Massage Therapy Class

What does being a student entail? How will you manage to absorb all of that material? How will you even pass the tests?

I know. It can be daunting when you see the thick anatomy and physiology textbook that you will soon become best friends with. Here is where attitude makes all the difference in the world.

You are starting a brand new chapter in your life so let go of all of the negativity and self-doubt. Get excited! Say to yourself, "I can do this. I can read and study and learn this material!" Yes, you can! I did it so I know you can do it, too.

Decide right now that you will have self-discipline--you will study and you will like it!when I got home from massage therapy class.

Hopefully your family and close friends will be supportive of you and will give you time and space to study. Hopefully, they will also be there when you need to practice massage on them.

I never could get any of my friends to allow me to practice on them. Not one time. Several said they would but they always said no when I asked. Who needs friends like that when there are so many enemies! My husband was in Iraq while I went to school so I had to practice on my three kids over and over. I truly hope that your friends are more supportive of you than mine were.

Best wishes as you go through massage school!

Getting the most out of your massage therapy classes is something you should work hard at doing. It is to your benefit to pay attention so you can be the finest massage therapist in your area.

Only you can decide to give massage school the time and attention it deserves.

First of all, do not be absent for any class, if at all possible. If there has been a real family emergency, or if you are so sick that you are vomiting uncontrollably or you are dizzy, then you can miss. Other than that, you should be there. Don't stay home because you just don't feel like going or because you have the sniffles. Each class is important and the lectures should not be missed.

At my massage school, if we missed any lecture, we were required to attend that same lecture when it was presented to another class within a week or two of missing. It had to be made up, sometimes at inconvenient times, which meant missing work or other engagements, or we could not graduate. So it was just not worth missing a class.

Next, be sure that you get a good night's sleep so that you can stay awake and concentrate in class. Yes, sometimes the lectures get a little boring, but anatomy and physiology are important. If you get enough sleep, you should be okay. If you start dozing off, get some caffeine at your next break.

My school did not have coffee, tea, or cokes so I had to bring some with me in a covered cup. I needed it more often than I like to admit, but it is hard to stay awake during all of the tedious portions of A&P!

Always have at least two pens with you, along with your spiral notebook for massage therapy classes. I say at least two pens because one might run out of ink or break. Or another student may need to borrow one. You may drop your pen and not be able to locate it. All of these things have happened to me so I tell you from experience to be prepared!

Do not use looseleaf paper to take notes or you will lose the notes. If the teacher writes something on the board, it is important. Write it down in your notebook. If the teacher repeats something, it is important. Write it down. It is usually these things that appear on unit tests.

One portion of the spiral notebook should be for lecture notes. The other portion should be for hands-on massage therapy notes. Before each hands-on portion of class, my massage teacher would demonstrate a new technique for us to practice on. I wrote down each move so that I could duplicate it on my massage partner in class. Then I would go home and practice it on my children. We would get tested not only on book knowledge, but on how well we could perform the massage techniques and strokes we were taught in class.

As you read your textbooks, highlight what you think is important. Read the chapter, highlighting and then read the chapter again. When you study for a test, study your notebook and then go back through your textbook and read everything that you have highlighted.

Always bring all of your sheets, towels, and whatever other equipment you need to your hands-on massage therapy classes.

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