- Aug 1, 2022
My Farewell to Chicago
Wow. I really cannot believe it. I really cannot believe it, and I'm not trying to sound hyperbolic. I still can't believe that after all...
- Jul 29, 2022
Alcon Academy for Eye Care Excellence
This year, I had the incredible opportunity of traveling to Fort Worth, TX to attend the Alcon Academy for Eye Care Excellence. Every...
- Sep 27, 2021
Over 2,000 People Helped in St.Lucia
This August, a group of us traveled to St. Lucia on a SVOSH (Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity) humanitarian trip....
- Sep 22, 2021
A Glimpse into Externship Selections
The time has come for us third year students to choose our externship sites for fourth year! Fourth year education at ICO consists of...
- Aug 18, 2021
Dear Class of 2025
We are continuing with our tradition of writing a few quick words of advice for incoming students. After having been through a year at...
- Aug 17, 2020
"Truly Blessed"
I’ve been fortunate to use this blog as a platform to spotlight individuals at ICO who have inspired me in some way and who have...
- Aug 3, 2020
My Last Summer Break Amidst COVID-19
Soon after I started my first year at ICO, I started to look forward to my last summer break which would take place between my first and...
- Jun 22, 2020
Reflections on 2020
Preparing for the big move to Chicago a year ago, I had no idea I would finish my first year of optometry school in my house in the midst...
- Jun 16, 2020
Guide to RC Essentials
Last year, around this time, I was putting together a list of items I would need for the move to the Residential Complex (RC). The RC is...
- Jun 16, 2020
A Comprehensive List of School Supplies
When entering graduate school, you may be wondering what supplies you will be needing and how similar it is to undergrad. Here at ICO,...
- May 16, 2020
Perspectives on Learning to Embrace Change
First and foremost, congratulations to all my colleagues at ICO. We've made it through another year! It wasn't easy given the added...
- Apr 27, 2020
Redefining Insta “Eye” Accounts
This past week, I had the opportunity to sit down with ICO’s very own “@_eyedealistic,” a.k.a. Jackie Nguyen. Jackie is a second-year...
- Mar 5, 2020
Grosse Point Lighthouse
While this winter in Chicago has been relatively mild, I'm sooo ready for it to be over. More often than not, I find myself daydreaming...
- Feb 26, 2020
From Exams to Jams
I pressed “submit” on my screen and let out one big breath. That had been the final exam for my winter quarter of first year. I couldn’t...
- Feb 18, 2020
My Tips for Effective Studying at ICO
One main thing I’ve learned over the course of the past two quarters is that not all subjects require you to study for them in the same...
- Jan 31, 2020
"1 or 2?" Developing Clinical Skills at ICO
This past month, we got introduced to the skill of refraction, a big component of an optometrist’s job! I was extremely excited to learn...
- Dec 19, 2019
'Twas the Night before Boards...
Nerves were running high as I was trying to get some sleep the night before taking NBEO Part 3 on Wednesday (and NBEO Part 2 a few weeks...
- Dec 17, 2019
Bobby's Declassified Optometry School Survival Guide
As Winter Quarter at ICO neared, I couldn't help but think about how time had flown- through Orientation week, the whole Fall quarter and...
- Nov 11, 2019
Resilience
This month, resilience was a recurrent theme that kept emerging from different people and situations at ICO. Resilience is defined as the...
- Oct 3, 2019
Preparing for NBEO Part 2
Fourth year at ICO has been a whirlwind so far! It feels like it has been progressing slowly, but going quickly at the same time, if that...
- Sep 27, 2019
Halfway through First Quarter at ICO!
I am now almost half-way through my first quarter here at ICO and it has felt like a roller coaster with many highs and lows. The first...
- Sep 13, 2019
6 Things I've Learned in My First 5 Weeks as an Optometry Student
Five weeks of optometry school down! That means fall quarter is already halfway over. I've taken my first exams for each of my classes,...
- Sep 3, 2019
ICO Interview Day: What to Expect
With the start of optometry school interview season, I thought I would write a post on what my Interview Day experience was like at ICO....
- Aug 26, 2019
Dear Class of 2023,
It has been a year since my world turned upside down when I made the big move to Chicago. Starting optometry school has brought with it a...
- Aug 20, 2019
My First Nights in the RC
When I began touring optometry schools, I was adamant that I did NOT want to live on campus through professional school. I lived in the...
- Aug 16, 2019
ICO Orientation Week 2019
I cannot believe that ICO Orientation week is over and that school has already started! It feels like it was just yesterday that I had...
- Aug 8, 2019
Cheers to New Beginnings!
As I start my first week of optometry school, I can’t explain the range of mixed emotions I am feeling. As excited as I am to begin this...
- Aug 6, 2019
Tackling the OAT
This exact time last year was extremely stressful and challenging. Alongside working a full-time job and studying for the OAT, I was also...
- Aug 2, 2019
A Pre-Optometry Student Guide
Once you decide on optometry as your future career, you may start to wonder, “What are my next steps? How can I prepare myself to become...
- Jul 30, 2019
Applying for Optometry School: My Steps and Mis-steps
As I prepare for my first year at ICO, I’ve been reflecting a lot on how I got here. About a year before I began applying to optometry...
- Jul 23, 2019
Starting Over at ICO
I’m two months into my summer break, and it still has yet to hit me: I actually finished my first year of optometry school. At times, it...
- Jul 19, 2019
Tips for Moving to Chicago with Dogs
I knew wherever I was going to optometry school, my dogs Zeb(3) and Tulip(2) were coming along for the ride. So, I took them into...
- Jul 3, 2019
This One is For You, Mama
One of the reasons I chose optometry, among many, is something my mom told me when I was in elementary school. She said to me, “I want...
- May 21, 2019
Welcome to my room in the RC!
A graduate school dorm is an interesting concept. Anytime I tell someone about my living situation, they usually have a long list of...
- May 16, 2019
Fourth to First Year- Looking Back
To tell you the truth, these past four years have been some of the most challenging in my entire life. Filled with many late nights,...
- May 10, 2019
Making Money During Optometry School
During optometry school, I mostly have had to live off of my student loans. This money allows me to eat, pay rent, and get to ICO- you...
- May 6, 2019
Considering Residency?
It is my final year of optometry school and I’m a few short weeks away from graduation- pretty exciting! Many of my classmates are now...
- Apr 23, 2019
Get Out Of Your Head
In this perplexing journey that we call life, it’s easy to get wrapped up in our own endeavors, sometimes to a point of detriment. When...
- Apr 16, 2019
ICO SPOTLIGHT: Get to Know SJ Lee!
“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...
- Apr 9, 2019
I’ve Been Missing the Point
Does this sound familiar? You have to get good grades in high school so you can go to a good college. Then, you have to get good grades...
- Mar 27, 2019
Optometry School: Where is Right for Me?
Thinking about applying to optometry school? Already applied and trying to make your final decision about where to go? It can definitely...
- Mar 15, 2019
The Burger Point: ICO Student Review
Do you like good burgers? Do you also like a small distance separating you from said burgers? Well, then do I have good news for you,...
- Mar 12, 2019
Take Advantage of Break Week
What I have learned during my fourth year, while rotating with students from other optometry schools, is that ICO is one of the few...
- Mar 5, 2019
“Mind the Gap”
When I began my applications to optometry school, I had concerns about the gap years I took between my undergraduate education and what...
- Feb 26, 2019
ICO SPOTLIGHT: “Work Hard, Stay Humble”
I love being an ICO blogger for many reasons. One of the biggest privileges has been the unexpected recognition and ice breaking ability...
- Feb 8, 2019
Stuck In a Rut?
Optometry school isn’t always just learning about eyeballs. It’s about learning how to deal with the ups and downs life gives you along...
- Feb 1, 2019
Lists and Lists
Before I moved to Chicago, I made lists and lists of things I would need to survive my move to a new city. My lists were varied and, to...
- Jan 25, 2019
An ICO Student’s Review of Bottom Lounge
I’ve returned with another venue review for all my music lovers! This time, I’m taking a trip over to Bottom Lounge, a smaller locale...
- Jan 18, 2019
One quarter down…
The first quarter of optometry school is definitely an experience I don’t think I will ever forget. It was a mix of every emotion you can...
