“I can’t wait until I am done with school.” How many of you have said this at some point in your optometric career? You see on Facebook how much fun your friends are having in the summer and you’re stuck at the library on a Friday night. However, we need to take the time to realize optometry school has the potential to be the greatest four years of our lives! I took it upon myself to ask around and compile a bucket list of things to do before optometry school ends! Here it is:

1. Eat at as many different restaurants as you can and get to know the city you are in.
Be adventurous, the key is to never eat at the same place twice. More likely than not, you are attending a school that is not in your hometown, so go out there and see what the city has to offer.

2. Go to your school’s Quiz Bowl, better yet, attend the Varilux National Student Quiz Bowl at Optometry’s Meeting. If you are a first year and have yet to experience quiz bowl madness, you definitely should check out this video with all the highlights from last year. Not only do you get to show off your school spirit, it’s a great social event to meet students from other optometry schools.

3. Alcon’s contact lens conference in Fort Worth, Texas.
Every third or fourth year optometry student is invited to visit Alcon’s headquarters and learn about their eye care products. The great thing about this is everything is paid for including travel, hotel and meals.

4. Go on a SVOSH mission trip – it is a life changing experience to appreciate what we have.
I understand the financial aspects of a graduate student does not make it easy to afford traveling. However, in the grand scheme of loans, how much is $1000 really going to change your monthly payments?

5. Do an eye exam in another language.
Challenge yourself in clinic, this is the time to practice what you’re not good at. Learn a few words of another language and try it out, your patient will be so grateful for your efforts.

6. Enjoy your first year summer off, because you won’t get another chance to have so much time off – ever!
My dean told me a sad reality when I suggested we add an extra summer to the curriculum, “At this point in your life, this is the most time off you will ever get.”

7. Attend at least one conference.
Vision Expo, SECO, Academy, AOA Optometry’s Meeting, Congressional Advocacy Congress, your local state association meeting, COVD, NORA, OEP and the list goes on. Start your networking early, talk to your AOSA Trustee and see which conference fits your needs, more likely than not they have attended one of these conferences and can give you a student perspective on which one is best for you.

8. Attend Optometric Insight’s student events at conferences, it is a great way to meet new people with similar career goals as yourself!

9. Say YES! Get involved, have fun, appreciate your time with your colleagues because this is where you’ll meet your friends for life.

– Vivien Yip
Illinois College of Optometry