My OT student journey: Emily's story

My journey to occupational therapy

I started my journey in my 6th year of high school. I always knew I wanted to work within the healthcare sector, but I had no idea what area.

I booked an appointment with my career advisor, who introduced me to Occupational Therapy. I had never heard of it before, but it sounded so interesting, and I left my appointment wanting to know more.

I reached out to an occupational therapist at a local brain injury unit. She showed me what a "day in the life" was like and the different types of interventions. That is when I realised that this is what I wanted to do.

I applied to the BSc (Hons) course in Occupational Therapy at Glasgow Caledonian University, got accepted, and never looked back. I am now 19 and in my third year of the course, and I am so grateful to have found my path in occupational therapy at a young age.

The leap from high school to university

Looking back, whilst I enjoyed the social and physical side of school, I never enjoyed the academic side. Despite doing well in my exams, I never truly enjoyed the learning environment.

When I was applying to university, I still had a lingering feeling that I was just transitioning from one school to another.

However, university has been a completely different experience. I am now studying something I am passionate about and genuinely look forward to the classes. I have made great friends and feel excited and motivated to do class tasks and notes.

Whilst I still have to tackle essays and assignments, it is so different now. I am exploring topics that connect with me, which makes the entire learning experience feel much more meaningful and enjoyable.

My placement weekly schedule

I am in semester A of my third year. My timetable changes every year and semester, but this is my current schedule:

• Monday (9am - 1pm): University classes
• Tuesday - Thursday (9am - 5pm): Part-time placement

On the days I am off, I write up my report for my Monday class, reflecting on things I have learned on placement, and having time to myself. It is so important to take a breather.

Having a good work-life balance is essential to ensure you are getting the most out of your university and placement experience. Some examples of things I enjoy doing are going for walks, meeting up with friends, and baking.

A day in the life of an OT student

On the days I am in university, I get the 7:24am bus to arrive for my 9am lecture. When I arrive, I meet up with my friends, grab some food, and head to class.

My day typically starts with a lecture for all third-year OT students. After that, our seminar classes are split into two smaller groups. The lectures are fairly straightforward, as the lecturer will teach us new information, and we can take notes and ask questions.

After class, I have a 1-hour break. During this time, my friends and I normally sit in the library and have a catch-up and a coffee.

Next, we attend our seminar. This is when we apply what we have learned from the lecture to real-life scenarios. These classes start with snack-size self-care activities, which I find helpful, especially when we also have a placement.

Examples of these activities include:

• deep breathing techniques
• positive affirmations
• journalling

We are often split into small groups and given a case study to work through. We share what we've learned with our classmates at the end. After the seminar, I leave my friends and rush to the bus station to get home. On days when I finish in the afternoon, I can get some coursework and pre-reading done at my desk at home before my family returns from work.

My favourite parts of being an OT student

Throughout my 3 years at university, I have made lifelong memories and met amazing people that I couldn’t imagine doing my course without. From the staff to my peers, these connections have shaped my personal growth and motivated me in countless ways.

I would say one of my favourite parts has definitely been going on placements and seeing individuals flourish. It is rewarding to watch their progress from start to finish and incredibly fulfilling to be a part of their journey.

Another thing I love is the strong sense of community and the collaborative atmosphere in classes. Everyone is so supportive and welcoming—you never feel alone or left out

6 top tips for work-life balance

Here are my top tips to maintain a good work-life balance as a student:

1. Use your time wisely—Set a realistic schedule and prioritise tasks.
2. Set time aside for yourself—Do things you enjoy. Engage in self-care activities like going on walks or meeting with friends and family.
3. Build your support network—Reach out to family, friends, or lecturers if needed. It is so important to know you have people around you who are supporting you.
4. Use university resources—This includes pre-reading, articles, and the library. It helps you gain a deeper understanding and keep on track.
5. Be flexible and kind to yourself—Things won’t always go perfectly, and that’s okay!
6. Stay organised—Create to-do lists and use a calendar for important dates to help you plan ahead and not feel under pressure.

My placement experience with NES

For my third-year placement, I was assigned a digital placement with NHS Education for Scotland (NES). I had never heard of it before and had no idea how a virtual placement would work.

I was curious as to what I would be doing, so I looked at the materials you can find here:

• About NES
• AHP careers and recruitment on Turas
• AHP job profiles

So far, I have been developing and producing promotional digital resources that reflect my experiences and help draw individuals into Allied Health Professions (AHP) courses and careers throughout Scotland.

Project 1: Presentation to schools

My first project involved creating and delivering a digital presentation to school pupils across Scotland. The aim was to raise awareness of occupational therapy, share my personal journey, and facilitate interactions to encourage further engagement.

Project 2: AHP Day 2025

For this project, we created content that highlights our pride as AHP students, explores the diversity of the Allied Health Professions, and celebrates the dedication of all AHP professionals.

Project 3: OT Week 2025

This project consisted of developing digital resources to raise awareness of the OT field and to inspire and engage others. We developed multiple resources, including:

• A Canva carousel to showcase our pride in being OT students.
• Content highlighting how OTs make a difference.
• Resources addressing common OT myths versus facts to clarify misconceptions.

I have also created this blog to share my experiences and top tips, and to give insight into what it is like being an OT student.