Paula Shames Goes To OT School
Donation protected
Paula Goes to OT School As some of you know, I am about make a major life change. After nearly 20 years of teaching yoga, I am going back to school to become an Occupational Therapist! This is a 2.5-year Master’s degree program and I am taking a leap of faith and going for it. Two years ago, when I started the process of taking prerequisite classes, I had serious doubts. It had been over 20 years since I had gone to school and to say the least, my brain was rusty. Since Occupational Therapy is a health care profession, it requires a bunch of science courses. Yikes! Yet, halfway through my first semester while taking Anatomy and Physiology, I got my groove back. Although rusty, my brain still worked and 2 years later, I have applied to seven Masters in OT programs with a 4.0 GPA and a very respectable GRE score.
I had heard getting into OT school was very competitive and many applicants spend several years trying to get accepted. Being 48 years old, I thought, “I don’t have a few years of applying and reapplying.” Gratefully, I was been accepted to 6 OT programs and have decided to attend San Jose State University! This is actually happening!!
Being a non-traditional (aka “old”) student, I’ve had my concerns. Am I crazy to start a new career path at 50? Perhaps. Am I brave to start a new career path at 50? Perhaps. I have heard both. But hey, I haven’t taken the most traditional path during my life, so why start now? What I do know is that I am VERY excited for this new challenge and to enter an in demand profession where I can still satisfy my desire to help people! Win-win! At this point, one of my biggest challenges in going back to school is the cost. In the past 20 years, the cost of education has skyrocketed. Gratefully, I have received in state tuition for SJSU-even still, I estimate my total costs of attending OT school over 2.5 years will be over $70,000.
Tuition for 6 semesters at SJSU =$25,000
Rent/Board/Food/Insurance for $1600/month x 28 months= $45,000
Books/misc. for $500/semester x 6 semesters= $3000 Total= $70,000
Quite an investment for this new adventure. 
One way I’m going to keep down the cost is I am planning to get a roommate….my 86-year old mother! She moved to Austin 3 years ago to live close to me and has been living alone in an assisted living facility. She has Alzheimer’s disease and limited mobility, so she needs my help. What I have learned over the past 3 years is that getting old isn’t cheap or for sissies. She relies on her savings and social security. My brother and I both agree that her living with me will not only be financially wise for both of us, it will be good for her health and happiness. I have grown extremely close to my mom over the past 3 years and am so grateful for this opportunity to be with her. It is challenging seeing her slowly deteriorate, yet the benefits greatly outweigh the hardship. Hopefully, we will be able to hire a part time caregiver to help out so that I can spend as much time as possible with school--but having her as my roomie will enable me to see her a lot and help out in ways I couldn’t if she was living in a facility. Again, some will say I’m crazy and some will say I am brave and yes, it’s probably a little of both.
I plan to fund my education entirely on my own, hopefully mainly with student loans. I do not regret spending the past 20 years teaching yoga, but on the financial side, it has left me with little savings. As I said, I have chosen to live a non-traditional lifestyle and there are pros and cons to these decisions. I wouldn’t change those years as I have loved teaching yoga and the added benefit of the health and clarity it has provided me. I probably would not have the stamina or courage to become an OT at 50 without the daily practice of yoga. But it is certainly true that teaching yoga did not leave me independently wealthy. So, I am reaching out to my friends and family for your support. If you would like to help out and donate to my college fund, I would be extremely grateful. Anything helps. To help me get the word out, you can also share my link to your Facebook Timeline! And of course, if you or someone you know ever needs an OT, I’m your gal (in about 3 years)! Thanks so much for being in my life.
I had heard getting into OT school was very competitive and many applicants spend several years trying to get accepted. Being 48 years old, I thought, “I don’t have a few years of applying and reapplying.” Gratefully, I was been accepted to 6 OT programs and have decided to attend San Jose State University! This is actually happening!!
Being a non-traditional (aka “old”) student, I’ve had my concerns. Am I crazy to start a new career path at 50? Perhaps. Am I brave to start a new career path at 50? Perhaps. I have heard both. But hey, I haven’t taken the most traditional path during my life, so why start now? What I do know is that I am VERY excited for this new challenge and to enter an in demand profession where I can still satisfy my desire to help people! Win-win! At this point, one of my biggest challenges in going back to school is the cost. In the past 20 years, the cost of education has skyrocketed. Gratefully, I have received in state tuition for SJSU-even still, I estimate my total costs of attending OT school over 2.5 years will be over $70,000.
Tuition for 6 semesters at SJSU =$25,000
Rent/Board/Food/Insurance for $1600/month x 28 months= $45,000
Books/misc. for $500/semester x 6 semesters= $3000 Total= $70,000
Quite an investment for this new adventure. 
One way I’m going to keep down the cost is I am planning to get a roommate….my 86-year old mother! She moved to Austin 3 years ago to live close to me and has been living alone in an assisted living facility. She has Alzheimer’s disease and limited mobility, so she needs my help. What I have learned over the past 3 years is that getting old isn’t cheap or for sissies. She relies on her savings and social security. My brother and I both agree that her living with me will not only be financially wise for both of us, it will be good for her health and happiness. I have grown extremely close to my mom over the past 3 years and am so grateful for this opportunity to be with her. It is challenging seeing her slowly deteriorate, yet the benefits greatly outweigh the hardship. Hopefully, we will be able to hire a part time caregiver to help out so that I can spend as much time as possible with school--but having her as my roomie will enable me to see her a lot and help out in ways I couldn’t if she was living in a facility. Again, some will say I’m crazy and some will say I am brave and yes, it’s probably a little of both.
I plan to fund my education entirely on my own, hopefully mainly with student loans. I do not regret spending the past 20 years teaching yoga, but on the financial side, it has left me with little savings. As I said, I have chosen to live a non-traditional lifestyle and there are pros and cons to these decisions. I wouldn’t change those years as I have loved teaching yoga and the added benefit of the health and clarity it has provided me. I probably would not have the stamina or courage to become an OT at 50 without the daily practice of yoga. But it is certainly true that teaching yoga did not leave me independently wealthy. So, I am reaching out to my friends and family for your support. If you would like to help out and donate to my college fund, I would be extremely grateful. Anything helps. To help me get the word out, you can also share my link to your Facebook Timeline! And of course, if you or someone you know ever needs an OT, I’m your gal (in about 3 years)! Thanks so much for being in my life.
Organizer
Paula Shames
Organizer
Austin, TX