Welcome to MBKU! We are so excited to get to know you!
Like plenty of optometry students, I chose to go directly to grad school after undergrad and this transition was interesting due to various causes. In my experience, I did face some struggles in my transition from my undergraduate education directly into optometry school, however I believe this was the right choice for me.
Summer Between Undergrad and Grad
This is the summer to live it up. Do everything that you want and make everyday count in whatever way that may be. Whether it is planning trips, hanging out with friends and family or even just catching up on some much needed sleep. Take this time to rejuvenate yourself for the new school year ahead. This is the time to organize yourself and mentally prepare yourself for the transition from undergrad to grad school. It is a different mindset that you need to adopt going forward, however taking this time to rest and recover will really help to avoid burnout when starting optometry school.
Avoiding Burnout
Going directly from a lifetime of school into more school may sometimes seem like a recipe for disaster and a straight shot to burnout, however there are many ways to avoid these feelings. There is a winter elective offered at MBKU about avoiding burnout. Through this class I learned a lot of important skills to avoid burnout and cope with anxiety. Acknowledging the signs of burnout such as drastic mood shifts or wanting to quit are important, but after that initial recognition we need to make sure that we take the appropriate steps to allow us to reset. Taking time for self care, whether that be spending time with someone you care about or taking a bath to mentally relieve the stress and anxiety can help an immense amount. Through these acts of self care, we can prepare ourselves to continue our rigorous course load and keep working towards our goals.
Different point in your life
Many of your friends may not be going into a graduate program after undergrad. They may be starting a new job or moving to a new city. On the other hand, we are furthering our education into the field of optometry, PA and pharmacy to become health care professionals. There may be times that we find ourselves comparing our lives being in school, when our friends may be hanging out or doing things that are more fun than studying, but it’s important to validate those feelings and then come back to what matters in our lives currently: school. We chose this profession for a reason and need to remember our goal of becoming excellent health care providers.