preparing for transition to vet school

[futurehealervet]

Hey guys,
so there are threads on prepping in terms of studying but I thought it might be nice to have a thread for preparing for the transition to vet school in other ways. For people who moved to a new place for school, any tips for the big move? Thoughts on new vet school roommates, how to handle the work load in the beginning, ways to stay sane with all this new stuff going on? In terms of preparing mindset-wise, any current students have any insights to share? Just thought it might be nice to have a place for general advice as to handling what is certainly a big transition (often in many ways) and how best to adjust to the new circumstances. I likely speak for most incoming first years when I say I'm eager to hear any advice you guys might have since school starts super freaking scarily soon!!!!!!

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[futurehealervet]

Alrighty, I'll get the ball rolling (I think this could be a great resource, don't be shy people!!!!!!)
While I'm new to this experience, I will say that I've gained some insights into finding roommates and housing and here is what I've learned:
1. Find out the most common number bedroom places available before choosing a random number of roommates
2. pet friendly rentals are super hard to find
, even near a vet school (this surprised me quite a bit). You might want to team up with other roommates committed to finding pet friendly housing since it limits options quite a bit.
3. craigslist can be sketchy, try not to use it
4. Make sure you've worked out what you can and can't afford to compromise on ahead of time, work out a budget, max you can spend on rent and utilities, and make sure your lifestyle is compatible with that of potential roommates.

Just a few quick tips, but if everyone adds just a few important points, future vet students could learn a lot to help them through this tough transition.

 

[Coquette22]

Regarding pet friendly rentals, sometimes telling a landlord you're a vet student can make a rental suddenly pet friendly.

Moving in with upper years can be a good way to have people who understand your schedule/workload while still not seeing them constantly like you will your classmates.

 

[allieoop2714]

Setting up a nice little routine for myself helped me stay sane. You definitely need to make time for yourself! I heard way too many people say that you'll have time for fun after you graduate. Nope. Even if it's just an hour of Netflix, do it. I always try and review material I learned that day during the beginning of the semester, but eventually it becomes too difficult to do that. Just stay on top of things, and you'll be fine. I like living by myself because it's quiet and studying is easier for me that way.

 

[WillowRosenberg]

Moving in with upper years can be a good way to have people who understand your schedule/workload while still not seeing them constantly like you will your classmates.

I've had several people tell me this, and I am happy that I chose to move in with a couple of third-years for my first year!

 

[WildZoo]

2. pet friendly rentals are super hard to find
, even near a vet school (this surprised me quite a bit). You might want to team up with other roommates committed to finding pet friendly housing since it limits options quite a bit.

I think this is very area dependent. There are a ton of pet friendly places around UTK, and many of them will be extra accommodating if you mention that you're a vet student - waived pet fees, leniency on number and weight restrictions, etc.

 

[DVMDream]

To prepare for the transition for vet school:

 

[DVMDream]

In all seriousness:

1. I suggest moving a bit before school starts, if you can. This way you can get settled, get used to the new area and so any pets you might bring with you can adjust to the move as well.

2. Moving is moving. It kind of sucks no matter how far you go. Pack your stuff, do the move thing, unpack when you get there. I don't have any brilliant tips other than don't forget anything.

3. For staying on top of things when school starts, just do your best. This is really going to depend on what "works" for you. Inevitably, you will probably get "behind". Don't let that put you into a panic. Keep calm and study on (in whatever unique fashion works for you).

4. For staying sane: Do ANYTHING outside of vet med. I dedicated Friday nights as "me nights". As soon as my little toes left the vet school building, I didn't do a damn thing relating to vet school (including during finals time, seriously). Friday nights were MINE. All MINE! It allowed me to see a "light at the end of the tunnel"; I always knew that Friday night was coming and I would be able to relax, watch a movie, go get a drink, go out to dinner, go to the movies, play games, etc. It didn't matter. Heck, sometimes I just sat at home on the couch under a heated blanket browsing the interwebs then went to bed. It was so nice to know that I always had that one night to look forward to. That one night that wasn't about vet med. You are able to do this in vet school and still do just fine. You don't have to study every single day. Heck, I occasionally took off a full weekend if I didn't have exams on the following Monday or early the following week. It is just about figuring out what works for you and balancing your time. You are able to do things outside of veterinary medicine and studying in order to relieve stress and have some fun.

5. For mind-set: Just know that it is going to be hard at times. Know that you don't have to enjoy vet school 100% of the time. Know that you aren't alone, you have classmates or random internet people on SDN to commiserate with. You can't prepare for the information or how that will feel. And don't worry about that. You will get to it soon enough and eventually you will work out a study method and schedule that works for you and before you know it, things kind of fall into place. You start to just go through the motions as those first few days turn into the first few weeks which turns into the first few months and then before you know it, a year has passed.

 

[epivetlove]

This one really helped me: keep non-vet school friends close. I love my vet school buddies, truly. But you get into a routine of being at school, studying and then talking about nothing but school. It was sooo nice to have my grad school friends and friends from college around to keep me out from under my vet school boulder. Even when it was just a Skype date once a week.

 

[that redhead]

For people who moved to a new place for school, any tips for the big move?

It depends how far you have to go. I moved to Canada, about 1200 miles from home, so I went through my stuff regularly to cull stuff I didn't wear anymore, or didn't need. My parents kept some of my storage but I really did have to thin out my possessions. If you're making a long road trip, have snacks and water, plan regular stops to stretch, have your vehicle serviced before you leave, etc. If you're bringing pets, make sure they get out and stretch, offer some water, etc. If your pet needs meds to travel (anxiety, nausea, whatever), request them well in advance so your vet doesn't have to scramble last minute.

I moved up a week before school started and that was plenty of time to figure out where the nearest bank/gas station/grocery store/whatever was located but also to learn the area and visit a couple of local attractions with my SO and family. If your family/SO/friends that bring you up aren't going to be staying, have them leave so that you get one day by yourself at your new place before school starts. Nothing worse than having to say goodbye the night before you're supposed to start vet school!

Thoughts on new vet school roommates,

I chose to live alone all four years and I'm glad that I did. It's such a personal choice, though, and there are plenty of people with roommates all four years who were very happy, even with people in the same class. If you're at all inclined toward living alone though, it is absolutely worth extra cost to have that peace and sanity at the end of every crazy day.

how to handle the work load in the beginning,

You just have to find what works for you. I ended up studying a little differently for each class, but there was definitely some trial and error involved. Don't be afraid to try new study methods or a new study schedule if your old undergrad ways aren't working. Don't worry about what your classmates are doing or what grades they're getting...focus on yourself and your learning. It seems so crazy at first but every year you get more and more on your plate until it feels like you've been doing this forever.

ways to stay sane with all this new stuff going on?

Don't let school be your life. It's great to be a diligent student and whatever, but you need to have your stress outlets, whether it's Netflix marathons or actual marathons. Don't let yourself feel guilty for taking time to decompress every day.

 

[LetItSnow]

I'm with TRH. Pick a roommate situation that works best for you regardless of what other people are doing. There are three general approaches: room with another vet student (your year or a different year), room with a non-vet student, live alone. I rarely say "more cost is ok when living on loans" but if it's super important to you to have privacy and solitude, then it's probably worth an incremental cost increase to live alone. If you're a serious introvert like me who needs peace and quiet to recharge, vet school would be hell if you didn't have anywhere to retreat to.

Agree with the suggestions to make sure you have regular non-veterinary time. I dunno that I was as fanatical as DVMD, but having a block of time set aside pays dividends in quality of life and probably improves your vet school experience rather than 'costing' you something in terms of grades/etc.

I dunno. Like most things in life that are novel, vet school doesn't seem as hard in retrospect as it did when I was in the middle of it bitching about it. And I sure did my share.

 

[Felixor90]

I moved 2.5 months early so that I can get used to living up north while it's still warm. I would highly recommend you move early as well so the stress of moving to a completely new area doesn't overlap with the stress of starting a rigorous grad program.

 

[Beagleholly]

Anyone done an OOS move with a car? My driver's license expires after school starts - to I get a new one in my new state or one in my "home" state? Do I need to do anything paperwork-wise with my car, or get new plates? It seems like for students it doesn't matter what you do, but if I live there year-round now, does that change things?

 

[Caiter92]

Anyone done an OOS move with a car? My driver's license expires after school starts - to I get a new one in my new state or one in my "home" state? Do I need to do anything paperwork-wise with my car, or get new plates? It seems like for students it doesn't matter what you do, but if I live there year-round now, does that change things?

From my understanding, if you are a student and are not changing your residency, then you can keep your license, car insurance, etc. in your home state. Even if you live OOS year around.

This is how it is for WA, and what my OOS friends did during undergrad. It may be different in other states though!

 

[Felixor90]

Anyone done an OOS move with a car? My driver's license expires after school starts - to I get a new one in my new state or one in my "home" state? Do I need to do anything paperwork-wise with my car, or get new plates? It seems like for students it doesn't matter what you do, but if I live there year-round now, does that change things?

Yup! Moved to Michigan from Florida a few weeks ago. Every state is different, but some require you to change everything over if you'll be living in the state most of the year. It'd be best to check WI-specific laws to make sure you're not violating anything (note: you WILL get tickets if your state requires you to change it and you don't). Even if you don't have to change your info, I would advise that you do so anyway. It's very easy to take care of it (took me 15 mins to get my new license, voter's card, license plate, and title) and will save you a lot of hassle in the future. Examples of potential problems if you don't: paying for tickets if you're not a resident of that state is a pain in the ass, you can get called for jury duty in your old state and you have to prove residency in your new state to get out of it, you won't have as much access to public services, state parks, etc.

I personally went and got everything changed the same week that I moved to Lansing. I wanted to take advantage of some of the laws that only apply to residents of the state, as well as exploring their amazing state parks ($11 for an annual pass for residents vs. $11 for a DAY pass for non-residents).

Edit: You don't have to change any of it for WI. I still would, though.

If you're an out-of-state student enrolled in a Wisconsin college or university, you're also exempt from registering with the Wisconsin DMV provided you maintain your student status.

http://www.dmv.org/wi-wisconsin/car-registration.php#New-to-Wisconsin-

 

[Gwenevre]

Going off of Felixor's mention about jury duty, I've been living at Purdue for almost 4 years now, have registered my car and drivers license, and I still get called for jury duty back in my home county. It's annoying.

 

[Felixor90]

Going off of Felixor's mention about jury duty, I've been living at Purdue for almost 4 years now, have registered my car and drivers license, and I still get called for jury duty back in my home county. It's annoying.

>.<!! But you're able to get it waived since you have proof that you moved right?

 

[Gwenevre]

>.<!! But you're able to get it waived since you have proof that you moved right?

2 months in a row I get the postcard, two months in a row I prove I've moved counties. STOP MAILING MY PARENTS THE FREAKING NOTICE GOSH PEOPLE!

 

[Filly Bay]

I agree with everything that's been said so far.
As far as roommates - I do not recommend living with someone in your class. You will spend 24/7 with them and if it goes poorly, you have no where to go. If you really want a roommate, I think living with a vet student in another class is a great idea. I personally wish I had lived alone my first year. It would have been worth the extra cost. I pretty much lived alone for half of 2nd year but now my husband is living here full time (He's way better than a roommate ).

Moving to school early isn't a bad idea either. It will give you time to unpack, make your new place feel like home, and get the know the area. You'll have time to meet up with your future classmates and then you'll have a few friendly faces on the first day of school.

Don't let school be your life. It's great to be a diligent student and whatever, but you need to have your stress outlets, whether it's Netflix marathons or actual marathons. Don't let yourself feel guilty for taking time to decompress every day.

This is very important! If you try to study every waking minute you will burn out before you even get your DVM. "Me" time is essential. I usually take an hour after school to relax or hang out with my dogs before doing any studying. I also try to stop studying at least an hour before bed or my mind will be too crazy and jumbled to get a good night's sleep. I take time to cook dinner, shower (you'd be surprised how many skip this to study longer...), work out, hang out with friends, and spend time with my husband.

 

[SocialStigma]

Everyone has given really great advice already, but here are my 2 cents:

- I moved into my place 2 days before the first day of school, but I was only moving 1.5 hours away from home and my new place was furnished. I would recommend moving in at least a week early if you have to furnish your place or if you're doing a really big move.
- I lived with roommates all throughout vet school, and one of them was a classmate. We ended up becoming best friends and were even in the same lab group (by chance) and eventually the same surgery group (by choice). We also chose to do all group assignments together. And we sat next to each other all day in class. Yes we spent a lot of time together, but we got along super well and it was never an issue. When we got home we would each do our own thing. We also had non-vet school roommates (but were still students) so it was nice. I personally enjoyed living with a classmate because it made it easy to share notes if one of us missed something, was sick and couldn't make it to class, etc.
- Continue to do whatever you do to relieve stress. I'm a couch potato so for me that is catching up on all of my TV series. I watch anywhere between 9-13 TV shows at once. And I continued that throughout vet school. When I got home for the day, the first thing I did was look for new TV episodes. I never opened up my notes until at least after a shower, dinner, and some TV.
- Hang out with people outside of vet school. This can get pretty difficult for most people but my boyfriend was not a vet student and it was really nice to hang out with him and his friends once in awhile and not talk about vet school courses, upcoming tests, etc.

 

[futurehealervet]

Regarding pet friendly rentals, sometimes telling a landlord you're a vet student can make a rental suddenly pet friendly.

Cool, will definitely keep this in mind, thanks! In terms of moving pets, is it better to bring them to the new place a couple times before moving permanently so they can transition to their new home? I was thinking this would be a good idea but its also a 4 hour drive away and the car ride will probably stress them out so I'd rather not make them do a long drive more than once. Thoughts???

 

[WildZoo]

Cool, will definitely keep this in mind, thanks! In terms of moving pets, is it better to bring them to the new place a couple times before moving permanently so they can transition to their new home? I was thinking this would be a good idea but its also a 4 hour drive away and the car ride will probably stress them out so I'd rather not make them do a long drive more than once. Thoughts???

Depends on the pet, but bringing them to the new place before moving like that probably isn't necessary. With cats you want to introduce them to the place slowly, start off with one room and once they get used to it let them explore more and more of the place. With most dogs even that probably isn't necessary.

 

[futurehealervet]

Depends on the pet, but bringing them to the new place before moving like that probably isn't necessary. With cats you want to introduce them to the place slowly, start off with one room and once they get used to it let them explore more and more of the place. With most dogs even that probably isn't necessary.

Thanks! I have dogs but they are both 10+ and have lived in our current home for their entire lives so I was a bit worried. Hopefully they'll be cool with the change of scenery.

 

[RS1]

Thanks! I have dogs but they are both 10+ and have lived in our current home for their entire lives so I was a bit worried. Hopefully they'll be cool with the change of scenery.

This will be the sixth time I've moved my pets, and I've never had an issue. One move was a 12 hour drive. Usually I bring them in the new place, first thing show them where the water/food dishes are, show the cat where his litter box is, and make sure I'm there for a few hours to let the dogs out. Other than the one dog who sometimes barks at a window to be let out instead of the door for the first few days, they adjust just fine. The place may be new, but they still recognize you!