Last Semester of OT School

Throughout graduate school I have experienced a variety of emotions: elation, excitement, trepidation, frustration, anger, and triumph to name a few. Each emotion corresponds to assignments, experiences, and the daily struggles that occur in every person's life. Everyone experiences these emotions throughout his or her lifetime but OT school seems to be a "pressure cooker" or crucible designed to create every possible emotion in the shortest amount of time. Whether this is by accident or design I cannot say, although I expect design.

But, this last semester promises to bring new depths or "levels Jerry" to the emotional experience. The credit hours and hours spent in class have decreased and yet the readings and time spent outside seems to increase exponentially, as it has every semester. Wrapped into this semester are new projects, new fieldworks, and new transitions in my own life even as I seek to assist others adapt to their own transitions. The semester brings with it concerns about what to do next, what area of practice ignites my passion, should I dream big and shoot for the impossible dream or find a position that will pay the bills and student loans. I have no idea what decisions, opportunities, and challenges await, but am confident that somehow I will meet all of these with the knowledge that all I can do is take it one day at a time, all while seeking occupational balance.

So, this semester I will seek to manage these all of these emotions, challenges,and opportunities. I will manage them using the skills I have learned throughout my life and grad school. Skills to manage stress, transitions, deadlines, and overcome obstacles. Skills of breaking tasks into their individual components and then mastering those components. Skills of asking for advice and seeking information from experts and in literature. Skills of tenacity in the face of setbacks and the humility to recognize areas of weakness. As well as the fortitude to improve those same areas of weakness. These are skills that everyone can possess. Moving forward, I will remember the challenges I have already overcome and remember that no matter how difficult of large the obstacle may seem that it too shall pass.