Little Lessons

April 14th, 2019.

As of today, it is a mere 3 weeks to the day until I walk across the stage in the Shoe and officially become a Doctor of Optometry. It still doesn’t feel real.

With the coming end of this season of my life however, it only feels fitting to share list of things that I have learned over the past 4 years (in relatively chronological order as to when I learned them). Here goes!

-What it’s like to live with 16 other people
-Google Maps does not help when you don’t know left vs right, nor will it take you home if you put in the wrong address
-How to comfortably live in a 9×11 room for a year
-How to sleep in a hammock
-First impressions, powerful though they are, aren’t everything.
-Just how important your first day seats are in determining the rest of your optometry school career
-Free food is amazing… but it’s also probably healthier to skip those free meals
-What it’s like to sit in the same room for 8 hours a day for an entire semester year
-Mom was right: you really should separate whites from colored clothes when doing laundry.
-How to “study” while jogging and dancing
-That sleep is more important than grades
-The necessity of stress relievers like baking and cleaning during finals week
-The importance of space heaters
-Not to try to fit 65 different activities into a 2 week Christmas break (it’ll drive your family crazy – I promise)
-That 24 credit hours/semester really isn’t that much if you remove your social life
-That you don’t have to remove your social life to pass those 24 credit hours
-To enjoy every day, regardless of if it’s your “last summer ever”
-Biking 100 miles for a good cause is more inspiring than exhausting
-But make sure you own bike shorts before trying it.
-Hands-on labs beat didactic work every day of the week.
-First year really isn’t the hardest year.
-Coffee will begin to mold when you let it sit.
-Training for half marathons is overrated. Running them is not.
-It’s better to learn skills right the first time, than try to be the first one out of clinic, but have sloppy skills.
-Seeing patients is loads of fun.
-Losing people you love is hard, but don’t believe loss is a burden you have to carry alone.
-It is possible, and even suggested, to run a mile between every lecture.
-On spring break, there’s no reason to sleep more than 4 hours a night. YOLO!
-Summer semester is miserable, but when you’re all in it together, somehow life isn’t so bad.
-Short escapes from the monotony of daily routines will rejuvenate the soul more than extended vacations.
-Exercise and the outdoors will always be a better stress reliever than alcohol.
-Your plans will change. Just relax and enjoy the adventure.
-It’s more important to invest a lot of time in the few people who will last a lifetime than to invest a little time in a lot of people who will only be around for a short season.
-Control is elusive and fleeting. Just when you think you’ve got it pinned down, it’ll disappear like smoke in the night.
-Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it.
-Studying for boards is exhausting. Don’t start more than 3 months in advance.
-How to survive a mouse-pocalypse.
-Don’t be afraid to make your own way. Following the crowd is less important than trusting God and following your heart
-Don’t take a practice exam the night before boards.
-You can’t chew gum during boards. You can have cough drops.
-Most people in this world simply want to be heard – listen to them.
-Whoever thinks it’s better to be early than on-time must be less awkward than I.
-Don’t mistake charisma for character.
-It’s okay to admit when you don’t know.
-4th year is hands down the best year of optometry school.
-I desperately need someone greater than I in this life.
-If you are from Ohio and have the opportunity, GET OUT OF OHIO! There is no better time to experience a completely different culture than when it’s included in your education. You will be amazed at the wonders you see and the people you meet.
-Whoever said that NBEO studying should be summarized as 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days was completely right. Don’t overstudy – it’s not worth the burnout.
-People will tell you to your face that you failed. Take a breath and keep pushing on.
-Failures are the quickest, albeit most painful, way to learn.
-100 wrong ways to complete an exam
-You don’t have to do a residency to be a good doctor, regardless of what people may tell you.
-But residencies are amazing opportunities, so if you’re interested, give them a shot!
-Be yourself, wherever you go, in whatever you do. Putting on a facade for the sake of impressions will only serve to hurt you and everyone you come in contact with.
-Don’t be afraid to pursue your dreams, but when you do, measure your dreams with the ruler of reality.
-Have a backup plan, or 6.
-New Mexico truly is the Land of Enchantment.
-Your voice is important, even if you’re that quiet kid in the back of every class. Don’t be afraid to speak, but in speaking, don’t lose sight of the value of silence.
-You will be afraid in life – it’s only natural – but don’t let the fears of tomorrow keep you from living today.

‘Til the next time,

Hannah