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Peer Advisor Blog Posts

Peer advising provides non-academic advice and personal student perspectives about life and learning at MBKU in an informal way to all students in the first academic year. Peer advising is the student complement to academic advising provided by faculty advisors and University Student Affairs. New students will gain informed student perspective that is based on their Peer Advisor’s personal experience within their program, along with formal training.

Peer Advisors are students in the second academic year who are committed to academic excellence and student leadership. They show strong commitment to helping new students make the transition from undergraduates to informed, successful professional students who will be responsible for their academic goals and professional growth.

Peer Advice: How to Maintain Relationships with Your Loved Ones from a Distance

Whether you’re 1 mile or 5,000 miles from home, being in graduate school is a big commitment that requires way too much time and energy.

You may find that it becomes difficult maintaining relationships and close connections with the people around you who aren’t going through the same thing as you.

I am from Hawaii and being so far from my friends and family back home can get difficult at times. The best way that I’ve found to stay connected to my friends and family back home is by scheduling time to catch up.

Scheduled Fun

Peer Advice: Introversion as a Strength in Optometry School

I remember the first day of Optometry school orientation vividly.

I had moved in from out of state, was an unconventional student with many gap years, and I am naturally an introvert. I sat on the concrete seats outside of the Lecture building, picked apart a boxed breakfast, and watched as my classmates talked and laughed. How were they already in groups? How did they already know each other’s names and stories? This appearance of familiarity among my peers fueled my anxiety and made approaching any of these boisterous groups seem impossible.

Peer Advice: What I Would Tell My First-Year Self

Stepping into this next stage of your life may be one of the most life-changing transitions that you will undergo.

You will continuously grow and change as you work towards becoming a healthcare professional. After reflecting on what helped me get through my first year of optometry school, I wanted to share some advice I would give to my first-year self.

1. Practice effectively.

Peer Advice: Importance of Finding Your Own Study Place

Finding out where you are most productive will help you focus on your studies and maximize your learning.  

Once I started graduate school, I learned that it is extremely important to make the most of your study time. It is difficult to keep up with constant exams and proficiencies, however finding a study space where you feel you are the most productive can help a lot. Here are some places that have worked for myself and my classmates!

Cafes/Coffee Shops

Peer Advice: Budget Friendly Hangout Spots

Before I started school, I was always thinking about how I won’t have a life and how I won’t be able to see my friends often.

Attending graduate school is already stressful enough, I am always trying to find things to do that would relieve my stress during the week. Even if it’s just an hour or two, any time that you have that is free should not be put to waste. Do you struggle to find a hangout spot that is within your budget? Are you looking to have fun with your classmates near campus? In order to enjoy school a little more, I found some budget friendly places to hang out at!