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TennesseeOT

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Hey guys,
So I used this forum extensively when I was applying to OT school. I'm now halfway through my first semester (it's mind boggling that it's only been a few months) and I wanted to see if anyone had questions that I could help with. I don't have all the answers, but I may be able to help with some of the general questions you all may have. If you think of anything, let me know!
-J

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Would you mind giving your stats and where you attend OT school? Also, when were you notified of interview and acceptance?
 
Sure thing, @abm00029 . I was a pretty average student-- nothing exciting.

Overall GPA: 3.47 (OTCAS 3.38)
Last 50 hr GPA: 3.7-ish
GRE: quant- 155; verbal- 151; writing- 4.5
Observation hours: 45 inpatient & 15 in school/special population/home health setting
*Worked as a special needs swim instructor, lifeguard, and Special Olympics coach through undergrad, which is part of the reason I had little time for observation hours.

Applied: University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (OTD), Univ. Tennessee Health Science Center (MSOT), TSU (MOT), and Eastern Kentucky Univ. (MOT)
Accepted: UTC, UTHSC, EKU
Waitlisted: TSU (#4)
Attended: UTC

As for application timelines, Tennessee schools accept fairly late into the cycle. I finished all of my apps in January of this year and heard back from everyone between May and June. EKU didn't notify me until July with an August start date. I was a little put off by that, but it was fine. The only school that did formal interviews was TSU and my interview was in April.
 
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How is the workload? is it as intense as everyone makes it out to be?
 
I am a current MOT student in my first semester as well. I am curious about how your program is structured, the personalities of your classmates, faculty culture, etc. Would be nice to exchange stories!

Oh, also are you currently working?
 
I'm not the OP but to answer one of the above questions..yes OT school is intense, I feel like I'm drowning in work, assignments, presentations etc etc etc
 
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I'm not the OP but to answer one of the above questions..yes OT school is intense, I feel like I'm drowning in work, assignments, presentations etc etc etc

OH MY MY MY!!!! I am so nervous! I am starting next May, do you have any tips and advice on how to keep your head above water?
 
lol that was such a cute reaction. I'm sorry I didn't mean to give you a mini heart attack. Honestly if you get the syllabi before your program starts that'll be great so then you can get a head start on the reading. I would say good organization techniques, and really planning things out ahead of time by looking at your syllabi for each class and knowing when things are due so you don't feel like you've been hit with a tidal wave once midterms/practicals come around. And typing out bullet points for the main points in your chapters so you don't have to go back and study everything before exams. And just try not to get too behind on readings because then it becomes overwhelming to have to catch up. That's pretty much what I've got for now
 
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Hey! I'm also in the middle of my first semester (10 more weeks to go!)- for all those applying- prepare yourself lol! First semester is HELL!!!!! Mainly because of gross anatomy and phys for me- in my program it is known first semester is hardest. Once you get past first semester it get's wayyyy easier. It is really important to just stay on top of your work not to fall behind. You need to tell your family and friends you love them, but they may not be hearing from you for a while lol. It's really sad I have no social life- im ALWAYS studying or in cadaver lab! But I seriously love it! It is amazing to have professors who are so passionate about what they do.
Also- it's important to know you don't need A's in grad school. In undergrad you want the A's to get into grad school. Once your in, you just need to maintain your programs GPA (which is a C for me!)
Good luck!!!
 
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Could the current ot students let us know your stats and where you attend school? Thanks!!
 
Once your in, you just need to maintain your programs GPA (which is a C for me!)
Good luck!!!

Sorry TennesseeOT, don't mean to hijack your thread, but I wanted to respond to this.

Wow are you serious? You can graduate your program with a 2.0? In my MOT program, if you get one C you are on probation and can only pass with a 3.0 average.
 
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Sorry TennesseeOT, don't mean to hijack your thread, but I wanted to respond to this.

Wow are you serious? You can graduate your program with a 2.0? In my MOT program, if you get one C you are on probation and can only pass with a 3.0 average.

Yep! We only need to maintain a C- My program is three years. I think when I get to third year it's higher- but for now just a C is needed. What program are you in? Are you liking it?

Could the current ot students let us know your stats and where you attend school? Thanks!!

GPA: 3.96
Major: Psych
Didn't take the GRE-
Observation hours- 45. But I had a ton from my home since my grandmother has lived with my family for seven years and I always observe when the therapists come.
Schools applied to: Columbia, SUNY Downstate, NYU, Touro
Accepted: NYU, Touro
Attended: Touro!
 
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How is the workload? is it as intense as everyone makes it out to be?
I'm a Y2 (year 2 of a 2.5 year MSOT program) and the workload first year was pretty heavy, but manageable. This year, it's never ending, and now that I've lost an entire work-day to fieldwork, I basically spend all of my free time, outside of the little bit that I work part time (because I have to), doing schoolwork.
 
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I'm a Y2 (year 2 of a 2.5 year MSOT program) and the workload first year was pretty heavy, but manageable. This year, it's never ending, and now that I've lost an entire work-day to fieldwork, I basically spend all of my free time, outside of the little bit that I work part time (because I have to), doing schoolwork.

Hey I am a 1st semester MSOT student who works parttime too. If you don't mind my asking, what do you do for work?
 
Hey I am a 1st semester MSOT student who works parttime too. If you don't mind my asking, what do you do for work?
I work as a nanny part-time a few afternoons a week, and then I teach a music/movement class for young children (age 0-5) on weekend mornings. The latter job will be my only work during Level II fieldwork, so I thought it best to hold onto it. This year, I've had to really put my foot down with the woman I work for, who was constantly changing my schedule last minute last semester, asking me to work more, come earlier, etc; this semester, I told her I can't do any of that and need to stick to what we agreed to when I she hired me, which was 3 afternoons a week, 12 hours a week max - last semester, it crept closer to 16-18 hours a week, and I managed, but it was getting tough. There is NO WAY I could do that now, and I have fieldwork one day a week, plus all day in class another day a week, so she's out of luck anyway in that regard! (I'm a hybrid program that meets once a week in person - if I were in a regular program, working would be very difficult, I think).
 
Hey guys,
So I used this forum extensively when I was applying to OT school. I'm now halfway through my first semester (it's mind boggling that it's only been a few months) and I wanted to see if anyone had questions that I could help with. I don't have all the answers, but I may be able to help with some of the general questions you all may have. If you think of anything, let me know!
-J
Thank you for this thread! Would you recommend studying the parts of the body before starting so that we can be better prepared for clinical anatomy? I've started looking at the Snell's Clinical Anatomy vol 9. (I will start Brenau University's program next May).
 
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First of all, let me apologize for starting this thread and then kind of abandoning it. That was not my intention at all. I didn't expect classes to pick up so quickly and the idea of having 10 minutes to even look at a website other than where my program posts assignments gave me anxiety. I'm not officially done with my first semester and I am alive! @futureOTRL, thanks for answering questions! As for the workload question: yes, it is as hard as everyone makes it out to be. If your program is not hard, they really should take a hard look at the program and make sure they're challenging the students enough.

OH MY MY MY!!!! I am so nervous! I am starting next May, do you have any tips and advice on how to keep your head above water?
OT school is one of those things that you keep your head above water because it is your body's natural reaction to kick and flail. I can't compare my program to others, but I know that mine was VERY challenging this semester. Trust me when I say that you will get through it. Make sure you have a good support system and you have your priorities straight. My number one piece of advice is start your school work on day 1. It will be tempting to take the first week lightly because nothing is due, but before you know it you're a week behind.

I am a current MOT student in my first semester as well. I am curious about how your program is structured, the personalities of your classmates, faculty culture, etc. Would be nice to exchange stories!

Oh, also are you currently working?

Our program seems to be fairly similar to all others so far. Our first semester is gross anatomy with cadaver lab (taken with PT students), musculoskeletal examination (also taken with PT), OT models and theory, theoretical framework of OT, evidence-based practice, and leadership; This is a total of 18 credit hours. I was very lucky to end up in this program. The professors are simply amazing. They brought us candy and food before every test, we were pampered during finals week, there was an open door policy for offices, we could cry to them, hug them, whatever we needed... There's only 13 students this year because it's a new program. It is really like a family more than anything. We argue and get on each other's nerves, but I wouldn't trade a single one (sorry, sappy). I'd love to hear about your program as well!

I am currently working at a grad assistant in the nursing department, and that has been very hard to balance. Unfortunately I don't come from a household with money, so it's essential for me to stay in school!

Thank you for this thread! Would you recommend studying the parts of the body before starting so that we can be better prepared for clinical anatomy? I've started looking at the Snell's Clinical Anatomy vol 9. (I will start Brenau University's program next May).

Something that I was not prepared for was the extreme emphasis on muscles. We had to know where they attached and inserted, what their functions were, and what their innervation was. I guess this is something some people get in undergrad, but it was ALL new to me. I was at a definite disadvantage in this class and I was, in turn, disappointed with my grade in the end. I'd like to applaud you for beginning now, however. I truly wish I had done that before I started. Something that would make life easier for you and wouldn't be too crazy before school is to go over the veins and arteries. You won't have to know all of them, but focus on the upper and lower extremities and you'll be great.
 
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First of all, let me apologize for starting this thread and then kind of abandoning it. That was not my intention at all. I didn't expect classes to pick up so quickly and the idea of having 10 minutes to even look at a website other than where my program posts assignments gave me anxiety. I'm not officially done with my first semester and I am alive! @futureOTRL, thanks for answering questions! As for the workload question: yes, it is as hard as everyone makes it out to be. If your program is not hard, they really should take a hard look at the program and make sure they're challenging the students enough.


OT school is one of those things that you keep your head above water because it is your body's natural reaction to kick and flail. I can't compare my program to others, but I know that mine was VERY challenging this semester. Trust me when I say that you will get through it. Make sure you have a good support system and you have your priorities straight. My number one piece of advice is start your school work on day 1. It will be tempting to take the first week lightly because nothing is due, but before you know it you're a week behind.



Our program seems to be fairly similar to all others so far. Our first semester is gross anatomy with cadaver lab (taken with PT students), musculoskeletal examination (also taken with PT), OT models and theory, theoretical framework of OT, evidence-based practice, and leadership; This is a total of 18 credit hours. I was very lucky to end up in this program. The professors are simply amazing. They brought us candy and food before every test, we were pampered during finals week, there was an open door policy for offices, we could cry to them, hug them, whatever we needed... There's only 13 students this year because it's a new program. It is really like a family more than anything. We argue and get on each other's nerves, but I wouldn't trade a single one (sorry, sappy). I'd love to hear about your program as well!

I am currently working at a grad assistant in the nursing department, and that has been very hard to balance. Unfortunately I don't come from a household with money, so it's essential for me to stay in school!



Something that I was not prepared for was the extreme emphasis on muscles. We had to know where they attached and inserted, what their functions were, and what their innervation was. I guess this is something some people get in undergrad, but it was ALL new to me. I was at a definite disadvantage in this class and I was, in turn, disappointed with my grade in the end. I'd like to applaud you for beginning now, however. I truly wish I had done that before I started. Something that would make life easier for you and wouldn't be too crazy before school is to go over the veins and arteries. You won't have to know all of them, but focus on the upper and lower extremities and you'll be great.

THIS IS AN AWESOME THREAD, as I have been mentally preparing myself for grad work, which I hear is no way in comparison to undergrad. Even with all the hard work though, it's nice to hear that there is love for the grind.

Some questions: how heavy is the statistics? Is it crucial for many things (assignments?) and could you give an example? Is the physics mainly focused on biomechanics? (Obviously I'm not a math person..)

Gross anatomy: should we prep on all the systems of the body or mainly focus on muscles/nerves/arteries/veins? What about neuro?

I hear some say the program is like a family, do you mainly study alone or in groups? Sorry if I'm asking stuff beyond what you learned this semester. Thanks!
 
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THIS IS AN AWESOME THREAD, as I have been mentally preparing myself for grad work, which I hear is no way in comparison to undergrad. Even with all the hard work though, it's nice to hear that there is love for the grind.

Some questions: how heavy is the statistics? Is it crucial for many things (assignments?) and could you give an example? Is the physics mainly focused on biomechanics? (Obviously I'm not a math person..)

Gross anatomy: should we prep on all the systems of the body or mainly focus on muscles/nerves/arteries/veins? What about neuro?

I hear some say the program is like a family, do you mainly study alone or in groups? Sorry if I'm asking stuff beyond what you learned this semester. Thanks!
It depends on your program, but for us, we really just had to have a basic understanding of stats for behavioral sciences in our first year (and we reviewed stuff, anyway), and then this year (2nd year), we have a research capstone project that we do in groups (since it's an MSOT program, not an OTD). Otherwise, what you need is the ability to understand what the statistical data in scholarly articles mean. You won't necessarily be DOING a whole lot of stats, if that's what you're asking, depending on how research-focused your program is.

Neuro was a whole separate course, taught the semester after Anatomy (which was the first semester). For Anatomy (with cadaver lab), we had to know our osteology and muscles (origin/insertion/action/innervation) cold, but our professors didn't stress the vasculature too much during Anatomy - again, it depends on your program. Same with the other systems - the odds are good that you're never going to need to go into depth in the endocrine system again, for example, but it's good to remember what every system does, since you are going to be expected to understand general medical knowledge as it relates to conditions that would limit occupational performance (i.e., for edema, you should know what system is involved, and why it happens, so you know how to treat it).

My program is a hybrid, and I live pretty far from most of my classmates, but people who live near each other study in groups. Overall, my program is pretty tight-knit; we all get along and support each other, which is nice.
 
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Something that I was not prepared for was the extreme emphasis on muscles. We had to know where they attached and inserted, what their functions were, and what their innervation was. I guess this is something some people get in undergrad, but it was ALL new to me. I was at a definite disadvantage in this class and I was, in turn, disappointed with my grade in the end. I'd like to applaud you for beginning now, however. I truly wish I had done that before I started. Something that would make life easier for you and wouldn't be too crazy before school is to go over the veins and arteries. You won't have to know all of them, but focus on the upper and lower extremities and you'll be great.

I'm a career-changer, so I did not get that in undergrad either. I had to do all of my prereqs at a community college, and while my A&P II professor was amazing, my A&P I professor was not - he never had us really memorize origin/insertion, and we were never tested on innervation. Just what each muscle was and what it did. Luckily, I memorize well and I did very well in Anatomy during my first semester of my OT program, but I can't imagine someone else in my position who hadn't already done that stuff. It's A LOT.
 
To all the current OT students, are you finding that you can work part-time? I am very worried about financing grad school and I am very lucky that I will be going in-state. Still, tuition is going to be tough. I'm currently working two jobs, and may get a third job just so I can avoid loans as long as possible. I know a lot of programs don't want you to work period, some say no more than 4-8 hours and then others have stated no more than 15-20 hours of work. 15-20 hours seems high, but am I crazy to want to work 8-10 hours a week? Will I have time? My program requires that every student is involved in research and if there is appropriate funding in the grant, students may get a SMALL stipend.

I am so worried about finances that I am even considering applying to be an RA (even though I don't want to live in a dorm), but that would give me a stipend, and free housing and meals. Is this too time-consuming for an OT student?
 
To all the current OT students, are you finding that you can work part-time? I am very worried about financing grad school and I am very lucky that I will be going in-state. Still, tuition is going to be tough. I'm currently working two jobs, and may get a third job just so I can avoid loans as long as possible. I know a lot of programs don't want you to work period, some say no more than 4-8 hours and then others have stated no more than 15-20 hours of work. 15-20 hours seems high, but am I crazy to want to work 8-10 hours a week? Will I have time? My program requires that every student is involved in research and if there is appropriate funding in the grant, students may get a SMALL stipend.

I am so worried about finances that I am even considering applying to be an RA (even though I don't want to live in a dorm), but that would give me a stipend, and free housing and meals. Is this too time-consuming for an OT student?

If you know where you are going to school already, then you should really make a pt to reach out to current students there to answer your question. Every program is structured differently so what may be true for me at my school, or say someone in a part time program who is able to work more, really doesn't necessarily indicate how it is at your program.

If you can, I recommend not having a job when you first start so that you can see how you adjust to the school work. Then you will know what kind of job and how many hrs you can reasonably handle and go from there.

Figuring out finances definitely can be stressful, good luck!
 
Thank you @MOT4ME and @lcs2074 for responding. I definitely do not want to work full-time, but I would like to have some sort of income to at least offset the cost of housing and necessities. I think I will at least give it a couple months or the first semester before hoping to work so I can adjust to grad school and a new city. I expect my program to be very rigorous and time consuming, but I would hope I can manage to work one or two days a week.
 
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Figuring out finances definitely can be stressful, good luck![/QUOTE]
Thank you @MOT4ME and @lcs2074 for responding. I definitely do not want to work full-time, but I would like to have some sort of income to at least offset the cost of housing and necessities. I think I will at least give it a couple months or the first semester before hoping to work so I can adjust to grad school and a new city. I expect my program to be very rigorous and time consuming, but I would hope I can manage to work one or two days a week.


Hey brighton421,

I believe I saw you post that you were going to be attending VCU next year. Congrats! I can speak to your post some as I am a current first year OT student at VCU and I work part-time as well. I definitely recommend limiting work during the first summer session because anatomy is INTENSE. We are lucky to have the summer semester so anatomy isn't mashed in with other classes, but because it only lasts a few weeks, you will literally live and breathe anatomy while you are in it. If you aren't in class, you are in the lab. If you aren't in lab, the TA's are having study sessions. Either way, it's hard finding the time to work. In the fall, I think you can definitely find time amongst the workload to work. The trouble is finding a job that is flexible with your schedule. For the most part, we are in class all day, everyday. There are a couple days in the week where we have an afternoon or morning free and people absolutely use that time to work. Most people I know who are working, including myself, have found some babysitting opportunities that are luckily flexible enough where you can work a few hours during those times we have off. Other students work on the weekends at restaurants, etc. You definitely have to manage your time well, but it can be done! Between babysitting and my (extremely fortunate!) part-time job that allows me to work remotely at home, I work 10-15 hours most weeks. Like you, I want to offset a lot of my living costs! Please feel free to message me if you have any other questions about VCU, etc. You can also email the student who emailed you from the graduate admissions committee when you were accepted. Ironically, I used to be on that committee until I got one of my babysitting jobs and then had to take myself off since my Friday afternoons were no longer free. :) Good luck with everything!
 
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First of all, let me apologize for starting this thread and then kind of abandoning it. That was not my intention at all. I didn't expect classes to pick up so quickly and the i
First of all, let me apologize for starting this thread and then kind of abandoning it. That was not my intention at all. I didn't expect classes to pick up so quickly and the idea of having 10 minutes to even look at a website other than where my program posts assignments gave me anxiety. I'm not officially done with my first semester and I am alive! @futureOTRL, thanks for answering questions! As for the workload question: yes, it is as hard as everyone makes it out to be. If your program is not hard, they really should take a hard look at the program and make sure they're challenging the students enough.


OT school is one of those things that you keep your head above water because it is your body's natural reaction to kick and flail. I can't compare my program to others, but I know that mine was VERY challenging this semester. Trust me when I say that you will get through it. Make sure you have a good support system and you have your priorities straight. My number one piece of advice is start your school work on day 1. It will be tempting to take the first week lightly because nothing is due, but before you know it you're a week behind.



Our program seems to be fairly similar to all others so far. Our first semester is gross anatomy with cadaver lab (taken with PT students), musculoskeletal examination (also taken with PT), OT models and theory, theoretical framework of OT, evidence-based practice, and leadership; This is a total of 18 credit hours. I was very lucky to end up in this program. The professors are simply amazing. They brought us candy and food before every test, we were pampered during finals week, there was an open door policy for offices, we could cry to them, hug them, whatever we needed... There's only 13 students this year because it's a new program. It is really like a family more than anything. We argue and get on each other's nerves, but I wouldn't trade a single one (sorry, sappy). I'd love to hear about your program as well!

I am currently working at a grad assistant in the nursing department, and that has been very hard to balance. Unfortunately I don't come from a household with money, so it's essential for me to stay in school!



Something that I was not prepared for was the extreme emphasis on muscles. We had to know where they attached and inserted, what their functions were, and what their innervation was. I guess this is something some people get in undergrad, but it was ALL new to me. I was at a definite disadvantage in this class and I was, in turn, disappointed with my grade in the end. I'd like to applaud you for beginning now, however. I truly wish I had done that before I started. Something that would make life easier for you and wouldn't be too crazy before school is to go over the veins and arteries. You won't have to know all of them, but focus on the upper and lower extremities and you'll be great.

dea of having 10 minutes to even look at a website other than where my program posts assignments gave me anxiety. I'm not officially done with my first semester and I am alive! @futureOTRL, thanks for answering questions! As for the workload question: yes, it is as hard as everyone makes it out to be. If your program is not hard, they really should take a hard look at the program and make sure they're challenging the students enough.


OT school is one of those things that you keep your head above water because it is your body's natural reaction to kick and flail. I can't compare my program to others, but I know that mine was VERY challenging this semester. Trust me when I say that you will get through it. Make sure you have a good support system and you have your priorities straight. My number one piece of advice is start your school work on day 1. It will be tempting to take the first week lightly because nothing is due, but before you know it you're a week behind.



Our program seems to be fairly similar to all others so far. Our first semester is gross anatomy with cadaver lab (taken with PT students), musculoskeletal examination (also taken with PT), OT models and theory, theoretical framework of OT, evidence-based practice, and leadership; This is a total of 18 credit hours. I was very lucky to end up in this program. The professors are simply amazing. They brought us candy and food before every test, we were pampered during finals week, there was an open door policy for offices, we could cry to them, hug them, whatever we needed... There's only 13 students this year because it's a new program. It is really like a family more than anything. We argue and get on each other's nerves, but I wouldn't trade a single one (sorry, sappy). I'd love to hear about your program as well!

I am currently working at a grad assistant in the nursing department, and that has been very hard to balance. Unfortunately I don't come from a household with money, so it's essential for me to stay in school!



Something that I was not prepared for was the extreme emphasis on muscles. We had to know where they attached and inserted, what their functions were, and what their innervation was. I guess this is something some people get in undergrad, but it was ALL new to me. I was at a definite disadvantage in this class and I was, in turn, disappointed with my grade in the end. I'd like to applaud you for beginning now, however. I truly wish I had done that before I started. Something that would make life easier for you and wouldn't be too crazy before school is to go over the veins and arteries. You won't have to know all of them, but focus on the upper and lower extremities and you'll be great.
Thank you for all of your help! Hope we can all stay in touch, supporting each other from a distance
 
@TennesseeOT I saw where you said you were wait listed at Tennessee State University last application period. I would LOVE to talk to you about their interview process! I'm scheduled for an interview there this Friday, the 30th.

Please do not hold back on any advice you may have for me. Any questions you can remember being asked would be beyond valuable to me as I prepare for this interview! I would also like to know what you wore to their interview, and what you remember the other students wearing, as I'm struggling with just how formal to dress (suit coat with blouse or sweater over a blouse). If you believe your response would be too lengthy to post here, please feel free to message me personally. I very much look forward to hearing from you!!!
 
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@OTkatie I'm so sorry I didn't see your post until just now. Obviously it's way past your interview date but I hope everything went well! If you have any other questions about anything at all, I'll do my best to get on here periodically to check my messages. Sorry again!
 
I know this is an older thread, but can someone tell me how UTC schedules classes? Are you with your cohort for all classes?

Also, do you have a typical college schedule where each class meets 2 or 3 days a week?

I'm asking because I noticed that VCU has class from 9-4, Monday through Friday. I'm just wondering how UTC's schedule compares to that.
 
Hey guys,
So I used this forum extensively when I was applying to OT school. I'm now halfway through my first semester (it's mind boggling that it's only been a few months) and I wanted to see if anyone had questions that I could help with. I don't have all the answers, but I may be able to help with some of the general questions you all may have. If you think of anything, let me know!
-J
I would really LOVE some advice on the "tell me about yourself" question. :)
 
Hey current students! I was thinking of buying an intro to OT textbook... got any suggestions as to which one?
 
I love this thread! I am struggling with some options I have as a student and would love some current-student perspectives. I currently live in the Chicago area and UIC is one of my top options. However, if I went there I'd live at home and have a 1-1.5 hour commute each way to school. This would lower my overall amounts of loans because I'll be able to continue living with my boyfriend. The other option is to move to another city and live near campus for those programs, making my commute 5-10 minutes, but ending up with significantly more loans because I'll be paying for housing in 2 places. As current students, do you think it is doable or realistic to live that far away from school? Will I miss out on valuable group work, campus opportunities or bonding with my cohort? Since school is so expensive, I want to get every ounce of benefit I can out of it.
 
I love this thread! I am struggling with some options I have as a student and would love some current-student perspectives. I currently live in the Chicago area and UIC is one of my top options. However, if I went there I'd live at home and have a 1-1.5 hour commute each way to school. This would lower my overall amounts of loans because I'll be able to continue living with my boyfriend. The other option is to move to another city and live near campus for those programs, making my commute 5-10 minutes, but ending up with significantly more loans because I'll be paying for housing in 2 places. As current students, do you think it is doable or realistic to live that far away from school? Will I miss out on valuable group work, campus opportunities or bonding with my cohort? Since school is so expensive, I want to get every ounce of benefit I can out of it.

Hi! I am not a current OT student right now, but I am from the Chicagoland area as well. I live about 1-1.5 hours away from my undergraduate school in Chicago and I commute. I've learned to actually enjoy the commute! It's my few hours a day where I really do not have to focus on anything and just enjoy listening to the radio. It sucks the first few weeks, but I promise you will get used to it! The only downside is not being able to go to campus as often as you would like. For example, if I'm working on a group project, I really can't join the other group members as often as I would like. Overall, commuting has it's benefits and drawbacks. I guess the best way to decide is by looking at your priorities! Ask yourself what would make you happier, finances or social aspects?

I am actually going to Midwestern next year because I wanted a break from traveling to the city back and forth. I figured that living at home and going to a local school would cost the same as going to a Chicago school and living in the city.

Please feel free to PM me if you have anymore questions! I can tell you more info about commuting and the different Metra lines and such :)
 
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