Welcome! Congrats on starting your first year of graduate school!
I am excited to meet all of you and see how you all learn and grow throughout the school year. For some of you, it may be a new city or even state/country you are going to be living in. For some it may be going to school in your backyard if you are from the area. You may come into your first year knowing a few people or may come in not knowing anybody. It can be overwhelming starting at a new school with new faces and a harder course load, but you are not alone. I came into SCCO not knowing anybody and not even knowing Fullerton was a city! School will have its ups and downs but the people you meet along the way make the journey so worth it. With that being said, the best way I was able to meet people like upperclassmen and fellow classmates was by joining clubs like Omega Delta. It can be hard to get to know the upperclassmen since we will have different schedules and busy schedules, but clubs like Omega Delta allow you to talk to your classmates and upperclassmen in a non academic setting. Building these relationships can be vital in helping you get through the tough times of graduate school, people to go out with and study with, and just feeling the sense of family/community at SCCO.
Omega Delta is one of the biggest clubs on campus where optometry students can hang out in social settings, bond with second/third/fourth years, and practice clinical skills at mock proficiencies. As a first year, I was nervous meeting people, afraid of the workload, and just not sure how I would handle grad school. But joining Omega Delta, everyone was so inclusive and made me feel comfortable and welcomed at SCCO. The second years were so willing to give us advice on their first years and what tips they got to help them succeed. The club also has a big/little program where you are able to be paired up with a upperclassmen to build an even closer relationship. The club offers many chances to hang out outside of campus including going out to get food/drinks, field days, holiday parties, mock proficiencies, and so much more. There will be clinical tests for your skills in optometry school called proficiencies, and Omega Delta hosts mock ones where they simulate the real thing with a timer, the same exam room, and proctors. There is so much that Omega Delta and other clubs offer as well to make graduate school a much more fulfilling and rewarding time. I definitely can say that I have a great relationship with many of my second years because of joining clubs and spending time together like going ice skating, eating food, and going to karaoke. I hope to see you all next year. A great way to find me if we don’t see each other on campus is through Omega Delta! I know you all will do well, but my one piece of advice is to definitely put yourself out there and join as many clubs as you can to build relationships and make memories that will last a lifetime. Have a great summer, see you in the Fall!
