Introduction: Embarking on a journey into the world of massage therapy is an exciting and fulfilling endeavor. As a massage therapy student, you are about to dive into a field that combines science, art, and healing. To make the most of your educational experience and lay a solid foundation for a successful career, it is crucial to develop effective study skills. In this blog post, we will explore the top 10 study skills that will help you excel as a massage therapy student.
- Establish a Structured Study Routine: Creating a structured study routine is essential to maintain consistency and manage your time effectively. Designate specific study hours each day, eliminate distractions, and create a conducive environment for focused learning. This routine will foster discipline and optimize your ability to retain information.
- Set Clear Goals: Clearly define your goals and objectives for each study session. Establishing specific targets, such as mastering a particular technique or memorizing the skeletal system, will give you direction and purpose. Breaking down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks will make your learning process more manageable and motivating.
- Utilize Active Learning Techniques: Engage actively with the material to enhance comprehension and retention. Instead of passively reading textbooks, employ active learning techniques such as summarizing information in your own words, teaching concepts to others, participating in group discussions, or creating flashcards for key terms and concepts. These activities encourage deeper understanding and better memory recall.
- Develop Note-Taking Skills: Effective note-taking is a fundamental study skill that helps consolidate information and provides a valuable resource for later review. Develop a system that works best for you, whether it’s using handwritten notes, digital apps, or a combination of both. Organize your notes, highlight essential points, and use visual aids like diagrams and mind maps to enhance understanding.
- Practice Hands-On Techniques: As a massage therapy student, hands-on practice is integral to mastering the craft. Regularly allocate time to practice various massage techniques, bodywork modalities, and palpation skills. Seek opportunities to practice on willing friends or family members, and consider joining study groups or attending workshops to refine your skills further.
- Make Use of Visual Resources: Visual aids can be incredibly valuable in understanding complex anatomical structures and physiological processes. Seek out visual resources such as anatomical charts, videos, interactive apps, or 3D models to enhance your understanding. These resources provide a dynamic and engaging way to reinforce your knowledge and grasp challenging concepts.
- Seek Out Multiple Learning Sources: While your course material serves as the foundation, supplementing it with additional learning sources can broaden your understanding. Explore textbooks, scholarly articles, reputable online resources, and journals related to massage therapy. This multidimensional approach exposes you to diverse perspectives and keeps your learning experience engaging and enriched.
- Engage in Self-Assessment: Regular self-assessment helps you gauge your progress and identify areas that require further attention. Create quizzes or practice exams for yourself using your study materials, or utilize online resources designed for massage therapy students. Self-assessment enhances your confidence, highlights knowledge gaps, and guides your future study efforts.
- Take Breaks and Practice Self-Care: While diligent study is crucial, it’s equally important to take breaks and prioritize self-care. Long hours of studying can lead to mental fatigue and decreased retention. Incorporate short breaks during your study sessions, engage in physical activity, practice relaxation techniques, and ensure you get enough sleep. Taking care of your well-being will enhance your overall academic performance.
- Collaborate and Communicate: Learning is often more effective when done in collaboration with others. Engage in study groups or online forums where you can discuss concepts, exchange ideas, and learn from your peers. Communication with instructors, mentors, and experienced professionals can also provide valuable insights and guidance.
Conclusion: Mastering the study skills necessary for success as a massage therapy student is a journey in itself. By establishing a structured routine, setting clear goals, utilizing active learning techniques, and engaging in hands-on practice, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a skilled and knowledgeable massage therapist. Remember to take care of yourself, seek out diverse learning sources, and collaborate with others to enhance your understanding. With these top 10 study skills in your arsenal, you are poised to excel in your massage therapy education and embark on a fulfilling career that promotes wellness and healing.
10 Benefits of Attending a Hybrid (Online & In-Person) Massage Program
Clear Benefits For Professionals In Multiple Fields
Whether you’re in massage therapy already, you work as a registered nurse, assist in physical therapy offices, operate as a fitness trainer, lead yoga classes, instruct Pilate courses, or assist seniors at a nursing home, there are clear benefits to programs from hybrid massage schools.
When you can simultaneously study online, and in person, you get the best of both worlds. We’ll explore some key benefits of hybrid training here to help give you a better idea of how such learning can work for you.
1. Education On Your Schedule
It’s hard enough to work, let alone get a simultaneous supplemental education. If you’re not working, it can still be hard to learn owing to other basic factors of day-to-day life. With hybrid massage schools, you can use online courses for inconvenient scheduling; then drop into live classes when you have the ability.
2. Work And Study Simultaneously
Many schools require intensive attendance to acquire certification. In today’s world, that’s just not feasible for most. The cost of living just keeps getting higher, and time is literally money. With hybrid massage schools, you can maximize yours.
3. Expedite Tech Familiarity, Learning New Programs Like Zoom
Zoom is a program for face-to-face group interaction that is presently revolutionizing online education. Technology resources like these often have collateral potential beyond the classroom.
Whatever digital interface you use for your hybrid massage schools, you’ll be able to take that knowledge with you. This can come in handy elsewhere, as today’s world has ample opportunity for non-centralized online interaction.
4. Make New Contacts Locally And Across The Country–Even The World
With online hybrid massage schools, you’ll be able to meet people who are in the same field, but don’t live local to where you are. This allows you to make national and international contacts which give you the ability to expand your business.
5. Absorption Of Cutting-Edge Knowledge As Soon As It’s Available
New learning in terms of massage theory and application develop like breakthroughs in any medical arena. Medicine isn’t presently a monolith, and professionals find out new things pertaining to the human body all the time. You want to incorporate new learning into present practices whenever possible, and if you’re just starting out, it’s prime to be on the cutting edge.
6. Segmentation Of Learning: Theory And Hands-On As You Need It
Much of what you learn doesn’t actually require you to have any hands-on interaction. Accordingly, when you can segment your learning, you can apply this aspect of massage school as you need it, rather than have to spend days taking notes that would have been just as appropriately harvested from an online course.
7. Smaller Class Sizes And Direct Engagement With Educators
Online courses afford you the opportunity to work with a close-knit group, and obtain specific instruction from your educator. This isn’t often possible in larger, traditional courses; you might end up just a statistic in massage schools without hybrid options.
8. The Latest Available Research-Based Educational Opportunities
Research from educational facilities online have access to global breakthroughs, meaning not only do you get the latest research, you are able to obtain that research from a source with greater reach than location-based institutions can often provide.
9. Assistance With Career Placement
Career placement through hybrid massage schools provides you opportunities outside your locality. Localized options without an internet component will have limited ability to get you hired beyond your region.
10. Access To Experienced Faculty
Online schools who also offer physical classroom experiences must provide educators that can handle either, and have cutting-edge acumen in their field. You’ll likely find more expertise through these solutions than you would in a strictly physical environment.
Educationally Branching Out
There are a lot of reasons to go with hybrid massage schools when you’re adding to your therapeutic skill set, or acquiring such knowledge for the first time.
Experienced faculty, career placement, research-based cutting edge options, scheduling around work, more intimate class sizes, learning segmentation, a broad array of contacts, and new technology familiarity are just a few of many benefits from this educational option. If you haven’t looked into hybrid massage schools, this might be a wise step.
Learn more about our hybrid / online massage program option here
Evaluating Massage School Cost
When evaluating massage school cost at a leading massage school or any college, you may calculate the costs of college through the typical “Room & Board” or “Per Credit Hour” cost advertised by colleges throughout America. However, a bulk of your massage school costs may not often be associated with the advertised price of your massage school education. Massage school, like life, can add up in many ways unseen, unexpected, and sadly, unplanned for. Knowing what the costs can be and strategizing how to limit them are vital skills any college student can and should learn.
What Are Some Examples of Hidden Costs Not Advertised in the Price of a Massage School Education?
- If you ever get in a bind financially and you have to use a credit card for your school fees, the interest payments are added costs. They could range from 3% – 30%. You could be paying for an extra semester or two alone just in interest payments.
- Some colleges and universities charge extra fees for extra services. Find out if your massage school has any added-on fees for services that you want or need. These could include health center fees, athletic center fees, student activity fees, graduation fees, academic transcript fees, etc.
- Books and media can be one of the largest added costs. There will be required texts, but you will also have recommended texts that are used to enhance your knowledge of the material.
- Technology can be as pricey as you want or need it to be. Do you need a new desktop, laptop or tablet? Do you need a more advanced phone? Do you need to purchase a software package such as Microsoft Office?
- If you drive a long distance to massage school, gas, tolls, auto insurance, general wear and tear on the automobile, and parking can all add up.
- It’s no surprise to anyone who has lived life in a dormitory that the staples of the college cuisine are ramen noodles, microwave popcorn, and pizza. If you buy one pizza per week, it can add up to $2000 in pizza costs over a four-year education.
- Outfitting a apartment or dorm room can be expensive when you add up the costs of televisions, bedding, cable or satellite fees, lamps, linens, posters, waste baskets, toiletries, hygiene, bulletin boards, and the rest.
How Can You Save Money and Still Get a Great Massage School Education?
- Go local! – One of the major ways you can save on any school is to attend a school in your area. Not only are toy helping the local economy, but you can save on full-time parking costs, dormitory costs, eating on campus, eating out daily, laundry service, mailing expenses, etc. Going local may be the best way to save the most money on college expenses.
- You may be able to rent or trade texts on campus or online, depending on the course, your region, and the site. Trading, borrowing, or buying used may be the way to save hundreds of dollars on books.
- Take advantage of student discounts such as specials on computers, software packages, and other technologies.
It has been estimated that students spend $250 to $500 per month on costs not directly associated with the advertised price of the school. Staying local can not only assist you in saving money, it can also help you stay focused. Being away from home for an extended period of time can be hard on the psyche and the emotions, as well as time consuming dealing with the everyday demands of dormitory life. Staying local can be a key factor in maintaining a focus that will make you a success.
Hands on Learning in Massage School: Training the Brain Through Touch
Have you been looking for a career where you can work independently and make a good living – as well as help people feel their best? If the answer is yes, then attending a massage school may lead you to the career you will be proud of.
Learning styles in massage school
What is your learning style? Do you do best in a classroom setting where the instructor gives lectures? Do you learn best by using charts, videos or other visuals? Or, are you able to retain more information if you are participating in activities that help the information to sink in?
- Lecture
- Visual
- Kinesthetic (hands-on)
Lecture
Do your eyes glaze over and your mind wanders during long lectures? If the answer to that is yes, you aren’t alone. You try to pay attention, but once the lecture is over you realize you haven’t retained what you should have. A large majority of classrooms use the lecture-based type of teaching.
While some lecture in the classroom is necessary, studies have shown that during a lecture, the instructor usually says about 100-200 words a minute. Out of these, the typical student hears only about half. Add a wandering mind to the equation, and comprehension during lectures is an ineffective way to teach – and to learn.
Visual learner
If you learn best by using visual aides, you probably have found methods that help you organize and retain information. There are many great visual learning tools used in massage therapy school. Anatomy charts, muscle maps and models compliment a student that does best with a visual learning style.
Kinesthetic learner
Many people learn best when they are engaged in activities – watching and performing the task that is being taught. Those who prefer the kinesthetic learning style may find it difficult to sit through a lecture, and retain very little of what is shared.
Kinesthetic learners like to get in and do it! If this physical and hands-on style of learning is more like you, you may find massage therapy school right up your alley. Since massage therapy is a hands-on field of study, most students who are interested in massage school are kinesthetic learners. When you attend a massage therapy school, you will experience a lot of hands-on activity – both by learning to do massage, and by receiving massages from your fellow massage therapy school students.
Massage school typically integrates all of the learning styles in ways that will lead you to a successful career in massage therapy.
Click Here: For more information about learning styles used at seattle massage schools
5 Benefits of Paying for Massage School with a Student Loan
The choice to invest in your future by attending massage school is both smart and realistic. The massage therapy industry is thriving and massage schools are popping up seemingly overnight. Student loan providers are essentially tripping over each other to fund dedicated students, offer them special rates and repayment plans. Add to these ideal conditions a favorable job outlook for massage therapists and you have every reason to finally pull the trigger on this dream career.
Why Pay for Massage School with a Student Loan?
Paying for higher education can often be more stressful than the coursework. This rings especially true for massage school, which many students tend to enjoy. Student loans can end the daunting cycle of working to pay for your education so you can then land a decent job. This economic opportunity is even more desirable considering the state of the massage therapy industry.
- Enroll Immediately if you are accepted for one of the many available student loans. Don’t stress over saving the money to go to massage school when you could enroll as early as the next available semester. Applications for many student loans are available online and most of the companies are more than happy to help you with the process.
- Subsidized Payments allow you to comfortably complete your classes without the worry of having to immediately pay back your loan. With a subsidized loan you do not have to begin repaying the balance until six months after you finish classes.
- Competitive Lenders are vying to facilitate your way through massage school. Because of this healthy market you may be eligible for subsidized loans and different kinds of structured repayment plans. Many student loan companies offer tailored repayment plans that take your financial situation into consideration.
- A Booming Industry is what you’re heading into. Now more than ever the benefits of massage therapy on your health is being widely accepted and cultivated. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that between the years of 2012 to 2022 the massage therapy industry will experience a 23% growth in jobs. It will not be difficult for you to find work as a therapist immediately after graduating massage school and begin paying off your loans.
- Respectable Pay for massage therapists is rising slowly but steadily. The BLS reports that in 2012 the median for massage therapists was $35,970 per year or $17.29 per hour. The profusion of entry level positions partly accounts for this number, however, the possibilities for entrepreneurship in the field enhance the financial possibilities within the industry.
The time to capitalize on student loans and finance your way through massage school is now. Positions for skilled massage therapists are abundant, and the student loan market is ready willing and able to fund your endeavor into this industry. Your next step: pick a massage school that is right for you and research student loan providers.
Click Here: For more information about our student loan options.
Our Massage School Graduates Are Prepared To…
Massage therapy is more than just a trend in the United States, it is now a medically and culturally accepted path to general well-being and quality of life. To make things sweeter, as a massage therapist you would not only be helping others, you’d also be helping yourself. Massage therapy comes with the inherent benefit of conscientious human contact, which can improve the practitioner’s personability and sensitivity. There is an art to massage therapy, but also a science, which forms the foundation of massage therapy curricula at massage schools. The Northwest Academy for the Healing Arts is a small personalized massage school in Seattle with the kind of in-depth coursework that can enable you to graduate ready to succeed in a career in massage therapy. Graduates usually begin work as one of the following:
Licensed Massage Therapists
One hundred percent of the academy’s massage program graduates pass the National Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBlex) With completion of this program you are virtually guaranteed to start your career in massage therapy off on the right foot. Massage program graduates pass the exam and go on to:
- Attain Licensure from the state of Washington.
- Work in a variety of environments from cruise ships and casinos to medical offices and sports facilities.
- Communicate Effectively with people both in a commercial environment, and also personally over an extended period of time such as a private practitioner or rehabilitation specialist.
- Continue to Grow and build upon a solid foundation of human anatomy and physiology, pathology, kinesiology and massage theory.
- Manage a variety of massage therapy business from the development of a proposal to the execution of a physical space and the creation of policy.
Massage Therapy and Bodywork Instructors
Graduates from the Massage Instructor Certification program emerge ready to tackle the educational environment. After successful completion of this course you would be a certified massage therapy and bodywork instructor. Your skills set would enable you to:
- Develop Curricula for classes of different sizes and programs of varying lengths.
- Manage and Supervise a classroom both under academic and hand-on environments.
- Keep Accurate Records of student’s progress and be able to gauge the effectiveness of different teaching and learning methods.
- Help Progress the ethics and practices of massage therapy through the constant critical analysis involved in teaching the craft.
The Northwest Academy for the Healing Arts isn’t just another massage school in Seattle, it is the best massage school in Seattle. With additional campuses in Bellingham, and Tacoma, Washington it is the best massage school in the region. Once you finish the massage program opportunities for continuing education are also available, such as, advanced orthopedic assessments and massage techniques, as well as advanced work in the academy’s massage therapy clinic. Northwest Academy graduates are prepared to succeed, but more importantly to enjoy a career of kindness and respect.
