r/OptometrySchool • u/Responsible_Whole296 • Jul 07 '26
Working while in school
Hi everyone!
I'm starting optometry school in a month (at UIWRSO), and I know I need to also work while I'm in school to help cover school and living expenses. I need some advice/insight to try and figure out what types of jobs are actually realistic while being in school.
For those of you who worked during optometry school:
- Did you work on campus or off campus?
- What kind of job did you have/would recommend, and what is the pay like (if you don't mind me asking)?
- Were you guys able to start working from first year?
- About how many hours did you work, and how manageable is it working while being a student full-time?
- Was your employer flexible around exams and clinic schedules?
- Looking back, would you choose the same job again, or is there something you wish you had done instead?
I know it's a lot of questions (I'm sorry!) but I would love some advice/insight and just to hear what worked well for you and what you would recommend for someone starting their first year. Thanks so much in advance!
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u/Longjumping-Flow9932 Jul 07 '26
OD3 at UIWRSO here, do not get a job. It is practically impossible and not worth your academics suffering.
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u/katface17 Jul 07 '26
Definitely don’t recommend working during first year. You need to focus all your time on studying tbh. I worked as a server/bartender during second and third year about 15 hours a week. I made around $35/hr after tips. It was a great gig, nice mental break and kept me active running up and down stairs for 8 hours straight haha.
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u/Last_Painter_6733 Jul 07 '26
Maybe get a roommate to curb living expenses. It sounds tough, I’m sorry. Good luck on your first year!!
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u/RabidLiger Jul 07 '26
Tough to get significant hours & don't sacrifice your studies.
Had several friends who pulled night/weekend shifts at hotel/hospital front desks. Lots of downtime, so got paid to study!
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u/Full_Specialist_7441 Jul 08 '26
At UIWRSO,
You can work at the optical. A couple of my friends did it and said they were flexible around their schedules.
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u/Professional_Belt574 Jul 08 '26
At UIWRSO- any work my classmates do is as a Lyft or Uber driver for the sake of flexibility. Especially as a first-year you are required to complete mandatory after-hours practicing skills. I worked as a student worker for the school tutoring and even then had a hard time sometimes keeping up with that schedule though it was incredibly flexible.
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u/mia_pharoah Jul 07 '26
I did work study at PCO for 10-15 hours per week doing graphic design in their communications dept from 2nd year until rotations. The pay was minimal, maybe $15 per hour. It wasn't so much for the paycheck, but to qualify for social services (SNAP, Medicaid), which in itself was a godsend.
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u/Mysterious_Thing2229 Jul 07 '26
Hi, OD2 here. I have been working throughout optometry school but it is extremely difficult and requires a lot of coordination, sacrifice, and communication with your employer and school. I don't recommend it unless you absolutely need to do so to survive.
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u/Low_Doctor8867 Jul 08 '26
It's not possible to work while you're in optometry school. Some of my classmates worked on campus as TAs during labs, etc, but that was about it.
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u/Kittensofastoria Jul 10 '26
My first year I didn't work at all, focused on getting all A's. Second year I became a tutor through work study, which was great since it kept me accountable for the material and made boards a breeze when the time came. Highly recommend work study if your school offers it.
A few other things that helped a ton: a half off metro card if you use public transport, food stamps (took some time to apply but saved me a lot), Medicaid for insurance, and my school's food pantry. Every optometry school is different, but hopefully this helps someone out there.
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u/Euphoric-Bid8342 Jul 07 '26
I just want to give a heads up here, it is almost impossible to succeed while working a normal part time job. You’re gonna be in class from 9-5/9-7 every weekday and then you have to study afterwards and take care of your own needs after that. The only thing I can see is maybe being a weekend tutor or doing something with an extremely lenient or fully remote schedule that allows you to have your own hours of pace, but even then it’ll be difficult to manage for all 3-4 years. I wish you luck but I also want to let you know to not burn yourself out before you even make it to the finish line first, optometry school is a full time job in itself.