Author: Hannah Vollmer

Yep, I’m Still Here…

Hello beautiful internet following!  Yes, I am still here, which means that I actually survived my first round of midterms.

Check that off the list! ✔️

So anyway, it’s been a crazy two weeks.

(And by crazy, I mean that I have done nothing except study, think about studying, dream about studying, and tell myself that I should be studying…it really makes for a wonderful time.)

Last Tuesday marked my first day of testing, and though the tests were only 50 minutes a piece, they were still a force to be reckoned with.

Going into this first set of tests, I had no idea what to expect.  Yes, I’d talked to the upperclassmen about how hard they were, but I still had no personal experience to base my expectations off of.  And though I wasn’t exceptionally scared or stressed, as I’ve always been pretty solid when it comes to taking tests, there was definitely a bit of apprehension.  I mean, had I been studying enough?  How would I compare to the rest of the class?  Did I really know the information as well as I needed to?

For all of these, I really didn’t know.

So naturally, I started studying Friday night…and studied (essentially) straight through ’til this past Monday afternoon when I took my final midterm.

And, thankfully, it seemed to work.

At this point, I’ve gotten back the results of 3/4 of the midterms, and two of those, I was very happy with.

(I guess I can learn to settle for A-‘s in grad school…)

The third?

Well…maybe I should have paid attention in class more and studied more than the night before and morning of.

Oops.

I guess I’ll know better for next time…

Anyway, that’s all I can think of to talk about for this morning.

Deuces!

-KD

Rotten…Potatoes?

Now, I know rotten tomatoes are a thing, at least when referencing movie review websites, but, rotten potatoes?

Yeah…
So, most mornings I get up 2-4 hours prior to class so that I have enough time to cook breakfast and lunch before heading off to school.  Today was no exception, and so, after throwing together a breakfast smoothie, I began gathering the ingredients for stir fry.  Everything was coming together without a hitch until I went to grab a few onions off of my shelf, and smelled something terrible.
At first, I just assumed that the odor was coming from the bottom shelf which has been known to be problematic.
Until I saw something dark dripping from my shelf.
Reaching up, I pulled out my bag of potatoes that, sure enough, had two rotting spuds in it.
Fantastic.
Now, before I continue, I suppose this would be the best time to paint a clearer picture of the limits of my culinary expertise.
While I love cooking and most foods that I prepare somehow turn out, I have virtually no formal training.
Which means that cooking, in my book, consists of throwing anything I can find into a bowl/skllet with a random combination of spices (aka garlic, crushed red pepper, and…more garlic), all while making a huge mess.
It should come as no surprise then that I had no idea what to do with my remaining unrotten potatoes, but rather than googling what to do with them (#summacumlaudedefined), I improvised.
Forty minutes later, my now potato based stir fry was complete, and I was the proud owner of a half-gallon of chopped potatoes, perfect for homefries and hashbrowns.
Good day?
I think so.
Well, midterms are 3 days and some odd hours away, and I should probably get back to studying.
Catch y’all later!
-KD

Study Break!

I love using blogging as an excuse for a study break.

And while I may have already taken a 20 minute study break before sitting down to write this post, my brain is not ready to return to ocular anatomy.  So instead, you can all hear about my latest adventures in the city. 🙂

Where to start…?

Let’s see.  So, this past Friday, I had the fantastic experience of attending Night at the Races (NATR) with many of my fellow Optometry students.  NATR is essentially a Lion’s Club fundraising event that supports pilot dogs (think seeing-eye dogs).  With this, we each pay a small admission fee for the chance to name a fictitious horse and receive fake money that we use to “bet” on past horse races.  As well as eat all the appetizers that we could ever think of, all while being dressed to go to a derby.
Life seriously doesn’t get much better than that.

Saturday was again filled with tailgating at the house to celebrate another home football game.  It may have taken me three weeks, but I think I’m finally getting the hang of this whole football/tailgating thing.  Which is to say that I actually enjoyed the three hours that I spent being social Saturday afternoon.  Highlights?  A few rousing games of stump, and an intense game of the football catching game that I described a few weeks ago. (We made this game better by adding a three strikes, you’re out kind of rule… I made it to the final 3!  Additionally, profs come to our tailgates, which just makes everything better.)

The rest of the weekend and beginning of the week went by uneventfully, which then brings me to TONIGHT!

Though I probably should have been studying for my upcoming midterms, I made plans to go rock wall climbing with a family friend.

IT. WAS. A. BLAST.

Well, before I even get to the actual rock wall part… I also rode a bike in the city for the first time today.  Which was an adventure in and of itself.  Aside from the whole experience of never riding in the city before, I realized soon after beginning my two mile ride that only one brake worked, and that I had no idea where I was going.

Needless to say, the planned 10 minute ride across town took nearly half an hour, and I arrived at the wall drenched in sweat and about 20 minutes late.

But I was not to be deterred.

After gearing up, the group of us found an instructor who led us to the beginner rock climb.  Only one person can climb at a time, so when no one else stepped up, I volunteered to go first.  The instructor/spotter showed me how to tie my rope and told me which rocks I could use to “officially” complete the beginner climb.  The only goal?  Reach the top!

Sooo..I started climbing.  It went pretty well to start out, but a little over halfway up, my arms felt like they were going to give out.  (For those who don’t know me, I have approximately no upperbody strength.  Why I then thought that doing pull-ups on a rocky surface would be easy, I will never know.)  I’m super competitive though, so I HAD to make it to the top.  And so I did 🙂

It was very rewarding.

A lot of watching and encouraging, and another beginner (ish) level wall later, it was time to head back home and study.

Except I got lost again.

Some day, I will learn to navigate this city.

But before I do, I should probably try to master this ocular material.

Catch ya next time!

-KD

Flats, Firsts, and Finally a Break

This past week has been rather exhausting (which will be my excuse for the delayed blogging time…)

As I’ve mentioned before, even my most intense undergraduate coursework pales in comparison with the material that is essentially thrown in my direction on a daily basis, which naturally makes for a lot more studying and a lot less freetime.  Somehow though, I currently find myself with nearly two hours before my next commitment, and while I could be studying, I would much rather blog.  So here’s the tale of my past week’s adventures… Enjoy! 😄
So this past Thursday/Friday marked my first experience with street cleaning.  Living in rural Ohio, some days it felt like we were lucky for roads to be plowed.  Here in the city, the streets are (apparently) cleaned once a month.  To allow for cleaning, all vehicles must be removed from the side of the road.  Those that are not moved will be towed.  Thankfully, this is a lesson that I did not have to learn the hard way, as one of the upperclassmen sent a helpful text out to the “squid squad” (our lovely group of first years) reminding us to move our vehicles.  However, when I began to move my vehicle Thursday evening, I was greeted by an unfamiliar sound.
As an aside, my mechanical literacy is limited.  While I may be a very hands-on person, I am more likely to disregard any noise that my van is making than look for the source of the sound.  I mean, most sounds disappear with the windows down and music up, right? 😜
Anyway, I drove around for nearly 20 minutes trying to find a parking spot (there were none), all the while listening to this atrocious sound coming from my vehicle.  Finally, I gave up and parked in the lot behind the house.  Hopping out of the car, I looked down to find an entirely flat tire.
Oops.
While it would seem that this would provide an excellent first experience with changing my own tire, it was soon discovered that my spare was rusted to the bottom of my van.
Thank God for AAA.
And air compressors.
It turns out that there wasn’t anything wrong with the tire; it just decided to lose all of its air for the fun of it.
Or so I’m hoping.  We’ll see when I get home tonight.
On another note, I love to cook.
Like seriously, if optometry school fails for some reason, I would gladly spend my days cooking.
And so, when I get sick of studying, I experiment in the kitchen.
This past week, I had my first experience making stirfry (it was excellent), BLT’s (I didn’t have bacon or mayo…), cinnamon peanut butter pancakes, a quesadilla burger, and a cinnamon-role-esque dessert.  All without recipes.  It was seriously the highlight of my week.
Aside from cooking, studying, and changing tires, I had another fantastic chance to experience this great city that I call my home, starting with a Friday night trip to Lucky’s.
Lucky’s, as the name somewhat suggests, is a local bar where a large number of optometry students went to celebrate one of the second year’s weddings.  It was a great time, which was only made better by a simultaneous IPC (interprofessional council) event that allowed us to meet students from the other professional schools on campus.
Social quota met for the weekend? Check.
Good or bad, the college’s football schedule does not revolve around my desire for social interactions. So, Saturday morning, I had the wonderful chace to walk down three flights of stairs to join in the house’s tailgating festivities.
Despite being tired from the night before, and not feeling terribly social, it was an enjoyable time.
Besides..there was free food.  And it was good.
Well, I should get back to studying before Zumba..
‘Til the next time!
-KD

Third Time’s a Charm

Annnd I’m back for week three!

After a much needed three day weekend at home, I guess it’s time to hit the books again.
I still can’t believe how quickly time is flying.  Didn’t I just get here?
Anyway, yesterday I had the joy of experiencing my first taste of DI football and all of the insanity festivities that accompany it.
It’s honestly a bit overwhelming.
When I arrived back on campus last evening, just a few hours before the game, I was shocked by the sheer number of individuals on the streets, all decked from head to toe in scarlet and gray.  I mean, I guess I had assumed that the game wouldn’t be that big of a deal since it was away..  Boy was I wrong.
Football is serious business around here.
I guess I’m gonna have to learn to like watching the sport before my time here is up.
Anyway, today was simply another day full of classes that has left me completely exhausted.
Good night, y’all!
-KD

I Should Be Studying…

 🎶 It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday…” 🎶

Actually, it’s 10:00 on a Wednesday and, while I should be studying, it’s time for another update from yours truly.

Don’t act like you’re not excited.

So anyway, it’s been a super long day.  Being pretty accustomed to working 8 hour days, it would seem like switching to 7 hour days in the classroom should be easy.  For some reason, it is not.

Coming into grad school, I had heard all the horror stories: no sleep, mental breakdowns, unbearable course loads, you name it.  I largely discredited them.  I mean, the same horror stories were told for undergrad and those didn’t pan out for a second.  Two weeks in though, and I’m realizing that professional education takes schooling to a whole new level.  In other words…

News Flash: Grad school is actually sort of difficult.

And that’s coming from an all-A student (except for that one class that NO ONE GOT AN A IN…) who rarely needed to study more than the night before a test.

Some days you’ll sit in class from 8-5 and only understand half of the material that’s covered.
Some days you’ll write as fast as you can and still not catch all of the notes.
Some days you’ll take over 6 full pages of handwritten notes in a single class.
Most days you’ll leave the building feeling overwhelmingly braindead.
Most days you’ll return home only to begin studying again.
And most days you’ll struggle with being motivated to study for the three more hours that you know you should that night.

But it’s worth it.
Don’t think for a second that it isn’t.
And as mentally challenging as some days are, I wouldn’t trade this life for anything.
I love it here.

Because some days your big will run into class on her break, give you a huge hug, and put a basket of goodies on the desk in front of you.
Most days you’ll meet amazing people and learn unbelivable things.
And every day you’ll have the chance to change someone’s life for the better.

It’s truly amazing.

Now before I go, here are some helpful lessons that I have learned over the course of this week.

1.  Zumba is amazing.
Okay, I’ve done zumba before, and it’s always been pretty cool.  But this week I had the opportunity to go to a session of Zumba with other grad students, and I absolutely loved it.  The instructor was so full of life that she brought everyone in the room to a different level, simply by being there.  I can’t wait to go back next week!

2.  Two pounds of ground beef take a long time to thaw…
Don’t come home from zumba and decide, “I’m going to make something with frozen meat for dinner” and expect to eat before 9.  It won’t happen.

3.  Logic Matrices + Taking Notes = Bad Combination
Don’t try it – take this professional multitasker’s advice.  Getting behind at the beginning of a lecture just means that you’re lost for the next 3 hours.

4. Lab in grad school does not mean lab…
In undergrad, lab was a time for dissections and experiments.  In grad school, lab means lecture.

5. Don’t keep food in your room.
Food in room equates to unintentional stress eating.  I may have consumed 4 cookies in under 5 minutes while trying to study.  From now on, food remains downstairs.

6.  Always carry an umbrella
At least in this state, a 20% chance of rain means, pack an umbrella, or don’t mind walking 2 miles in the rain.  I’m terribly glad today was not a white shirt day…

And with that, I should get back to patho…

Catch ya on the flippity!

-KD

Week one? Check!

Good news y’all!  I survived week one of optometry school 🙂

Overall, the last few days have been uneventful, largely as a result of finally establishing some form of a schedule.  Nevertheless, here’s a list of some of the highlights of the past week.
Welcome Dinner
On Wednesday evening, all of the first years had the priviledge of joining our professors and other high ranking individuals in the field of optometry for a formal dinner at the Faculty Club.  It was a blast – the professors were in charge of introducing all individuals at their respective tables, and so some went to great lengths to find out interesting information about each person.   My personal highlight of the evening? The formal dress and free food!
Ugly Tuna
Thursday night, I found myself in the company of over 100 other 1st-4th year optometry students at a local bar, the Ugly Tuna Saloona, for the annual AOSA welcome party.  Though I was excited by the prospect of going out, I (as normal) quickly became disillusioned with the situation.  My social quota had been entirely exhausted hours before arriving at the Ugly Tuna, and so I spent most of the evening pretending to have fun, and wishing to go home.  Highlight of the night?  Spending time (aka dancing) with my big and her best friend
MORE FREE FOOD 
Let’s be honest, the best part of any welcome week is the free food.  On Friday, another meal was hosted at the Faculty Club.  This time, all professional/graduate students were invited in for a picnic with food on ALL THREE FLOORS.  It was great. Highlights? Tring sushi for the first time (it wasn’t half bad for being raw fish wrapped in seaweed…) and eating way too many cookies
Community Commitment
So, for those of you that don’t know, I love volunteer.  After my first real volunteer experience in undergrad, I was hooked – I love having the opportunity to meet new people and spend time getting to know them while helping others!  Anyway, when I discovered that a campus wide service day was being held on Saturday, I couldn’t wait to become involved. So, Saturday morning, I joined over 1000 other students from the university at the Student Union, as part of Pay It Forward’s Community Commitment Day.  From the union, we were sent out to 50 different locations all around the city.  I personally joined 19 health science scholars at the Habitat for Humanity Restore (think of Goodwill for appliances and furniture).  There we helped to unload materials, price items, and then put the products on the floor.  My highlight?  Organizing furniture on the floor into cute sets with 5 other girls.
H2O
One of the hardest parts of moving to a new place can be finding a new church.  Thankfully, after just one week of being at school, I think I have found my home: H2O.  I can’t wait to become a part of this vibrant community and grow in my spiritual walk!
Well, it’s late and morning comes early.
Stay tuned for more!
-KD

I’m Running Out of Titles

Well, it’s official: after nearly one year of preparation, my first day of grad school is in the books.

As a whole, it’s been a good day.  I woke up early, despite the fact that class didn’t start until 10:00 and that we weren’t anticipating leaving the house until 8:40.  This extra time gave me the perfect opportunity to go for a beautiful, early-morning run.  Though this wasn’t my first time running after arriving in the city, I was still amazed by the differences between running at home and here in the city.  Dodging students on their way to class, watching shops open, and smelling an unbelivable variety of foods in just a short mile is such a new experience for someone used to running down rarely traveled country roads…  Nevertheless, I fully enjoyed it, and returned to the house exhausted  refreshed and ready to begin my day.
After a quick walk across campus, my fellow housemates and I arrived to class an hour early, only to find the classroom already half-filled.  There were still several backrow seats available, however, which we eagerly claimed.  An hour later, our first prof walked in and class commenced.
As can be expected with the first day, most of today’s classes revolved primarily around syllabus discussions, at least for the first hour.  Being grad school, however, two out of the three professors were lecture for 2 hours, and so two full pages of notes for each class were introduced as well.
Yes, I have already started studying.
Anyway, six hours, three profs, and an unsuccessful trip to Bibibop later, day one came to a close.

It’s been a good one.
Now all I need is a nap and a guitar.

Good night, y’all.
-KD

First Day Eve

Hey guys!

So, I wrote a poem today.  It goes like this:
*Ahem*
‘Twas the night before opt school and all through the house, not a creature was stirring not even…
Oh wait.  I’m supposed to be in bed right now.
In all seriousness though, I can’t believe it; tomorrow is MY FIRST FULL DAY OF OPTOMETRY SCHOOL! (Sorry, I got a little excited there..)
It’s unbelievable how much has changed in just a week:
this city has become my backyard, this house has become my home, and these strangers have become my family.
I truly am blessed.
Well, I guess I should try to rest up before morning.
Happy school dreams to all, and to all a good night!
-KD 

I’m Tired

Woah.

Has it really already been nearly 3 days since I last posted?
It truly is crazy how time flies.
Anyway, the past several days have been filled with new adventures and discoveries, ranging from an 8 hour day of orientation to countless hours of bonding with my 15 new housemates, and though I’ve only been here a mere 5 days, this new city is truly beginning to feel like home.
Here are some of the highlights from my weekend:
1) Orientation Part 1
So Friday may have felt like one of the longest days in my life.  I had not woken up at 5:00 for several weeks, and so my alarm at such an ungodly time of morning was a rude awakening (no pun intended).  That, in combination with being in a windowless room with over 60 complete strangers for over 8 hours, was enough to completely exhaust an introvert such as myself.  Nevertheless, it was great to finally meet more of my fellow first years and begin what may end up being some stellar friendships.
2) Benefits of Frat House Living
I am admittedly terrible when it comes to parties.  All too often, I get overwhelmed by the task of bouncing around the room from person to person in an effort to make small talk and avoid looking like the awkward girl in the corner.  My typical strategy of avoidance?  Leave the party.
Living in a frat house would then seem like a terrible idea.  I mean, the party is staged in your own house, and so leaving the party is almost out of the question… unless your room is on the third floor and you can conveniently go upstairs for a few hours when in need of a social respite, while returning downstairs when you again feel prepared for social interactions.
#winwin
3) Games for Days
In my few short days at the house, I have been introduced to a couple of fantastic new games that I hope to eventually master: Stump and…some unnamed football game.  In stump, you toss a hammer in the air, catch it, and try to drive nails into the stump.  The goal is to be the last nail standing.  In football, on the other hand, a drink is held in one hand, and you must catch and throw the football with the other, without it touching any part of your body (excluding the hand).  As far as I am aware, there is no end goal to the football game, except to have fun.
4) Picnic
Today,  we had a big/little sib picnic for all the first (little) and second (big) years.  Though it was sort of awkward, largely due to still knowing few except for my housemates, the food was excellent.  And free.
#poorcollegestudent
5) Pitch Perfect 2
After the picnic, several of the housemates and I ventured out to a dollar movie theatre; I didn’t even know those existed!  I was amazed by how much the Barden Bellas reminded me of my beautiful Gamma Phi girls.  Despite loving getting to know the people here better, the movie made me miss having my sisters and closest friends only a few minutes away.  I guess it just goes to show me how blessed I’ve been <3
‘Til the next time,
-KD