Second Semester BuckEYE!

This semester is flying by! We have been back for a little over a month, and have already had Epsilon-Psi-Epsilon pledging, ordered our equipment that we need for next year, had our first few clinic experiences, EyeBall, a few club meetings, and completed our first exams of the semester in just about every class! While this semester has been off to a busy start, I want to share just a few of the highlights!

The E-Psi-E events were definitely my favorite experiences of this semester so far. Epsilon-Psi-Epsilon, Beta chapter, is the professional fraternity that we have for Optometry students at Ohio State. During pledging week, the active members host a scavenger hunt, trivia night, initiation, and skit night that the first years can participate in. The scavenger hunt was so much fun! Our class was divided into teams (go green team!) where we had to find different things and places around the College of Optometry, the whole Ohio State campus, and even a couple places around the city! This gave me a chance to discover places that I had no idea existed, like an amazing taco truck in the next town over. By far my favorite part of the scavenger hunt was getting to know some of my classmates better.

EyeBall was also so much fun! It is an annual event for students, faculty and staff of the College that is part of AOSA awareness week. The night included dinner, music, dancing, socializing, and a raffle for various prizes!

Lastly, my favorite club meeting of the semester so far was with the Sports Vision Club. We had the opportunity to tour the OSU football practice facility and learn more about how they assess and rehabilitate concussions, and how that relates to our role as future Optometrists!

That’s all I have for now! I’ll keep you updated! 🙂

First Semester!

Wow this semester flew by! I can’t believe that my first semester of Optometry school is already in the books! This semester definitely had its challenging moments, especially with studying around finals, but the fun moments made the stress so worth it! For this blog post, I wanted to share with you all a few of my favorite moments of the semester.

In Ocular Anatomy lecture about a month ago, we had the chance to dissect a cow eyeball! Pretty cool! Dr. Chandler walked us through the dissection so that we could see many of the major structures that we discussed all semester. It was a fun way to translate what we have learned from pictures, diagrams, and models into real 3D tissue.

Outside the classroom, a few classmates and I decided to take a study break one weekend by going to Hawking Hills, a nearby state park. We hiked along trails and by waterfalls and just had the chance to relax and enjoy the outdoors! It was absolutely beautiful!

Also outside of class, I had the chance to visit Denison University, where I completed my undergraduate, and speak with a Psychology class about Optometry. It was cool to talk about how I came to the decision to pursue Optometry as a career, the application and interview process, and why I chose Ohio State College of Optometry (see my About Me section for more!). It’s crazy to think that just a few years ago, I was in their shoes and was just deciding on Optometry as my career path, and I couldn’t be happier about that decision!

Lastly, I’ve enjoyed the chance to go to different student organization meetings this semester. I’ve listened to guest speakers in private practice club and Lions club meetings, sorted glasses with SVOSH, and helped at a downtown screening with NOSA. Each of these experiences made me even more excited about being in Optometry school! These are great ways to help keep your excitement up when the classroom and studying gets stressful.

That’s all I have for now! Happy holidays everyone!

Excited to be a BuckEYE!

Throughout the summer leading up to my first year at THE Ohio State University College of Optometry, I was asked one question with surprising frequency:

“Are you nervous?”

While starting a new chapter in your life does have its nerve-wracking moments, I was more excited than anything! I was finally taking the first step in my career. My future career is in an area that I am deeply passionate about. I am surrounded by peers that share my passions. I am being educated in a top-tier program by faculty that is renowned in their field. I am joining a close-knit community that, I have been told, is like a family. And, last but not least, Ohio State Football. Why wouldn’t I be excited?!

Fast forward. Now we have finished our first round of midterms and my excitement about Ohio State Optometry has only grown! I love how close-knit and approachable the students, faculty, and staff are here. Even within my own class, it is really cool to see how willing everyone is to help each other. While I was studying for midterms, if there was a concept that I was having trouble understanding, there were classmates that were willing to explain and help me understand the material better. It is also really cool to be surrounded by classmates that are passionate about the same things that I am. There was one time when a classmate and I were talking about something interesting we learned in lecture, and went on for probably a half hour explaining to one of my family members that was visiting why it was so fascinating!

Even from my first few months in the program, I can already feel that Ohio State Optometry is like a family! I can’t wait to see what the rest of the semester has in store!