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OT and Bae
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The "Study Hard, Pass Hard" Giveaway
🚨 GIVEAWAY ALERT! The NBCOT prep fog is real, but you don't have to navigate it alone. After my own 8-day study marathon , I realized that organization = confidence . I created the Study Hard, Pass Hard Binder to help visual and tactile learners like me stop memorizing and start thinking like an OT. I am looking for 3 lucky people to try out the BETA-VERSION of my physical study binders! What’s inside the Beta Binder? 📂 Physical Binder: A sturdy home for your prep (colors
Rachel Nation
Feb 171 min read
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From Overwhelmed to Organized: Introducing the "Study Hard, Pass Hard" NBCOT Prep Binder (+ GIVEAWAY!)
We’ve all been there. You open your laptop, stare at 400 pages of a study guide, and think: “Where do I even start?” After my own 8-day, 13-hour-a-day study marathon, I realized that passing the NBCOT isn't just about how much you know—it's about how you organize what you know . I’m a tactile, visual learner, and I needed something I could touch, highlight, and flip through to make the concepts stick. That’s why I created the Study Hard, Pass Hard Prep Binder . It’s the physi
Rachel Nation
Feb 102 min read
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The Day Before the NBCOT: How I Protected My Mindset (and Why It Mattered)
Even though this was my first time taking the NBCOT , I was very intentional about one thing: 👉 How I treated the day before the exam. At that point, I knew the content was already there. What mattered most was my mental — my mindset, my calm, my nervous system. This post isn’t about cramming or last-minute studying. It ’s about how I set myself up mentally so I could actually show up and perform. The Stress I Didn’t Anticipate: Testing Center + Traffic Here’s a real-life
Rachel Nation
Jan 83 min read
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My Honest Take on the NBCOT Study Materials I Used (After an 8-Day Intensive)
If you’ve been following along, you already know this wasn’t my original plan. I did create a 28-day study schedule that included TherapyEd, AOTA, OT Miri, OT Exam Prepper, and Mometrix Flashcards … but long story short, life happened, and I ended up doing an 8-day intensive study sprint (about 10–13 hours a day ). This post is my honest, no-sugar-coating review of the materials I actually used and how they felt in real life, not just on paper. TherapyEd Pros : incredibly
Rachel Nation
Dec 30, 20253 min read
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What My NBCOT Exam Actually Felt Like (and How I Thought Through the Questions)
One of the biggest questions I get is: “ What was the NBCOT exam really like? ” So I wanted to share my honest experience, not to scare anyone, but to help you frame how to think about this exam. Overall exam balance From my experience, the exam felt like a fair balance across all four major areas: Adult rehab Pediatrics Mental health Geriatrics Nothing felt wildly overrepresented, and nothing felt completely absent. That said, many of the scenarios, regardless of population,
Rachel Nation
Dec 29, 20252 min read
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From “I Think I’m Fine” to Full Survival Mode: My NBCOT Exam Prep Story (and Why I Built a Physical Binder)
If you’ve ever thought, “I’ll start studying early so I won’t be stressed,” and then somehow ended up cramming anyway, this post is for you . I took my NBCOT exam on 11/20 (2025), and I waited about three weeks for my results. Those weeks felt longer than the entire prep period combined. To make it extra spicy, 11/20 was the only test date available for me , and I had already booked a non-refundable trip to Japan starting 12/10, which also happened to be score release day .
Rachel Nation
Dec 28, 20253 min read
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What is Occupational Therapy?
Let's talk about Rehabilitation Treatment FIRST. Rehabilitation treatment plays a crucial role in helping individuals overcome the aftereffects of accidents or diseases, enabling them to return to their daily lives more quickly . It aims to restore function and prevent further deterioration caused by disabilities, diseases, aging, or pain. The goal is to improve the quality of life of patients by addressing a wide range of physical and cognitive challenges. Given its vast
Rachel Nation
Oct 9, 20252 min read
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Personal Journey: Becoming an OT Student at USC
Entering a Doctoral program in Occupational Therapy at USC is no small feat. It's a journey filled with dedication, passion, and a thirst...
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Jan 21, 20252 min read
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Understanding Basic OT Terms and Concepts
Welcome to OT and Bae - your go-to blog for all things occupational therapy! Whether you're an OT student, a client, or simply interested...
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Jan 21, 20252 min read
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Top Tips for Surviving OT School
Are you a current or aspiring occupational therapy student looking for tips on how to navigate through OT school successfully? As a...
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Jan 21, 20252 min read
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