What to Expect
Going to school all day, then having a couple of hours of homework and
labs to do can be tough. But for many students in opticianry programs, this
is exactly what they need to do to succeed.
Cyndi MacKenzie is a graduate of Ferris State University's opticianry program.
What she enjoyed the most about her course was getting to know her classmates.
"With between nine to 16 students in classes, you get to know your classmates
really well over the two years," she says.
Doing labs and hands-on training for six hours a week gave MacKenzie
a good introduction to the public service aspect of the job. As for homework,
she says the worst part of it wasn't from the optical-related courses, but
from the other classes required, like physics and English.
MacKenzie recalls the math courses as being a stumbling block for several
students. But with a bit of extra work, the math wasn't impossible,
she says -- especially if you have a good grounding in high school math.
Wenda McEwan took her opticianry program via distance education. She was
able to do most of her schoolwork at work, then go to a three-hour class once
a month.
Of course, there was still homework to be done and weekly assignments to
be handed in.
How to Prepare
"Take lots of math classes in high school, and I'd recommend some
kind of speech class as well," suggests MacKenzie.
McEwan agrees, adding that it really is important to enjoy working with
the public.
MacKenzie also suggests students look for a school that offers marketing
and basic business skills as well, so you can make an easier transition
into the actual working field. This is important, she says, because many opticians
run their own stores and need to know about the business side of things, too.