ICO entering class of Fall 2006

[catzeye523]

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Hey guys, I just found out yesturday that I was accepted to ICO! I just want to start a thread of people who are going to ICO, and maybe give some kind of profile of yourself.

My name is Cathy, and I just graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago this December with a degree in Biological Sciences and a secondary major in Psychology. I'm just relaxing for now because I took the OAT the beginning of this month. I'll probably get some kind of temporary job to hold me over until classes start in August. I plan on living in the dorms for the first year just so I can get to know some of my fellow classmates =). Anyone else from the Chicagoland area? If not, welcome!

 

[rpames]

Congratulation! I'll be a 4th year when you start this fall so we probably won't see each other much, but contact me if you have any questions anyway.

Good luck!

 

[s720]

Congratulation! I'll be a 4th year when you start this fall so we probably won't see each other much, but contact me if you have any questions anyway.

Good luck!

rpames, since you are in your 4th year at ICO and my wife will attend her first year this coming Fall, please let me, her husband, know how hectic her school schedule is going to be in her first year. I guess once she starts her classes in Fall, I will be Mr. Mom to our two young daughters! :=)

Thank you.

 

[rpames]

1st year is pretty rough. Once tests start, about the 3 wk of classes, it will be pretty busy for her. In the first quarter there are almost 3 test every week plus lots of labs, class, and homework. You will have to be very patient and understanding of your wife. The first two years will be pretty stressful. My wife and I got thru it without a problem b/c she knew school was the number one priority...for a short time. Don't get me wrong, I put her first as much as possible, but when test time came, my baby was the books. She knew that and brought me things to drink, kept the TV low, and stood back when I screamed about a low grade.

I know some students who have had a rough time b/c their significant other would make them feel bad for spending time at school/studying. By you being on this board I can tell you won't be one of those spouses. But, when you wife comes home from a long day and hits the books right away, be understanding. School will take a lot of her effort, so please don't add more stress to it by asking more out of her than she can give you. After just 4 short years she will be a very nice position. Optometry yields a very comfortable life style and she will make up for it then.

Good luck

 

[s720]

1st year is pretty rough. Once tests start, about the 3 wk of classes, it will be pretty busy for her. In the first quarter there are almost 3 test every week plus lots of labs, class, and homework. You will have to be very patient and understanding of your wife. The first two years will be pretty stressful. My wife and I got thru it without a problem b/c she knew school was the number one priority...for a short time. Don't get me wrong, I put her first as much as possible, but when test time came, my baby was the books. She knew that and brought me things to drink, kept the TV low, and stood back when I screamed about a low grade.

I know some students who have had a rough time b/c their significant other would make them feel bad for spending time at school/studying. By you being on this board I can tell you won't be one of those spouses. But, when you wife comes home from a long day and hits the books right away, be understanding. School will take a lot of her effort, so please don't add more stress to it by asking more out of her than she can give you. After just 4 short years she will be a very nice position. Optometry yields a very comfortable life style and she will make up for it then.

Good luck

rpames, thank you so much for sharing your experience with me. I certainly will try to be as much understanding and patient as I possibly can. Let's hope these next four years will go by FAST. :=)

 

[rpames]

rpames, thank you so much for sharing your experience with me. I certainly will try to be as much understanding and patient as I possibly can. Let's hope these next four years will go by FAST. :=)

While in first year, you probably would say the quarter is taking forever, but when it is done you think it flew by. Now that I'm about to enter 4th year, I can't believe it is here. These last years have gone by very quickly. It will be done before you know it.

 

[ericlemonster]

Still on the SCCO waiting list, but I'm sending my ICO deposit tomorrow! Excited & scared!

 

[catzeye523]

While in first year, you probably would say the quarter is taking forever, but when it is done you think it flew by. Now that I'm about to enter 4th year, I can't believe it is here. These last years have gone by very quickly. It will be done before you know it.

rpames,

Could you describe what each year is like at ICO? When do you start seeing patients? What did you do during orientation? (if you can remember!) Did you live in the Residential Complex?

Give me whatever details you'd like to share!

 

[sethuel1]

has anyone gotten anything from ICO in, say, the last 3 weeks or so? Any financial aid information?

 

[catzeye523]

has anyone gotten anything from ICO in, say, the last 3 weeks or so? Any financial aid information?

I haven't gotten a thing. All I did was submit my FAFSA since that's what they informed us to do on the interview day.

Aside from the letter saying that they received my deposit, I haven't gotten anything else from ICO, which worried me a bit. You're not alone!

 

[eggman20]

Perhaps contacting ICO student affairs or the financial aid office might ease some worries:

-Student affairs: (312) 949 7401
-Financial aid office: (312) 949 7441

 

[canshman]

I got something in the mail a couple of weeks ago from ICO asking me to send some additional documents for my financial aid. So they're obviously processing stuff...

Perhaps contacting ICO student affairs or the financial aid office might ease some worries:

-Student affairs: (312) 949 7401
-Financial aid office: (312) 949 7441

 

[catzeye523]

ICO just sent me an email to a link for the entering class with all kinds of information dealing with financial aid, the residential complex, meal plans, etc. It's not as informative as I would like it to be since some of it just says to call a certain number for more information. There's also a forum for the entering class, but it looks like they created this site literally yesturday. Just thought I'd give you all a heads up.

 

[in_translation]

Another ICO FA update -
Award letters got printed, but they have a mistake in them (columns didn't line up right, so they were hard to understand). They're being re-printed and then mailed fairly soon. Keep an eye on your mailbox!

 

[in_translation]

Another ICO FA update -
Award letters got printed, but they have a mistake in them (columns didn't line up right, so they were hard to understand). They're being re-printed and then mailed fairly soon. Keep an eye on your mailbox!

Got my award letter in the mail today! They detail your award by quarter and then you can tell them which parts, if not all of them, you want to accept.

 

[rpames]

I'm going to give some unsolicited advice, so ignore it if you would like.

Truly determine how much money you will need to live on, don't just take it all b/c it is easy. No matter what the interest rate, you still have to pay it all back. You may want to call the financial aid department and ask them how much it will be a month after you graduate if you take FULL loans. I know some people that will be paying over $1000/month. That is almost a $200,000 mortgage, and back home that is a really nice house (not LA, NY, or Chicago). That is a hell of a dent in your income if you are trying to buy a house, new car (which I also discourage), or maybe even start/buy a practice. The less you take now, the more money you will have when you really needed. Some will argue that they can take the money and then invest it and make more than what they are paying in interest...that is a pretty risky game. Besides, NO ONE ACTUALLY DOES IT!!! They take it out and then it just sits in the bank and they never get around to putting it in the right investments.

I will quote Dave Ramsey, "Live like no one else, so later, you can live like no one else." That means: live conservatively now so later we can buy a yacht!

Sorry for the lecture, but I just want people to think about it.

 

[in_translation]

For the current ICO students, I have a few questions:
--What sort of benefits do you get in terms of optometric care as a student at ICO? Do you get discounts on glasses/exams/contacts?
--Can you list some of the texts you used in your first year (or at least perhaps the one or two you have kept or found most useful)?
Thanks! 🙂

 

[jefguth]

optometric benefits: free exams, 40% off glasses+lenses, ~$20 for a year supply of contacts (somtimes you can them entirely for free if you sit for a fitting done as part of a workshop). These benefits are also available to immediate family members.

For the most part you can get away without buying many new texts. I can't think of one i've bought this year. You can survive for the most part with your books from undergrad. You'll probably want to bring along a good physiology text, and if you have it already Wheaters Functional Histology is proably good to have, I'd suggest buying Wheaters if you don't already have it. The anatomy professor strongly recommends Netter's, but i barely used it.

Good Luck

 

[PMG]

I will quote Dave Ramsey, "Live like no one else, so later, you can live like no one else." That means: live conservatively now so later we can buy a yacht!

Nice one; how do you like mine:
For a few years live like not many would, so for the rest of your life you can live like not many can.

Hey ryan have any ideas when the loan checks for the 4th yrs are coming?