A Day in the Life of a Vet Student

[Beckett]

I am curious to find out what everyone's schedule is like in veterinary school. Less so about lectures and wet lab and more life just outside. For instance, do you make meals a priority or do you skip them? What time to do you wake up? How long do you study each day in addition to getting the essential life stuff done?

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[kaydubs]

I'm not a morning person but since we have classes at 8am often, I tend to get up at 6:30am. I would NOT endorse skipping meals. You need all the nutrition you can get! I try to get some form of exercise in. When I get home - usually late afternoon, I eat, shower, go for a walk and study til around 11-12. So, total of hours studying? At least 5 hours if I can manage it. This is when I'm not working (which I periodically do - I have 2 jobs here).

 

[SocialStigma]

Typically we have class 8:30-5:30 with a 12:30-1:30 lunch break. I never skip meals, I would be so cranky and miserable otherwise.

I live a 3 min walk from campus so I usually get up at 7:15-7:30 and that leaves me with plenty of time to eat breakfast and get ready in the morning prior to 8:30 class. I either eat lunch on campus or walk home. After class, I go home, shower, eat dinner, relax for a bit (watch tv, hang out with friends/boyfriend, etc), and then study. How long I study for depends on how far away the next test is - I'm a crammer by nature so most of my studying is done 2 days prior to the test. But during the school year I don't tend to study past 11pm.

 

[that redhead]

Wake up at 715, leave the house by 745. Class starts at 830, lunch from 1230 to 120. This year we've had not much class, usually out by 230. I go home, eat, goof off, go for a run if the weather is nice, eat dinner, shower, talk to SO then sleep. Don't study unless we have an exam coming up that week, in which case I study for a couple of hours before bed.

Why would you skip meals

 

[Coquette22]

My schedule is pretty much the same as TR's, minus the SO (I talk to my mom and step-dad every night though ). Studying is something that only happens the week before an exam. Sometimes I might be tutoring in the afternoons and I used to have a job during lunch hour, but that's about it. I don't skip food and I don't skip sleep. I would be a tremendously unproductive and unhappy person if I did either of those things.

 

[skittles12]

We almost always had class at 8 am. I like to get ready in as little time as possible, so I would usually get up around 7 am haha. Lectures/labs usually until 3-5 pm. Then I would study for a couple of hours, longer if an exam was coming up in the next 2-3 days. Usually in bed by 11 pm.

Just started clinics 2 weeks ago--I'm on soft tissue surgery rotation right now. Usually I get there by 7 am (earlier if there's an ICU patient). We haven't been too terribly busy, so I usually get to leave around 6 pm, sometimes earlier. I have to do night treatments from 8-11 pm one night a week, and I'm on call for 2 nights of the 3 week rotation. Once I get home I usually spend an hour or so studying for the next day. I still try to get in bed by 11 pm whenever possible, because I function much better with sleep.

And I never skip meals!! If I have a break in the clinic, I'm usually eating a snack.
Not eating or not staying hydrating are definite migraine triggers for me, which are no fun.

 

[bbeventer]

Wake up at 6:30am, class at 8. Lunch from 12-1. Classes end at 4. Come home make a bit to eat, relax for 30 minutes, then study till about 11:30-midnight. Depending on the day, I will head back into lab around 6:30pm and stay for 1-2 hours.

 

[Emiloo4]

Glad to see I'm not the only procrastinator
Wake up at 7:30, class at 8:30, lunch 12:20-1:00 , go home around 3 or 4, say I should study, make excuses not to study, don't study unless its Monday and there's a test Wednesday, play with my pups, say I should work out, make excuses not to work out, don't workout, eat dinner, asleep by 11.
I will say there is never ever a reason to skip a meal in vet school (I'm sure it happens while on clinics). My lunch everyday includes snacks for each break we get. Every hour or two I eat something little. Food and sleep are not sacrificed. Grades, maybe, but not food or sleep.

 

[JoAnna423]

I like seeing how everyone is so different...my biggest fear is not having enough time (or focus) for my son while in vet school but seeing that people are semi-normal with their behaviors makes me a feel a lot better

 

[cs5910]

Wow, since every first year has been telling us that its hell and you will never feel like you know everything, I thought vet students would be studying every night for at least 5 hours lol Its good to see that I will have time to continue doing things I love (i.e. running, time with boyfriend etc.)!

 

[HorsesRLife]

Wow, since every first year has been telling us that its hell and you will never feel like you know everything, I thought vet students would be studying every night for at least 5 hours lol Its good to see that I will have time to continue doing things I love (i.e. running, time with boyfriend etc.)!

Hmm I was thinking the same thing...

 

[Coquette22]

you will never feel like you know everything,

Well I never said I felt like I know everything. Far from it! I just know me, and I know my brain, and I know that studying every night WILL make me burn out. If I studied every night, or even every weeknight, I'd be a useless wreck by the time actual exams came around. So when I don't have to study, I don't. I try to know what I need to know just long enough for the exam, and I try to focus on the big stuff for long term retention. It makes me happier this way, and when I'm happier and more relaxed, I learn better overall.

 

[sunshinevet]

Wow, since every first year has been telling us that its hell and you will never feel like you know everything, I thought vet students would be studying every night for at least 5 hours lol Its good to see that I will have time to continue doing things I love (i.e. running, time with boyfriend etc.)!

Parts of it ARE hell and you will NEVER feel like you know everything. But if you decide to study every night for 5 hours and don't do things you love, you will cease to be a functioning human.

Put it this way - my anatomy course, for example, summarised an entire semester of lower level anatomy in TWO LECTURES. Its that kind of thing that gets you down, not nessercerrily just the hours you put in.

Also, many of the people commenting in that thread were actually upperclassmen. So no, they're not just panicky first years. (Not implying that first years are panicky at all, just the vibe I got from the last two posts )

 

[Escalla]

Well I never said I felt like I know everything. Far from it! I just know me, and I know my brain, and I know that studying every night WILL make me burn out. If I studied every night, or even every weeknight, I'd be a useless wreck by the time actual exams came around. So when I don't have to study, I don't. I try to know what I need to know just long enough for the exam, and I try to focus on the big stuff for long term retention. It makes me happier this way, and when I'm happier and more relaxed, I learn better overall.

Glad this is possible. I'm exactly the same way.

 

[cs5910]

Thanks guys!! I have been reading way too much SDN now that schools over. I guess I got the impression that you kind of lose the "human side/happy side" of you once you start vet school.... Now I understand. I am sure there are times when you need to sacrifice your "me time", for study time, but without some "me time" you will go insane. I am so glad to have read your insights, Sunshine and Coquette! I feel a little better now!

 

[sunshinevet]

Thanks guys!! I have been reading way too much SDN now that schools over. I guess I got the impression that you kind of lose the "human side/happy side" of you once you start vet school.... Now I understand. I am sure there are times when you need to sacrifice your "me time", for study time, but without some "me time" you will go insane. I am so glad to have read your insights, Sunshine and Coquette! I feel a little better now!

Well, to offer you the other side of my perspective - I have currently deferred from my final year of vet school to get my depression under control. Vet school is a beast, and I was not getting the sufficient time I needed during clinics to actually function as a human. So, 8 measley months from graduating from my 6 year course, I decided to take a year off. Best decision I ever made. Because I hate to think what state I would be in if I was still struggling through at this point.

Once you hit clinics, for us, the majority of your days were 7am-7pm, with approximately 1 in 3 weekends requiring you to go in. On call depends of the rotation - maybe half have oncall requirements? So the early years are easy. In clinics, time to yourself isnt always a possibility.

My ultimate advice: have your **** sorted. You won't always get time to sort it during school. If its not sorted, let someone on faculty know, they can help you. Once I told faculty what was going on and what was needed, they got me deferred in less than a day. Awesome staff, at murdoch

 

[kernel]

play with my pups

Glad to see you make time for this.

This is going to be a huge priority for me. Not only does my hyper/neurotic dog require intense daily exercise and stimulation, but I think it's really important for us as vet students to be able to unwind. After all, don't the studies show that people benefit (particularly in terms of stress reduction) from interacting with animals?

 

[that redhead]

Thanks guys!! I have been reading way too much SDN now that schools over. I guess I got the impression that you kind of lose the "human side/happy side" of you once you start vet school.... Now I understand. I am sure there are times when you need to sacrifice your "me time", for study time, but without some "me time" you will go insane.

I would take everyone's input with a grain of salt. Each student approaches school and learning differently. I swear there are people that like having so much to complain about and how miserable their life appears to an outsider not minimizing anyones struggles but sometimes i sure feel like its that way.

It's definitely tough but manageable. Find the way that works for you and don't let other people's input make you feel obligated to go about it their way.

 

[KCgophervet]

Awesome staff, at murdoch

Just going to siderail here and for Murdoch! Did a study abroad there in undergrad and would never have left if I didn't already have the plane ticket home (and a silly little sense of responsibility).

 

[LetItSnow]

Wow, since every first year has been telling us that its hell and you will never feel like you know everything, I thought vet students would be studying every night for at least 5 hours lol Its good to see that I will have time to continue doing things I love (i.e. running, time with boyfriend etc.)!

For my part, one of the problems is that I'm fried by the time I get home. Especially this (second) year, where we very literally with no exaggeration had lecture from 8 until noon and 1 until 5 (with 10 minute breaks every hour) most days. On Mondays, because of an elective, I had class from 8-noon, and noon-7. Even the diehards don't want to study after 11 hours of class time.

It's just so damn much info that after struggling to stay focused and take 8 hours worth of notes .... the thought of focusing again to study all night just hurt. They really need to mix the reshuffle the curriculum so that labs are better distributed.

So I'd typically get the odds 'n ends assignments done, any journal articles read, online exams out of the way - that sort of thing. But actual "sit down and study" .... no thanks. Not this year.

 

[katryn]

For me every year was a little different.

The three classroom years were all pretty much 8am to 3-4, sometimes 5pm.

First year, I really went over the top on studying because I had the insane desire to prove that I could make A's after being out of school. Once I got back in the swing of things, I did closer to 1-2 hours a night average during second year. Third year, having a baby screwed any hopes I had of studying, and I was lucky to read through my notes for a few hours the night before exams.

Clinics have been a whole different ball game. I bank on being there 7am to 7pm, and get pleasantly suprised when I get done earlier. The time you gain from not studying gets sucked up in paperwork.

I'm a huge proponent of food. Don't forget to eat, healthy preferably. I burn out much faster when I get low on calories. And other than clinics, I do think there is time for sanity saving activities.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using SDN Mobile

 

[deb1123]

For my part, one of the problems is that I'm fried by the time I get home. Especially this (second) year, where we very literally with no exaggeration had lecture from 8 until noon and 1 until 5 (with 10 minute breaks every hour) most days. On Mondays, because of an elective, I had class from 8-noon, and noon-7. Even the diehards don't want to study after 11 hours of class time.

It's just so damn much info that after struggling to stay focused and take 8 hours worth of notes .... the thought of focusing again to study all night just hurt. They really need to mix the reshuffle the curriculum so that labs are better distributed.

So I'd typically get the odds 'n ends assignments done, any journal articles read, online exams out of the way - that sort of thing. But actual "sit down and study" .... no thanks. Not this year.

I hear that they are re-shuffling the curriculum for my class coming in this fall so that second year isn't as crazy. I sure hope so!

 

[FutureZooVet]

I wanted to bring back this post to see if maybe some of these people or others want to explain what it takes for them to get "X" grades? Maybe some advice? In case no one guessed by my name I'll be trying for some of the most competitive programs and residencies, so while I know there's more to vet school than grades, good grades will be imperative for me. And then of course there's networking, externships during the summers if at all possible, clubs, volunteering (so so much to do) I'm just wondering if the schedules described above will be typical or if I'm going to have to be one of those people who goes to class, comes back eats dinner, studies until 11pm then goes to bed to start it all over again. Or will it be worse?

 

[jmo1012]

I wanted to bring back this post to see if maybe some of these people or others want to explain what it takes for them to get "X" grades? Maybe some advice? In case no one guessed by my name I'll be trying for some of the most competitive programs and residencies, so while I know there's more to vet school than grades, good grades will be imperative for me. And then of course there's networking, externships during the summers if at all possible, clubs, volunteering (so so much to do) I'm just wondering if the schedules described above will be typical or if I'm going to have to be one of those people who goes to class, comes back eats dinner, studies until 11pm then goes to bed to start it all over again. Or will it be worse?

maybe someone else can do a better job at predicting the future, but i think unfortunately you're going to have to figure out what works for you when you get to vet school. i know plenty of people that did fabulous in undergrad and are doing mediocre in vet school and vice versa (and not for lack of trying). some people will need to go to lecture to learn, others can read the notes and books and get As at home. some people have to study everything every day (my roommate re-reads her notes starting on day 1 every day. not a huge pile on day 7 of the semester, but think where she's at by midterms, finals! ), some people will be able to read things once and just intuitively get it.

there is no marker that predicts how well you'll do. a lot of times you have to re-learn to study, and then you spend the next 3 years revising how you study. it's amazing how one method will work so well for some classes and get you poor grades in another. lots of guess work and patience with yourself is generally involved.

 

[bbeventer]

maybe someone else can do a better job at predicting the future, but i think unfortunately you're going to have to figure out what works for you when you get to vet school. i know plenty of people that did fabulous in undergrad and are doing mediocre in vet school and vice versa (and not for lack of trying). some people will need to go to lecture to learn, others can read the notes and books and get As at home. some people have to study everything every day (my roommate re-reads her notes starting on day 1 every day. not a huge pile on day 7 of the semester, but think where she's at by midterms, finals! ), some people will be able to read things once and just intuitively get it.

there is no marker that predicts how well you'll do. a lot of times you have to re-learn to study, and then you spend the next 3 years revising how you study. it's amazing how one method will work so well for some classes and get you poor grades in another. lots of guess work and patience with yourself is generally involved.

Ditto, if there was a secret formula for being a rock star in vet school no one has shared it with me.

 

[T_Rose]

I wanted to bring back this post to see if maybe some of these people or others want to explain what it takes for them to get "X" grades? Maybe some advice? In case no one guessed by my name I'll be trying for some of the most competitive programs and residencies, so while I know there's more to vet school than grades, good grades will be imperative for me. And then of course there's networking, externships during the summers if at all possible, clubs, volunteering (so so much to do) I'm just wondering if the schedules described above will be typical or if I'm going to have to be one of those people who goes to class, comes back eats dinner, studies until 11pm then goes to bed to start it all over again. Or will it be worse?

It depends on the person. Some people have to study a lot, some don't. I have classmates that spend all evening studying. I have problems getting myself to study until right before the exam, but it's worked out for me to get mostly B's so far. I know I could have pulled off a better grade on the majority of exams had I studied a little each day. Things are going to get harder next year (and the next three weeks will be awful), so I will have to put a lot more time into studying. My typical day is class 8-3:30 (lunch break to let dog out at noon), dog park, club sports (3-4 days a week) until 7 or 9pm depending on the day, and then relax at home (and occasionally study). Sometimes I'll have a vet school club meeting. Those are great for networking! I know there is a lot of variation amongst my classmates regarding free time and studying. You'll have to figure out what works best for you. I would recommend trying to get sleep each night. That's something I fail at being able to accomplish since I like to stay up late.

there is no marker that predicts how well you'll do. a lot of times you have to re-learn to study, and then you spend the next 3 years revising how you study. it's amazing how one method will work so well for some classes and get you poor grades in another. lots of guess work and patience with yourself is generally involved.

In addition to variance among classes, methods can vary depending on who is lecturing at the time since many classes have multiple lecturers. For the most recent exam we had, I studied more than for any other thus far. I went through and did all the study questions like the 2nd years told me to do in addition to studying like I normally do (reading slides over and over again). The exam was harder than I anticipate, but I still felt like I didn't do too bad. I got my grade back (much worse than I thought), and I was depressed for the remainder of the day (my friends were getting tired of my whining over it). I still don't want to believe it until I get a chance to review my test. I still have this small sliver of hope that there was a mistake in how I filled in my answers. I had been doing super well in this class, so I don't see how this happened. Basically, this goes to show you that the same study methods don't work for each test and you have to make adjustments as you go.

 

[FutureZooVet]

Yes sleep is a big issue for me. A few too many long nights and I can't concentrate, I get anxiety, and sometimes temporary depression/ minor sense of doom and a "I don't care anymore" mentality that can be erased with 8 hours of sleep. I also tend to sleep walk/talk and have walking nightmares so I'm trying to keep my sleep! I can do it, I did do it for a year, but it's torturous and I do better overall with sleep and steady studying. For that reason I'll be avoiding cramming as much as humanly possible.

 

[HorsesRLife]

I have not had to sacrifice sleep yet, but I haven't been through a finals week either. It seems that if I try studying tired I just start drifting to sleep, so it makes more sense to just go to sleep and try more focused studying the next day. I have done fairly well in most things, but like someone said previously, I studied very hard for a recent test and it didn't turn out well; therefore, I have to adjust my study methods within that class. In undergrad I made tons of notecards, but I haven't made many in vet school, except for anatomy nerves, innervations, and so on. I haven't really crammed much, but I definitely drop my studying down for other classes and increase studying for a class I have an exam in a few days. I think your life inside and outside of vet school depends on your priorities. Some people are sooo involved, but I would rather go home (introverted) and spend time with my husband and animals. I do have some evenings where no studying is done, but normally it is right after an exam and my brain is just too tired to absorb anything.

 

[DVMDream]

I am a massive procrastinator (as can be seen right now), last year I was mostly ok with cramming right before exams. I passed everything, I did have to retake one exam but there were other personal issues going on at the time of the exam that affected my studying. Now with second year, I have tried to stay on top of things, but I am failing. I am behind (again I am a procrastinator) and I can already start to realize how much information is being tossed at us just this semester. I have spent a few times just staring at all of my notes and thinking, "how in the hell do I condense all of this into something that I can easily study?" I still don't know the answer, I have been doing a variety of rewriting notes, making posters and flashcards. I don't know if it is working or not, to be honest. I just seem to do what seems to feel right at the time. I think the answer is that no two people learn in exactly the same way. You are going to have to explore different methods and find out what is right for you. You can start by using what worked for you in undergrad, but if you find out that you can't keep up or that you aren't retaining info, then try something else. Also, most universities have some type of a study skills place or help that you can go to and they might be able to give you some insight into some new study techniques (I am actually going to look into this myself for next week, because I know I spend way too much time on just one lecture; I need to find something that is faster).

If you are someone that values sleep and needs sleep to function, then GET SLEEP. Also, there comes a point when studying where you can feel your body/brain just shut off, working past that point tends to not benefit you at all, so listen to what your body is saying and STOP. Go make a snack, watch a video, read a chapter of an interesting book (not a school text) and then come back to it later or if it is late, relax for a bit and then head to bed.

The biggest thing I learned last year, you can NOT learn everything in vet school. The amount of information is enormous. You will not be able to know every little detail. Try to get down a general understanding and then if you have the time you can go back and learn some of the details. Also, if you are super fascinated with a certain subject, as tempting as it may be, don't spend a whole bunch of time researching it and learning it, just remember that interest and come back to it later; there are so many other things that you will have to learn. I did that last year; got really into a specific subject and then another area or subject would get left behind or I would have to speed read through it.

Also, don't panic. If you are having trouble, talk to someone, sooner rather than later. I have found that most professors are willing to help and want to teach (yes you will get a few bad ones that get annoyed), but overall they want you to succeed.

 

[that redhead]

Futurezoovet, as everyone has mentioned, how to get good grades really depends on the student, the professor and the course. First year I studied a bit each day and did OK. Second year I crammed for every single exam (and still got a good amount of sleep) and did awesome.

The key is that while you want to get good grades (and I'm in the same boat re: wanting a good residency position, etc), you cannot let yourself become so fixated on them that you beat yourself up over every missed point. That will only deepen the spiral of depression, anxiety and lack of confidence. Find a way to study that works...and then be prepared to switch it up entirely for a different course/professor. It's the adaptability that is probably your best shot at success.

 

[Mangojuice]

Not to sound hopelessly naïve...

A good residency depends on your grades??

I'm seriously asking.

 

[that redhead]

I think it depends on the residency field as well as the particular program. The residents I've spoken with generally say letters of recommendation and connections are the more important things. I spoke with someone in charge of a program I'm interested in this summer and when I asked how they make their decisions, grades was the first thing she mentioned. But she also stressed how important it is that the candidate fit in with their people - no point in selecting a brilliant person who can't communicate worth crap - and I imagine that's a pretty universal criterion.

Regardless, I've shot myself in the foot with my poor grades in undergrad - not letting it happen again. If I'm up against some very intelligent, competitive people, I don't want my grades to be the one thing holding me back.

 

[Bearby]

First year: woke up at 7, at school by 8. There until 3-4 typically. Studied about an hour or two each night, more when exams came up. I didn't skip meals but I didn't really let myself have a life.

Second year: woke up at 7, at school by 8, there until about 3 most days. Didn't study until exams were coming up. Didn't skip meals, and allowed myself to go out almost whenever I wanted. I did much better 2nd year than 1st.

Third year (so far): on clinics right now. Wake up between 5 and 7 depending on the rotation and if I have inpatients. There until anywhere between 5 and 8 usually, again depending on rotation and what paperwork I need to get done (been there as late as 11 due a surgery late in the day, been called in at 2am for emergency. There's really no regularity to the schedule on most rotations). I miss lunch several days a week on most rotations. Some nights I don't have dinner either because I don't get home until late and am tired. I don't get to go out and do much because everyone is on different rotations so when I have the weekend off, most of the people I would normally hang out with are stuck at school.

 

[pooter]

Please tell me I'm not the only one who streams the audio files at home. These days, less than half of my classes have mandatory attendance. I run the lectures at double-speed the next day. That way the info comes fast enough to hold my attention, I have an extra 25 minutes per lecture to review (or procrastinate), and I don't have to worry that the dog is trying to kill herself while I'm in class. Plus, pants are optional. For some reason, I can't get away with that in the lecture hall.

 

[Bearby]

Please tell me I'm not the only one who streams the audio files at home. These days, less than half of my classes have mandatory attendance. I run the lectures at double-speed the next day. That way the info comes fast enough to hold my attention, I have an extra 25 minutes per lecture to review (or procrastinate), and I don't have to worry that the dog is trying to kill herself while I'm in class. Plus, pants are optional. For some reason, I can't get away with that in the lecture hall.

Ours are not recorded and some of the professors get pissy when attendance is low.

 

[DVMDream]

Ours are not recorded and some of the professors get pissy when attendance is low.

Ours aren't recorded either. I try to show up for lectures (well, this year; last year I was horrible about showing up). I hate when professors get mad at the students that show up for lecture when attendance is low.

 

[bunnity]

Please tell me I'm not the only one who streams the audio files at home. These days, less than half of my classes have mandatory attendance. I run the lectures at double-speed the next day. That way the info comes fast enough to hold my attention, I have an extra 25 minutes per lecture to review (or procrastinate), and I don't have to worry that the dog is trying to kill herself while I'm in class. Plus, pants are optional. For some reason, I can't get away with that in the lecture hall.

Yeah, I did this for the second half of first year and the first half of second year. I got too anxious being at school and liked being able to control my own sleep schedule. And dog schedule. And pants schedule. I started going back to class second year second semester since more classes were required. No difference in my grades either way. I say do what works for you!

 

[Rainheart]

Well, only having been in vet school for a month and a half, so far my method seems to be working studying wise. Attend lectures (though ours are recorded, I have yet to go back and listen to any of them minus the one class I've missed... so far). Come home, try to do my notes for all the lectures that day. It doesn't normally happen on our long days (Tuesdays and Thursdays when we have class 9-5). The other days I have a much more flexible schedule, which is good (including a 2 hour lunch Monday and Wednesday that I can get caught up on notes). Also, during hellacious exam weeks, this doesn't happen really, either. So, that is my plan for the week, plus or minus studying for any upcoming exams. I try to go into the anatomy lab on the weekend if we have an upcoming anatomy exam. I just can't seem to learn very well in actual lab class during the week.
I also try not to get myself burnt out. I'm not one to go out with friends or anything, but I do make sure I allow for plenty of time for walks/hikes with my dog over the weekends. He really needs to get out, and so do I. I try to walk him daily just around the neighborhood when I can. Also, I try to make time for myself like watching a movie or playing video games (can you say... new Windwaker HD?!) So, thus far that has been my plan. Some days it sucks, but most of the time, I can say I am still enjoying it.

 

[LetItSnow]

Ours are not recorded and some of the professors get pissy when attendance is low.

A few of our lecturers do, too, and it's never made sense to me. Virtually everywhere everyone always makes such a big deal out of how "everyone learns differently" and "people have different learning styles" and blah blah blah hippy happy love-fest about learning differences and everyone doing what works best for them.

Great. So if you mean it, then why get pissy when people don't show up? Just assume they either: a) don't care about your material (so what?), b) don't learn well from lecture (so what?), c) will do poorly on your test if they can't learn the material elsewhere (so what?), or d) really would just prefer to sit home in their underwear and watch it on lecture capture.

Lecturer egos suck. Get over yourselves already: if you are worth coming to hear, people will come. If you aren't, don't blame people for not coming because all you do is read slides and mumble.

Anyway. Um. Keeping it thread-relevant... uh.... I typically sleep for 30 minutes on the bus on the way to school, sit through 6-8 hours of lecture and try really hard to pay attention (seriously, because I learn well that way ... except after about 5 hours), sleep for 30 minutes on the bus on the way home, grab dinner with the family, play with the kids, and then find interesting and creative ways to avoid studying while still feeling productive. Around 10:30p, my wife and I will chit-chat or watch an episode of something on tv, then sleep.

Studying is something I leave for either really interesting material, or the test the next day.

Saturdays I sleep in, play with the kids, work in ICU second shift. Sundays I seem to be studying for a Monday exam frequently.

 

[Mangojuice]

I think it depends on the residency field as well as the particular program. The residents I've spoken with generally say letters of recommendation and connections are the more important things. I spoke with someone in charge of a program I'm interested in this summer and when I asked how they make their decisions, grades was the first thing she mentioned. But she also stressed how important it is that the candidate fit in with their people - no point in selecting a brilliant person who can't communicate worth crap - and I imagine that's a pretty universal criterion.

Regardless, I've shot myself in the foot with my poor grades in undergrad - not letting it happen again. If I'm up against some very intelligent, competitive people, I don't want my grades to be the one thing holding me back.

Well, that makes a world of sense. Same here.

 

[pooter]

A few of our lecturers do, too, and it's never made sense to me. Virtually everywhere everyone always makes such a big deal out of how "everyone learns differently" and "people have different learning styles" and blah blah blah hippy happy love-fest about learning differences and everyone doing what works best for them.

Great. So if you mean it, then why get pissy when people don't show up? Just assume they either: a) don't care about your material (so what?), b) don't learn well from lecture (so what?), c) will do poorly on your test if they can't learn the material elsewhere (so what?), or d) really would just prefer to sit home in their underwear and watch it on lecture capture.

Lecturer egos suck. Get over yourselves already: if you are worth coming to hear, people will come. If you aren't, don't blame people for not coming because all you do is read slides and mumble.

Yeah, we have a few like that, so my strategy has come back to bite me. Last year we had a prof who was not on the opt-out list (so everyone expected his lectures to be recorded) who showed up for his first lecture (possibly the day before an exam--I don't remember exactly), got pissy at the low attendance, and spontaneously decided that that lecture wouldn't be recorded. Then he tried to set a rule where we wouldn't get the audio files for any lecture where less than 80% of the class showed up. I don't think any of his lectures made it onto the course website. Fortunately, we have a few years of archived files, so all we had to do was go back and pick a year when he *hadn't* had a temper tantrum and the lecture was almost identical.

This was a surgeon, naturally. He was actually pretty good as lecturers go, but that stunt created some knee-jerk dislike for me.

 

[orca2011]

Yeah, we have a few like that, so my strategy has come back to bite me. Last year we had a prof who was not on the opt-out list (so everyone expected his lectures to be recorded) who showed up for his first lecture (possibly the day before an exam--I don't remember exactly), got pissy at the low attendance, and spontaneously decided that that lecture wouldn't be recorded. Then he tried to set a rule where we wouldn't get the audio files for any lecture where less than 80% of the class showed up. I don't think any of his lectures made it onto the course website. Fortunately, we have a few years of archived files, so all we had to do was go back and pick a year when he *hadn't* had a temper tantrum and the lecture was almost identical.

This was a surgeon, naturally. He was actually pretty good as lecturers go, but that stunt created some knee-jerk dislike for me.

I've heard about this incident. I won't miss any of his lectures now.

 

[hygebeorht]

Let's see:

6:30 wake up
7:40 leave to go to class
8:05-12:10 classes
12:10-1:30 lunch meetings, usually, or some other meetings
1:30-4:30ish more classes

After classes, often I'll be meeting with a group to study, or with a professor quickly, or I'll go home and eat a bit and relax for maybe a half hour to an hour. Then the rest of my evening is spent wrangling emails, taking care of my class officer responsibilities, and studying (how much depends on the proximity of the next exam, but I always try to do some). I'll be starting working a bit soon, so that will take some of my evenings and weekends up.

I always try to go to bed by 9:30, but I usually hit 11:30 or 12.

Most of my weekends, I'll go to the school at least one of the days to study with a group or do a review or some such. I don't feel like I leave school for long!

It really depends on the person, but I don't feel like vet school is hellish at all. I have worked much harder in the past. It is a lot of volume of material, and it doesn't end, but by carefully pacing yourself, you will probably do all right.

 

[Lab Rat83]

I'll weigh in from a first year AVC'er, not sure if my classmates commented yet or not.

I wake up at 6:45 but only get out of bed at around 7:10. I'm out the door by 8:10 for classes from 8:30 - 4:30. On Wednesday we only start at 9:30 and we are out at 3:30 on Fridays. I always do large animal rounds during lunch on Thursdays and I'll attend on average about 2 lunch lectures/week.

I come home right after school and sometimes just chill or watch tv. I make supper for about 5pm and aim to start studying by 7pm. I study for 2-3 hours/day depending on the day. Mondays and Thursdays are big study days because I have both anatomy lec/lab and physiology to review. I always pre-read the applicable sections for physiology, anatomy and histo before classes.

I take every Friday evening off and study the other 6 days/week. I prefer to be in bed or at least relaxing by 10 but sometimes I'm up to as late as 12pm. I make sure I eat well and get a full night's rest. I'm still struggling to fit in some cardio/gym time in my schedule.

On Sundays, I meet with my study group and we go over immunology and anatomy. Once a month I volunteer for a 3 hour ICU shift and I sign up for every wet lab that suits my interests.

I very much look forward to my Friday evenings off. I'm busy but so far I'm loving it. I enjoy studying for our classes and I get a little high when something clicks in my brain and I 'get it'. I couldn't put this kind of work and effort into something that I didn't enjoy. Last year when I was teaching high school physics and chem, I absolutely hated going home after teaching all day and working for an additional two or three hours. I hated my life then but all that's behind me and now I get to do what I really love.

 

[WelshCob]

I'm a first year, and somehow have become a morning person but slowly that is slipping into just 5 more minutes. Hehe

Up a 5am, shower, pack up, walk the dog. At school by 7:30am for prime parking. I study from 7:30 to 8:30 when class starts. Four hours of lecture in the morning followed by a 40 minute lunch between 12:20 and 1pm. Then I'm in anatomy lab for 2-3 hours after lunch. I come home, it its Monday or Friday I haul off the the barn. If its any other day I feed myself take a break and maybe a could hours of studying. In bed usually by 10.

 

[TooLove]

I'll bite. First year, AVC.

I wake up around 6:45. We have class at 8:30 with the exception of Wednesdays (there is no 8:30 class scheduled in the hopes that we will attend 4th year case study presentations, but for the vast majority of us, sleep wins out). Monday, Wednesday and Thursday we have class until 4:30 with 1 hour for lunch. Tuesdays and Fridays we're done at 3:30 (Fridays actually at 2:30 but most of us attend an optional phys tutorial). When I get home, I relax for a bit, hang out/play with my bird and put some time into making a good quality dinner. My bird goes to bed (yes, really) by 7:30 and I'm studying by 8. I usually study till 11 but if I'm particularly exhausted I will end early. I won't go past 11. I'm sleeping by 12 at the latest. EDIT: Friday nights I do not look at anything vet school. I run at least 4 times a week. I've lost about 10 lbs since starting school (not complaining ).

One of our professors had a baby her first year of vet school. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I'm like "at least I don't have a newborn to deal with!". It's really all about balance...you need to realize that you are in fact not going to have time to do everything you need or want to but you have to prioritize correctly, and sometimes vet school isn't going to be at the top of the list, and that's perfectly okay.

 

[Escalla]

Bored, so figured I'd write up my typical day....

I split my time between two sites. Foothills campus (2d/week) and the Spy Hill Clinical Skills building (3d/week). The Foothills campus is the main Health Sciences campus with the med school and the Foothills hospital, so we just have lecture on these days. The CSB is where our animals are housed, labs, etc. We don't have a teaching hospital, so this is where all of our clinical training takes place during the first 3 years and 4th year is a distributed model.

Classes start at 8:30 M-Th, 9:00 on Fridays. Usually end around 4:15 or 4:45ish. I usually get up about 20 mins before I leave....7ish if it's a Foothills day, 7:40 if it's a CSB day. Which I do find a little funny since I used to be the girl that couldn't go anywhere without styling my hair and applying make-up. Now I've perfected the 5 min shower, throw on jeans and a t-shirt, throw some eggo waffles in the toaster oven, comb through hair, brush teeth, apply some mascara, feed the cat, stuff all my things in my bag, grab my waffles and run out to the carpool.

I usually have four 90 min classes a day, with the exception of anatomy lab being 2 hrs twice a week. 1 hr 15 mins for lunch. Basically I sit on my laptop and type notes all the time. Except clinical skills Thursdays where we spend the day actually learning skills (not looking forward to the OSCE at the end of this month though....). Friday afternoons are Professional skills labs where we have simulated client interactions (usually why I enjoy drinking on Friday nights).

Typically I have some sort of study group or review session that I go to in the evenings until about 6. Get home, make dinner (usually freezer meals that I made previously that I defrost), study until about 10 or so, make my lunch, watch an episode of TV on my laptop and sleep.

Sleep is really important and isn't something I can compromise on, so I've had to adjust my life accordingly. It's working out pretty well so far, I think. My study hours will increase in the evenings when we get into exams, probably.

 

[Jamr0ckin]

Well lets see...

I get up around 6:45-7am depending on if I showered the night before or not. I try to lay out my clothes and supplies needed before I go to bed, but that isn't always the case.

Classes run from 8-2 sometimes to 3. Usually have labs 2-3 afternoons a week that last until 4 or 5. I will have a lunch meeting once or twice a week with an additional dinner meeting occasionally.

I work one afternoon a week in the physical rehab department, until 5 or 6. And then another afternoon/evening a week a work on a cardiology research study running beagles on treadmills. A friend will often come with me who is also part of the trial and we will study together while the dogs run for 90 min a piece.

On most Mondays I go play trivia at a pub with a faculty DVM and her husband. We win a lot.

On Tues-Thurs, I come home and make dinner and play with the dogs until 7ish. Then I study with frequent breaks (I have to get up and walk around with my back problem) until 11 or midnight, depending on when the next test is. I don't read ahead for the upcoming lectures, or even do the recommended/required reading.

Friday nights, I either hang out with friends, or study. Again, depends on when the next exam is.

Weekends I try to sleep in til 9 at the earliest, noon at the latest. I usually run errands like grocery shopping on the weekends. Sunday nights are often spent at school in a group study session.

****note****

This is all an ideal thing when I actually go to class and don't come home and accidentally nap the evening away (which is often).

 

[catnips]

This post made me so happy as a pre-vet student.

Don't get me wrong, a day in the life of a vet student still sounds pretty tough, but I have read a "i hate vet school/i have no life" post about a week back, and I was seriously going crazy over it. I am very interested in veterinary medicine and can't wait to get into a vet school and actually take classes that are more related to vet medicine, but I wasn't too happy about everybody saying they have no time to do anything else. I definitely understand that it must be stressful and busy, but I would like some "me time", not much, just some!

Thank you for asking this, and thanks to all that replied.

Not planning to have a fun life filled with parties in vet school, but oh God, what a relief to think I can have the evening to spend with my husband and pets, at least.

 

[DVMDream]

It is hard for me to give a "typical" day, because our days change so much.... I will give it a try...

Wake up around 7AM (tends to end up being 7:30), run and get dressed and ready and out the door. Catch bus #1 by 7:51AM, catch bus #2 at 8:10AM. Get to the vet school around 8:45AM...

Class starts at 9AM.. most days we have 2 lectures in the morning from 9-11 with a 10 minute break between the 2. Then, depending on what group you are in you might have a tutorial or practical or seminar class or a break for an hour, then lunch for an hour. Then class usually starts back at 1:10 and we might have one or two classes getting done at 2 or 3. On Thursdays, we get done at 2, but some people have a 2 hour lab or tutorial, others have a break, then we have a class from 4-5.

Thursdays are usually the only 9-5 days. Most days we are done by 2-3, occasionally 4. And Wednesdays are done by noon, usually 11AM.

I then take the bus home, which takes about an hour. I try to go over lectures, but honestly, don't do well at it. I then procrastinate until night time, then I do attempt the lectures, sometimes I am successful, sometimes not.

I go to bed around midnight or 1AM or 2AM,... whenever I feel like it.

Then I get up and repeat.

I do find this year much more bearable than last year. Last year was classes/practicals/tutorials from 9-5, with an hour lunch, I would get home around 6:30-7 (because I was taking the long way home, which I was not aware of at the time). Then it would be shower, dinner, attempt to study, bed. That became very exhausting and I did not like it one bit.

I am enjoying this year more, the material is more relevant and I have more time than I did last year. I also have more to learn, but I am getting by.