--Original published at *Psych 105*

All throughout high school, I had a pretty good idea as to what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Getting a spot into an entry-level OT program was the ultimate goal of my high school career, and sure enough, it led me to Elizabethtown. My mother and two of my aunts are also occupational therapists, so they stressed to me how important an entry-level program was to have on my short list of must-haves for the ideal college. This criteria alone narrowed my search to about 5 schools, as not all institutions are entry level. Then came Elizabethtown College. I had not heard much about the school people in my town got wind that I was interested in applying. Within a mere 2 weeks, I had found at least 10 people that had not only heard of Elizabethtown but also knew current and/or former students. After I had visited the campus and gotten in contact with an upperclassman to answer my various questions, I knew that Elizabethtown was the place for me. The day that I was accepted into the occupational therapy program at Etown was the first moment where I felt everything was finally falling into place. Not long after learning that I had secured a spot as an entry-level OT student, I also discovered that Elizabethtown had a Divison III field hockey program. It was like the stars were aligned; I was going to be able to play the sport I loved, enter the profession I loved, all while attending a school that I loved.

Motivating myself to accomplish my school work has never really been an issue for me. While yes we all have those days where homework and projects seem to be the bane of our existence, I find I pull myself out of those ruts rather quickly. I am prone to setting high standards for myself and my work, so the effort required to try and meet those goals is what keeps me motivated. The standards set in place by the occupational program also keep me motivated. I must keep a certain GPA in order to remain in the program, so keeping my grades up is imperative, as I know that it would be near impossible to enter into a new OT program if I fall behind. Field hockey also acts as a great motivator, as you cannot be failing classes in order to play. The sports teams also have a competition between each other, so this friendly competition acts as even more motivation to do my work and do it well.

The future of my academic career looks bright, and I can honestly attribute the continued motivation do well to my department and my sports team. I will be playing sports (God willing) until my senior year of college. The structure it provides allows me to budget my time correctly and be surrounded by positive influences that wish to see me succeed. The occupational therapy department at Etown also allows for future motivation as I continue to learn more and more about my future profession. A pseudo-intervention that could be utilized is the implementation of the mindset I will need when I become a practicing clinician. My clients and their well-being are going to be my top priority in a matter of a few short years, so doing to best I can now while I’m in school is going to ensure that I give them the greatest therapy possible. Their health and well-being is the whole reason I am where I am right now. When the going gets tough and I just want to give in, I will think of all my future clients and how without my very best effort, I won’t be able to help them to the very best of my ability.

--Original published at Caleb C's College Blog

Option 2-

I chose to come to Elizabethtown College based on the fact that I was looking for a smaller rural school, as well as I wanted to be in a college near Lancaster. When looking for colleges I had these criteria in mind, though I also wanted to play D3 golf and the molecular biology program they have here intrigued me, thus I decided to come here after visiting multiple times and finding no reason to not come. What I do to motivate myself to do well in classes is pretty much just monitoring my grades. I did this in high school, and I still do it. Whenever I check canvas, I look at my grades and just make sure that I’m doing what I consider acceptable, which mainly aligns with the requirements for the molecular medicine program. I also think about my future and how well I do here will dictate my future based on the amount of effort I put in throughout college. I guess a planned intervention to maintain my motivation to succeed would be to get enough sleep so I am well rested throughout my classes.

--Original published at Emily Garvin's Psych Blog

Motivation is not a stable force, but often waxes and wanes. Throughout your time at Elizabethtown College, your motivation for school will undoubtedly be higher at some times and lower at others. I want you to discuss why you chose to come to Elizabethtown College originally and what you do to motivate yourself to do well in your classes currently. I also want you to plan an intervention for yourself for how you can maintain motivation to succeed until graduation…..

When I originally thought about potential colleges, Elizabethtown college was not on my radar. I started thinking about my future plans sophomore year of high school because I decided that I wanted to play lacrosse in college. I knew that I wanted to study the field of medicine, but I wasn’t quite sure what profession I wanted to explore. After I got offers from division 1 schools to play lacrosse, I compared the science departments at each school and decided The University of Massachusetts Lowell was the best fit for me and verbally committed there spring of my junior year. There I could play lacrosse, get a degree in exercise science, and a potential minor in biomedical engineering. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school when I realized that I wanted to become an occupational therapist. After talking to people in this profession I discovered that it is very hard to get in to a graduate OT school by just simply applying. I started researching schools with 5-year OT programs, where I stumbled upon Etown. I applied to the program on the last day they were taking applications and miraculously got in! I was then faced with a difficult decision, should go to UMass or come to Etown. After weeks of deliberation I decided that Etown’s benefits were overwhelming. Not only did I get a lot of scholarship money I had a guaranteed spot on the lacrosse team here and also had the opportunity to play field hockey.

My motivation throughout school has always been to attain honor roll and get good grades. While this is still my goal today, I also have a new motivation. Now I am motivated to pass all of my classes so that I can become a practicing occupational therapist. I am very excited for what the future holds for me in this profession. There will be classes that I am required to take where I may become unmotivated, but as long as I tackle the class with a positive mindset and remember why I am here in the first place I know I will be able to get through it. To make classes more interesting I could try approaching the material from a different point of view. For instance, since I am a visual learner I could look at pictures or make concept maps to help retain the information better. Implementing these strategies ensure that I will make a lasting impact on people’s lives as an occupational therapist in no time!

--Original published at KatiesPerspectives

Coming from a tiny high school of the boarder of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, I really expecting to attend a big school to break out of the “small town” feel that was brought on by my high school. I’ve always dreamed of being in a big city and being amongst the hustle and bustle of an ever-moving life. All off that stopped when I first visited Elizabethtown College. When I came to campus for the first time, everyone was so nice. There were people playing frisbee on the Dell, people conversing with their friends while walking to class, and people laughing and smiling at me (being a complete stranger to them.) Elizabethtown College is also one of the top schools in the country for music therapy and I found that the music department here was unlike any other. It’s rare that you find a music school that isn’t competitive in every sense of the word, but Elizabethtown didn’t seem to be the competitive sort at all. I also know that this school (more specifically) ha incredible classical piano professors and I was recommended to them by my piano teacher in high school. When I cam to the audition, the piano staff recognized her name and through my nervous composure, we had a whole conversation about how small the world was. Now that I’m a student in the music department, I know that my judgement was correct.

Naturally, I feel like thinking about my future helps to keep me motivated and keep my head clear and positive thinking. Knowing that staying focused and working hard now will al pay off in the future when I apply for jobs and start working is one of the main ways that I keep myself motivated. Having a great group of friends who are all going through the same/similar academic struggles as I am is also really motivating. Having a good support system is always something that I strive for as I am at a very transitional point in my life and have no idea what tomorrow will bring. I think these are all great ways to keep myself motivated and pushing on until graduation.

Something we discussed in class while talking about personality theory, was Eysenck’s Superfactors and how these make each person different in how they react to external stimuli and other things that are out of their control. These have a lot to do with how we make decisions and how we interact with others and are very much the essential building blocks of our personality. I think having a low level of neuroticism is important when considering keeping a positive mindset about college and work. Having a high level of extraversion might be helpful as well as is could help me to make more friends and be more open to experiences and opportunities that might be offered in college. These are the two levels that I think are really important and the most impactful part of having a successful start and end to my college career.

Overall, I think everything I’m doing to get where I want to be in the future is paying off and I am on the right track to a successful college career.

--Original published at The Core Techs

If you have read the My Career: OT page, you know that I am currently enrolled at Elizabethtown College! My motivations throughout my college search and time spent here as a student have and will continue to fluctuate. So why did I originally choose Etown? A lot of reasons actually… I thought it was the perfect college.

When I had first heard of Etown, I remember thinking, It’s perfect! This has got to be where I belong. I played field hockey all throughout high school, and it has also been a passion that lies deep in my heart. I also knew that I wanted to become an occupational therapist. An art minor would suit that major appropriately as well. Art, like field hockey, has been something I have been involved in since I was a little girl. In high school, I took things to the next level and passed two AP courses with a portfolio score of 5 both times. Besides all this, I grew up in a small town with a small school in small town country PA. Etown could not be more perfect for me; it had exactly what I needed and wanted. Etown has one of the finest 5-year OT programs in the country. It also has a fantastic art program, and the school itself is a part of “small town country PA.” It is also very close to my home. The school only has about a thousand students total, making it the perfect little community for me. Because it was such a small school, it had field hockey, but the sports were listed as Division III. This title could not be a greater fit for me. I knew I wanted to focus more on my education rather than sports and DIII schools really promote this. So, seeing that the school was small, in a rural area, close to home, had a great OT and art program, and had DIII field hockey, what more could I possibly want? I took my first visit, and as soon as I stepped on campus, I was head over heels for the place. I did not even want to apply anywhere else. I continued my visits by going to field hockey games, going on overnight stays, and being there for other future student events. It was hard to keep me away. I looked at other schools like Misericordia and Shenandoah, but they just weren’t Etown. They were good schools, both similar to Etown, but nothing had that fit for my wings like the BlueJay nest.

Now I’m here, an Etown BlueJay, and I think I regret a lot of the lack of motivation to look at other schools I had. Now that I’m here, I do wish I would have chosen a bigger school. Here, things are too similar to home. I thirst for more. I thirst for a new, thrilling, and bigger environment. Everyone here knows each other. There is not much to do on the weekends unless you leave. If there is something to do, it is not something you have not done before. Although I say these things, it does not make me love Etown any less. I love that I am a BlueJay. I love the programs and the people here. Sometimes, as much as I say I want to leave, I know I never could. But take it from me when I say this, do not jump to conclusions. Take your time, do your research, and be absolutely sure you are making the right decision.

Besides finding the motivation to choose a college, I must have motivation as a full-time working college student. When doing my homework or trying to focus on something for class, I really need to find the motivation to keep myself going rather than watching tv or surfing the web – kinda similar to what I’m doing right now. I could very well be out shopping with friends to buy my long-wanted African Dwarf Frogs to accompany my betta fish (which is very real – perhaps I shall do that this Friday), but instead, I sit here and do my assignments. My motivation for school has a lot to do with my future. Most of the time I work as soon as possible because I know the sooner I get my work done, the more time I will have for the weekend. Test-wise, I know that the more I prepare, the better grade I will get. As for long-term, I want to get good grades and have an even better GPA so I get hired after I graduate. I really want to find a good place to work while doing what I enjoy. I want to make good money and be happy so that I can have a nice place to live and a great foundation for adventuring with the man I love. Then, I want to have the wedding of my dreams. Eventually, I also want to provide enough for a family with him as well. I want to have kids for mine and my parents sake. If I work hard in life, I know I can shoot for bigger things when I’m younger, and I won’t have to be disappointed by saying that my goals were out of reach. If I make big goals, I push myself harder. My motivation has to do with how badly I want something. I come up with a plan, and I push myself so that I can do it. I can do anything if I set my mind to it.

What motivates you, Core Techs?

-B

Photo courtesy of Hailey Hoke – Hanover Photographer

–> aka Personal High School Survival Partner… CHECK HER OUT!!! www.haileyhokephoto.com

--Original published at marybraun99

During my senior year of high school, I was faced with what most people were going through – where will I choose to go to college?

Like most teenagers I was in the phase where I really didn’t want to go to college, and didn’t care enough about where I went. I had a few places in mind – big places, with over 15,000 students attending the college, ultimately I grew up in a small town, and I wanted to get out of the small college feel. I wanted someone where I didn’t know anybody, and there was tons of people to meet.

Filling out my common app, my mom saw that Elizabethtown had social work, the major  I am currently in college for. I told her it was stupid, and I wasn’t going to go to college there, because it was small. She pushed me and made me go to the accepted students day, and I immediately fell in love with the college. I thought it was a place I would be able to do well in, and focus well there.

During the summer I struggled with a lot of issues, and was a witness for a crime, and had to go to court over the summer, which got continued on through this year. I was stressed out thinking about having to talk in court, or be involved with people I was no longer friends with, so for a while during the fall of 2017 semester I lost motivation in my classes, but after a few weeks I knew I had to pick up the pace, and be able to pass my classes with high grades.

It was a struggle for me to stay motivated, and not eat all the time, and lay in bed. I got a lot of help from my (now) roommate, who saw my struggles, and helped, as well as my other best friends. I also set aside time every week to figure out all that I need to do, and when I need to do it to be sure that I get everything accomplished in a good timely manner, and with good grades.

It’s always hard to stay on track with learning, and studying, but I think one thing I need to work on is not watching to much TV when I get stressed out, and it makes me even more unmotivated, and then all I want to do is watch TV and not get any work done, which I know is super unhealthy. There is a lot I can work on, and I try new ways each day, but it isn’t always easy, especially when you are overwhelmed with work.

--Original published at Emily's Blog

For this first impression post I have chosen the second option. Motivation is a tricky concept. Some people seem to be born with the drive to do anything. Others lack to the point they cannot even get out of bed in the morning. I see myself as a motivated person. Growing up, I put so much pressure on myself to do well in school, no one had to help me to be motivated.

College was a different story. I was scared to go to college originally and my parents had to push me to finish up my applications for it. I chose to go to Elizabethtown College because of the occupational therapy program and how I felt at home there. I have known I wanted to be an occupational therapist since tenth grade and looked at schools which were best suited to help me get my master’s degree. I applied to about ten different schools because I was unsure of what type of school I wanted to go to. I applied to large schools, small schools, schools with a five-year program, and schools without one. I toured many of the colleges and I felt most at home at Elizabethtown. I have gone to small schools my entire life and realized they are the best fit for me.

Since coming to Elizabethtown, I have not been as motivated as I was at the end of high school. First semester was a very challenging transition for me and I am just now starting to enjoy myself at college. This is very similar to my freshman year of high school which was also rough for me. I have hope I will love it at Elizabethtown because over the course of high school I learned to love where I was and what I was doing.

In my classes now, I struggle to motivate myself because of fear. I am afraid of failure. This does not push me to do better but instead makes me feel unintelligent. I try to encourage myself and surround myself with loving people to push me in the right direction.

Going forward, I plan to motivate myself by drinking tons of coffee, reminding myself why I want to be an occupational therapist, being grateful for where I am, and listening to inspiring music. I also plan to wake up only ten minutes earlier than I normally do and spend some time planning out my day while reminding myself I am able to do my best.

--Original published at Madison's Blog

I originally chose to attend Elizabethtown College because of the small town feel and great academic standards. I felt it was the best fit for me, since I like small town feels and the class sizes were only 13-14. Being a science major, I knew I would need one-on-one time with professors. The college campus had great dorm rooms, which many others I toured did not. The rooms were decently sized and they were close to the academic buildings, which meant I didn’t need to walk far to class. I liked how the students on campus were so friendly and weren’t just sitting around. They were out walking and playing on the Dell when I toured. I just knew it would be a good place for me to be.

I motivate myself to do well in my classes because I know I need a good overall GPA to get accepted into Dental school later on. The acceptance rates at schools are very competitive, so I motivate myself by thinking about my future plans and goals. I also motivate myself because I enjoy my classes and the material I learn. That fact of me wanting to go to class helps me retain the material without having to cram in study time for exams.

An intervention for myself to succeed until graduation would be that I need to keep my head up and stay focused. I always think of my future, and how it won’t be an easy ride to get into Dental school. My GPA and study habits are my main focus during my time at Etown. I need to keep my eye on the prize in order to stay motivated to do the hard work. Studying for long time periods, doing homework, watching videos about the topics, and more all make me feel like I’m doing my best for my classes. For now, I think I have motivation for my goals, but if I can remind myself every once and a while that I am putting in such hard work for a reason, I can stay motivated.