The Illinois College of Optometry Student Blog

“And now, here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” – The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery SJ is a first-year student here at ICO and such a hard worker. SJ came to the United States in 2006 from South Korea. Even though she moved around the country a lot thereafter, she calls Atlanta, Georgia home. Coming from a background of business, she discovered her love for optometry b

When I began my applications to optometry school, I had concerns about the gap years I took between my undergraduate education and what would be the start of optometry school. Some of my apprehensions have been valid, while others haven’t affected me in the slightest. One of my fears was that I would feel an age gap between myself and my fellow classmates. Thankfully, this has not been a concern to me after starting at ICO. Not only are there many students in my shoes, but th

I love being an ICO blogger for many reasons. One of the biggest privileges has been the unexpected recognition and ice breaking ability to kindle new relationships throughout the college. I wanted to share this benefit with the rest of the community in hopes of bringing our ICO family even closer. Thus came the idea for “ICO SPOTLIGHT.” These ICO SPOTLIGHT entries will give an opportunity for students, faculty members, and professors who volunteer to share a little bit about

“The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” As I began optometry school, one of the biggest stress-inducing factors was the unknown surrounding coursework. How I could be successful in all of my classes right off the bat? I had developed some strong study habits and test-taking skills in undergrad, but was so nervous about how these would translate to tough graduate-level courses. Today, I have three pieces of advice for first-year ICO students on how to alleviate some

Every applicant is asked this question at some point on their optometric journey: “What made you want to go to optometry school?” After a while, the response becomes beautifully rehearsed, without any stumbling or “umm”s. As the application process continues, every applicant hopes that their reason is good enough for the interviewers. Over a recent weekend, I was asked by some prospective students why I wanted to go to optometry school and be an optometrist. I gave them the r