Psalms and Grace

http://gradschool.about.com/od/essaywriting/

I legit used this website when I was writing my app. And because I didn’t get into any schools that relied on GPA, I am confident my application letter was strong. So. Here are tips (all taken from the above link that you should definitely explore).

1. Be honest and be yourself. Write about real stuff, not about what you think the school wants to hear.

2. Don’t make excuses for bad grades. All your stuff is marked separate from one another; they don’t even know You had a low GPA until you stupidly brought it up in your letter. But also, it’s not the point of a letter.

3. Grammar and essay structure count. Your writing style counts. Maybe it’s not fair but like real talk as OTs you need to document so it’s not far fetched to need to be a good writer.

4. Answer the question if there are questions laid out for you to answer. This is not the time to show off your creativity. Unfortunately you’re one of a bunch and being overly creative won’t show creativity…it will show you can’t follow directions. Lol

5. If you want to be an OT for real, your passion will shine through. Write eloquently about why you want to be an OT. You’ll stand out over those who wanted to doctors for sure.

If you’re on the path to becoming a certified Occupational Therapist (OTR®) or Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA®), then you are most likely getting ready to take the NBCOT® exam which is administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.

Preparing for any exam can be incredibly stressful and overwhelming, especially when such an important exam such as this one is at stake. However, if you take the necessary steps to prepare yourself in advance, you can significantly increase your chances of passing the first time.

Our passion at Pass the OT is to help students prepare for the NBCOT® exam, starting with the application and guiding you through the studying process. Here are some of our tips that we want to share with you, to help you become the most prepared when the time comes for taking the OT or OTA exam.

●        The first step is for you to obtain a copy of the certification exam handbook provided by NBCOT®. Not only will this handbook inform you about the process you have to take to sign up for and schedule your exam, but it will also offer a detailed description of the type of content which you can expect to find in the exam.

●        After reviewing the certification exam handbook and following the steps required to sign up for the exam, you should take the Entry-Level Self-Assessment to help identify your current knowledge and skills. We recommend doing this first, since it will help you develop a more suitable study plan based on your strengths and weaknesses.

●        Once you have established what you know and don’t know using the Self-Assessment tool, you can develop your study plan. It is recommended to establish a study plan and timeline based on your specific needs and learning style. Doing short study sessions during the week tends to work better than having longer study sessions over the weekend. You should also plan what you need to focus on in each study session. This will help you become organized and help you to keep track of the topics you need to focus more on.

●        Finally, construct a list of resources to help you study. NBCOT® offers study material in the form of study packs including: flashcards, knowledge matches, study guides, practice tests, mini-tests, a full mock exam and more. If you want to make your studying much easier or if you are overwhelmed by having too many resources or if you feel that you do not have the correct resources, we at Pass the OT have established a one stop place where you can get everything you need to pass on your first try

We offer not only a comprehensive online course (consisting of over 2000 questions, 150 study easy to use highlighted study charts, 50 hours of audio recordings, proprietary videos, assessment tests, cumulative exams, videos, and more) but also group tutoring sessions via Zoom and optional private tutoring sessions with one of our highly skilled tutors, who are licensed clinicians with tremendous experience in helping others pass the NBCOT® exam.  

We offer different packages that  have been customized for students who are planning on taking the exam in approximately one week, two weeks, four weeks, eight weeks, sixteen weeks and six months or more. This means that you can decide how  you want to use our program as you can work your way through our program as fast or as slow as you like.  Because we have helped so many students who were not able to initially pass the exam, many of them who had already used other study preps such as the AOTA® study prep, NBCOT® study pack, Therapy Ed, the Purple Book, True Learn, we know the biggest mistakes students constantly make which results in them not passing.  Our program is therefore designed to circumvent those mistakes so that you have the tools to pass on your first try.  

I PASSED THE NBCOT!! Turns out I know things. Here’s my study process cause I know people are interested in that sometimes.

Full disclosure: I have ADHD inattentive type, I’m a huge procrastinator, and I’m a very visual and kinesthetic learner so if you’re similar these strategies may work for you.

First of all, my university included the TherapyEd prep course and textbook as part of our program, so I was very fortunate to have access to that. This really kicked my ass into gear and helped me to realize that I would probably fail if I studied last minute. Having Rita share her study strategies was also really helpful both to focus on the important parts of the questions and to stay motivated and positive.

From the course, I made a list of my weaker areas and plugged the topics into a day-by-day calendar with a SPECIFIC plan for what to study each day. If I missed something one day, I had to reschedule it. I planned to study every day for four weeks. In real life, I ended up taking one day-ish a week to take a break and have a very light study day where I like, reviewed the ACLS or ROM values or whatever. On full days, I studied anywhere from 4-7 hours (not all at once, girl I have ADHD!!)

TAKE BREAKS!! Go outside in nature!! Buy a fancy coffee! Move around! Burnout will come for you if you don’t seek out occupational balance!!!

To that end, find people in your life that will quiz you or let you practice goniometry on them lmao

By having access to the TherapyEd book, I got three full length practice exams. I spaced these out over 3 weeks. My scores were 72%, 74%, and 71%. I ended up getting a 525 on the actual exam. I’ve heard that if you’re at least in the 60s for therapyed you’re probably going to pass, and that seems to hold true. The rationales for the questions are soooo helpful!!!

Throughout my studying I mostly used the AOTA PDFs. She loves a bulleted list.

I also made tons of charts to have concise visuals. I made charts for reflexes, developmental milestones, SCI, UE injuries and corresponding splints, and common assessments.

About 4 days before my exam, I took the actual NBCOT practice exam. I scored a 490 on the multiple choice and roughly 75-80% on the CSTs. This definitely boosted my confidence but I spent like $60 on it and if I could change anything, I would have bought the $75 study pack earlier in my study process.

The day before, I lightly reviewed some things like alzheimer’s stages and rancho levels. I stopped studying around 2pm and my fiancé took me out for bubble tea. I drove to my testing site to make sure I could get there smoothly, I ate a good dinner, and then I went to bed at 10pm.

Lay out your clothes the night before and plan a filling breakfast. I’m staying with my parents until I can start my job, so my adorable mom made me an omelette and toast.

I would recommend making an energizing playlist to listen to on the way to the testing center, and title it with “(your name), OTR/L”

Are you currently studying for the NBCOT® exam?

Being able to read NBCOT® study guides and take notes from NBCOT® exam prep books can certainly be useful when preparing for taking the exam.

However, this traditional process can also be quite tedious and could not be very beneficial especially since you are nor allowed to review your incorrect answers when using the NBCOT® study guide .

If you are one of those people that are having trouble remembering most of what you read and wrote in your notes, don´t worry. There is a simple fix to this.

Apply memory tricks into your study session!

It is generally useful to use memory tricks to prepare for this exam. The trick is simply merging those tricks with the topics you are currently studying and having trouble remembering.

Below are some memory tricks we recommend in using when studying for the NBCOT® Exam:

●       The method of Loci: This memory trick is based on the idea that you can remember places that you are familiar with.

So if you can link the information you need to remember with a place that you know very well, the location will serve as a clue that will help you remember what you need to know.

●       Using Mnemonics: This memory trick can take the form of a song, a rhyme, or a sentence that you can link in your brain to some other piece of information.

●       There are multiple types of this trick. However, the most common type is when the first letter of each word in a sentence is also the first letter that needs to be memorized. Mnemonics that can make you laugh are often easiest to remember.

●       Sleeping on It: Studies have shown that your brain processes and stores information while you sleep.

Therefore, it could be ideal to always end the day reviewing the topic you have been studying to help retain the information.

●       Saying it Aloud: While this type of memory trick is not used often (since most people prefer studying in quiet environments), speaking rather than reading has been proven to create a more distinctive memory.   This is one reason why working with a private tutor via Zoom  or over phone has proven  to be highly effective

Be Prepared For The NBCOT® Exam With Pass The OT!

Although using NBCOT study guides, NBCOT practice exams, and even memory tricks can help you prepare when studying for the NBCOT® exam, there are times when you will need help understanding complex topics that are hard to grasp. This is where Pass The OT comes in!

At Pass the OT, we offer a comprehensive, easy to use, flexible online course that makes studying so much easier without being overwhelming. Our program  consists of over 2000 questions, timed & untimed exams, assessment quizzes, cumulative final exams, 150 easy to understand highlighted study charts with dictation, 50 hours of audio recordings, proprietary videos, games, weekly group tutoring sessions, and optional private tutoring sessions with our seasoned, dedicated licensed tutors, who have been instrumental in helping our students pass the NBCOT® exam through their one-on-one sessions. We also offer customized study plans for students taking their exam in 2, 4, 8, 16, and even 24 weeks.

We are so confident that with our help  you will be able to pass it that if for some reason you don’t pass, we will offer you our program at not cost the next time you take your exam.  

Water Beads! Sensory Activity (compliments of one of my favorite pediatric OT blogs)

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Pat Deegan 1996 - a person who has recovered from mental illness.

found in my OT in Mental Health textbook, page 73. 

Do-It-Yourself Designs for Daily Living

How older Americans are reimagining household objects from soap to straws to make their lives easier. 

As the population ages, designers are working to make homes, tools and other products safer for the elderly to use. Older people themselves can be resourceful in finding ways to adapt their surroundings to their diminished vision, muscles and dexterity.

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“The alternative to loving yourself is not hating yourself. It is to fully grasp and enjoy God’s love for you.” https://www.dougbrittonbooks.com/onlinebiblestudies-selfworthandrespect/loveyourselffirst-shouldilovemyselffirst/