Advice for first year vet students

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smoknjoe44

Do any of you all have any valuable information for incoming first year vet students?

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Meet as many people as you can when you first get there. It's easier to make friends in the beginning and find out where you fit in and which people you're going to be leaning on for support.

Find people to study with. There are some friends I can study with, and others I cannot. Hopefully, you'll find someone who keeps the same hours as you!

Start studying right away. You probably won't have your first test for a month or more, but if you don't get used to the material right away, you'll feel like you're drowning when the time for the first test rolls around.

Find things that keep you sane, whether it be letting loose for a night on the weekends, spending time with the SO or pets, or spending some time alone....whatever recharges your batteries.

Not to sound pessimistic, but vet school can really take it out of you, so try to do something that reminds you of why you want to be a vet, whether that means finding a faculty mentor in your chosen area, going down to clinics during lunch, going to conferences/symposiums, etc. I've done all the the above, and it has really kept me focused.

Ask upperclass(wo)men for help. They'll be one of your best resources on which tests are harder, what books to get, and which classes you should never miss and which ones you can skip.

Hopefully this helps. Above all remember you can do it. Sometimes walking down the hall with all the graduates' pictures on it reminds me that if others can make it, so can I.

Best of luck...I'll add more if I think of anything!
 
The best advice i can give you is to HAVE SOME FUN. Go out - participate in all the freshman parties and orientation events. You got into vet school - you're obviously intelligent and a hard worker... you know how to study and keep up (and its important to work hard when you have to), but people who are all school school school and don't enjoy the social aspect of vet school.... well they end up hating it and resenting it.

That whole 'balance' thing everybody talks about is really important.
 
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One of my first-year professors started his course by writing on the board:
Happiness=reality-expectations
A little depressing, but it's really pretty true. Don't beat yourself up the first time to get a C, or D, or F. It will happen to everyone in vet school eventually, and if you let it knock you off your feet, it's really hard to refocus for the next exam. It doesn't mean you shouldn't try your hardest, but so many of us enter school never having earned less than a B in a class. Shift your grade expectations a bit for vet school and those bad tests won't throw you so hard.
 
I guess my main advice would be to stay on top of things. Easy to say not so easy to do. If you've never had any anatomy I would try to get a bit familiar with some general anatomical terms (ie vental, dorsal, rostral, caudal). Go over some generalities (ie the heart has four chambers). See if your school has anything they recommend you should do over the summer. Give yourself a break before classes start so you are refreshed and ready for classes.
 
Don't get suckered in to the huge study groups of 10 people. It's OK to say no. It's OK to switch study partners. Sometimes your best friend isn't the best person for you to study with. Sometimes your study buddy becomes your best friend.

Have fun. Even if fun means watching a favorite TV show with your roommate and quizzing each other during commercial breaks. Find activities you love and make time for them. Don't forget about your non-vet school friends.

Try to touch (or better yet practice on) some live animals before clinics. Never underestimate the importance of a physical exam. Practice it on every animal you can.

Help other people and they will help you too. Encourage your class to e-mail out notes and study guides to everyone. You're not competing with each other anymore. And if you find someone who thinks they are competing with you, stay far, far away from him or her. (But don't exclude her from the e-mails!) Having a cohesive class is FANTASTIC, especially when it comes to clinics.

It's OK to flunk an exam. Like, get an F-flunk. I still don't know the names of all the parts of the brain. But I feel I did really well in vet school overall despite a couple of those hiccups. Take it as a reality check on how you should not study, resolve to not flunk the class, then move on.

It's OK to change your mind about what you want to do when you grow up. People go from small animal to equine or exotics to ruminants all the time. Don't limit yourself to one field of study because you believe you won't like large animals or public health. You never know until you try.

I loved vet school. I loved watching my class evolve from students to veterinarians. Never knew that about myself... and now I plan to stay in academia. :) It's fun to reminisce about vet school before I even leave! (6 weeks and counting...)
 
Try to eat right! (Easier said than done)!

Cookies and coffee have unfortunately become a bit of a study crutch for me :mad: and it's hard to stay away from 'em!

Healthy snacks = much better. (But cookies are sooo yummy!) :eek:
 
Try to eat right! (Easier said than done)!

Cookies and coffee have unfortunately become a bit of a study crutch for me :mad: and it's hard to stay away from 'em!

Healthy snacks = much better. (But cookies are sooo yummy!) :eek:

It's all in your name really isn't it :laugh:

DEFINITELY go to orientation events to make friends, and TRY not to take it all too seriously. Obviously vet school is important but there is more to life...
 
It's all in your name really isn't it :laugh:

DEFINITELY go to orientation events to make friends, and TRY not to take it all too seriously. Obviously vet school is important but there is more to life...

:laugh:

Oh boy... hadn't even thought of that!

(And I never knew what "Cookie Bear" could otherwise mean until Cyrille pointed it out awhile back...)

Uhh.. just for the record.. for all the newbies reading... it's my dog who is named Cookie - (by her foster mom, not me!) and the "Bear" part just came around since she's a big, hairy Anatolian Shepherd mix. ;) (My current avatar).

Anyway, as others said, time management = huge. Something I still haven't mastered.
 
After all this talk of cookies, now I want some. :laugh: Good thing I have some at home!
 
As others have said enjoy it and take as much in as you can. But don't think you'll absorb everything thrown at you. Thats why they make reference books. As GoldensForever said she doesn't know all the parts of the brain but I bet she knows where she could get that information really quickly if needed. Thats a lot of what vet school is about, learning how to learn and accessing the information thats out there.

And the advice about the healthy snacks is something to really listen to. That can of Coke to keep you awake during lecture seems harmless but 15 lbs. later I am wishing I'd gone with an hour less studying and a bottle of water.

So good luck and stay away from the vending machines.
 
And the advice about the healthy snacks is something to really listen to. That can of Coke to keep you awake during lecture seems harmless but 15 lbs. later I am wishing I'd gone with an hour less studying and a bottle of water.

Amen! Plus when that stress hits and the cortisol kicks in, your body (or mine, at least) says FEED ME! Some people eat hardly anything when they are stressed, but not me. I likewise gained 15 lbs in like 6 months since starting vet school. :( I finally went back to the gym for the first time in a long time last week and got my bike tuned up to go riding with the dogs again so I'd hopefully get in some sort of shape. I am really huffing and puffing these first few weeks though!

Another thing is pack your own lunch. Not only eating out every day or every other day expensive, but it adds on the pounds. Try to just eat out with friends for lunch maybe one day a week as a treat instead of an everyday thing as that's a hard habit to break.
 
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1) don't ever be too afraid or proud to ask for help.
I almost failed out the first semester b/c I had a reeeeally bad time outside of school with life in general, and I didn't ask for help b/c I thought I could do it on my own.

2) use your school counselor if you feel it would help-- i see mine once a week and it helps so much.
She has helped me deal with life in general and has helped with the depression I got in first semester. Seeing her is free, I assume it would be the same for all the other vet schools.

3) make friends!! vet school isn't all about school, you need to have a social life.
A friend of mine studies all the time and only hangs out with/speaks to a handful (if that much) of ppl in our class and studies ALL the time. She studies when her boyfriend comes up here to visit. She never participates in wetlabs or lunch meetings, or anything else vet school offers. Yeah, she gets A's in every class, but I'd rather be the C student who has a tiny bit of a life. I want to get something other then CLASSROOM KNOWLEDGE out of vet school.

4) like everyone else has said, eat healthy and/or work out a bit.
I've gained 12 lbs :mad: I'm the girl that could eat whatever she wanted and not gain any weight. Welllll, I'm also no longer as active as I used to be, so it's biting me in the butt. Besides, working out will make you feel better (yaaay endorphins) as will eating healthier. Working out also gives your brain a break!

5) TIME MANAGEMENT TIME MANAGEMENT TIME MANAGEMENT.
Ok, I admit, I haven't gotten that one down pat AT ALL :scared: no advice for that from me, I'm still trying to figure it out :oops:
 
Remember the boat analogy: You can never be in the boat. You will always be swimming behind the boat trying to catch up, and you don't get to use floaties. Sometimes the boat is just in reach, sometimes it was last reported 500 miles off the coast of Costa Rica. Its just the way it goes.

You were smart and tenacious enough to get into vet school - your old study habits from your toughest undergrad courses will still work for you now. And you will figure out how to be a vet student roughly around the 3rd exams of the first semester.

Utilize the professors - they are almost always in their offices unless they are teaching, and in my experience will drop everything they're doing at that moment to answer any question, and I have never ever been made to feel stupid, no matter how simple the question is.

Don't talk smack about your classmates or gossip, no matter the temptation. 140 people together (and mostly girls!) from 8-5 everyday means it spreads like wildfire. When I got engaged, I told a select few in the morning, by the afternoon dozens and dozens of people (some whom I knew by name only!) were congratulating me. Wildfire. Drama is bad, but inevitable. Try to remember these are your future colleagues and try to remain as professional as you can.

Everyone will tell you to try and eat healthy and get plenty of exercise, but what you really need is LESS SLEEP and MORE CAFFEINE. Its a horrible truth. Try your best to fight it. I recommend 1 daily sugar free energy drink.

Don't party like you may have in undergrad, not only will you get a bit of a reputation, but you are cashing in time best spent sleeping.

If you have the means - hire maids. Its the best money you will ever spend. Or get SO/family to help you out. You need the least amount of responsibilities possible outside of school.

Get all of your health/dental concerns done over the summer. Get everything taken care of - oil change, everything, because you will have few free business hours available to you once school starts, and also you dont want to recover from surgery while you're bogged down in exams.
 
If you have the means - hire maids. Its the best money you will ever spend. Or get SO/family to help you out. You need the least amount of responsibilities possible outside of school.

or just live in squalor like i do... :banana:
 
Everyone will tell you to try and eat healthy and get plenty of exercise, but what you really need is LESS SLEEP and MORE CAFFEINE. Its a horrible truth. Try your best to fight it. I recommend 1 daily sugar free energy drink.


You know what really sucks about this is before vet school, I drank a caffeinated drink maybe once or twice a month as a treat. Now it's like every other day, which is a lot for me. :( I do try to drink it no later than lunch though. However, the stress is actually turning me into an insomniac and I often can't fall asleep before 2 or 3 AM on the night before a test because my brain just will not turn off. "Hey brain! Shaddup and go to sleep!" :rolleyes: And I am one of those folks who needs 7-8 hours to my best on tests. No wonder my grades have been mediocre on classes I should be kicking butt and taking names in. I think I may try melatonin and see if that helps. More exercise probably wouldn't hurt either...
 
I agree with InfiniVet for the most part, except I find cleaning a great study break (I at least feel productive while doing it). Also, go out and enjoy yourselves regularly - I don't agree that you will get a reputation, and you need to have fun sometimes.
 
I just meant partying to the same degree that some folks may have in undergrad, thats all. read: A Lot
The reason why I even bothered mentioning it is there's 2 chicks in our class who brag about drinking wine while they study most nights, and then come in monday mornings raving about their drunken exploits the prior weekend. Now the class calls them sloppy alcoholics behind their backs and they're not invited to parties (for fear of them drinking all the beer? I don't know). Not saying I agree with the smack talking behind their back - just reporting on what I've seen.

And yes, absolutely have fun, in whatever form that takes for you (volunteering, watching movies, hanging out with friends, bar hopping & dancing etc) but so many posters had already said that so I didn't want to beat it into the ground. :)
 
You know what really sucks about this is before vet school, I drank a caffeinated drink maybe once or twice a month as a treat. Now it's like every other day, which is a lot for me. :( I do try to drink it no later than lunch though. However, the stress is actually turning me into an insomniac and I often can't fall asleep before 2 or 3 AM on the night before a test because my brain just will not turn off. "Hey brain! Shaddup and go to sleep!" :rolleyes: And I am one of those folks who needs 7-8 hours to my best on tests. No wonder my grades have been mediocre on classes I should be kicking butt and taking names in. I think I may try melatonin and see if that helps. More exercise probably wouldn't hurt either...

Electrophile,

I have trouble falling to sleep as well and my mom told me to use melatonin. I have been taking it every night before bed for about a year, and let me tell you, it is AMAZING stuff! You should definitely give it try!
 
Electrophile,

I have trouble falling to sleep as well and my mom told me to use melatonin. I have been taking it every night before bed for about a year, and let me tell you, it is AMAZING stuff! You should definitely give it try!

I tried it last night and I had a fairly un-tired day today! Yay! I still took a short nap (more of a mental break than needing sleep), but I'm hoping it helps. My ferret is going to need to go on it too as he has hyperadrenocorticism and I don't think I'm going to have the surgery done for him as it only helps like 50% of the time and he's already starting to get up there in age (~5-6 years...got him from a ferret rescue). Melatonin for ferrets works by negative feedback on the LH axis to the adrenal and apparently improves their hair coat loss, may improve blocked urethras by hyperplasia of the prostate, and keep the weight on them.
 
If you have the means - hire maids. Its the best money you will ever spend. Or get SO/family to help you out. You need the least amount of responsibilities possible outside of school.


Best Christmas present I ever got! She comes today and it helps so much!
 
Invest in a treadmill :D
I'm one of those folks who NEEDS physical activity daily. Especially for the nervous energy before exams. So I have a treadmill which I study on while walking relatively slowly. I almost find myself memorizing stuff easier then if I am just sitting around.
And I haven't fallen off/killed myself YET :p.
And best of all, I get to use my free time for something FUN!
 
3) make friends!! vet school isn't all about school, you need to have a social life.
A friend of mine studies all the time and only hangs out with/speaks to a handful (if that much) of ppl in our class and studies ALL the time. She studies when her boyfriend comes up here to visit. She never participates in wetlabs or lunch meetings, or anything else vet school offers. Yeah, she gets A's in every class, but I'd rather be the C student who has a tiny bit of a life. I want to get something other then CLASSROOM KNOWLEDGE out of vet school.

FYI--She's probably not miserable. I am this person. I have a few good friends, I study best alone...I don't study all the time, but I definitely like alone time and am not a partier. I know to you this lifestyle seems like it's not fun, but for some of us it's just how we are. I hate big drunken parties, don't drink, and don't really enjoy huge groups of people at one time. Don't feel sorry for her...it's like religion. Everyone is happy with their own, and no one can understand why someone would want anything difference. (I have a life, but I'd rather be the A student, personally.)
 
Well said, canadianGolden. Couldn't agree more. I too am that person, and I'm very happy in that I've found another "that person" to share my life with. And so, we will merrily bump along, getting As, watching movies, cooking dinners, and more or less keeping to ourselves. And I couldn't be happier with that.
 
Haha. "Merrily bump along" is so funny sounding and yet I know just what you mean...

I will turn 21 a week from today and my parents asked me what I wanted...I sent my mom a link to an electric blanket.

Her: "Don't you want something FUN?"
Me: "Oh yeah I remembered this later...you could get my cat neutered for me!"
Her: "Don't you want something you can, you know, keep??"
Me: "Well, I can keep the cat...and the testicles in a jar..."

(Boring studier + path nerd = strange gifts) :D
 
I will turn 21 a week from today and my parents asked me what I wanted...I sent my mom a link to an electric blanket.

Her: "Don't you want something FUN?"
Me: "Oh yeah I remembered this later...you could get my cat neutered for me!"
Her: "Don't you want something you can, you know, keep??"
Me: "Well, I can keep the cat...and the testicles in a jar..."

(Boring studier + path nerd = strange gifts) :D

:lol::lol:
 
Haha. "Merrily bump along" is so funny sounding and yet I know just what you mean...

I will turn 21 a week from today and my parents asked me what I wanted...I sent my mom a link to an electric blanket.

Her: "Don't you want something FUN?"
Me: "Oh yeah I remembered this later...you could get my cat neutered for me!"
Her: "Don't you want something you can, you know, keep??"
Me: "Well, I can keep the cat...and the testicles in a jar..."

(Boring studier + path nerd = strange gifts) :D

that sounds like me when my parents ask me for presents. btw, electric blankets are pretty much one of the best inventions ever.
 
[B said:
tysonsgirl[/B] ;6524817] 3) make friends!! vet school isn't all about school, you need to have a social life.
A friend of mine studies all the time and only hangs out with/speaks to a handful (if that much) of ppl in our class and studies ALL the time. She studies when her boyfriend comes up here to visit. She never participates in wetlabs or lunch meetings, or anything else vet school offers. Yeah, she gets A's in every class, but I'd rather be the C student who has a tiny bit of a life. I want to get something other then CLASSROOM KNOWLEDGE out of vet school.


FYI--She's probably not miserable. I am this person. I have a few good friends, I study best alone...I don't study all the time, but I definitely like alone time and am not a partier. I know to you this lifestyle seems like it's not fun, but for some of us it's just how we are. I hate big drunken parties, don't drink, and don't really enjoy huge groups of people at one time. Don't feel sorry for her...it's like religion. Everyone is happy with their own, and no one can understand why someone would want anything difference. (I have a life, but I'd rather be the A student, personally.)


I'm going to have to disagree here a little bit. Yes, people do different things for fun. I'm not a partier either, I'm a huge homebody. But there's a difference between not having a partier kind of social life and not having any kind of life. I'm not saying I think one can judge whether this other girl has one or the other. But the fact that she doesn't participate in wet labs or any other school-based activity makes me agree that she is missing out on things. School is about more than lecture and studying. There are activities (even just the academic ones like wet labs and such, and the key ones that expose you to different opportunities within the field like area-specific clubs). And to miss out on those is beyond even missing out on social things. It's missing out on golden opportunities.

Just another perspective. :)
 
Aren't they?? My friend (for whom I do a lot of housesitting) has THE BEST electric blanket. I am chronically cold and being cold makes me sad and unproductive, so when I go to her house I curl up in that blanket and turn the heat up...it makes the arthritis in my knees not hurt and it keeps me cozy and happy (she keeps her thermostat a bit low for me...like below 72 haha). Naturally, when my birthday rolled around, I knew what to ask for!
 
[/I]




I'm going to have to disagree here a little bit. Yes, people do different things for fun. I'm not a partier either, I'm a huge homebody. But there's a difference between not having a partier kind of social life and not having any kind of life. I'm not saying I think one can judge whether this other girl has one or the other. But the fact that she doesn't participate in wet labs or any other school-based activity makes me agree that she is missing out on things. School is about more than lecture and studying. There are activities (even just the academic ones like wet labs and such, and the key ones that expose you to different opportunities within the field like area-specific clubs). And to miss out on those is beyond even missing out on social things. It's missing out on golden opportunities.

Just another perspective. :)

Networking with the people in your class is really important. These are people you are going to have to work with for a long time, and I think its important to establish relationships and make friends.

Its important to work hard and get good grades, but its also important to balance work with a social life - and social skills go a long way in veterinary medicine. If you don't take the time to enjoy the people you're surrounded with, and learn to relax, vet school will eat you alive.
 
Networking with the people in your class is really important. These are people you are going to have to work with for a long time, and I think its important to establish relationships and make friends.

Its important to work hard and get good grades, but its also important to balance work with a social life - and social skills go a long way in veterinary medicine. If you don't take the time to enjoy the people you're surrounded with, and learn to relax, vet school will eat you alive.

I thought I included that, too, but looking back, I didn't. I blame tiredness. :) Networking is so important. And while I hate that word and "networking" with strangers at conferences and stuff (I'm an introvert), making connections with the people you work with, go to school with, etc. is such a huge bonus in later years. And it's less painful than trying to forge connections with people you meet at conferences for 10 minutes (though that's valuable too, I know). :)
 
I'm not saying everyone should hole up and not talk to anyone; that's not what I do. I just don't think it's a great idea to be the life of the party and be a C student because of it. It seems like there are plenty of opportunities to meet other students and study/family time is limited, so personally I'd prioritize the latter over the former.
 
that sounds like me when my parents ask me for presents. btw, electric blankets are pretty much one of the best inventions ever.

until they spark and burn a hole in the mattress and your parents think your little brother is smoking in bed at night...
 
VAgirl - I agree with your point about getting the most out of vet school, which isn't just lectures and exams. I didn't read the original post carefully. But I think there's a huge difference btween "having a life" in terms of participating fully in your endeavors, and "having a life" in terms of being a social butterfly, drinking, partying, etc. Those are two different "life" definitions!

People are paying too much money for, and investing too much time in, vet school NOT to participate in terms of wet labs, guest lectures, clubs etc, because all of these come together to create a full educational experience. ut that doesn't mean you need to party hardy all the time!
 
But that doesn't mean you need to party hardy all the time!

Indeed. In fact, I hope not! Because I pretty much don't party hardy at all.:p

I think the unifying point we can all agree on is that you should be sure to get the most out of vet school that you possibly can. And it's probably wise to try to think about what you will wish you had taken the time to do in vet school when you look back on it from many years down the road. (Emphasis on "you" because the answer will likely be somewhat different for all of us.)
 
So I was just thinking of this and it goes with the whole living healthy part: take a multivitamin. I really think this is what helped me not get sick this winter. You're stuck in a relatively small room with a lot of other people ALL DAY and colds get passed around! So take a multivitamin...especially in the winter!
 
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