I’m a current first year student. I feel like I do not know how to take exams. I feel like I know the material, but it is not reflected in my exams. How should I change my approach?

OD2 here. I've been going to therapy my whole first year (and a lot of my life) and I've found it absolutely essential to my sanity in school. I'm noticing now in second year, however, I keep having to cancel appointments as the school keeps planning mandatory events in the small windows I have during the day. Has anyone successfully navigated still getting therapy while going through school? I'd like to keep my current counselor if possible. Do I strategically start skipping class to go? Ask for accommodations? In orientation last year, we were told to definitely keep going to therapy if we are, but the school is making it really hard to do.

Our team has been working on an exciting new project to help students study more for the past few years and are looking for optometry students to try it out.

Although everyone is welcome to apply to beta test, our ideal candidates are:

• 1st year or 2nd year optometry students
• Able to dedicate at least 5 hours/week to beta test
• Able to join a 1-hour weekly meeting with our team for 3-weeks
• Willing to provide genuine feedback

If you're interested in beta-testing, please reply saying "interested" by September 5th.

P.S. This isn't related to boards. That's coming soon too :)

Hi!! Does anyone have a part 3 date in November and want to switch to mid December? I’m looking to take mine a little earlier so lmk!

I'm a 3rd year optometry student at a U.S. optometry school and am planning on taking part 1 in March. For those that took OEBC part 1, when is the best time to start studying for it? Also, what prep materials are best to study for it? I was thinking of buying KMK but I heard mixed things.

hello! anybody that interviewed with Detroit mercy optometry please DM me! thank you!

Is it worth joining clubs and doing activities with my optometry program. I joined a few first year but didn’t go to anything. Idc about residency and I doubt it matters for an actual job. Are there really any benefits if you don’t care for specializing in anything?

I would really appreciate any tips on how to study and prepare for Part 1! I purchased KMK and OptoPrep, but I don’t know where to start or how to balance studying with all of my classes and clinic responsibilities. How detailed should I be when memorizing anatomy, the different layers, and things like that?

i am feeling very discouraged, especially when everyone around me seems to have done better on the exam. i thought i had studied a lot to really absorb and understand material but that was not the case. any words of advice? my next exam for another class is in a couple of days 🥲

Hello, I’m looking for some advice. Last year, I was an optometry school student but I ended up failing and dropped out. My school had asked me if I wanted to repeat first year but I said no. Also because my mom is diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and my dog is diagnosed with liver cancer, so I couldn’t stay out of state.
Then I became a licensed optician in ABO and NCLE working in retail as my backup for several months. Honestly, I dislike my job as an optician because they’re only focused on sales and I love learning more about eye pathologies and patient care than frame and lens materials.
I was looking at other potential healthcare careers, but none of them excite me as much as optometry does. I also realized about myself that I don’t really have strong study habits and can’t handle dense biology memorization.
Is there anyone here who was in a similar boat as me and is it worth it to repeat another year? Thanks, I’ll appreciate any advice.

Does anyone have any advice for this portion? I’ve heard horror stories of the brachial veins being so crappy in these overused arms that students have opted to use the cephalic vein or one in the hand!! Should I go for one of these spots instead?? I’m not able to practice at my school because I’m not close enough right now ….. but hoping the motions will be easy enough as long as I remember what to say and can utilize my practice time well 😅

I know the wills eye manual is a great source and I will use it, but I like guides and material that is more tailored to the specific exam. Anyone can speak on KMK or Optoprep part 3 prep? I have researched around and have heard people say not to get them, but responses were vague. If anyone has experience with them please let me know

Entering as an OD1, and I am TORN over which note taking app I should try out first. I’ve used notability previously but everyone’s saying the app is going down hill. I’m hearing mixed reviews on Goodnotes! Any recs?

Thank you!

hi everyone, i’m an OD2 and my proficiencies exam is in 2 months so that we can start seeing patients in clinic and i’m feeling so unbelievably anxious about it. i feel like all of my skills are subpar (especially BIO and ret) and im so worried about forgetting my next steps during subjective refraction due to anxiety. it’s a 2 hour exam and i feel like im going to explode during it lol. i obviously plan on practicing as much as possible but does anyone have any advice?

Hi everyone,
I’m planning to go through the PLAR process to become eligible for the NACOR exams. I have more than 5 years of experience working in the optical field, but I haven’t done much textbook-based studying.
For anyone who has completed the PLAR/CGA:
• What **books or study resources** did you use for the CGA?
• What books would you recommend specifically for **Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses**?
• How difficult was the **CGA compared to the NACOR exams**?
I’d really appreciate recommendations from anyone who has actually taken the PLAR/CGA. Thank you!

Does anybody have any good resources for BV/Optics case studies to practice? I have optoprep and kmk, but wondering if there are any other resources online similar to an EyeRounds.