Skip to:

  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to accessibility
City, University of London
  • Student Hub
  • Staff Hub
Search
Menu
Home
  • Prospective students
    • Courses
      • Undergraduate degrees
      • Apprenticeships
      • Foundation courses
      • Postgraduate taught degrees
      • Postgraduate research degrees
      • Short courses
      • Professional development courses
      • City Health courses
    • Apply
      • Entry requirements
      • How to apply
        • Undergraduate
        • Apprenticeship
        • Information for teachers
        • Postgraduate taught
        • Postgraduate research
          • Preparing your application
            • Preparing your research proposal
          • All PhD research projects
        • Booking Short Courses
          • Business and Management Short Courses
          • Computing Short Courses
          • Creative Industry Short Courses
          • Creative Writing Short Courses
            • The Novel Studio published alumni
          • Law Short Courses
          • Languages Courses Online | Languages Courses in London
      • Prospectus
        • Undergraduate
        • Postgraduate
      • Visas
        • Student visas
          • Applying from outside the UK
          • Applying from within the UK
          • Applying for a dependant visa
          • Preparing your application
          • Working in the UK
        • Standard Visitor visas
          • How to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa
          • Non-visa nationals
        • ATAS certificates
        • Brexit and European nationals
      • Study abroad programmes
        • Study abroad programme
        • Partnership programme
      • Clearing
        • Applying through Clearing
      • Alternative entry routes
        • Foundation programmes
        • Second-year students
        • Work experience
      • Contact Admissions
    • Finance
      • Funding options
      • Earn while you learn
      • How to pay
        • Payment methods
        • Fee schedules
        • Deposit refunds
      • Additional expenses
    • Accommodation and housing
      • Compare residential halls
      • Applying for halls
        • Undergraduate
        • Postgraduate
        • Clearing
      • Paying for halls
      • Private accommodation
        • Finding a place to live
        • Accommodation for families
      • Short-term accommodation
    • Open events and fairs
      • Campus tours
      • Online chats
        • Undergraduate online events
        • Postgraduate online events
        • Ask a student
      • University fairs
    • Student life
      • London experience
      • Local area
      • Sports
        • Sport clubs
        • Non-competitive sport
        • Competitive sport
      • Social activities and groups
      • Religion
      • Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer plus
      • Volunteering
      • Student wellbeing
        • Your health and wellbeing
        • Learning support
        • Young, estranged students
        • Care leavers
        • Young adult carers
        • Personal tutoring programme
      • Learn another language
    • Career development
      • Placements, internships and employment opportunities
        • Micro-placements
      • Career pathways
      • Job prospects and graduate destinations
      • Careers team
    • Subjects
  • Research
    • Research centres and groups
    • Research impact
      • Research Excellence Framework
      • Research case studies
    • Research strategy
    • Research support
      • Grants and funding
      • Integrity and ethics
        • Research ethics
          • Principles
          • Approval process
          • Approval outcomes and appeals
          • External ethics approvals
        • Ethics guidance and resources
          • Participant information and consent
          • Recruiting participants from City
          • Records management
          • Research conducted abroad
          • FAQ
        • Research integrity
          • Framework for good practice in research
          • Research misconduct
      • Research data
        • Managing active research data
        • Digital research data and Figshare
      • Researcher development
      • Presidential Fellowships job advert
    • City Doctoral College
      • Current Doctoral Researchers
      • Doctoral Training Resources
        • Doctoral Researcher Development Programme (DRDP)
      • Scholarships and Funding
      • For Research Supervisors
      • Meet the Team
  • For businesses
    • Start your business
      • Develop your startup idea
        • One-to-one startup advice
        • The Good Entrepreneur Festival
        • Startup Camp
        • Startup Seminars
        • Side Hustle
        • CitySpark Workshops
      • Launch your startup
        • Start-up visa
        • Launch Lab
    • Grow your business
      • Fund your business
        • Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
      • Hire an academic consultant
      • Purchase our intellectual property
      • Companies formed
    • Develop your people
      • Bespoke training
      • My Home Life England
      • Degree apprenticeships for business
        • What is the apprenticeship levy?
    • Business impact case studies
    • Access our student talent
      • Recruit with us
      • Meet and support our students
        • Become a mentor
        • Employer engagement events
        • Micro-Placements
        • Industry Led Projects
      • Information for placement partners
        • Speech and Language Therapy training
  • Alumni and supporters
    • Alumni benefits
    • Alumni Events
    • Global alumni network
      • Networks and Groups
        • City Alumni LinkedIn groups
        • MENA Alumni Board
        • US Alumni Board
      • Alumni Ambassadors
      • Special Interest Groups
      • Alumni News and stories
    • Contact us
    • Support City
      • Donate to City
      • Volunteering
      • Your impact
  • News and events
    • News
    • Events
    • Social media directory
      • City social accounts
        • WeChat social accounts
      • School and Departmental accounts
  • About us
    • Schools and Departments
      • School of Policy & Global Affairs
        • About the School
          • Athena Swan
        • Department of Economics
        • Department of International Politics
        • Department of Sociology and Criminology
          • Postgraduate Sociology at City
      • School of Communication & Creativity
        • About the School
          • Athena Swan
          • Creatives in Residence
        • Department of Journalism
          • James Cameron Memorial Lecture
            • Lectures
            • Special awards
            • Winners
        • Department of Media, Culture and Creative Industries
          • English, Publishing and Creative Writing
          • Culture and the Creative Industries
          • Library and Information Science
          • Media and Communications
        • Department of Performing Arts
        • The Centre for Language Studies
      • Bayes Business School
      • School of Health & Psychological Sciences
        • About the School
          • Athena SWAN
          • Selection Process
          • Occupational Health Checks
          • Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) enhanced check (formerly CRB)
          • MSc Nursing - RPL
          • Reference request
        • Department of Health Services Research and Management
          • Health Services Management at City
        • Department of Language and Communication Science
        • Department of Midwifery and Radiography
          • Radiography undergraduate learning contract
          • Postgraduate Midwifery at City
          • Radiography at City
        • Department of Nursing
        • Department of Optometry and Visual Sciences
        • Department of Psychology
      • School of Science & Technology
        • About the School
          • Athena Swan
          • Aviation Management at City
          • Civil Engineering at City
          • Computer Science at City
          • Cyber Security MSc courses at City
          • Energy MSc courses at City
          • Library and Information Science at City
          • Maritime Management at City
          • Placements and internships
            • Placement and internship schemes
        • Department of Computer Science
        • Department of Mathematics
          • Potential PhD projects
        • Department of Engineering
      • The City Law School
        • Academic programmes
          • Undergraduate degree LLB
          • Graduate Entry Law GE LLB
          • Graduate Diploma in Law GDL
          • Master of Laws (LLM)
        • Professional programmes
        • Research and Scholarship
        • Athena Swan in The City Law School
        • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at The City Law School
        • Barrister training
          • Bar Training
          • Pupillage Advice Service
        • Solicitor training
          • Future Solicitor Advisory Service (FSAS)
          • The Solicitors' Qualifying Exam (SQE)
        • Law in real life (Law IRL)
          • Legal work placements
          • Court visits
          • Mock Trials
        • About The School
          • Prizes from The City Law School
          • Global Engagement
      • Dubai Centre
    • History
    • People
      • Academics
      • Research students
      • Students
      • Honorary graduates
      • Past students
      • Professional Services staff
      • International agents and representatives
      • Senior people
      • Extraordinary women
    • Facilities
      • Campuses
      • Libraries
      • Gym
      • University of London facilities
      • Specialist facilities
    • Work for us
      • Apply
      • Benefits
      • Career development
    • Vision and Strategy
      • Academic excellence
        • Rankings
        • Education
          • Flexible learning spaces
          • Active and collaborative learning
          • Term dates
        • Student statistics
      • Equality, diversity and inclusion
        • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
        • Data and objectives
        • Staff networks
        • Digital Accessibility
      • Sustainable development
        • Get involved
        • Environmental Impact and Performance
      • Civic engagement
      • Social responsibility
        • Social responsibility in our outreach
        • Social responsibility in action
    • Governance and legal
      • Charter and Statutes
      • Rector
      • Council
        • Audit and Risk Committee
        • Corporate Governance and Nominations Committee
        • Remuneration Committee
        • Strategy and Finance Committee
        • Development Committee
      • Senate
        • Board of Studies
        • Collaborative Provision Committee
        • Educational Quality Committee
        • Research and Enterprise Committee
        • Senate Research Ethics Committee
      • Executive leadership
      • Financial statements
        • Financial Summary
      • Legal documents and policies
      • Committees
    • Global City
    • Contact us and find us
      • Find us
      • Contact us
      • Staff directory
    • Guidance on Coronavirus
      • Admissions advice during coronavirus
        • Coronavirus accommodation information
      • Latest updates
      • Advice for visitors to our campus
  • Student Hub
  • Staff Hub
  • Prospective students
    Prospective students
    • Courses
      • Undergraduate degrees
      • Apprenticeships
      • Foundation courses
      • Postgraduate taught degrees
      • Postgraduate research degrees
      • Short courses
      • Professional development courses
      • City Health courses
    • Apply
      • Entry requirements
      • How to apply
      • Prospectus
      • Visas
      • Study abroad programmes
      • Clearing
      • Alternative entry routes
      • Contact Admissions
    • Finance
      • Funding options
      • Earn while you learn
      • How to pay
      • Additional expenses
    • Accommodation and housing
      • Compare residential halls
      • Applying for halls
      • Paying for halls
      • Private accommodation
      • Short-term accommodation
    • Open events and fairs
      • Campus tours
      • Online chats
      • University fairs
    • Student life
      • London experience
      • Local area
      • Sports
      • Social activities and groups
      • Religion
      • Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer plus
      • Volunteering
      • Student wellbeing
      • Learn another language
    • Career development
      • Placements, internships and employment opportunities
      • Career pathways
      • Job prospects and graduate destinations
      • Careers team
    • Subjects
  • Research
    Research
    • Research centres and groups
    • Research impact
      • Research Excellence Framework
      • Research case studies
    • Research strategy
    • Research support
      • Grants and funding
      • Integrity and ethics
      • Research data
      • Researcher development
      • Presidential Fellowships job advert
    • City Doctoral College
      • Current Doctoral Researchers
      • Doctoral Training Resources
      • Scholarships and Funding
      • For Research Supervisors
      • Meet the Team
  • For businesses
    For businesses
    • Start your business
      • Develop your startup idea
      • Launch your startup
    • Grow your business
      • Fund your business
      • Hire an academic consultant
      • Purchase our intellectual property
      • Companies formed
    • Develop your people
      • Bespoke training
      • My Home Life England
      • Degree apprenticeships for business
    • Business impact case studies
    • Access our student talent
      • Recruit with us
      • Meet and support our students
      • Information for placement partners
  • Alumni and supporters
    Alumni and supporters
    • Alumni benefits
    • Alumni Events
    • Global alumni network
      • Networks and Groups
      • Alumni Ambassadors
      • Special Interest Groups
      • Alumni News and stories
    • Contact us
    • Support City
      • Donate to City
      • Volunteering
      • Your impact
  • News and events
    News and events
    • News
    • Events
    • Social media directory
      • City social accounts
      • School and Departmental accounts
  • About us
    About us
    • Schools and Departments
      • School of Policy & Global Affairs
      • School of Communication & Creativity
      • Bayes Business School
      • School of Health & Psychological Sciences
      • School of Science & Technology
      • The City Law School
      • Dubai Centre
    • History
    • People
      • Academics
      • Research students
      • Students
      • Honorary graduates
      • Past students
      • Professional Services staff
      • International agents and representatives
      • Senior people
      • Extraordinary women
    • Facilities
      • Campuses
      • Libraries
      • Gym
      • University of London facilities
      • Specialist facilities
    • Work for us
      • Apply
      • Benefits
      • Career development
    • Vision and Strategy
      • Academic excellence
      • Equality, diversity and inclusion
      • Sustainable development
      • Civic engagement
      • Social responsibility
    • Governance and legal
      • Charter and Statutes
      • Rector
      • Council
      • Senate
      • Executive leadership
      • Financial statements
      • Legal documents and policies
      • Committees
    • Global City
    • Contact us and find us
      • Find us
      • Contact us
      • Staff directory
    • Guidance on Coronavirus
      • Admissions advice during coronavirus
      • Latest updates
      • Advice for visitors to our campus
  1. Home
  2. …
  3. People
  4. Students
  5. Zaman Sachedina
People
  • Academics
  • Research students
  • Students
  • Honorary graduates
  • Past students
  • Professional Services staff
  • International agents and representatives
  • Senior people
  • Extraordinary women
Zaman Sachedina is a BSc Optometry student

Zaman Sachedina

BSc Optometry student

School of Health & Psychological Sciences Department of Optometry and Visual Sciences Optometry

Tags:

  • Student
  • Undergraduate
  • Optometry

A BSc Optometry degree is very valuable because there are so many routes that you can undertake after your degree

How did you develop an interest in optometry?

I have always been interested in a career in healthcare. I loved sciences throughout my high school education and I knew I wanted to further my education in the medical field. I attended the University of Western Ontario for four years where I achieved a BSc (Honours) in Biology. At this point in my life, I had options regarding which career path I could choose and honestly I had no idea which direction to take. I obtained some experience by shadowing my local pharmacist, family doctor, optometrist and dentist which helped me get a better idea of what each career entailed.

After a few weeks at my optometrist’s practice, I instantly knew that optometry was for me. I loved the fact that each patient episode was different and how my optometrist tailored her skills to adapt to any situation she faced. Problem solving is a large part of optometry and that excited me. I knew I wanted to be in a work environment that wasn’t static and where I could make a difference to an individual’s health. Optometry checked all those boxes and now I cannot see myself doing anything else.

Why did you choose to study at City, University of London?

I have never been to the UK and, at first glance, all the Optometry schools seemed like a good option. However, I found that City had, and continues to uphold, a very prestigious and impressive reputation. City is the capital’s leading institution for optometry teaching and is currently ranked 1st in London and 2nd in the UK for Health Professions by the 2018 Guardian League Table. Therefore, I knew that studying here would be the best option for me to become a knowledgeable and effective optometrist.

Living in London was also a huge motivation for me. City is located only minutes from Angel; a thriving area filled with delicious eats and lots of entertainment. Furthermore, City is very easily accessible as it is located close to four major tube stations which makes travel a breeze.

What has been a highlight of the course?

The highlight of the course for me has been learning my full routine in my clinical skills labs. Students are able to pick up a retinoscope and ophthalmoscope as early as the second week of the programme. This gave me a break from the heavy content in my classes and allowed me to learn concepts with a hands on approach. Learning how to use a slit lamp, retinoscope and ophthalmoscope early is very valuable. By the time you learn about how different pathologies manifest in the eye, you are skilled at using the equipment which gives you time to focus on finding key features that you may miss if you aren’t confident with the equipment.

How have you found the teaching and facilities on your course?

The professors at City are phenomenal. Not only are they all highly educated, they are very approachable and helpful. Students are encouraged to ask questions during and after classes and professors always stop to make sure that everyone is on the same page with what is being taught. Some professors have even incorporated online multiple choice questions which are displayed at the end of a lecture. Students can use their phones or laptops to answer these questions and we get live feedback on why each answer is correct or incorrect. Professors respond promptly to questions via email outside of class time as well. It’s apparent that the professors want you to do well and will help you become an effective and knowledgeable optometrist.

The facilities at City are also excellent. In the first two years of the degree, students practice clinical skills in two large labs with individual cubicles that represent a testing room in the real world. These labs contain state of the art equipment that is constantly maintained by the lab technician. In the third year of the programme, students practice at City Sight, a purpose built clinic, which is also filled with the newest technology in optometry and have the opportunity to practice with real patients.

What kind of things are you involved in outside your course?

I am a student representative for the Association of Optometrists (AOP). I was privileged to first obtain this role in my first year at City. The AOP is the leading UK membership organization protecting, supporting and representing professionals in the optical sector. The AOP gives me the opportunity to raise any concerns or ideas that can help support students of optometry. We work with student representatives in every optometry school throughout the UK in the hope of bettering the future of education in optometry.

What have you enjoyed most about your time at City?

I have really enjoyed the small campus atmosphere. It has given me a chance to meet many interesting individuals from around the world. Furthermore, since our class sizes are generally small, I have been able to develop personal relationships with almost all my classmates and professors.

What have you enjoyed most about living in London?

No matter what time of day or night, there is always something to do. I visited all the major tourist attractions within the first week of living in London. To my surprise, even after almost two years of living here, I keep finding new attractions almost every week. The best part is that there are a lot of free attractions that are available to the public - you just have to find them!

How did you find moving away from home?

It’s not my first time moving away from home. I lived essentially on the other side of Canada from my home for four years during my undergraduate programme so the move out here was not too difficult. Moving away from home makes you grow up fast. It’s hard leaving your friends and family; however, I feel like moving away helps you develop as a person. The main difficulty I faced was the time difference from my home. It made communicating with family and friends a little more difficult but it’s definitely doable.

What are you looking most forward to during the rest of your time at City, University of London?

I am really excited about the clinics at City Sight next year. I love the idea of taking the knowledge and skills I have learned in the first two years of the programme and applying them to real patients while still being supervised. I feel like I will really develop professionalism and independence in the clinical setting which are skills that are necessary for my pre-registration year but hard to achieve without repetition and practice in the clinical setting.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?

I plan to work in a hospital or a multiple practice in the UK for a few years and develop my skills and knowledge in order to become the best optometrist I can be. During this time, I will also try to prepare for the Canadian conversion course in the hope to be accredited to work back home as an optometrist. My goal is to open one or even multiple independent optometric practices in Canada.

What would be your advice to anyone considering studying BSc Optometry?

My advice would be to shadow an optometrist for at least a week. Get to know what you are getting into. Optometry is not an easy course, however, if you are motivated and truly are interested in this career it becomes easier for you and more enjoyable. Understand that it’s going to take a lot of work and dedication to get where you want to be but also understand that optometry is a very rewarding and flexible career.

If you do decide to study BSc Optometry, and are lucky enough to be accepted into City, University of London, make the most of it. Practice when you can and try to improve yourself daily. A BSc Optometry degree is very valuable because there are so many routes that you can undertake after your degree, whether it be working in a multiple, independent, hospital or even working in academia. The possibilities are vast and exciting and if you think you have what it takes, go for it.

Date of interview: Monday, 30th April 2018

Help us to improve this page

City, University of London

The University of business, practice and the professions

  • Library Services
  • Moodle
  • Email
  • Staff directory
  • Term dates
  • Book a room
  • Schools and departments

Back to top

Contact us

Make an enquiry

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • TikTok
  • Weibo
  • Youku
  • WeChat
Social media directory

Find us

City, University of London
Northampton Square
London EC1V 0HB
United Kingdom

Campus map

Our global campuses

  • London
  • Dubai

Awards and accreditations

  • Athena SWAN: Bronze Award
  • Stonewall: LGBTQ+ Inclusive employer - Silver Award 2023 logo
  • UKRI Research England logo

Useful links

  • Accessibility
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies
  • City Store
  • Support City
  • Work for City
  • City Magazine
  • 中文

© 2023 City, University of London

University of London