Frusterated Student.

[geronamo26]

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I really really want to be an Optometrist. I graduated with an undergraduate degree in music and now I am switching careers. I took a lot of the general education requirements at a four year college, but none of the biological science classes. I plan on taking them during the next year and a half. I will be 30 by the time I am able to get into Optometry school. I just get a little frusterated when I hear colleges frown on community colleges. I have loans to pay back and dont make much money. I just wish some Optometry colleges could understand that not everyone has the money to go back to a four year college and take more classes. If I dont get into Optometry school just because I took my pre reqs at a community college, I dont know what I am going to do!! Is there anyone else out there in the same position? I could understand not being able to get into medical school with community college courses, but Optometry school is NOT medical school! Being a minority, I dont understand why some colleges say they want more diversity in their schools, but yet they make it even harder for people who are already trying to do their best to be eligible.

 

[basupran]

Not sur which state you're in, but CUNY (City University of NY) is quite affordable.

 

[KHE]

I really really want to be an Optometrist. I graduated with an undergraduate degree in music and now I am switching careers. I took a lot of the general education requirements at a four year college, but none of the biological science classes. I plan on taking them during the next year and a half. I will be 30 by the time I am able to get into Optometry school. I just get a little frusterated when I hear colleges frown on community colleges. I have loans to pay back and dont make much money. I just wish some Optometry colleges could understand that not everyone has the money to go back to a four year college and take more classes. If I dont get into Optometry school just because I took my pre reqs at a community college, I dont know what I am going to do!! Is there anyone else out there in the same position? I could understand not being able to get into medical school with community college courses, but Optometry school is NOT medical school! Being a minority, I dont understand why some colleges say they want more diversity in their schools, but yet they make it even harder for people who are already trying to do their best to be eligible.

How much do you still owe in student loans?

 

[kiwi5frog]

the CC question is repeated A LOT.

the attitude towards CC varies from school to school. SCCO is one of those schools who says it's all the same and they fully support CC because of cheaper prices and smaller class size. other schools like western are very clear: they dont like CC and WILL rank a CC student lower than university student granted ALL other factors equate.

So, call up your school of choice and find out. 🙂

 

[DrSpontaneouz83]

I think your best bet would be doing a 1 or 2 year Post-Bacc program, depending on the flexibility of your schedule. This degree is mainly intended for working adults and offer night courses at the university level.

Though optometry school is not "medical school" it is definitely not a walk in the park. First year of optometry school is very tough and it only continues to get harder with each progressing semester. If you look up the attrtition rates for almost every optometry school, it shows that their "qualified students" with science degrees unforuntately did not make it (though some are related to personal reasons, etc). Long story short, schools are going to frown upon CC courses because in their opinion they are not as intense as a university level course. IMO and experience, I agree with them because I did my first 2 years at a CC and transferred to a 4 year university, in which I only did well because I definitely studied a lot harder than at the CC.

There is a good amount of "qualified minority" students applying into optometry schools every year..so I would not rely on that as a crutch for acceptance. As a minority student myself, you just have to bite the bullet and work hard (albeit taking out another loan) to show you are a qualified candidate. As someone that didn't "cut it" my first year in one of the optometry schools for personal reasons, I was given an opportunity to prove myself at IAUPR. I just finished my first year there and have enjoyed the entire experience...granted I walked in there expecting the worst. I studied my butt off, finished top of my class, won $5000 in scholarship money, and a free trip to the AOA convention in FL this June after winning a school essay contest. Not to mention that during my year after getting the boot, I met the love of my life when I moved back home and we are now happily living in PR. (Sorry to ramble on LOL). Back to the point..so if you really want a chance at being an OD, do what you have to do to be one. I am a true believer that things happen in life for a reason.

Best of luck and don't lose hope!

 

[optojake]

i went to a CC for 2 years and then transferred to a 4-year. i applied to SCO, PCO, IU, UH, and NOVA and not one of them made a big deal about it. just be ready to explain yourself and take pride for going to a CC. don't sit in the chair in front of the interviewer and be afraid that they are going to say something about your CC. be up front and confident. but first, make sure you research optometry before making that leap. shadow someone (which you'll need to do anyways to get in). if you find that you still like it and want to pursue it, get ready for some hard, deep science. and good luck! wish you the best.

 

[kiwi5frog]

ah. to chime in a bit more, i got my psychology degree from UC San Diego (in 3 years before i turned 21 too!). I took some of the core science courses there and also at cc. I do like CC, sometimes it feels like they are spoon feeding you, but at the same time, i appreciate the patience of the teachers and how they are more approachable. The small class size is also great so you can ask questions and not feel like you are slowing down 300 other people sitting in class.

and good job optojake! every time i hear cc students getting in, a bit of sun shines a bit more for me. hehe.

and lastly, although i wont be as, well, direct as fonziefonz...they make a very good point about the rigor. Do take a look at just first year of opto school alone. It's a real trial by fire where you are taking 8 or 9 classes at once. that's 9 finals in a week. i remember taking 5 classes in undergrad in the quarter style system (10 weeks) and remember having to make a lot of shortcuts due to that darn thing called "24 hours in 1 day".

Good luck with everything.

 

[funkadelic1]

Berkeley is cool with CC

I really really want to be an Optometrist. I graduated with an undergraduate degree in music and now I am switching careers. I took a lot of the general education requirements at a four year college, but none of the biological science classes. I plan on taking them during the next year and a half. I will be 30 by the time I am able to get into Optometry school. I just get a little frusterated when I hear colleges frown on community colleges. I have loans to pay back and dont make much money. I just wish some Optometry colleges could understand that not everyone has the money to go back to a four year college and take more classes. If I dont get into Optometry school just because I took my pre reqs at a community college, I dont know what I am going to do!! Is there anyone else out there in the same position? I could understand not being able to get into medical school with community college courses, but Optometry school is NOT medical school! Being a minority, I dont understand why some colleges say they want more diversity in their schools, but yet they make it even harder for people who are already trying to do their best to be eligible.

 

[al074755]

I really really want to be an Optometrist. I graduated with an undergraduate degree in music and now I am switching careers. I took a lot of the general education requirements at a four year college, but none of the biological science classes. I plan on taking them during the next year and a half. I will be 30 by the time I am able to get into Optometry school. I just get a little frusterated when I hear colleges frown on community colleges. I have loans to pay back and dont make much money. I just wish some Optometry colleges could understand that not everyone has the money to go back to a four year college and take more classes. If I dont get into Optometry school just because I took my pre reqs at a community college, I dont know what I am going to do!! Is there anyone else out there in the same position? I could understand not being able to get into medical school with community college courses, but Optometry school is NOT medical school! Being a minority, I dont understand why some colleges say they want more diversity in their schools, but yet they make it even harder for people who are already trying to do their best to be eligible.

Most loans can be deferred if you are enrolled in school at least half time...check into it.

Also, the pre-req classes are suppose to prepare you for the rigorous course load of optometry school. I have taken most of my pre-req at a senior college and one at a cc, and the one at a cc was significantly easier. Although, it might be more expensive now, it will definitely pay off in the long run to take most of the pre-req at a 4 year. I don't think the 'minority card' needs to be pulled out here. AND I know someone is going to disagree with me but I think everyone should be treated equally regardless of their academic or financial background.

If Optometry school is your dream, then you can make anything possible!

 

[Princeod2583]

If it is tough for you to afford classes, but you have loans that are available, take the loans. Obviously if you can get credit for taking pre-reqs at a community college, take them there because they would cost less of course. But don't let these costs scare you. The simple fact of the matter is, optometry school itself is expensive. You are going to be in debt, quite possibly for a long long time, if not the rest of your life. This should not scare you. Why you ask? Because if optometry is what you love to do, and you are willing to work your butt off for it, the debt won't matter to you. You will love going to work, love seeing patients and love your profession. Is it a perfect profession? heck no. Can the debt be stressful? definitely. But not many medical professions offer a job where u are able to work 9-5 and leave your worries at the office.
Just make sure it is what you love to do. If you have already answered that, then do everything it takes to get in, you won't regret it when you're finished. And being 30 when you graduate is not a huge issue. Opto schools usually like candidates who are mature and have a good work ethic. Keep your head up, work hard, and your dreams will come to you 😉

 

[lauraashley]

I understand where you're coming from, but optometry school is not cheap either. I graduated from a CC before I graduated high school doing a program called post-secondary enrollment option. The quality of education I received at the CC was NOWHERE near the quality of education I am receiving currently at a well known 4 year institute. While this is obviously not the case for every CC, I encourage you to take advantage of student loans at a 4 year institute. If you don't have that solid background of sciences for opt school, you most likely won't do as well.

 

[cjensen20]

there is a guy in my class who is in, i would guess, in his 'golden years'

if he can do it, you can.

he's got an interesting insight....when I asked him why he was going to school he replied (paraphrasing):

I met a man once, when I was younger who was getting close to 60, and he was at a crossroads in his life...his career had just failed him, or he was going no where in it...he was talking to another man..and I over heard.
he mentioned that he had started medical school when he was younger and was wondering if he should go back..if it was worth the trouble. My classmate jumped in innocently...well in 4 yrs, youre going to be 60 no matter what right?!? the man agreed
well, would you rather be the same as you are now at 60 or be a doctor?

now my classmate was at a similar crossroads and decided hed rather be a doctor...and fulfil his life-long dream

30 is not so old...trust me

 

[EmDeeDream]

I really really want to be an Optometrist. I graduated with an undergraduate degree in music and now I am switching careers. I took a lot of the general education requirements at a four year college, but none of the biological science classes. I plan on taking them during the next year and a half. I will be 30 by the time I am able to get into Optometry school. I just get a little frusterated when I hear colleges frown on community colleges. I have loans to pay back and dont make much money. I just wish some Optometry colleges could understand that not everyone has the money to go back to a four year college and take more classes. If I dont get into Optometry school just because I took my pre reqs at a community college, I dont know what I am going to do!! Is there anyone else out there in the same position? I could understand not being able to get into medical school with community college courses, but Optometry school is NOT medical school! Being a minority, I dont understand why some colleges say they want more diversity in their schools, but yet they make it even harder for people who are already trying to do their best to be eligible.

I had passion in both music and science since a very young age (music started at 4 and science started middle school). I was determined to go into medicine so what I did was double major in music performance and biological sciences. Now I look back the craziness of the double majoring hindered my potential in both fields and wish that I had just majored in music and then go on to take just pre-req's for a professional school. Now that I know that 3.4 GPA of mine is in a borderline-too-low for several medical schools, I have been introduced to the options of Optometry just because of the mere reality that 3.4 GPA is not TOO bad for Opto-schools. I LOVE IT. I have gone through so many students in my music teaching career that are affected because they couldn't see as well and benefited so much by simply visiting an optometrist and saw first hand how admirable this profession is and am very happy to be switching from pre-med (which was rather a default decision for me than anything since I didn't know I could choose optometry)

With that said, I am just trying to tell you what kind of great situation you are in. They will love that you have musical background. CC classes will be okay with some schools but you HAVE TO MAKE SURE TO GET ALL A's since they know that it is at least a bit easier!! Not that that is not important with a 4-year schools. Nothing against CC's and this might depend largely on which CC you are talking about, but I would look into how you can fund yourself to go to a 4-year inst. As far as when I talked to ICO, it is recommended that pre-req's are done in 4-year school. What I did to boost up my Science GPA before application was to enter Master's program in Music and used the left over loan money to pay for science courses and worked to support myself. It was a lot of work but my interviewer was very impressed that I was able to do that. I am not saying that I suggest you do exactly that but DO WHATEVER IT TAKES! then it will pay off.

Good Luck!!