Taking a gap year was the best decision I’ve made during my application process. Instead of rushing to fit a certain timeline, I decided to take a mental break from school and spend more time expanding my patient care experience. This extra time before optometry school helped me become a better prepared and more confident applicant …
One of the biggest challenges optometry students face is finding the time to relax and unwind. Tackling exams every week, attending lectures all day, and squeezing in as much clinic practice as we can leaves little room for much needed R&R.Just like the developmental stages in life, the first year is the most critical. After …
It is no secret that optometry school is one of the most stressful times in many of our lives. Between balancing numerous courses, prepping for boards, clinic shifts, and other obligations, it is an extremely busy phase of life. Pushing through the responsibilities and challenges of school can certainly take a toll on the average …
The first semester of optometry school should be a memorable experience. You meet the friends you will have for life, receive your white coat (depending on your school), choose your optometric instruments, explore your passions, and much more. But with a global pandemic and state regulations, all of that has been canceled and moved online. …
In this strange and ever-changing time known as the “new normal,” we find that we must be both persistent and adaptive in our efforts to achieve the goals that we set for ourselves. Never has this been truer as applicants begin ramping up for the current optometry school admissions cycle. It is likely that pre-optometry …
Just a few days ago, the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) announced the addition of the newest member of accredited schools in the United States: The University of Pikeville’s Kentucky College of Optometry. This announcement may be confusing to some: how can a non-accredited school have students go through an entire optometry school curriculum …
How can a virus, that I did not contract, change my optometry school experience? When the world started talking about COVID-19, I really did not think anything of it. I went about my day, went to my classes, studied, practiced, worked, and socialized. It was not until schools around the nation started a discussion about …
1. Keep your Routine Make a schedule and delegate a set starting time each morning. Try to follow your regular class schedule. If you’re typically in class from 9am-5pm, try your best to stick with that schedule reviewing lectures and studying. If you like to workout, consider outdoor activities or working out at home with …
When it comes to balancing a well-rounded lifestyle with the pressures of optometry school, it can sometimes feel like optometry school always outweighs everything else. Between clinic, classes, studying, and other school related responsibilities, it’s hard to find time to do the things that you enjoy outside of optometry. During my first semester of optometry …
