A year in the life of an occupational therapy student

Hi! My name is Lexie and I am in my second year of BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy.

Structure of the year

My course started in September and finished for the summer at the end of May. For occupational therapy students, the academic year is split between studying on campus and being on placement.

As an occupational therapy student, you'll do the following placements during your studies:

• one five-week placement in first year
• one eight-week placement in second year
• two ten-week placements in third year

When you're on placement, you can expect to work regular hours such as 08:00 - 16:00 or 09:00 - 17:00. Occasionally, placements require shift work.

When you're not on placement, your lectures will normally be held on campus three days a week, usually between the hours of 09:00 - 16:00.

We also get two weeks off during the winter and another two weeks off during the spring. But be aware that there are still assignments to complete during these breaks!

Finding placements

You don't need to worry about sourcing your own placements as the University sources and provides them for you. It's not possible to choose exactly where you will go on placement. However, going on a placement that you weren't expecting can be a valuable experience, and you might actually end up having a great time.

During your final placement in third year, you'll have the chance to select your own placement setting based on your clinical interests. This final placement is different to the others, as you have the opportunity to go to a setting where there are currently no or limited occupational therapy services. This way, you get to experience setting up your own service or project.

What were my placements like?

So far, I have completed placements in older people’s community mental health and inpatient orthopaedics – these resulted in a wide range of experiences. I did find the first week difficult as I was entering into a new environment and was attempting to learn all of the new ways of working and what was expected of me. However, once I settled in, I really enjoyed my placements and the weeks flew by!

As a student, you'll be expected to get stuck in and work with patients from day one, which helps to develop your communication skills and confidence, and to put the theory learnt at university into practice.

NHS bursary

Every student on the course receives an NHS bursary, which is a grant of £5000 each year. The grant doesn't have to be paid back, and it's designed to contribute towards your living costs whilst you're at university.

In addition, it's not uncommon for students to incur extra costs as a result of their placement. This can be things like petrol, public transportation costs, or staying in accommodation closer to the placement location. These extras can be claimed back and reimbursed from the NHS bursary in addition to the £5000 grant – remember to keep your bus receipts!

Tips for assignments

Start your assignments early!

It's so easy to leave your assignment until a week before it's due, which just ends up causing unnecessary stress. Lecturers and tutors are there to offer support to us, and it's so beneficial to speak to them if you need help. Don't forget that the library offers many workshops for students, including referencing, academic writing styles, and searching databases, which are valuable for developing these skills.

Overall, BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy at Bradford is excellent. It has a great balance of theoretical and practical learning opportunities. I would recommend it to any future students!

My first day vs now

On my first day, I felt nervous but also excited. I didn’t know anyone else on the course and was nervous about lectures and assignments, but I also felt excited about the friendships and opportunities that I had ahead of me.

By the end of the first year, I felt accomplished because I had managed to pass all of the assignments, and was seeing my hard work pay off. I felt confident that occupational therapy was what I wanted to do as a career after completing my first placement. By the end of first year, I felt I had gotten closer to this goal.

Do it. For real.

Get stuck in.

Spend your placement year making a difference to people's lives. Study Occupational Therapy and do it for real.