Optometric school...q's about everything BUT school.

[Lukas26]

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So this is my first post, and I have alot of questions that are more "social" than educational. My number one concern is this; I am a 26 year old who started his collegiate career late. I started school 2 and a half years ago, and because I work 40-50 hours a week (I run a tool and die shop) I have been taking my time and only taking 12-15 hours a semester. I am married, and my wife and I are expecting our first child in January. Optometry school is probably still another 3-4 years away, but I need to prepare myself now. I'm aware that we will probably have to sell our house, sell at least one vehicle, quit our jobs, and move. I'm ok with this, and I can be prepared for it. My questions are, if I'm not "allowed" to work during school, and I have a family, can my financial aide compensate for that? Can I receive more of a living allowance because I am supporting more than just myself? What do op students do for health insurance (mine is currently through my employer)? For those that are currently in op school, what would you say a regular day is like? Is it a 9-5 day, etc? I don't want to sound like I'm not concerned with the difficulties of op school, but I will be less worried about making the cut than I will be my family. If I prepare us for this now, it won't be so hard when the time comes to make the transition. Any insight or words of wisdom are greatly appreciated.

 

[JMU07]

We have a lot of non-traditional students in our class and most of them have wives who are stay at home moms. Because they're not bringing in income, a lot of them are taking out extra loans. The amount you get is based on your income and how much money you currently have. If you're not working you'll get more. I don't know what they do for health insurance, but most schools offer insurance plans for students. They're ridiculously expensive. My husband and I are uninsured, and we just pay out of pocket for doctor/dentist visits because it's cheaper than my school's plan. I know this isn't really as feasible when you have children, so you might benefit from looking into that. Or you can just go online and search for health plans. And most days are 9-5 days or close to it.

Good luck to you!!

 

[eyegirl23]

NOVA has a 5 year program that stretches out the first two years into three, which would allow you more time with your family, and maybe time to work

 

[Lukas26]

Ok, so I've actually requested information for both SCO (the closest school to me currently) and NOVA (honestly, just because we like the idea of living in Florida the 4-5 years I'll be in school.) I've never lived anywhere but in Bowling Green, KY, so the idea of moving, let alone to a more pedestrian or "city" setting makes me nervous. How well do you like Memphis? Are you from that area? What about Ft. Lauderdale? Once again, I'm not so concerned about me, because I'll be fine, but I want my wife to be comfortable and feel safe wherever we go. I guess I'm just brand new to the idea of living away and her staying at home. How well do you like the schools that you attend? Thank you very much, by the way, for the insight. We'll have to figure something out in regards to insurance before we jump..and change pediatricians. lol.

 

[cde8]

So this is my first post, and I have alot of questions that are more "social" than educational. My number one concern is this; I am a 26 year old who started his collegiate career late. I started school 2 and a half years ago, and because I work 40-50 hours a week (I run a tool and die shop) I have been taking my time and only taking 12-15 hours a semester. I am married, and my wife and I are expecting our first child in January. Optometry school is probably still another 3-4 years away, but I need to prepare myself now. I'm aware that we will probably have to sell our house, sell at least one vehicle, quit our jobs, and move. I'm ok with this, and I can be prepared for it. My questions are, if I'm not "allowed" to work during school, and I have a family, can my financial aide compensate for that? Can I receive more of a living allowance because I am supporting more than just myself? What do op students do for health insurance (mine is currently through my employer)? For those that are currently in op school, what would you say a regular day is like? Is it a 9-5 day, etc? I don't want to sound like I'm not concerned with the difficulties of op school, but I will be less worried about making the cut than I will be my family. If I prepare us for this now, it won't be so hard when the time comes to make the transition. Any insight or words of wisdom are greatly appreciated.

From what I've read, some school have a sort of "part time" program for the first couple of years. Also, a few people I know at OSU and ICO have said that they treat school like it's a job. Doesn't matter when classes are, they simply go in the morning and stay until their classes are done. They study before and after classes and leave at a their own predetermined time. This way you still can go home and not be juggling studying with everything else life throws your way. That is only two schools though.. I don't know students at every school..

 

[Lukas26]

How well do they like OSU? I've not looked at Ohio, but it looks like a really nice school... anyone going to or knows someone that goes to OSU?

 

[cde8]

How well do they like OSU? I've not looked at Ohio, but it looks like a really nice school... anyone going to or knows someone that goes to OSU?

I have a few friends there.. They like it overall. The first year is spent sitting in a classroom in the basement of the optometry building. Your teacher rotate, and you learn science all over again. They've said that the first doesn't even really feel like optometry school. After the first year of complaining, they all fell in love with it. They like their professors, the medical portion of the campus, their clinical experience, and really everything else.

Other than that, it's OSU. If you like living in a city on a big campus, you'll like OSU. If you don't, you'll hate it.

 

[Lukas26]

The problem is, I don't know if I'd like it or not. But it appears that if I want to go to op school, I'm going to have to suck it up and accept the fact that their isn't a program in a small rural community...lol. Just to be blunt, I don't know how comfortable I am with leaving my wife for 8-10 hours a day by herself with a small child in an area that is, for lack of a better word, ghetto. I have very limited experience with a large city, so my ignorance to the lifestyle and culture makes me uncomfortable. As a matter of fact, my experience with large cities would be no further than Nashville and Louisville. I guess I'm just wanting to hear from someone who was in the same boat as myself, and how well they adapted to a new lifestyle. Has anyone moved from a rural setting to a more urban or pedestrian setting? How was the transition? What misconceptions did you have that later turned out to be completely false? I know that my discussion seems to have nothing to do with my education, but at the end of the day, I'm taking care of three instead of just myself, and their well being is my top priority.

 

[Petypet]

Accidentally fell into this thread, but I have many friends in the OSU optometry school here and like what was mentioned, after year 1 it is fantastic. I am here for Grad school, and the OSU area is far from ghetto. Big city feel, for sure, but only the younger undergrads live near campus in the more urban area. Some of the surrounding cities, Grandview (where a lot of professional students live) is very nice and middle class, Bexley, Dublin, Upper Arlington, are all very safe and nearby cities to live in. I personally live in a small community in Bexley and commute 15 minutes to campus, meanwhile I usually (irresponsibly) leave my apartment doors unlocked.

I made the transition from rural to urban, to sort of an extent. You do become more aware of your surroundings when walking around campus, but unless you are walking around at 2 am, alone, the only real difference between Columbus and a smaller town is the traffic. Typical rush hour issue are common, parking is sometimes an issue near campus, but all in all its just moving to a city where there are more people. There is a ton of stuff to do for the entire family, all within a 20 minute drive of campus. I would be more worried about finding a school system suitable for my child, then worrying about the transition between rural or urban. You adapt very quickly, learn to lock doors, double check the car is locked, and to always have a charged cell phone. I've lived in "urban" Columbus for 5 years and I have never been victim of a crime, nor anyone associated with me been burglarized.

Hope this helps

 

[Lukas26]

Thank you, this is exactly what I was needing to hear...anyone else?

 

[JMU07]

Thank you, this is exactly what I was needing to hear...anyone else?

I'm not a fan of Memphis which is why my husband and I (and most of the other married/married with kids students) live in the suburbs. It's so much nicer and safer. SCO itself is awesome, it's a great school. I also looked at Nova but I personally wasn't feeling it. Yeah the weather is nice and all, but I just didn't fall in love with the school. And the scope of practice in Tennessee is much wider than it is in Florida, so you'll learn different things here. Just my extra .02.

 

[eyegirl23]

If you're looking for a rural setting, I know the school in Oklahoma is in Talequah (about ~15,000 people), but they do have a very small class size (28 students in 2009). And the school in Michigan is in Big Rapids (about ~11,000 people).

And OSU is incredibly expensive for out-of-state students, almost $50,000/yr in tuition alone... <http://www.opted.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3344>

 

[thecgrblue]

You have to consider that the Oklahoma school only accepts applications from residents of that regional area.

As far as tuition at OSU...yes it is 50k for your out-of-state year, but after that it drops. You have to consider how much all 4 years combined will cost knowing that you will get in-state in most cases after the first year.

For example...a rough breakdown of tuition only for some schools is-

Pacific-$120k
Uof Indiana-$90k
Penn College Opt-$120k
UIW-$120k
U of Houston-$90k
Southern College-$80k
Ohio State-$110k

 

[Mewcakes]

But when considering money, don't forgot all the other things you may have to put on your loan. I don't know what your financial situation is, but you'll probably need like...$5500/yr for rent...$3000/yr for food, $3000-5000 for books/equipment, a couple thousand for utilities and gas and then anything else you're going to spend. It could add up really quick.

On second reading of the OP, I find they're not asking much about money, so I guess my assessment isn't realllyyy relevant. BUT just in case money IS a big factor, don't forget everything else when considering money. Tuition is a big part, but at the end of your 4 years, I've known some ppl to be very close to the $200K line. And at that point, the difference of $30K+interest may be like...another 5 years of payment.

 

[admiralbean]

I also live in the Memphis suburbs. I lived in Florida all of my life and also considered NOVA. Cost of living here is much lower than in Florida (especially south florida). My husband and I were able to buy a house here, which would have been impossible in Ft Lauderdale. If you wanted to get more detailed info on cost at SCO, you could always talk to someone from the financial aid office. Everyone here is extremely nice and always willing to answer questions and offer help.

Anyway, it is definitely possible to attend opt school with a family. I would say that at least 10% of our class is in your same situation. Good luck!

 

[Lukas26]

I also live in the Memphis suburbs. I lived in Florida all of my life and also considered NOVA. Cost of living here is much lower than in Florida (especially south florida). My husband and I were able to buy a house here, which would have been impossible in Ft Lauderdale. If you wanted to get more detailed info on cost at SCO, you could always talk to someone from the financial aid office. Everyone here is extremely nice and always willing to answer questions and offer help.

Anyway, it is definitely possible to attend opt school with a family. I would say that at least 10% of our class is in your same situation. Good luck!

Thank you! I really want to just make a weekend out of it and drive down, explore the campus, the "burbs" and memphis...the more my wife and I talk, the more I want to go to SCO. It's only 4 hours from home (a reasonable drive) and we've even discussed moving to Portland, TN a year before I apply because it is only 30 extra minutes from Bowling Green, but would allow me in-state tuition come time to apply, just in case I don't recieve 1 of the 14 "opt. scholarships" KY offers. With all honesty, my wife will probably not work while I'm in school so she can stay home with our little boy, so we'll be living soley off of student loans. Are there apartments in the suburbs that are nice, scenic and close to shopping, groceries, etc? Where exactly outside of Memphis would you recommend looking? Thank you again for your input!

 

[JMU07]

Thank you! I really want to just make a weekend out of it and drive down, explore the campus, the "burbs" and memphis...the more my wife and I talk, the more I want to go to SCO. It's only 4 hours from home (a reasonable drive) and we've even discussed moving to Portland, TN a year before I apply because it is only 30 extra minutes from Bowling Green, but would allow me in-state tuition come time to apply, just in case I don't recieve 1 of the 14 "opt. scholarships" KY offers. With all honesty, my wife will probably not work while I'm in school so she can stay home with our little boy, so we'll be living soley off of student loans. Are there apartments in the suburbs that are nice, scenic and close to shopping, groceries, etc? Where exactly outside of Memphis would you recommend looking? Thank you again for your input!

Cordova is what you want to look at, that's where my classmate and I live. Lots of nice apartments, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. Germantown's nice as well but more expensive. Some people live in north Mississippi or West Memphis (Arkansas) but I don't know as much about those areas.

 

[Lukas26]

How far is that from campus?

 

[JMU07]

How far is that from campus?

I'm about 15 miles from school. On a good day it takes me 20 minutes to get there, if there's a lot of traffic it's 25-30. If there's an accident, forever. I try to check the traffic before I leave so I can take a different way if I need to.

 

[admiralbean]

Yeah, I live in Cordova and there are several nice (and reasonably priced) apartment complexes around here. The drive is not bad at all once you get the traffic figured out and shopping/restaurants are all nearby. Barlett, Germantown and Collierville are nice also.