So I'm having serious second thoughts about SUNY. I dont think I want to move hours away from my home and loving family for 4 years and live in the overpriced city. I thought I had it in me but its fading. SUNY wasn't such an appealing school being one building and I thought the city surrounding it would make up for it, but after talking to the students they pretty much live in the tiny SUNY library or their apts studying their butts off. Also, moving away from home would mean spending a whole lot more money and taking out even more loans...do i really want that for myself??? For some reasons i've just been really turned off by SUNY; is it really all that good or is my optometry education at NECO or PCO (or any other school) just the same?? anyone with me??
Second thoughts about SUNY
- Thread starter noble
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First of all are you a NYS resident? if so suny may work for you, if not i can see your apprehension
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I can't tell you what do, but I don't completely agree with what you've said. First, the opinions of the students you've talked to are based on the quarter system, but SUNY has just switched to a semester system...so you don't know if the argument about SUNY generally being harder than other op schools is still valid. Second, PCO has much higher tuition than SUNY and NECO's tuiton is ridiculously higher (out-of-state only applies to your first year at SUNY). You might save something if you lived at home and went to PCO, but in any other case I doubt it.
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I can definitely understand not wanting to move away from family - it was hard for my husband and I to pack our things and move 13 hours away to Memphis. There are three schools that are closer to home, but I wasn't interested in them. Looked into PCO but it was too expensive. Plus, Virginia doesn't have ANY contracts with OD schools so anywhere I went would be out of state/non-regional tuition.
I'm one of those that agree with the stance that if possible, you should take the cheapest route possible to minimize your student loans. That's why I'm at SCO. And I just happen to love the school!
I'm one of those that agree with the stance that if possible, you should take the cheapest route possible to minimize your student loans. That's why I'm at SCO. And I just happen to love the school!
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I have no regrets moving all the way from the WEST COAST to NYC and living in Manhattan where the cost of living is mad crazy expensive. Optometry school is what you make of it. Sure there are people who live in the library and study their butts off to do well but just like a refraction, it is all SUBJECTIVE. In my first year, I was one of those students who stayed at school from opening to close without a social life and did well but certainly after adjusting to the city and being a whole nation away from my family, I've learned to rely on myself and make the best of living away from home. In my second year, I was able to balance the much increased workload on a quarter system while being to go out at least 2-3x a week, and maintaining my GPA.
So it really depends on you. You really have to look at the big picture and that is becoming an OD. Unless, you have an accredited optometry school in your backyard, one day you will have to face reality and move away from your comfort zone, or maybe your family can move to whichever optometry school you decide to go to in the end. But in the end it comes down to whether you or not you are ready to take that step forward in your professional life.
Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions and I hope this helped you out a little. If I can get through it, I am sure you can as well!!!
So it really depends on you. You really have to look at the big picture and that is becoming an OD. Unless, you have an accredited optometry school in your backyard, one day you will have to face reality and move away from your comfort zone, or maybe your family can move to whichever optometry school you decide to go to in the end. But in the end it comes down to whether you or not you are ready to take that step forward in your professional life.
Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions and I hope this helped you out a little. If I can get through it, I am sure you can as well!!!
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awww sounds like youre just getting cold feeted!
i mean, it is perfectly natural to be kinda nervous about the unknown city and unknown future we are throwing ourselves into, but if you don't give it a try, you will never find out how awesome it could be! living away from family and close ones definitely seems tough, but we are all big boys and girls now, its time to grow up! find our own space and make new friends! i hope you will give it a good though, and look into what you REALLY want in the future! if optometry is for sure your field, i dont see why you should be stopping yourself from going to SUNY. NECO, ICO, any school we go to will soon be part of us, the experience definitely is always what you make out of it! plus, SUNY seems like a wonnnnderful school! i am sure we will love it!
anyway, i hope to see you in exactly...two weeks!! good luck on your decision
i mean, it is perfectly natural to be kinda nervous about the unknown city and unknown future we are throwing ourselves into, but if you don't give it a try, you will never find out how awesome it could be! living away from family and close ones definitely seems tough, but we are all big boys and girls now, its time to grow up! find our own space and make new friends! i hope you will give it a good though, and look into what you REALLY want in the future! if optometry is for sure your field, i dont see why you should be stopping yourself from going to SUNY. NECO, ICO, any school we go to will soon be part of us, the experience definitely is always what you make out of it! plus, SUNY seems like a wonnnnderful school! i am sure we will love it!
anyway, i hope to see you in exactly...two weeks!! good luck on your decision
