Peer Advisers are upperclassmen who are trained to assist incoming students make the transition into professional grad school. One of the ways they assist is through the Peer Advisor Blog. Here is an example of such a blog article that may even be helpful to you as a pre-optometry student as you go forward…

by Peer Adviser,  Krista Bronnenberg, SCCO Class of 2020

Congratulations to the incoming OD, PA, and Pharm classes! We’re so excited to have you as members of the MBKU family! As an out-of-state student from Wyoming, I had to undergo a bit of an adjustment after moving to California last year, and I thought it might be helpful to other incoming out-of-state students to have a few tips to get you started!

1.) Upon arriving to California, find a nearby bank and grocery store along with any other essentials, it will help you feel more comfortable and in control in an unfamiliar place.

2.) Plan your route to school ahead of time and travel it at the same times you’ll be heading to school to get an idea of how much time you’ll need. This will greatly reduce stress on your first day of class.

3.) The California freeways are infamous for their fast and furious drivers, if this makes you nervous (as it did me!) make sure to familiarize yourself with the freeways during off times, such as Sunday mornings and evenings.

4.) If you’re a Disney fan, you can’t go wrong with buying a Southern California Resident Annual Pass! Having a Disney pass is a great way to relieve stress and spend time with new classmates, and with first year having the lightest course load it’s the perfect time to indulge.

5.) Get in the habit of planning and prepping your meals for the week on Sunday; it will really help you out towards the end of the quarter when every hour of study time counts.

6.) Make friends with classmates from SoCal – not only are they sure to be great people, they’ll also be able to show you all the best restaurants, hiking spots, places to hang out, etc. You might even get an invite to family dinners/holiday get-togethers if you can’t travel home.

7.) If the school’s gym is a little too basic for you, find a gym in the area that you’ll be excited to go to. Going to the gym is great for relieving stress, and you’ll be glad to already have a place picked out. CSUF across the street offers discounted memberships to MBKU students and they have a massive facility with lots of options.

8.) Find ways to relieve stress during school, whether it’s going to the gym, hiking, spending time with friends… Anything to get you out of the library and having a little fun!

9.) Go to the beach (or any special SoCal location!) early on in the year. You’ll be surprised how busy you get toward the spring so enjoy the perks of SoCal while you can!

10.) If you can, try your best to go to Vision Expo in Las Vegas in September. It’s a great way to get to know your classmates better and to see a different aspect of optometry. It also counts for an assignment in your Practice Management class, so it’s a win-win.  J

Congratulations again on becoming members of the OD Class of 2021, PA Class of 2019, and Pharm Class of 2021 – we can’t wait to meet you all!!