Congratulations Class of 2025! Welcome to MBKU! This is an amazing accomplishment and you should be proud of yourself! We are proud of you!
The pre-grad school jitters are slowly setting in and you might be shopping for school supplies now. There are lots of options available and it can be difficult to decide on what you actually need. What can you buy that will be worth your money while in grad school? What works for me might not work for you and it will take some time and energy to decide on the items that benefit you. The things I can’t live without in optometry school meet two criteria - is it convenient and does it benefit me? Here’s what I’ve concluded one year into grad school!
A short video for your entertainment :)
Earphones or Headphones
- Water Bottle (i.e. hydroflask)
- Hydration!! Your body needs water and with all the instructions and education you’ll be giving patients, it is important to be quenched and hydrated. There are various water stations located around campus, so your glass will always be full! A portable water bottle is great to have and I like hydroflasks because of its insulation.
- Equipment Label Stickers
- Mine are from a dear friend and classmate! You can find her on instagram and etsy @jylingdesigns. You and everyone else have the same equipment that you’ll be using at the same time. It’s unfortunate when you lose equipment (it can get pricey to replace) or when you don’t know which item belongs to you versus your classmate. Label your equipment early. Don’t wait until you lose something to do it. AOSA also provides labels for purchase at the beginning of the year.
- Comfortable Scrubs
- SCCO Optometry students’ scrub color is navy blue to distinguish between the multiple programs here at MBKU. I have a pair of FIGS and Mediclo - both of which make me feel confident. Finding a pair of scrubs that is not only comfortable, but also makes you feel good only benefits you during proficiencies and when you see patients.
- If scrubs don’t do it for you, have a go-to clinic attire outfit! Everyone feels nervous before proficiencies and seeing patients. For me, feeling good in my outfit is one less thing for me to worry about! It’s professional and mentally hypes me up to do my best because I know I’m looking and feeling good!
- External Monitor for Dual Monitor Usage
- This is one of the best investments I’ve made in my academic career! Having a second monitor has allowed me to watch lectures on a bigger screen, take notes while in a zoom meeting without minimizing tabs, and increase my productivity. I love being able to watch lectures on one monitor and take notes on the other. The most healthy and beneficial aspect of having a second monitor is that my neck does not strain looking down at an angle anymore. I’ve been able to improve my posture with a second monitor and as we get older, my health and body have become more of a priority.
- OPTIONAL but highly recommend an external keyboard and an ergonomic mouse as well! Again, it increases my productivity and efficiency without putting strain on my body. No carpal tunnel or early arthritis here please!
- Earphones or Headphones
- Pretty self explanatory. They are a must have to isolate yourself from the world so you can focus on your studies.
- Chrome Extension: Video Speed Controller
- When you watch lecture videos on Moodle, they only have 0.5x, 1x, 1.4x, 1.6x, and 2x speed options available. With this chrome extension, the keyboard shortcuts allow you to have whatever speed works for you, as well as 10 second jumps forward or backwards. This has been my lecture watching best friend. I love being able to customize the speed and tailoring it to each professor. If I miss something, I don’t have to back track on the timeline with my mouse.
- Website: Online2PDF
- Instructors will normally upload their lectures as 1 slide/page. Since SCCO students will be receiving iPads from the school, I highly recommend this website to customize each lecture PDF to your liking. Not only can you change how many slides/page you want, you can also adjust the margins so you can have more note taking space. I prefer my lectures to be 2 slides/page because the total number of pages cuts down by half (which tricks my mind into thinking I have less slides to go through) and there’s more writing space when compared to 1 slide/page.
- Honorable Mentions: My friends and family!
- I would not be able to get through grad school without the never ending support and love from my partner, friends, and family. They are my rock and my ultimate support system. Grad school is tough and I’m glad I never feel alone in the process. They remind me that I can absolutely do this despite the challenges and late nights.
Adjusting to grad school will take some time and hopefully there are some items that will make your life a little bit easier. Investing in yourself and your studies will ultimately benefit you by helping with efficiency and productivity. It all depends on what works for you! Everyone’s needs are different, but this is your journey. Good luck and CONGRATULATIONS!!