What every optometry student should know before University

I'm studying BOptom (Hons) Optometry in Cambridge. Here are a few things I wish I'd know before starting university.

Transportation

The most common transportation in Cambridge is… CYCLING. If you don’t cycle, no worries, you can take the bus. ARU is located in the central Cambridge, it is quite convenient. But bear in mind - don’t rely too much on the bus schedule! Just prevent it and any traffic congestion, go out earlier.

Prepare a set of smart casuals...

...as you need to wear smart casual in your OSCE exam (practical exam). No jeans are allowed, only black pants. You don’t need lab coat for that.

Optometry students don’t have Christmas exams

We only have a final exam, we don’t have any exams in semester 1. So we have longer holidays, and stay with our family for a longer time. But we do have a test after the holidays.

Attendance

All students are required to tap their student card when they arrive at the lecture hall. The recognised times will be ten minutes before and after the start of a class. Don’t tap a card for your classmates!

Time management

Try your best to arrive at the lecture ten minutes before it starts, especially when it is practical session.  

Preparation before lecture

Review the last lecture and go through the new lecture notes quickly before you go to the class. If you want, the ARU library provides a printing system so you can print out your notes.

Preparation before labs

If you have a lab coat, you can bring it along with you. Make sure you know what you need to do during the experiment.