Making the Most of Your OT School Experience
Graduate school is a unique journey filled with opportunities for growth, learning, and personal development. Whether you're just starting or have several semesters under your belt, making the most of this chapter of your school experience can set the stage for a successful and fulfilling occupational therapy (OT) practice. As a second-career student, I am determined to make every moment count before I rejoin the workforce. Here are some of the ways I bolstered my first-year experience.
Embrace Opportunities Beyond the Classroom: Joining clubs, organizations, or groups related to OT can enhance your academic experience. Our program at Washington University in St. Louis has two student OT organizations, and I’m an active member of both. These clubs provide opportunities to volunteer, socialize, and learn from OT experts. For example, our Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) and Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD) offer volunteer opportunities with community groups, social and advocacy events with students from first and second year cohorts, and professional development luncheons with OT experts from across the country. The clubs even worked together with a local nonprofit to build a ramp for a woman with health challenges, allowing her to safely leave her home without navigating steps.
Building relationships with peers, professors, and professionals is crucial. These connections can provide support, mentorship, and career opportunities. I participated in the Assistive Tech Make-a-Thon, a week-long innovative collaboration between our engineering and OT departments, with guidance from professors. I worked alongside fellow students to develop a vest with multi-sensorial symbols to help a client with disabilities communicate nonverbally. Experiences like this are great résumé builders and a fun way to get involved with advocacy and community partnerships. Attending the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) INSPIRE 2025 Annual Conference in Philadelphia was another highlight of my first year, leading to connections that even helped me secure my first Level II fieldwork placement in a school-based setting in my home state of Washington.
Balance Academics and Personal Life: Creating a balanced schedule that includes study time, social activities, and self-care is essential for mental health. Study time is a daily occurrence, but I try to take one full day off on weekends. I schedule FaceTime calls with family to avoid missing calls due to our 2-hour time difference. Even if I have some food left in the fridge, I dedicate Sunday afternoons to grocery shopping and meal prep for the week. This limits the “there’s nothing to eat but popcorn and ice cream” problem on Thursday night after a long day of class. A shopping list created throughout the week as I think of meal ideas streamlines the process.
Engaging in activities like yoga, sports, or other hobbies can help maintain well-being. My dog, Cascade, ensures I get outside for long walks, even on snowy days. Next year, we’ll train together to be a certified therapy dog team. I plan for us to visit schools together for her to be a reading buddy for children who could use some extra encouragement, something I know would have benefited a few of my former students.
Checking out social and cultural opportunities in your school community helps you feel at home. For me, living in a new city was intimidating at first, but I soon built confidence to explore the local attractions. Free admission to local art museums makes it easy to enjoy creativity-inspired study breaks. I’ve also enjoyed attending live theater events and outdoor festivals with classmates.
Engage in Creative and Intellectual Exploration: Involvement in creative endeavors, such as campus-sponsored art celebrations or musical productions, can help balance out the academic workload. I participated in the medical school’s "In Our Words" storytelling event, creating a quilt titled “Becoming” to visually share my personal story of identity. One of my friends joined the medical school musical, keeping her creative juices flowing while socializing with graduate students across disciplines. Joining a monthly book club within my cohort has been a great way to flex my brain by expanding my reading repertoire. It also helped me get to know my classmates better!
Now It is Your Turn!
As you start or continue your OT school experience, remember that being a student is just one part of your journey to becoming an OT practitioner. Find what works for you to strike a balance between studies and non-academic experiences. Engaging in meaningful activities outside of coursework will not only enhance your clinical reasoning, but also boost your personal life satisfaction. Enjoy the journey!
Brianna Grant, OTS, is a second-year student at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine’s OT Program. She is determined to make every moment of her OT school experience count through memory-making and community involvement. Brianna hopes to work in a school-based setting, leveraging her previous experience in elementary education to foster stronger interdisciplinary collaboration with OT in schools and rural communities.