T. time : September 2013

I can sense my salivary amylase itching to do work..

..was my response to a text conversation about food for a study break.

Did I really just do that? Um, yes.
(Epitome of an optometry student)

I've been in Chicago for three weeks now and all I do is reference back to the 318 pages I've learned in one whole week (because I'm still working on the other 600 pages). Thankfully I can only say that I'm surviving.. at least for now.

ICO has become my home, my family and has completely taken over my entire life within mere seconds since move-in day. Three weeks ago seemed like MONTHS ago. Where did the time go? I still remember the look on all the upperclassmen's face when we pulled up to the Residential Complex. They were astonished by my dad's intricate contraption to secure my moving boxes on top of our 4runner. And probably even more amazed when four tiny asian people stepped out of the vehicle. Embarrassing much? Not really because then I made friends that way. Thanks dad, you keep my social life alive.

And to top off my first night sleeping (not sober) in the RC, we had our very first year, welcoming keggar party. Plus some flip cup action as well. I'd say they couldn't be any more welcoming.

Orientation week followed and the days just blended in with daunting amount of information thrown at from you left to right about financial aid, student organizations, networking, professionalism (like we know what that means), tips on how to pass Dr. T's anatomy course and other little snippets on how to survive the L in Chicago. It's almost as if everything got blurrier as the day moved forward instead of clearer. Isn't that the opposite of what I'm here for? Ha. In the midst of it all, I suppose this is my new challenge to refract my life into focus... right?

From Dr. Baker's metaphoric speech about running a marathon while we're in school to Dr. Goodfellow's talk about time management, I'm beginning to understand what they were preparing us for.

Time is key. Time is of the essence. Time means you MUST have a plan.

Then I delved into the first week of school and I was excited to get back into my normal routine. However this time wasn't my normal OCD routine I would have. Every day is different: sometimes I'd work out in the morning, sometimes classes would be in the evening, sometimes I don't even know what the exact date is--which instantaneously throws off my lecture notes. OOPS. So learning to deviate from my usual, strict schedule is a hard task, but one task in which I am bound to overcome. Because now it's the beginning of our lives here at ICO, where our time is devoted and dedicated to the patients.

And even though it may feel as if I'm constantly running out of time, trying to keep up with time or counting down time (that's left until I finish first quarter); what I do know is that time is absolutely precious.

After reading "The Time Keeper" this past summer (by Mitch Albom), I realize now that in THIS moment of time, is the BEST time and it's going according to plan.