness and understanding of the disorder.  (If anyone is interested in learning more about “Hearing Voices” please reach out to me!)

This weekend I have been overwhelmed by readings to prepare for next week’s classes.  I have tried to find occupational balance by taking mental/social breaks.  I went for a bike ride today because I wanted to spend 30 minutes outside on a beautiful day.  I set aside time at the end of my day to write this blog.

Tomorrow I plan on going through the remainder of a Powerpoint recording I need to finish for Monday’s class, reading more for Monday’s Group Process class, going for a run/bike in the morning, and finishing all supplemental material for the beginning of the week.

My Friday & Saturday nights aren’t going to be very exciting for the next few weeks but I’m ok with that.  This aspiration of mine requires a lot of sacrifice, persistence, and determination and I’m fully committed to succeeding.  I’m living my dream.

 

OT Chronicles Chapter 5: The Half-Week

I STARTED OT SCHOOL THIS WEEK!!!  CRAZINESS!

This week was met with a lot of nervousness, a lot of excitement, and so much gratitude!  I spent my Labor Day weekend before classes started stressing over the anatomy & physiology competency exam scheduled for Day 1.  I busied myself with organizing my binders, books, backpack, and checking emails repetitively.  I reviewed the A&P information religiously until Tuesday night when I turned to Josh and said “I just can’t keep looking at this”.  So, instead of staying up late studying feverishly, I spent the night before classes started relaxing, preparing my belongings for the morning, and spending time with Josh who insisted on sending me off on my 1st day of grad school (side note: my parents were in Utah visiting my brother so they weren’t home all week so I am extremely grateful that Josh was willing to be my support system for my 1st day jitters!).

Wednesday morning Josh & I were up early because he had to leave my house early in order to get to work in time.  My mom insisted she needed a 1st day of school picture so before Josh left my house he was snapping awkward 1st day of school photos at 6 o’clock in the morning.  I stood next to a smiley face balloon that Granny had given me the day before.  Quite comical if you ask me!

After Josh left, I ate a hearty breakfast and packed my lunch.  I kissed the dogs goodbye and headed out the door for my 50-minute commute.  I left my house two hours before class started because I was worried about finding parking and didn’t want to feel rushed.  Five minutes into my drive, I approached an unexpected detour.  Just my luck!  I found my way around the detour and continued on my intended route.  I also took the wrong jug-handle at one point in my drive.  Oops!  Nevertheless, I arrived before 8 AM, there was plenty of parking, and I wandered through campus to calm my nerves.

I got to class 30 minutes early, sat next to a classmate I remembered from orientation, and settled in.  We all chatted amongst ourselves which was a wonderful way to distract ourselves from the looming competency exam.

We took a class picture (the most awake and put-together we will probably look all semester).  We did an ice breaker activity called “speed dating”.  This was super fun!  We also reviewed for the exam in an untraditional way which I enjoyed!

By mid-morning, we were taking the competency exam.  This was pass/fail scoring.  You either passed or you didn’t.  After turning in the exam, I knew my weaknesses and what I needed to improve on moving forward.  I was confident I had passed but knew that I still had plenty of room for growth!

We had an hour lunch break so I printed a few things and relaxed outside.  The remainder of the day included a review of the class readings we had already been assigned.  Also…. I had passed the competency exam!  YAY!

On the second day of classes, we reviewed the syllabi, discussed our reading assignments, and began a case study on schizophrenia.  I am excited to continue to learn about my cohort and the material for each class.  I know it will be challenging but I know it will all be worth it!

I also met with my professor for my graduate assistantship.  I was given some of my responsibilities for the semester and I’m excited to get started on this!

Our professors also continuously reminding us that the cohort & faculty are a team.  Three-hundred people had applied to the program but only 30 were given seats.  We are no longer competing against each other because we all deserve to be where we are.  We will help each other succeed and overcome challenges.  We will work together because we all share one common goal – to become occupational therapists.  The faculty wants us to succeed so they will help us when help is needed.

We’ve only had two days of classes (hence why this blog is titled “The Half-Week”).  I spent today developing a weekly “agenda” (basically a check-list for each class) of readings, assignments, quizzes/tests that are “due” the upcoming so that everything can be somewhat organized.  I am using this as a supplement to my planner for the time being so that everything is organized in a clear and concise way.  I’m not sure if this is something I’ll stick with in the long-term, but with so much information in the last two days, I feel this is the best way to move forward.

I have so much gratitude the start of this new, exciting adventure.  I can’t wait to continue to learn, be challenged, and develop strong relationships with my cohort and professors!  I am grateful for Josh being there for my 1st day of grad school and the support of my parents/family from afar.

I’m sure that this blog posts won’t always be this lengthy, but for now, I hope that you’ve enjoyed my rambling!