The Illinois College of Optometry Student Blog

I have a tradition with my roommates. It started at the end of our first year, and carried over to second year. At the end of each quarter, my roommates and I (there are three of us total) decide on a steakhouse to go to. What started out as a way to splurge on a meal and celebrate the end of our first year of optometry school turned into something more. It motivates us to make it through each finals week. My roommates and ICO classmates have several other traditions, too. Th

What do ICO third years do during the first week of classes? Obviously, we explore the city! I finally got my bike in Chicago, and since my brother had surgery on his foot, I got to bring his bike, too. My partner in eating and I decided to bike up to Lincoln Park along the river. We had one destination: By the Park Bakery. I had walked past it previously when my mom and brother (pre-surgery) were in town. From a quick peek, I could tell we would enjoy the cookies, and planne

Lincoln Park, River North, Wicker Park, Wrigleyville- these are some of the neighborhoods most people are familiar with when they think of Chicago. One neighborhood that isn’t the most well-known is Bridgeport. For those of you aren’t familiar with Bridgeport, it is a neighborhood directly west of ICO. My first experience in Bridgeport came when I interviewed at ICO in the fall of 2014. My dad came with me to the interview and took me to the classy establishment of Maxwell St

The Northman is located on 4337 N. Lincoln Ave, across from the Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria. It is a tiny place on the corner with a very hipster vibe. The atmosphere was rustic, with old photos and belt-driven fans. The bar is first come, first serve, but they also have booths and high tables. You’ll probably have to put your name down and wait outside. We didn’t end up waiting for long, and we will definitely be going back soon. The Northman is the first cider bar in Chicago, an

Last month I got an email about a race hosted by Women’s Health magazine called Run10 Feed10, an annual run to fight hunger in the U.S. I shared the details with my friend Athkar; both of us love working out and being involved in our community. So even though we only had a few weeks to train, we decided to run our first 10K together. The morning of the race, Oct. 6, it was pouring cats and dogs. After boarding my bus, I made my way north to Lincoln Park and was happy to see c