Studying in lockdown part 2...

As I move to complete my second year of study in my Optometry programme I've taken the time to reflect in this piece on the ripple effect of the pandemic on studying students.

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What were the main challenges of the university course before COVID-19, and what challenges has the outbreak added?

Moving into the second stage of my programme, I knew the course was going to become more rigorous and challenging in terms of content, time management and learning clinical skills. However, the pandemic has markedly amplified these for me, owing to the reduction in on-campus practical time that has been imposed to minimise the risk of transmission of the virus. This has resulted in me making the most of those golden opportunities to learn from university clinical demonstrators to ensure my competence. Learning online has its challenges too, such as technical issues and diminishing chances to bounce ideas off other students.

In a previous article written for OT, I mentioned that “when people say university goes so quickly, believe me it does. Therefore, enjoy every second while you can.” Six months on and I cannot echo this enough. I also advised three tips: keep a balance between work and down-time, take the time to make new friends, and don’t compare yourself to others, as everyone has their own path. These still ring true.

Has the coronavirus outbreak affected any plans regarding placements and pre-registration applications?

In the latter half of 2020, second year student optometrists were preparing to apply for pre-registration optometrist positions due to commence in 2022. The application process has been completely transformed for some of the larger multiples, in comparison to previous years. Gone are the days of one-to-one in-person interviews and large scale group interviews, replaced with screens and a sometimes faltering internet connection. This has been an interesting but not unexpected consequence of the pandemic but will mean the traditional ‘summer school’ application experience seems unlikely. We have been informed that when the time to enrol on the College’s Scheme for Registration comes around, we will be able to start on time, and we all hope this is the case.