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Comment by gxs | Hacker News Reader

Please heed this warning. I didn't get an eye exam til my last semester in college.

Turns out, I've always needed glasses - and the reason studying was such a pain was because I was really straining my eyes. I always wondered how some people could study all day while I'd max out at 3-4 hours.

I got glasses and my last semester grades were quite good - please get your vision checked!

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I experienced the same thing ... here's another test from personal experience ... if you look at a leafy tree and it looks like a brown stick with a green ball on top ... your vision is bad!

I know that sounds ridiculously obvious - but when your eyesight gets progressively worse, you simply don't realise how degraded it has become. I distinctly remember the first time I got glasses, walked outside and was amazed I could see individual leaves on the tree! It was like I had upgraded to a HD TV!

Same here. I had difficulties not to cry the first time I put my glasses because I found everything was so wonderful!

I'm 3 years into a 5 year degree, and just got glasses last month. I'd gotten annual eye exams, which came out marginal, but the difference just didn't seem like enough to justify the expense and hassle.

Now, I can't believe what I was missing out on. You're right, eye strain really does make a difference to your ability to do work.

I've had glasses for most of my life, but had a similar problem studying. Recently found out I have convergence insufficiency, which rarely gets diagnosed. So even if you have glasses you might want to get a more comprehensive eye exam :)

EDIT: Also, this image makes me queasy.

If you find yourself newly in need of glasses while going through the social crucible that is high school, consider jumping straight to contact lenses. Might not be for everyone, but it's something that I wish I'd done.

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