Anyone else have cold feet?

[WishingnHoping]

I admit, I am scared. I am getting nervous and scared to move away from the only place I've ever known to be home! Which is little old rural Maine. And I LOVE riding my horses -- how much time will I have in veterinary school? I will miss them so much! I already sold one (that I've had almost 10 years) to help pay for vet school and am down to just one now. I am also scared that I will get out and not like vet med. After reading horror stories of people who go through vet med and go back for their MD/DO ... UGH! It's about two months until I move away from my family for 4 years and sign my life away to veterinary medicine. I've always thought I loved it -- but now I read and read and read on here and oh man. It's not good for my anxiety!

I've been fine up until now but now I'm SCARED!!! Like ... really, really nervous. haha! It's so bad that I keep pushing the edit button to add more things I'm nervous about ... ugh.

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[ShelterGirl]

Not cold feet as in "I'm not sure I wanna do this anymore." More like "I really hope I can actually get through school with my relationships and sanity intact, AND be a good vet once I finish." So yeah, I'm scared.

 

[soxbox]

Hey I was feeling the same things a year ago... I was moving 2000 miles away from my family, my job I had been at for 5 years, all my friends... and kept thinking, what if I hate it? Well, I suppose you might hate it... but most likely you will love it and if you didnt do it you would always wonder what if...

I will say I thought the first week or so sucked greatly... It was almost as bad as like the first day of middle school or high school, but at least then you knew a good amount of your classmates! I was also in super panic mode because I was scared that I shouldnt have been accepted and I was just going to fail out... but a year later, I did pretty darn OK and after the first week of being with the same kids for 8 hours every day, you forget that not that long ago you knew no one!!

I cannot speak about riding horses as I personally avoid horses like the plague, but there are a ton of my classmates who own horses and find lots of time to ride them during school (though I dont think anyone is doing it competitively while in school)

Last year we had a related thread going... http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=417731&highlight=cold+feet

so just know that you are definitely, definitely not alone in your feelings!!!! it might be rough for a bit (actually it most likely will be) but then you will meet people and become so busy with school and find yourself sitting in class and being like, wow, it is pretty cool to actually like what you are learning that it makes that rough time seem not so bad at all

 

[critterfixer]

Ah, yes. If those of you heading to vet school this fall didn't start to feel this way soon, we'd have to worry about you.

Completely normal. And it really will be ok.

 

[lailanni]

Not exactly cold feet (yet!) but I do find myself thinking "man, I'm sure going to miss this" as I'm at home, with friends, doing all the things I do in my hometown of 23 years.

But I think of the weekends I'll be home (a 3 day weekend every month, 1 week thanksgiving, 2-3 weeks christmas, spring break, then summers!!) so I ward off the potential home sick thoughts.

I'm looking forward to meeting new friends and all the cool stuff I'm going to learn. Not so much looking forward to debt and being away from family. I do have a nagging fear that I'll get to vet school and have no friends (Like the smelly kid in elementary school. No, I wasn't that kid and I do not smell. But it's still a valid fear.)

 

[bclover]

I'm there, too. I am in the process of wrapping up things with my employer (will actually be doing it all summer), so I'm doing alot of for the last time... sorts of activities as I try to organize my client info for my replacement. While doing this, I have found my feet getting a little chilly for many of the same reasons mentioned above.

On the other hand, I am soooo ready to get on with it! I am shopping the book prices and just holding myself back from ordering them and my computer, but it won't be too long before I "burn up" that Visa card!

 

[TractorKid]

You know how you feel when you are in line for that brand new roller coaster at the amusement park for the first time? And your mind keeps going back and forth between "This is going to be SO AWESOME!" and "I think I'm gonna be sick; where's the exit?" THAT'S how I feel about vet school right now.

Most of the time I am super psyched and CANNOT WAIT!! But the other 25% of the time I am freaking out. "Will I be smart enough to handle the material? What if I don't fit in with my classmates?" (I'm a non-trad) And many other more horrible thoughts that I won't post here.

So don't worry WishingnHoping, you are not alone! You have at least one other classmate who will be feeling a little ill with nervousness on the first day of orientation (and I am sure there are many more besides us two). And if life totally sucks that first week, you just buy a plane ticket and go home for the weekend to recharge with your family and horses. We are already in debt up to our eyeballs, so what's one plane ticket right?

 

[Nexx]

Like soxbox, about a year ago I was in a similar boat. I had moved around a fair bit growing up but for 10 years had called Florida my home. I spend almost 7 of those years working at the same clinic and become part of 'the family' there, one of the constants in a sea of new employees (college town). When I got accepted and began to move out a ton of thoughts went through my mind. A main concern was for me to wonder if I was running away from something, or running towards a long-term goal.

It was a bit of both perhaps, and I remember my first week of vet school well. Frankly, I just sat in class with mild panic. Not from being on the other side of the world, but just thinking "Holy ****... I'm in vet school." At this point I don't regret the choice I've made to sell off everything except what fit in my car and was driven to be stored at my parent's house in California (which is to say.. not much) and then to fly down under.

It's a big change which does require a bit of a blind jump and putting yourself out there. But then again most of us have wanted to make that jump for a very long time.

My moments of panic now involve "what do I want to do with my life?" That feeling of no longer working toward something (other than graduating) is not something I've ever been without... Goal: get into vet school = accomplished... now what?

Still trying to form an answer to that one, will push off another worrying session on that after finals are over.

 

[CookieBear]

The first couple weeks here last August were really hard for me. I cried alot here at home. I loved when orientation and school started, but for the two weeks I was here first, after my husband and then brother left to go home, from their visits, it was really hard!

But, just finished our first year yesterday and it feels incredible!

So, it's normal, and it's a transition like any other big change in life. Focus on the positive! Scared = normal.

 

[amberspyglass]

I am becoming more and more scared as well...and I have the same insecurities as everyone has (or had)...will I be able to handle getting back into school and studying intense science material after being out of school for a year? Will I fit in with my classmates? How will my relationship fare? Sometimes I'm totally confident and excited, sometimes I'm worried and apprehensive. Right now my favorite freak out subject is the massive debt. I feel like I'm standing at the edge, ready to jump off the cliff, but I can't jump yet, so all I have to do now is stand and look down at how far the cliff is. I just wanna go see what it's like already!!! Wishingnhopin and Tractorkid - I'll be another nervous one at orientation

 

[rustysmom]

me too! I'm worried about keeping up with the classes, fitting in with my classmates, and the major debt I'm accumulating on top of a mortgage. I'm still excited for the most part but the worries are starting to become more frequent. I'm enjoying my time away from school but part of me just wants vet school to start already!

count me in for being nervous at orientation!

 

[WishingnHoping]

I am breathing a sigh of relief! At least I am not the only one then. I am extremely scared of the debt as well! Thank you everyone.

And I think we will ALL fit in and have a blast with each other!!!! Please don't worry about not fitting in. I am the person who worries that everyone is included so YOU will be, no fears! I am a people-person who likes everyone to feel happy and secure about friends. And I am not afraid of including you non-trads or even if you are someone who looks "scary" -- I have no fear of you!!!! You will be included!!!! Unless you don't want to. I'm not pushy. But I will give you the opportunity!

 

[JIKJen124]

Maybe this is not the response y'all wanted to hear, but since I'm still "in the trenches" unlike most of the rest of the nationwide class of 2011, I thought I'd chime in. All the things you guys are worried about are totally legitimate. It is a struggle to maintain relationships with friends, family, and significant others during the stress and strain of vet school. There are times when you will not like and, go "wow, this really stinks and I don't want to do it right now". Sanity - yep it goes away some times, then you get it back for while, and then finals comes when you are super-fried already. There are certainly times you scheme training programs that will last for years beyond your DVM because your afraid of not being good enough when you're done.

My advice is not to worry about them now. Enjoy your time before school starts, relax as much as possible and roll with it when the above happens. We'll be here to help you through it as your "big sibs".

 

[Electrophile]

I personally want to strangle whoever said "the hardest part of vet school is getting in." LIAR!!!

I'm not going to lie. Sometimes it sucks. Sometimes it REALLY sucks. I'm not a super awesome test taker plus my insomnia is kicking back in again, so it's really discouraging to just barely squeak by when you know other people are like "oh yeah, I did okay on that." Okay meaning A, generally while I busted my tail for a C (occasionally worse).

But occasionally, every once in a while, we'll get to something in a lecture or in a lab and it'll be like "hey, that's really cool!" Or you'll have someone invariably ask you "so I heard you're a vet student and my dog has x, y, and z" and you kinda know what they are talking about. Not that you can give them much advice at this stage other than generalities and "have you asked your vet?" Plus I still remember the first day of anatomy lab of actual dissection putting on our scrubs and lab coat and passing the mirror on the way out of the locker room and thinking: wow, I'm *really* here! And then you hit reality when you smell for the next 8 months, but hey, it's all good. Then again, my sense of smell as gone down dramatically since August, so I dunno...

We had a vet at our orientation who put it this way when asked about his vet school experience as a whole: "I'm glad I did it...but I wouldn't do it again!" Agreed! I hate being a wet blanket, but I sometimes see pre-vets think vet school is all really interesting stuff and all of it's pretty applicable and your 2+ years sitting in a desk is a breeze to clinics. It's not. But there's a few brief moments of "this is really cool!" that make it worth it. A very narrow light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[pressmom]

My advice is not to worry about them now. Enjoy your time before school starts, relax as much as possible and roll with it when the above happens. We'll be here to help you through it as your "big sibs".

I totally second this advice! Right now, try to live day by day enjoying your time before you're thrown into the trenches of vet school. It's a full-time press once you get there, and there's really NOTHING that can prepare you, so just try not to worry too much.

My best advice once you get there is to meet as many people as possible. These will be the people you work and play with for the next four years. Sometimes I'll look over at my best friend when we're studying and tell her I need a little push (okay sometimes a big one), and she's always there to provide it. No one will understand what you're going through like your classmates, and it's really important to get to know them.

Plus, every time I think I can't do this, I look at the wall of graduates here and think of the vets I've worked for. If they can do it, so can I and so can YOU! It's very hard, but very rewarding.

 

[Tiger1]

I became interested in veterinarian medicine from a basic science/research background. Only in the last two years, I have started to volunteer in clinics and at the zoo. Even through I can now restrain animals, I still do not know all the breeds. My nightmare is that my three classmates and I are standing around our dog cadaver in anatomy class on the 1st day and I am the only one who doesn't know what kind of dog we are cutting into. I bought the American Kennel book on dog breeds, but have not had to time to study it yet. I am hoping that once I start the vet school program, I will be around people who refer to the animals by breeds so much that I will naturally absorb the information. It would be kind of embarrassing to go into the clinics and not know what kind of horse, dog, cat or cow the staff are examining. I was going to study the breeds over the summer, but it doesn't look like that is happening. So much to do, never enough time!

 

[Emio]

I admit, I am scared. I am getting nervous and scared to move away from the only place I've ever known to be home! Which is little old rural Maine. And I LOVE riding my horses -- how much time will I have in veterinary school? I will miss them so much! I already sold one (that I've had almost 10 years) to help pay for vet school and am down to just one now. I am also scared that I will get out and not like vet med. After reading horror stories of people who go through vet med and go back for their MD/DO ... UGH! It's about two months until I move away from my family for 4 years and sign my life away to veterinary medicine. I've always thought I loved it -- but now I read and read and read on here and oh man. It's not good for my anxiety!

I've been fine up until now but now I'm SCARED!!! Like ... really, really nervous. haha! It's so bad that I keep pushing the edit button to add more things I'm nervous about ... ugh.

did you see that a vet grad just finished something like 15th at Rolex this year?? i'm sure she had help keeping her horse fit, but she did it. she was a student in australia, flew to the states for rolex, and went back to graduate. supposedly she has a job at a small animal/exotics clinic waiting for her in florida. heh, might want to check those details... i read it quickly in the Chronicle while studying for finals... she may have graduated last year, and spent this last year training for Rolex before taking her first job. either way, i was encouraged. i'm crossing my fingers that i'll be back in competition some day.

 

[twelvetigers]

I don't think that knowing breeds is really that important. You should pick things up during vet school, and you should probably know the difference between a dachsund and a husky.... otherwise, there will be more important things to learn.

 

[WishingnHoping]

Emio, I'll have to look that one up on COTH! I hadn't seen that thread. Very interesting! Yes, I hate to give up competing. This afternoon I had the most fabulous ride of my life on my 5 year old TB and I'm very sad to think of not riding him often, let alone competing.

 

[OSJ]

I'm mostly nervous about leaving my horses at home. I am going to miss tucking them in every night before bed. And then there are the loans. I'm going to miss getting a paycheck and having extra spending money (to spend on the horses!)
I actually met a 3rd year vet student who competes in A level hunter/jumper shows across the country. She said she rides most days (usually 2 horses) and then will fly to horse shows across the country to meet her trainer and horses there. I'm not sure how she does it, I hardly had time to ride enough in undergrad!

 

[MickeysPet]

Let's see...there's the loans, wondering if I'll make it without my husband and dog, loans, will I survive the volume of material, loans, will I look completely incompetent in labs, maintaining a mortgage, making friends....did I mention loans? It seems like the celebration period is so brief, then before you know it I'm freaking again! Deep down I know it'll work out, I just want to get started so I can look back on this period and laugh

 

[carrbear21]

I was lurking on this thread and thought "Ok I'm a LITTLE anxious" and the more time I have to think the more NERVOUS I get! It's still hard to believe that I'm actually GOING to vet school and finally following my dream but it's also terrifying. I can't imagine that there is anyone who is 100% sure/confident in themselves (unless they are very arrogant or just haven't thought things through yet!). It's going to be a huge change but a good one... right?

 

[SillyFilly]

Puppydogtails and I had coffee this AM and we described it a good way - excited/nauseous and scared/nauseous - so in one word, NAUSEOUS!

Loans, moving, loans, friends, being good enough, being smart enough, making good connections, loans, being a little lonely, etc etc etc!

BUT! We can do it!

I just started working at the Large Animal Hospital about 7 weeks ago, and for the first 4 weeks... I was pretty much dreading going to work. I was so worried and nervous and anxious about all of these things - but now, as I get along and learn more I get more and more excited. I *do* love this, I *can* do this... We can't let our neuroses get us down!
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[Electrophile]

I don't think that knowing breeds is really that important. You should pick things up during vet school, and you should probably know the difference between a dachsund and a husky.... otherwise, there will be more important things to learn.

You'd be surprised. We discussed this in our practice business management seminar series...many people get pissed if you accidently call a boy a girl or vice versa or if you make a mistake on their breed. In our anatomy class, we got tested over the major cat, dog, horse, chicken, cow, and pig breeds for this reason. It's also really helpful because sooooo many things have breed predilections for all sorts of health issues. So yes, you do need to be familiar with breeds.

 

[twelvetigers]

I know that schnauzers have really lipemic blood! Looks like milk. Yum. That's about all so far. I guess it's important to know, but like electrophile said, they probably teach you some of that in vet school itself. (ssuming it was a vet school anatomy class and not undergrad.) Either way, don't freak out! Just look at some books and WATCH SOME DOG SHOWS - those really help!!

 

[ferretcrazy]

This might be a little off topic but I didn't find anywhere else to post it. I just stubbled across these forums today as I was trying to search some information.

I'm having cold feet, not about vet school in general but about whether I am making the right decision for my career. I grew up in a family of vets and have experience coming out my ears. Never wanted to follow in the family footsteps until about a year and a half ago. I took a couple extra courses, finished up my BSc, applied and got accepted. I was excited to be accepted until I was talking to my doctor and he brought up human medicine. When I first started university this was my choice but then I started thinking of other options; law, pharmacy and finally quite spontaneously at the end of one summer working at my mom's clinic I decided I was going to apply to vet school. I feel I could be happy at either, both have their pros and cons and when I am working at a vet clinic I really enjoy the work but I think it is mainly because it is a new experience everyday and is always changing; something that would likely be a similar feature of working with humans. Alot of my classmates for next year sound really excited to be starting, something that I haven't been feeling for the past week since the talk of an MD has come up.

At this point I'm not sure of what I want to do. I've casually talked to a friend who just finished first year med school and I've left a message for my sister who is just finishing her small animal surgical residency this summer. I'm planning on talking to my parents after I talk to my sister. I don't know if I should start vet school and see if it is right or defer for a year while I debate med school. If I do come to a final decision that I want to complete vet school I'd rather have a year under my belt and completed than spend the next year working at a job I don't care for.

 

[twelvetigers]

You won't be able to defer in order to "make up your mind," I can tell you that much. Deferrment is for extenuating circumstances, like military duty, medical issues, large family loss, etc. etc...

As for the decision... you were sure about vet school up through a week ago? Can a week really change your mind like that? Hmm. Well, I guess I would suggest that you talk to and/or shadow a DO or MD and see how you feel about all of it. Seek advice from those who know you best.

Really, when I think of vet medicine, I can feel the "rightness" of it just... sitting in my bones. Turning in my stomach. Not sure how it is for everyone else. So, I'm not sure how to decide what career is right because I deciced years ago.

Do some soul searching! You'll make a decision. Good luck.

 

[ferretcrazy]

I guess the deferring option isn't really one that I have come up with as much as it was mentioned to me. Even not being 100% sure that this is what I want to do it seems most logical to start my first year anyway. What was mainly brought up by my doctor was that in human medicine, the value of one's life isn't a concern like it is in vet medicine. Parents don't have to decide if their child's health or life is worth the cost of x-rays, bloodwork or surgery. In addition to my long list of vet experience I have worked with kids for years, swimming lessons, day camps, etc and if in human medicine I already know I would work with kids. He said that one thing he loved about human medicine was that he was able to go ahead and provide care to everyone and money did not come into the picture. (Side note: I live in Canada, so medical insurance and all that does not affect decisions.) It also came up that there is already a doctor shortage, 30% of doctors will be retiring in the next number of years and that if I am smart enough to become a doctor (of any sort) I should work with humans as there is going to be a much greater need.

I suppose one of the main reasons I am posting on here is because I feel the need to discuss my options

 

[twelvetigers]

Well, go post on the medical boards as well and see what they have to say about it. It's definitely true about the cost thing, and none of us like to see an animal euthanized because of money issues. It happens, though. There are also bad owners, animal abusers, and people who are just plain clueless (or at least terribly misinformed).

Conversely, in human medicine, there are plenty of people who do stupid or horrible things to themselves and to others. Depending on what sort of medicine you go into, there's suicide, abuse, rape, crazy people, drug addicts, and... in MY opinion at least... I would much rather be treating a furry dog or complacent horse than some old fart who refuses to take his heart meds.

It's a presonal preference, for sure. There's more money to be made in human med, and yet we're all here, doing this anyway. It's a passion.

At least you know you want to do something medical! Now you just need to choose several species, or just one.

P.S. It strikes me that pediatrics and veterinary medicine are actually pretty similar... there's bodily excrements commonly involved, you have a risk of being peed on or bitten, and the patients can't tell you what hurts. Plus pet parents and kid parents can be incredibly similar sometimes. I guess the only big diff (and it is a big one) is the whole euthanasia thing... eh. It is how it is!

 

[Pomona2006]

Although my situation was not the same as yours, I faced a tough decision entering grad school in a field completely unrelated to VetMed. I wasn't 100% sure that it was what I wanted to do but I started anyways. I took my grad classes and then some law classes on top of that to determine if law was right for me (as it runs in the family much like VetMed runs in yours). Unfortunately (but more so fortunately), I realized that neither fields were right - and I went back to my original career path - VetMed. It's a harder path for me as I've been out of school for a bit and now have to take all these extra classes, but it's worth it.

If I could give advice, I would say not to do something just because family says it would be a good idea or they are in that field. You need to figure out what is best for you! I thought my family would freak when I told them I wanted to drop out of grad school, but not for law school, but for undergrad classes so as to apply to vet school. To my surprise, my family was extremely supportive and really thought that it was a perfect fit. I've found that family & friends are nothing but supportive when they find out you've figured out what you want to do - what you're passionate about. Spend some time talking to people - on these boards and perhaps other MDs and vets (outside the family) to get a better perspective.

 

[cscip]

This might be a little off topic but I didn't find anywhere else to post it. I just stubbled across these forums today as I was trying to search some information.

I'm having cold feet, not about vet school in general but about whether I am making the right decision for my career. I grew up in a family of vets and have experience coming out my ears. Never wanted to follow in the family footsteps until about a year and a half ago. I took a couple extra courses, finished up my BSc, applied and got accepted. I was excited to be accepted until I was talking to my doctor and he brought up human medicine. When I first started university this was my choice but then I started thinking of other options; law, pharmacy and finally quite spontaneously at the end of one summer working at my mom's clinic I decided I was going to apply to vet school. I feel I could be happy at either, both have their pros and cons and when I am working at a vet clinic I really enjoy the work but I think it is mainly because it is a new experience everyday and is always changing; something that would likely be a similar feature of working with humans. Alot of my classmates for next year sound really excited to be starting, something that I haven't been feeling for the past week since the talk of an MD has come up.

At this point I'm not sure of what I want to do. I've casually talked to a friend who just finished first year med school and I've left a message for my sister who is just finishing her small animal surgical residency this summer. I'm planning on talking to my parents after I talk to my sister. I don't know if I should start vet school and see if it is right or defer for a year while I debate med school. If I do come to a final decision that I want to complete vet school I'd rather have a year under my belt and completed than spend the next year working at a job I don't care for.

You should resolve this issue sooner rather than later. There are people still on waitlists checking their email/snail mail/whatever every day in the hopes of getting one of those coveted seats in vet school. I hope that you are able to decide what field is best suited for you, but I disagree with starting vet school then dropping out because you were just trying it on for size.

 

[Kat0303]

I had to learn all the AKC recognized dog and cat breeds for a class in undergrad, and I printed out each one's picture and taped it to a note card with the name on the back. I started looking at them from the beginning of the semester (the test was at the end of the semester), and I still remember most of them. This was a good way to learn the breeds in my opinion.

 

[nyanko]

I had to learn all the AKC recognized dog and cat breeds for a class in undergrad, and I printed out each one's picture and taped it to a note card with the name on the back. I started looking at them from the beginning of the semester (the test was at the end of the semester), and I still remember most of them. This was a good way to learn the breeds in my opinion.

I wish I could do that for a class.

 

[ferretcrazy]

Although my situation was not the same as yours, I faced a tough decision entering grad school in a field completely unrelated to VetMed. I wasn't 100% sure that it was what I wanted to do but I started anyways. I took my grad classes and then some law classes on top of that to determine if law was right for me (as it runs in the family much like VetMed runs in yours). Unfortunately (but more so fortunately), I realized that neither fields were right - and I went back to my original career path - VetMed. It's a harder path for me as I've been out of school for a bit and now have to take all these extra classes, but it's worth it.

If I could give advice, I would say not to do something just because family says it would be a good idea or they are in that field. You need to figure out what is best for you! I thought my family would freak when I told them I wanted to drop out of grad school, but not for law school, but for undergrad classes so as to apply to vet school. To my surprise, my family was extremely supportive and really thought that it was a perfect fit. I've found that family & friends are nothing but supportive when they find out you've figured out what you want to do - what you're passionate about. Spend some time talking to people - on these boards and perhaps other MDs and vets (outside the family) to get a better perspective.

My family actually never thought that this was something I would do and they were surprised but supportive of my decision to apply. They always thought I would follow a career path into the human side of medicine. I talked to my older sister who has gone through vet school and she thinks I am only feeling this way because I have achieved what I wanted. Similar to getting married and having cold feet the night before. I didn't have any doubts for the past year and a half and since talking to her I feel better about it.

 

[GoCougs2012]

You know how you feel when you are in line for that brand new roller coaster at the amusement park for the first time? And your mind keeps going back and forth between "This is going to be SO AWESOME!" and "I think I'm gonna be sick; where's the exit?" THAT'S how I feel about vet school right now.

AMAZING analogy, love it. This describes me perfectly as well. Here are *some* of my fears to add to the growing list:
What if a cow kicks me? What if professors/other students notice I have a slight fear of and no experience with farm animals and they look down on me? What if I get so bogged down in studying that I flip out and want to drop out? What if all my classmates think I'm the wierd kid? What if I never get the confidence to be a great vet? What if I kill someone's pet in surgery?
Can you tell I am lacking confidence right now??
But seriously, I AM SO EXCITED. I fricking love being around animals all the time and if the next four years are hell, I think it will be worth it. I hope they won't be hell, though. I am trying to imagine them being nothing but fun- hard work, but fun. A client brought a baby coyote that had been HBC into my clinic today and as our vet was gone, I referred her to the vet teaching hospital at the school I will be attending in one month. I began daydreaming about how I would be running to the exotics ward if I were only a 4th year student at that moment.
When I think about stuff like that, the fear isn't important.
My puppy is currently trying to bury a rawhide in my comforter! Animals rule.

 

[lailanni]

AMAZING analogy, love it. This describes me perfectly as well. Here are *some* of my fears to add to the growing list:
What if a cow kicks me? What if professors/other students notice I have a slight fear of and no experience with farm animals and they look down on me? What if I get so bogged down in studying that I flip out and want to drop out? What if all my classmates think I'm the wierd kid? What if I never get the confidence to be a great vet? What if I kill someone's pet in surgery?
Can you tell I am lacking confidence right now??
But seriously, I AM SO EXCITED.

That made me smile, because those are the exact same things I'm thinking!! AND we're going to be in the same class! So do not worry, there's at least one other person thinking the same thing. That means we both can't be the weird kid - there's more than one of us. We can figure out how to avoid getting kicked by cows together Looking forward to meeting you and everyone else in a few weeks!

 

[Serendipity4]

A year ago, I was definitely having ALL these same fears! I was starting to freak out that I'd always wanted to be a vet, and therefore perhaps had never stopped to really think through whether it was what I STILL wanted. And I was flipping out that I wasn't going to know enough, or have enough experience, and that the vet school would sooner or later realize they'd made a HUGE mistake letting me in. And then we went to orientation and our speaker told us about the "Imposter Hypothesis" where many people will feel exactly that way -- like they're the one imposter in a group of highly qualified people. He had anyone who was feeling that way raise our hands and, as I looked around, the vast majority of my class had their hands straight up in the air. I felt much better.

That said, then I went to Anatomy lab the first day and was with two very knowledgable students who put the bones of our horse limb together easily, naming all the bones as they went as if it was common knowledge. And then I freaked again, and was convinced I was HORRIBLE at Anatomy. Guess what? I wasn't. I mean, there was some stuff I wasn't so great at, and other stuff I was. And that's pretty much what happens in vet school. Cliche as it is, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. And btw, the admissions people really do know what they're doing, and if you were accepted into vet school you really should have been.

My last comment is about the person worried about learning the dog breeds. Electrophile is right -- it will be important. HOWEVER, the professors in vet school (at least my school) are really good (for the most part) about assuming you have zero knowledge to start with (or else that you forgot nearly all of what you learned already in your prereq classes), and teaching you what you need to know. In our Clinical Skills class part of our final was to know 10 cat breeds and 60 dog breeds, and they gave us the list of what we needed to know the first week of class. So if you learn them all over the summer, great! But if you don't, don't worry about it. After all, at least in my anatomy class they didn't ask us what breed of dog/cat we were cutting into. Ever.

 

[shemari]

I'm having alot of the same feelings everyone has in this thread! I've been constantly thinking, do I want this? (even though I have wanted to be a vet forever), am I good enough to be one, am I smart enough, will I be the lowest one in my class, can I study right and learn it all, will my classmates like me, will I be okay so far away from home....the usual stuff. I've already had 10+ nightmares of flunking out. When my mom and I were talking about how to get down to school (Im going to TN from new york) I almost threw up!

And then today I had the biggest cold feet moment. I was at a car dealership looking at cars, and when I walked in, the owner's pit bull mix puppy started barking and ran and jumped all over me, scratched my back. It was being playful, but I kind of screamed and tried to get away. I left thinking "oh my god, I was just scared of a dog. Theres no way Ill make it through vet school, theres no way I should be a vet"

It's going to be a very memorable 4 and life changing years, thats for sure!

 

[tealamutt]

That made me smile, because those are the exact same things I'm thinking!! AND we're going to be in the same class! So do not worry, there's at least one other person thinking the same thing. That means we both can't be the weird kid - there's more than one of us. We can figure out how to avoid getting kicked by cows together Looking forward to meeting you and everyone else in a few weeks!

lailanni and gocougs- I have met our anatomy cow "Blossom" and she is so sweet and awesome. She will NOT kick you!! She is super mellow and she's going to take care of you and I am severely clumbsy so if anyone will be getting hurt it's me!! Just a few more weeks till 'vet camp' (COLE). Let's not get nervous until classes are rolling eh?

 

[twelvetigers]

OKSU has a cow named Dolly. She's also very sweet. It's comforting to know that we (well, you guys, and hopefully me too sooner or later) get to start out easy!

 

[Kat0303]

I wish I could do that for a class.

What do you mean?

 

[nyanko]

What do you mean?

I just mean that I'm a huge dog nerd and already know all the breeds, and I feel like it's such useless knowledge and it would be nice to actually feel like it means something to help me get a better grade in an actual class.

 

[charismarl]

This may sounds terrible...but I'm really glad I'm not the only one freaking the hell out. I was soooo excited when I got in and now I want to throw up most of the time when I think about school. I just got my 'university bill' and my student loans haven't come through yet and I'm freaking. And I haven't found a roommate yet...and I'm freaking. Will I have to eat ramen noodles all the time?...freaking. I don't know what to wear to the orientation...and I'm freaking. Will I have enough motivation to study all the time when I didn't study that much in undergrad?...freaking---I have been reduced to worrying about everything large and rediculously small when normally I am a very chill, laid back girl. This thread makes me feel a wee bit better, along with the fact that I am managing to bring my dog with me to school so I can always bury my face in his chest and cry...inconsolably...for hours at a time...when I realize that yes, I do have to eat Ramen noodles and study relentlessly.

A humble tip for other people freaking out...don't read threads on this site like it's your job...it will only stress you out more.

Anyway, I think in the end we all will be OK...I just want to get there and do it!

 

[Kat0303]

I just mean that I'm a huge dog nerd and already know all the breeds, and I feel like it's such useless knowledge and it would be nice to actually feel like it means something to help me get a better grade in an actual class.

Ohh ok gotcha...yea, it was tough for me, because I had never learned them before, and the patients at the hospital were mostly mutts

 

[OSJ]

Anyone else freaking out about school still?? Its not the school part that I am worried about its leaving my horses and my family (who has been through a lot in the past year.) I'm sort of the one that keeps everyone together. I can't even think about moving it makes me so upset. I have wanted to be a vet pretty much my entire life and now I don't want to go...

 

[pressmom]

Anyone else freaking out about school still?? Its not the school part that I am worried about its leaving my horses and my family (who has been through a lot in the past year.) I'm sort of the one that keeps everyone together. I can't even think about moving it makes me so upset. I have wanted to be a vet pretty much my entire life and now I don't want to go...

It's okay. You will get through it. Just put one foot in front of the other and keep going. It's just 4 years and you will make it through.