Grad School Schedule

I recently received my schedule for my first semester of OT school.  I will be spending 4 days a week at the campus with classes only being a few hours each day.  At first I thought that having class for only a few hours would give me plenty of time to work, but that is not the case.

I may only be there for a few hours for class but throughout the first few months I will be attending meetings, preparing for classes, doing homework, as well as preparing for fieldwork.  If you look at my calendar, every weekday is filled with something, and I am told that when classes start I will be adding 30-40 hours per week for out-of-class academics such as scheduling study times, times to work on projects and papers, and times to read for class.

I knew that OT school was a big commitment and am excited, but it is beginning to dawn on me that my life for the next 24 months will revolve almost exclusively around all things OT related.  There are probably those of you who would say "duh!" but knowing this intellectually and seeing it written out in your Google calendar and planner is another thing.  I will go from having maybe 12 hours of my day planned to 16 or more.

Beginning in July, I will be committing myself to a life of scholarship and academics.  It will be a time of emotional, intellectual, and physical growth.  I will be forced to prioritize every aspect of my life, and I believe I will discover what I truly value and what I am willing to do to achieve my goals.

I am excited to enter this chapter of my life, anxious to pour myself into OT and to emerge a new, more occupationally-aware person.  My graduate school schedule will test me in ways I have not been tested yet, and I am confident that the results will be a better-organized individual who has realized a small part of his potential and is ready to carry these organizational and occupational skills into the next chapter of his life.