which year of opt school is the hardest?

[butterfly413]

---

Members do not see this ad.

i keep hearing that the 2nd year is killer...

what year would you say is the toughest/leaves you with the least amount of free time and what year is the easiest?

 

[alferec]

So far, 2nd year is super hectic...well I'm doing fine as far as grades, but there's barely any time to do anything but studying. Both volume and difficulty of material spiked up. Here at SCCO, the 1st quarter of 3rd year is the peak (because of a major proficiency exam called 12 Station), then it tapers off after that.

 

[daysend85]

i keep hearing that the 2nd year is killer...

what year would you say is the toughest/leaves you with the least amount of free time and what year is the easiest?

At my school, PCO, I hear that the first year is the toughest. I can't comment about 2nd year, since I'm only a first year. What I can say is that you don't have much going on for the first month. Then you are hit hard with assignments of all types and exams. We've just begun the cycle of at least one exam per week until the end of the semester. Classes are pretty much 8-5 Monday-Friday. The pace is rigorous and it is definitely difficult to stay on top of things when you get out of classes at 5 and are tired. We also have clinic for 5 hours once every other week and that eats into your available time as well. So I'd say that first year is probably the toughest because you have to get used to the whole optometry school thing.

 

[prettygreeneyes]

Second year at Pacific is the toughest. Some might say that the first year is the toughest, both academically speaking and in terms of making the adjustment to optometry school in general. Second year gets crazy busy right away and stays that way for the entire year. There are generally two cycles of midterms, and for us one ends the same week that the next one begins. Second semester you begin practicing 21 pt exams, doing 1-3 every week until the BIG clinical checkout. Then it's all down hill from there... or at least I hope it is!

PGE

 

[docwatson]

i keep hearing that the 2nd year is killer...

what year would you say is the toughest/leaves you with the least amount of free time and what year is the easiest?

I would think that second year at any school would be more difficult since...

1) This is considered the "professional" year where you apply your education into more difficult studies. Year 1 is just review and an introduction.

2) 3rd year has fewer classes and more clinical work. It can be difficult like any other year since you have to now apply yourself and you have to study. 4th year is the year "you don't care anymore because you just want to get the heck out of school" so it's not like you are going to be trying.

Fourth year had to have been the biggest drag I've ever experienced in my life...