1st year workload

[dpcdoc]

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It was stressed to us during orientation to study each subject every day and not fall behind. I believe due to the amount of hours in the day and the need to satisfy certain bodily functions, along with even just speaking to your wife and reading a book or 2 to the kids, that it is not physically possible and I would be curious to hear from people who were able to do this. Oil change for the truck - will have to wait. Cut the grass, has to wait, put training wheels on 3 year old's bike, must make time somewhere(safety issue and all). We have like, 10 classes but some have far fewer requirements than others. But that 2 page paper or 10 minute presentation take precious time from studying biochemistry, which so far is the antichrist of my 20 credit hours this semester. So how do people keep up? or not? Do you focus on the next exam and put the rest on the back burner?

 

[pressmom]

Talking to other people from your school will really help. They can tell you what to focus on the most. I sympathize with you trying to raise a family while it vet school. It must be really rough.

As for me, I try to study a little of everything at the beginning to see what I find easy to understand and what takes a little more time. After that, I just try to keep up with exams and lab assignments. When you're having 3 labs and 2 tests every week, you really just have to try to keep your head above water. If it's allowed at your school, try to get some study aids from the upperclassmen and make copies. I've been copying a friend's pharm notecards because I know I won't have time to make them later, but I know I'll want them.

Despite the fact that I have more hard classes this year, I'm actually finding it easier to study. It does get better as soon as you get your study habits down.

 

[Jochebed]

To the OP...seeing that you're in Christiansburg, I'm assuming you're at VMRCVM (as am I) and that a certain Biochemistry (and Anatomy, and Physiology...) professor might be behind some of this "study all the time" sentiment. At least, he was during my orientation last year.

Yes, you should study a lot, but you also have to prioritize. My workload now as a 2nd year is WAY more than at the start of 1st year. There's no way to look at everything every day. As much as possible, I try to look at what we did that particular day (but this past Tuesday I had 6 classes in one day so even that's difficult). Otherwise, I prioritize. I have a nutrition exam next Wednesday, followed by Pathology on Friday and Bacteriology the next week. So this weekend, those are the 3 classes I'm gonna focus on. But at the end of the night, when I'm tired, I'm going to bed. Also, my husband works nights and is one pretty much a complete opposite sleep/work/school schedule from myself, so when he's awake, I try to spend time with him. That's more important to me than an A in pathology.

You may want to talk to other upperclassman that have children at home. A classmate of mine has 2 young girls at home and his strategy is to go home, spend much of the night with them, go to bed early and get up really early and study in the morning while they are still sleeping. You have to find what works for you.

🙂

 

[Angelo84]

During the week I read for class the next day and study for whatever exam is that week. On weekend review lecture notes for the past week and make sure I'm not confused and study for whatever exam is next. I freely admit I don't have much free time but I make dinner every other night, go to bed by 11pm every night, and work one 5 hour shift at the hospital.

I'm working on kicking the SDN habit--but it's not working!

 

[zpinkpanther]

I go to a different school than you, so my courses are a bit different, but I'll tell you what I do, but keep in mind that it isn't exactly tried and true, since I just finished my 2nd week of classes today (yay! 😀). By the way, before I go any further... Biochem? Is that not a prerequisite for VA-MD? I applied there, but I just don't remember. It was a prereq for my school, and it's a big part of the Nutrition class we're taking now.

Anyway, what I do is study every class, every night. Now, I'm only taking 5 courses (and one is a one-credit, pass-fail, "fluffy" course), so that may not be as easy for you. We have our first Gross Anatomy lab exam coming up, so I have been devoting the majority of study time to that, but still making sure I study all of the others every night, even if it's only looking over my notes a few times in an effort to tattoo the info onto my brain. And as for the not getting behind, I would strongly recommend it also. Feeling prepared for my exam days beforehand is a new thing to me (I used to cram in undergrad), and I REALLY like it. If you start off from day one going over and over your notes from each class, you'll learn the material a lot better.

As for the family stuff, that sounds tough, and I can't really relate because I don't have kids or an SO. However, one of my friends has a husband and an almost 2-year-old. She says it's tough sometimes, because her daughter wants to play with her and she needs to study. She told me that what she usually does is wait until her daughter is napping/sleeping/eating/watching TV/otherwise occupied and tries to get most of her studying done then. Otherwise, her husband is really awesome and picks up the slack for her. I'm afraid that that's kinda the way it has to be for the next few years.

Hope all of my babbling helped! On a semi-related note, does everyone else study for at least 6 hours a night, or am I just a super-spaz? 🙄

 

[laurafinn]

At this point, I study to the tests, looking maybe two tests ahead. Study tends to fill the time available. I know some people in my class who do nothing but study and still feel behind. Pretty much everyone I know feels behind. I think it's best to make peace with that feeling and go on with your life. Block out time for yourself and your family. Your kids are only young once.

 

[charismarl]

First of all I second laurafinn on the part about your kids only being young once and about everyone feeling behind...

OP, second of all, you are so not alone. I don't have a wife and kids but I think we all feel like we are getting our butts kicked. To be honest I think a lot of this craziness will calm down once the first round of tests are over because right now I think everyone is all pumped up because this is vet school and this is what we all want to do for the rest of our lives (presumably) and they're all gunners and want to be at the top of the class. I haven't worked out my strategy yet and I haven't found my groove but I am damn sure not studying for EVERY class everyday...but I study a lot on the weekends. I was in embryo but dropped it because I hated it and I knew there would be more interesting electives later on...that helped. I try to focus as best I can in class and annotate slides really well and only read the book/other lit if I really don't know what's going on (like in Biochem!). I don't waste time in 'review sessions' unless I have actually thorougly studied the material and have specific questions...I feel like that time can be much better spent learning on my own. As far as stress goes, for me, I feel like the crazy people who study ALL the time in our class freak me out more than I freak myself out...so I'm trying to just do my own thing and ignore the general craziness.

If I were you I think I would probably come to school about an hour before class starts, study some, go to class, study at lunch and for any random hours we have in our schedule or when we get out before 5. I'd probably hang at the library until about 6, go home, spend a few hours with the family just doing family stuff, study for a few more hours and then try to make it to bed at a decent hour. Don't forget to breathe in between. You probably are just going to have to learn to be really efficient with your time. And don't worry about what the profs say, do what works for you as long as you are truly learning stuff (we have to know all this crap for boards) instead of just cramming it and forgetting it...this will be my biggest hurdle and the reason why I still hate biochem.

I totally feel for everybody in our class who are in serious relationships/married/have kids at home...I feel guilty about not spending as much time as I would like to with my dog...I can't imagine worrying about a family!

I don't have much advice to offer except the old addage that C=DVM and I just wanted to make sure you knew that you're not the only one. All the 2nd years I know have said that everybody calms down a few months into it...just hang in there! And remember, the ad coms wouldn't have selected you if they didn't think you could do it and there have been many people before you in the same position that made it out alive.

 

[dpcdoc]

Thanks Charismarl. I wonder sometimes if I am the only one in our class who is continually saying to themselves, holy crap. Being a non-trad. student only seems to compound things because I feel like I am neglecting the family at times. I realize though Vet school was my choice and I am lucky that my Bride is as supportive as she is. My sincere best wishes to you. I hope you enjoy your weekend. Go Hokies..........

 

[VetMed555]

I wonder sometimes if I am the only one in our class who is continually saying to themselves, holy crap.

You are definitely not the only one, dpcdoc! I am so freaked out right now. Especially by Physiology. I don't have kids, and I can't imagine how you're managing all of it. I haven't found my studying strategy either. Most of the time, I come home and take a nap, and by the time I wake up, I can only fit about 1.5 hours of studying. I don't study for every class. I mostly decide which classes I can neglect for a while (Ethology, Domestication, Embryo)so that I can focus on the rest.

I don't have a good advice 😀 Just hang in there, we'll make it!😀

 

[rexosaurus]

I agree with a lot of what the other posters have said. There is a lady in my class with 5 kids 😱, but she makes it work. At our orientation I was asking her a lot of questions about balance and such. She seemed to have it all figured out. When she's at school, that's where her mind is and she's dedicated. When she's with her kids, that's where her mind is, and same with her husband. She made perfectly clear that she doesn't want to be #1 in our class, but she wants to be a vet, so she will. I think you will too, and freaking out is pretty normal. If your school is anything like CSU, they won't let you just fail out or anything. They want you to be there just as much as you want to be there, and there's lots of ways to get extra help if you need it.
As for the studying, I do study everyday, but not every subject. I usually do a bit of anatomy everyday, and another class that I may not be understanding particularly well. Every weekend I do every class, the week's worth of stuff. I know it seems like a lot, but 5 hours on Saturday and 5 hours on Sunday may help you squeeze in the family time on the weeknights.
Good luck to you!

 

[Electrophile]

One thing I'm big on, if at all possible, is to not study at all on Friday afternoon/night and do minimal or no studying on Saturday. If at all possible being the keyword. Last week was a butt kicker for us (4 tests, 1 quiz, and a group project due), so that was a no go for no studying on Saturday, but in general, I try for at least 36 hours of relative freedom to do errands, do stuff around the house, go on a long hike with the dogs and hubby, etc. 3 out of 4 weekends in a month, it's totally doable.

 

[projekt]

I try for at least 36 hours of relative freedom to do errands, do stuff around the house, go on a long hike with the dogs and hubby, etc. 3 out of 4 weekends in a month, it's totally doable.

Yes, but we all know you're insane... 😛

 

[Electrophile]

Sorry, I know you meant it in a joking way, but am I insane because I study too much or too little? I've got a lot of classmates who study way more than I do (probably shows gradewise too).

 

[projekt]

You're insane because you have so many extracurricular activities 🙂 And, yes, i meant it in a friendly way.

 

[Electrophile]

I figured you were kidding, no worries. 😉 I just thought you meant I was studying too much, cause I think I study enough to get by and learn the material, but not so much that I'm burned out. Yet...ah, Saturday, a study free day... 😀

 

[InfiniVet]

It was stressed to us during orientation to study each subject every day and not fall behind...So how do people keep up? or not? Do you focus on the next exam and put the rest on the back burner?

You don't keep up, basically. There are only degrees of being behind. And it's okay. All you need is a 69.5 final course grade in all of your classes, and EVEN then, in some schools you're allowed a certain number of D's and F's.

Yeah, I think it's totally unfair how they put that pressure on you in orientation to not fall behind. After the 1st month of the fall semester I figured it had just been >20 years since those people who said that had been in vet school. Because it just didn't seem reasonable to do THAT amount of studying everyday when I seriously came home everyday and just wanted to pass out. And I talked to my veterinarian boss and asked him how he survived. He said "honey, that was in the 1960's...I sure as hell couldn't do vet school today now with all them fancy machinery and new-fangled technologies." He actually speaks like that because we are in Texas.

Its the boat analogy.
You can never be IN the boat. You can only ever be behind the boat, swimming to catch up. Sometimes your fingertips touch the boat, sometimes the boat was last reported 300 miles off the coast of Cuba. It's just the way it is.

The car won't get an oil change, and the grass won't get cut, but those are acceptable losses. Only spending a few hours with my husband & kids a few hours each week because I'm in the library for 4 hours every night or studying to the point of physical illness? No deal. I'll settle for a C and thats fine with me!

You will learn little tips and tricks as you go along, that work for you. You may spend extra money to buy the little microwave meals to bring to school so you can study over lunch or have figured out that you don't have to go to all the lectures if you don't need to. You'll learn which classes you can cram for and which ones absolutely demand your dedicated studying. Don't bother pouring alllll of your energy into your hardest class, only to ignore the other ones though. And sometimes, you need to slow down and only truly learn 75% of the material, instead of kinda learning 100% of it.

1st year is the hardest, and the fall semester of the 1st year is the hardest of the hardest, and no one tells incoming vet students that which sucks in my opinion.

And if you failed the first round of exams so don't feel discouraged, its pretty common - just remember C=DVM. And you can do that because you are smart enough and stubborn enough to get this far. And it will get easier, too...until 4th year anyways, but still thats not as hard as 1st year from what I've been told.

Oh and I found out over the summer (when I finally had time to go to the doctor - such a luxury..) that I had Hypothyroidism. So hey! Even someone with hypothyroidism can make it through 1st year, and so will you 🙂