Yesterday we held a mini meet & greet between current applicants and CSUDH OT students. For applicants checking this site out I wanted to recap on some questions addressed:
1. How much time do we spend at school and studying outside of school?
We take an average of 17 units per semester (you are in class for 5 semesters, Level II fieldwork/outside the classroom for 2 semesters= 2.5 years of the program). Depending on the class, it may last 50 minutes to 3 hours. (50 minutes would be seminar type of classes where a guest speaker comes and 3 hour classes are normally lab or intervention classes.) For example this semester we are in class/lectures for about 18 hours a week- we are in school for 3 days out of the week (some semesters you maybe in school 4-5 days). Starting your 2nd semester into the program, you start Level I Fieldwork where you have to complete certain amount of hours observing an OT in a facility. Most likely student complete their Level I hours on a day with no class- and depending on the facility's flexibility you can set your hours (doing more hours and finishing early, or spreading out your hours throughout the semester- again SETTING YOUR HOURS DEPENDS ON THE FACILITY'S FLEXIBILITY.)
Now- I felt that studying outside of class was subjective- because each student is different. I can say that there are students who finish their homework right away so they can have their weekends off... and there are other students who procrastinate til the last minute. So I say KNOW YOURSELF AS A STUDENT. However, if you are the type who likes to get things done right away or do best during crunch time, just remember that TIME MANAGEMENT is the KEY! For me, I am mixed, sometimes I like to get things done and get it out of the way, other times I wait til the night before something is due. Normally I based my work on how easy or hard that assignment may be- if I know it will take me sometime to finish then I will work on it earlier. I carry a small monthly planner and like to write out what is due on what days to give me a visual aid of my schedule. Based on that, I am able to see where I need to focus in school or times I can just relax. For me, I normally have Sat & Sun off- I normally dont do school related stuff over the weekend, as I like to get things done during the week (that includes Fri afternoon). I dont work so I feel that I am able to manage my time easily.
How about if you work or have a family?
Now there are classmates who do work during the program, but often those jobs are very flexible with their work schedule. I cannot speak for all students who do work, but there are students who get their work done in time and get As ...and there are some who had to stop working so they can get things done for school. I worked the first 2 semesters and was able to manage work and school, but I had to quit my job eventually because my job wanted me to work specific hours (of the day), and I had class those times. I must say in defense to the program, working may only work for some students. And that is because this is a Master's Level program and our Professors want us to do well. So again, TIME MANAGEMENT and KNOWING YOURSELF AS A STUDENT becomes a huge factor in your success in this program.
This can also be applied to people who have a family and kids at home. We have a diverse group of students, some are single parents, some are returning to school after 15 years, etc. So do not be afraid, we have mothers/fathers who find and make the time for school and are successful in the program!
Financial Aid & Cost to attend CSUDH:
Visit this site for specific numbers http://www.csudh.edu/catalog/2009-2011/Fees.htm
This is a state school- so it is fairly cheap! Depending on your income from the previous year, you maybe eligible for grants that help pay your tuition. The school does offer student loans. For example I receive grants and only have to pay about $300 of additional fees per semester. Plus I take out a very minimized amount of loans to help pay for my food, gas, etc. In total after I graduate the 2.5 year program, I will probably have accumulated about $12,000 of loans- now compare that to private OT programs that cost $30,000 per year (you do the math!) ... Now there are students who receive grants and can afford not to take out any loans and there are students who pay for everything without loans or grants. So I suggest that it doesnt hurt to apply for financial aid- depending on your financial status. Again, this is based on your financial need- so do not be afraid to call CSUDH Financial Aid office if you have any questions or need help in applying for Financial Aid.
Final Thoughts:
Now to bring up knowing yourself as a student- if cost or affordability does not matter to you, then you probably skipped through the previous question. But for applicants who are financially conscience, I suggest you do your research about each program you would like to apply to and list the pros & cons. Talk to previous students, current students or OTs currently out in the field. I had the opportunity of ask the OT's opinion in the facility I had volunteered for prior to applying. Learn as much as you can when applying to a program and what you want to accomplish as a student. Once you are in the program, you will figure out exactly what you need to do in order to balance school & work. I suggest doing well on your GRE and pre-req courses. Each year, the number of applicants are increasing, so you need to stay competitive as an applicant. GRE and grades do matter but do not count yourself out if you have a 3.0 gpa- because there are students in my cohort who had less than 3.0 gpa or GRE scores that were around 800 (in truth- there were few). Also, in my opinion, applying with good GRE scores and GPA is a lot less stressful than being near the cutoff- so again, how much are you willing to work to get into the program?
These are the top questions that stuck out to me yesterday, so if there are any applicants out there reading this post and have additional questions- feel free to leave a comment or question!
GOOD LUCK TO ALL APPLYING THIS YEAR!!!
Some volunteer sites in the area
Los Angeles/Long Beach:
- Pediatric Therapy Network (PTN)
- Therapy West
- Long Beach Memorial Hospital
- St. Mary's Hospital
Orange County:
- St Jude Hospital
- St Joseph Hospital
- Gallagher Pediatric Therapy
- HealthSouth Rehab
For those applicants looking for a volunteer site:
I suggest calling hospitals around your area to see if you can volunteer and shadow an OT. You can also try googling "occupational therapy", "skilled nursing facility", "hand therapy", or "pediatric occupational therapy" in your city or county and calling them (there are pediatric and skilled nursing facilities that take in volunteers). Keep in mind that each facility have different requirements, some may ask you for a TB test, go to an orientation, or fill out paperwork before you can volunteer... and some do not. So be aware of how many volunteer hours you have to complete prior to the application deadline. (My site only allowed me to volunteer 4 hours a day, while other classmates were allowed 8 hours.)
Hope this was helpful!
Karen Celeste, OTS
Class of 2011
