The Illinois College of Optometry Student Blog

Things felt different when I finished that last exam. The last exam of first year. We talked about it like it was some kind of rare and exotic animal, and in my opinion, it ended far too soon. My step out of that exam room punctuated the end of the first chapter of my career at ICO. The next 24 hours felt like I was waking up from a dream that was desperately trying to teach me something. Now, I am reminded of the words I wrote those many months ago: “Life is full of things t

Everyone knows that Chicago is all about food. This past year, I have found some new favorite places: Yolk‘s strawberry orange juice! If you love donuts, Firecakes is a must. Make sure to go there when they are serving their ice cream donut sandwiches! If you don’t like donuts, Insomnia Cookies is the next best option, especially if it’s a late night. You can build your own ice cream cookie sandwich. Eataly has everything you would want to eat! The Neapolitan pizza is a great

Where am I going to study? Should I take notes on my computer? Which desk drawer should I put my highlighters in? Do I workout in the morning or at night? OH GOSH, WHICH SEAT DO I WANT? It didn’t occur to me when I decided to go to ICO last fall that I would have to “get the hang of it.” When uprooting your life to come live in a new city, take new classes at a new school with new professors, there is certainly a lot to think about. From the second I moved into the Residentia

What a difference a year makes. First quarter wrapped up a month ago, and I think all my classmates would agree that first quarter of second year is a walk in the park compared to first quarter of first year. Last quarter, as I walked through the library, I noticed first year students hunched over those dreaded Human Anatomy notes, 20 different colors highlighting the hundreds of tiny anatomical parts we needed to memorize. It was a bittersweet moment: I felt the pain of thos

Suddenly, I’m a full-fledged optometry student. We just finished our first two weeks of fall quarter and most of my classmates agree that our lives are a whirlwind of classes, clubs, and even some fun (yes, there is time for that still). Taking six classes (feels like nine if you include labs) is no easy feat, but it’s still so exciting to finally be starting the final leg of my education. As the first weekend started, the class of 2017 was revved up for a little fun after a