Becoming an OTA requires your full commitment and focus, so every study session must be maximally productive. Six occupational therapy study tips include establishing a work-life balance, connecting with your peers, contacting faculty, maintaining a healthy diet and exercise, utilizing resources, and getting a full night of sleep.
If you’re considering an occupational therapy (OT) role, an enriching career awaits you as an occupational therapy assistant (OTA). Providing competent and effective care, however, requires a comprehensive education and the ability to retain information to recall your education in your OT practice. That’s why it can come in handy to keep several occupational therapy study tips under your belt.
St. Catherine University offers a hybrid online occupational therapy assistant program to guide students into a fast-growing, rewarding industry. With two curriculum options, our admissions process supports students with a previous undergraduate degree who have completed the general education courses and those needing more time and flexibility to meet eligibility requirements.
Regardless of your curriculum choice, you must build the study habits to absorb the information and skills needed to become a confident OTA. Let’s look at why these habits matter and some helpful advice for OT students.
Why Good Study Habits Matter in OTA School
OTA school is not an insurmountable challenge but requires dedication and focus to balance each component. To develop the necessary skills to meet OT clients’ needs, OTA students must complete in-person components and put theory into practice.
At St. Kate’s, our OTA program curriculum combines online coursework, in-person skills labs, and fieldwork experiences to provide students with a comprehensive education. Since each component overlaps with the others in the program schedule, you must maintain an effective study schedule to keep up with homework and pass assessments.
Prepare for OTA school by learning more about the OTA degree and requirements.
Best Occupational Therapy Study Tips
The best way to succeed in OTA school is to follow the right advice for OT students to stay on top of their workload. Consider these six occupational therapy study tips to follow:
Establish a Work-Life Balance
When your OTA program begins, the first step is finding an equilibrium between your school schedule, social life, and daily responsibilities. The first few weeks of your OTA education will allow you to evaluate how much time you must dedicate to your studies to stay on top of deadlines and prepare for exams.
Connect With Your Peers
One vital resource not to overlook is your peers. As you work through the OTA program curriculum, you will be accompanied by a cohort of students who are also aspiring toward an OTA career. Each student brings their unique experiences and educational background, which may allow them to pick up on concepts you struggle with.
By forming personal connections and study groups, you can benefit from this knowledge and share yours in return. These relationships can also become future networking connections and even lifelong friends.
Make Time for Your Health
Effective studying requires dedication and focus. Your health does as well. As you build your study routine, don’t forget to include time for meals, exercise, and many snack breaks. Food is fuel for the brain, so don’t get caught in a steady diet of caffeine and instant ramen.
Exercise has also long been known to be an academic booster. In a 2024 study published by BMC Public Health, however, researchers built upon this knowledge, finding that physical activity during leisure time and throughout study sessions positively influences performance. So, if you find your attention slipping during study time, take a minute to do some jumping jacks or push-ups and get your blood flowing again before returning to your work.
Reach Out to Professors
Professors are the wells of knowledge who feed your education and are one of the best resources to fuel your studying. Attend their office hours, email them, or schedule a phone call to clarify any confusion. They want to see you succeed, and this is especially true for St. Kate’s. Our small cohort sizes are designed for faculty to offer a hands-on approach to OTA education.
Utilize All Your Resources
While faculty and peers can likely answer most of your questions, there are several more places to turn when you’re feeling underprepared. For example, the American Occupational Therapy Association has a toolkit for first-year OT and OTA students that covers research tools and communication tips.
At St. Kate’s, we also aim to prepare students for every step of their OTA education by providing prep coaching for the NBCOT exam you will take after graduation to earn OTA certification. Beyond that, we also offer resources for tutoring, disability services, writing assistance, career development, and more.
Don’t Neglect Sleep
The nights before an exam or assessment may tempt you to stay up and cram as much information into your brain as possible. Research shows, however, that sleep is just as essential a study tool as your textbooks and lecture notes.
A study published by the Science of Learning journal in 2019 found that the greater the quantity and quality of students’ sleep, the better their overall academic performance. Science attributes this to the theory that, while you sleep, your brain uses that time to process everything from that day and make the neural connections needed to preserve long-term memories. So, ensure you get a full eight hours of sleep the night before a test to give your brain plenty of time to absorb the information you studied.
Ready to get started? Uncover all the steps on the pathway to becoming an OTA.
Launch Your OTA Education at St. Kate’s
Now that you have the occupational therapy study tips needed for a productive beginning of your OTA education, start building the foundation of your future at St. Kate’s. With learning sites spanning over four states—Texas, Virginia, Minnesota, and California—we are dedicated to providing a well-rounded OTA education that prepares you for the NBCOT exam and your COTA career beyond that.
Start by contacting a St. Kate’s admissions counselor to determine your eligibility for the OTA program.
