Any advice?

[sallychild]

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Hey, guys. I've been a lurker on this site for close to two years now, and I'm about to start as a freshman in college this upcoming fall. Does anyone have any tips or advice to share? Maybe things like how to juggle volunteering/studying/possibly working/a personal life, or even study habits you find to be particularly effective? What worked (or is working) for you guys?

Thanks so much. 🙂

 

[MarxistPreVet]

As far as studying goes, take advantage of any & all tutoring services available to you, especially when entering upper-level courses.

Don't expect to "have it all." Most people, unless they're absolute beasts who need zero sleep, can't maintain grades/volunteering/working PLUS an amazing social life. And it gets more difficult to maintain with every passing year. Focus on making friends with the few people who have similar interests & are supportive.

Good luck; I wish I was as smart as you when I was first entering college.

 

[Frozenshades]

Welcome to SDN

Staring undergrad is a big change from high school. Learning to manage your time wisely will be very useful. No one will ever tell you what to do...for good and for bad. Just take what time you need to adjust and don't spread yourself too thin; there's always time to get more experiences later, there's not a quick (nor cheap) fix for poor academics. Along with that, don't be shy about asking for help when you need it.

There are lots of people with good advice on here, but try using the search function. A lot of topics have been discussed in detail previously.

 

[MysteryCat]

unless they're absolute beasts who need any sleep QUOTE\]

Like me? 😉 Just kidding. But I have been up for 32 hours. *eyeroll*


I really find scheduling and making lists consistently to be very helpful. I make a LOT of lists. But I'm also borderline ADHD, so I have trouble keeping appts/schedules straight with out writing them down.

As far as actual studying, for me it's easiest to have the same or similar note-taking plan for every class. Format wise anyways. I really thrive on consistency. Also, Don't skip class. Really, don't. You'll need at least a coupe profs recommendations, and your grades (for undergrad anyways) will suffer if you miss lectures.

Social life, well, I don't have one. I have a couple close friends outside of vet med who just get how crazy I am, and the rest are techs/vets. Ha! That makes it easy.

I work at a day practice and I volunteer 2x per week at an ER clinic. It's a lot with school, but I make it work. If you're reliable and consistent, you'll succeed in getting good contacts, and from what I can tell, you'll want those when you graduate!

These are just a few of my own personal preferences/experiences, but I hope you find what works for you quickly! It only took me 2 years! 😛
Good luck!

 

[wolfspeaker]

My piece of advice:

Don't dive into all of it at once the first month. Start school and get a part time job if you need it financially. After a month or two(or longer!), when you start getting a routine and study habits down, then look for volunteer/shadow possibilities. Do not overload yourself. It's the quickest way to burnout.

You can obtain a lot of your experience hours in the summer. Your main focus during the school year should be on your grades. 👍

 

[orca2011]

Honestly, I think keeping a bit of a social life is important. You need something outside of class and anything vet med related to help you keep you sane and it's something you can do in a variety of ways. Go out with friends on a night you aren't busy...whether this is a movie, dancing, whatever. Join a completely non science related club that doesn't require you to have a whole ton of responsibility so that you can have fun at the meetings. I did club field hockey and swimming. Field hockey was more because I love the sport and wanted to keep playing (although we were social too) and swimming ended up being a wayyyy more social club. I also got involved in service programs.

I needed these outlets because I was taking heavy course loads each semester and putting in 20 hours of work each week in the bio department. Without them, I would have burnt out a long time ago.

 

[ChittyBang]

I'll tell you what I tell all of the teenagers I work with when they leave for college:

Play hard, but study harder.

You're starting college and college should be fun...it should be awesome! Go to parties and do your thing 😉

But study. Go to class. Set time aside every day to go over notes, read chapters, write papers, etc. If your dorm is loud/busy, go to the library (or wherever will allow you to focus). Make academics your priority always.

If you've always been a disciplined student then you should adapt easily, but if you're not then it will be a struggle. In that case, have accountability - someone that will keep you in check.

As far as volunteering and/or working, don't rush it right away. You may wanna sit freshman year out and start in the summer.

Good luck! 😀

 

[that redhead]

All of this advice is great. I really second taking the time to make the adjustment properly. It's really tempting to look four (or three) years ahead to vet school application time, but like FS said, there's no quick/cheap fix for bad grades (been there, done that!) So take the time to adjust to this big change in your life - give yourself a good foundation by learning how to study properly, how to interact with your peers, etc. Then add on the other things like a job or experience, clubs, etc. Remember that life is not only about vet med - try things outside of this field and let yourself have fun.

 

[equineconstant]

Take advantage of college opportunities, whether that means going to a random lecture some professor is giving, using resources like a writing center/tutoring services/career services, or joining a club on a whim. That's really the best advice I can give for college in general, besides put academics first since it's what you're there for and you'll need the grades for what you do afterwards.

Freshman year I was given a couple of those "how to make the most of college" type books, and there were a couple of good pieces of advice from them:

• Be prepared to study harder/more than you did in high school. If the way you're studying isn't working, don't be afraid to change up your methods.
• Choose classes based on the professor when you can. Pick your section based on ratemyprofessor.com just as much as the time, or choose a class in the first place because everyone tells you the professor's great.
• Sign up for a ton of clubs at the beginning of the year but don't stay in all of them. A bunch of clubs I signed up for I never went to a single meeting for, but if you're even slightly interested it's nice to know what your options are. Also, don't be afraid to join new clubs later in your college career--I didn't join one of my favorite clubs until senior year. Clubs are for fun, so do what you want with them.
• Get business cards. This was a really random one, but I'm glad I did it (even if the 250 I got were way too many). Vistaprint will make them for you where you only have to pay shipping as long as you stick to something simple. Mine had my name, address, phone number, email, "Pre-Veterinary Student" (if you know your major, you might want to put that as well), class year, and college name. When my school did pre-health panels, I was able to exchange business cards with the veterinarian afterwards.

For vet experience: I got all of mine over breaks, mostly summers, and I had nearly 1000 hours with good variety by the time I applied (even with taking classes one summer).

For a job: I didn't have a job during the school year until I was a junior, and it was an on-campus job so it was easy to work with my school schedule. I also phased into it, taking a few more hours each successive semester. That worked well for me.

 

[wildcatj]

Get good grades. Just do it. Having sub par grades is the the hardest obstacle to overcome when it comes to vet school admissions. Don't tell yourself it's ok, you'll do better next semester. Figure out what study habits work for you and stick with them (but don't be afraid to change them if they don't work for a certain class).

Make sure you take some really challenging courses as you get further into undergrad. You want to KNOW you'll be able to handle the challenges of vet school.

Give yourself enough time to explore the profession. There are tons of people who think they want to be a vet and then get the experience and realize it's nothing like what they imagined. Make sure this is the right path for you!

 

[cs5910]

College should be an amazing experience for you. Yes, you will work hard, but you will also learn a lot about yourself. Focus on your pre-vet studies, but keep your mind open to all the millions of opportunities that present itself to you during school. You have three years before you even start applying to vet schools. Who knows, you may even change your mind about wanting to become a vet. So, be open to all of your options while you accumulate experience hours and get good grades. Join a club that you never thought you would join. Make sure to have a life outside of vet med, it will be important for two reasons: 1. To keep you sane and prevent burnout and 2. Admissions committees want diversity, not pre-vet robots. ASK FOR HELP if you are struggling in any class. Learn how to prioritize your time correctly before you start loading on too many classes, vet experiences, and extra curricular activities.

 

[maggiemay16]

I am going to be a freshman this coming fall as well. I have a little over 30 hours shadowing a small animal veterinarian and also I am a volunteer at a horse therapy center. I shadow at the vet's office once a week for about five hours. I suppose I am just a little nervous and I do not know if I am doing everything right. Should I go into the office more? I plan to shadow different specialists as well to hopefully total a few hundred hours from just the specialists. I have called a LA and equine vet and was told to try next summer because they are very busy. Should I try to get a job as a vet assistant? When I shadow, I help with restraining, fecal samples, and I have helped with a few C-sections. How good is this type of experience?
I think that I am just panicking because I am not sure if I am going to get in or not. Does anyone remember what they did to balance their time of school, animal experience, and vet experience? Do schools focus more on grades and the GRE and then make sure you obtained their desired amount of veterinary experience? I am an Ohio resident and so I really want to go to The Ohio State University because I believe it is the only thing I could ever afford. If anyone knows anything about Ohio State and could give me any advice I would be so grateful. I am already extremely nervous and I haven't even started college yet!
Just some things that may help....
I graduated with honors (number 7 in my class)
I have taken 3 years of bio, 1 of physics and 1 of chemistry
Took calculus
I was captain of my volleyball team, in NHS, MathFest, Physics Olympics, and I was on the Envirothon team (I went to state with my team and I placed second at state in my topic which was wildlife), I am a backyard birdwatch volunteer, and also a FrogWatch USA volunteer.
I do not know if any of my experiences are helpful to me, so basically if someone could assess my profile and could share any words of advice I would be so grateful!

 

[vetmedhead]

Hey, guys. I've been a lurker on this site for close to two years now, and I'm about to start as a freshman in college this upcoming fall. Does anyone have any tips or advice to share? Maybe things like how to juggle volunteering/studying/possibly working/a personal life, or even study habits you find to be particularly effective? What worked (or is working) for you guys?

Thanks so much. 🙂

I am going to be a freshman this coming fall as well. I have a little over 30 hours shadowing a small animal veterinarian and also I am a volunteer at a horse therapy center. I shadow at the vet's office once a week for about five hours. I suppose I am just a little nervous and I do not know if I am doing everything right. Should I go into the office more? I plan to shadow different specialists as well to hopefully total a few hundred hours from just the specialists. I have called a LA and equine vet and was told to try next summer because they are very busy. Should I try to get a job as a vet assistant? When I shadow, I help with restraining, fecal samples, and I have helped with a few C-sections. How good is this type of experience?
I think that I am just panicking because I am not sure if I am going to get in or not. Does anyone remember what they did to balance their time of school, animal experience, and vet experience? Do schools focus more on grades and the GRE and then make sure you obtained their desired amount of veterinary experience? I am an Ohio resident and so I really want to go to The Ohio State University because I believe it is the only thing I could ever afford. If anyone knows anything about Ohio State and could give me any advice I would be so grateful. I am already extremely nervous and I haven't even started college yet!
Just some things that may help....
I graduated with honors (number 7 in my class)
I have taken 3 years of bio, 1 of physics and 1 of chemistry
Took calculus
I was captain of my volleyball team, in NHS, MathFest, Physics Olympics, and I was on the Envirothon team (I went to state with my team and I placed second at state in my topic which was wildlife), I am a backyard birdwatch volunteer, and also a FrogWatch USA volunteer.
I do not know if any of my experiences are helpful to me, so basically if someone could assess my profile and could share any words of advice I would be so grateful!

To any incoming (or current) pre-vets, my biggest piece of advice is to get your anxiety under control. It is very common for pre-vets to have anxiety levels that would honestly kill the average person, and it is not healthy for you. I don't care how many hours you need or what GPA you want or how much money you want to make working outside of class, anxiety will set you up for so much misery right from the start. Stay focused, keep your head down, sure, but work on reducing your stress levels and taking care of yourself. Learning the art of self care is the single most important skill you will ever take with you. Developing resilience to stress, knowing how to prioritize your own well-being, and recognizing when you are overwhelmed are vital.

I did not do this right away in undergrad and I suffered for it. I graduated with nearly a 4.0, thousands of hours of work and volunteer and veterinary experience, but I wish I had taken the time to care for myself more often. My OCD and anxiety got set off hard for the first ~year and a half of undergrad. I had days where I stayed in bathrooms for hours counting the tiles on the floors and the ceilings, hours in my room counting the bricks in the walls. On paper I was doing well, but I was not well. I was depressed and would lay awake for hours thinking about applications that were years away and my heart would race the way it only should if a lion is chasing you. I eventually went to therapy and I'm working on my $#!%, and you know what? I am doing way way way better. I can sleep at night. My heart rate isn't 400+ when someone mentions school to me. It's wonderful.

Ask any of the vets on here and they will tell you that it is important to learn to let things go and to take care of yourself. You can be the greatest clinician in the world someday, but even then you will have to leave the clinic at the clinic and head home eventually. Veterinary school will challenge you and even students who had 4.0s in high school and undergrad will sometimes struggle. This is not a bad thing, this is normal. When it comes to college, for most pre-vets all I can say is this: however hard you are on yourself, you need to be at least 50% less hard on yourself.

Veterinary medicine is just a career, albeit a great one. Please don't make the mistake of making it your life.

 

[VetMedVetMed]

Hey, guys. I've been a lurker on this site for close to two years now, and I'm about to start as a freshman in college this upcoming fall. Does anyone have any tips or advice to share? Maybe things like how to juggle volunteering/studying/possibly working/a personal life, or even study habits you find to be particularly effective? What worked (or is working) for you guys?

Thanks so much. 🙂

Everyone has offered up some great advice already! To be honest you definitely want to focus on getting good grades each semester, because GPA is the most important and you definitely don't want to have to fix that later. Really tough trying to bring a bad gpa back up to a high one, it can take years. Your first semester at school and even second semester should be focused mainly on your grades and not even wearing about volunteering or working. It will be a change from high school in the amount of material, number of classes, as well as difficulty. Starting your first summer after your first year I think would be a great time to start getting experience. Get experience through that summer and that next year. The more experience that you do get earlier on the better because later on the classes get harder and harder and you'll want to focus on those and not have to worry about getting so much experience. This is something I wish I had done sooner because I got involved in things later on that took a lot of my time, and some of my grades suffered for it. When you get to the upper division courses like biochemistry, you will need more time to study for something like that vs. an introductory chem class.

 

[LetItSnow]

Everyone has offered up some great advice already! To be honest you definitely want to focus on getting good grades each semester, because GPA is the most important and you definitely don't want to have to fix that later. Really tough trying to bring a bad gpa back up to a high one, it can take years. Your first semester at school and even second semester should be focused mainly on your grades and not even wearing about volunteering or working. It will be a change from high school in the amount of material, number of classes, as well as difficulty. Starting your first summer after your first year I think would be a great time to start getting experience. Get experience through that summer and that next year. The more experience that you do get earlier on the better because later on the classes get harder and harder and you'll want to focus on those and not have to worry about getting so much experience. This is something I wish I had done sooner because I got involved in things later on that took a lot of my time, and some of my grades suffered for it. When you get to the upper division courses like biochemistry, you will need more time to study for something like that vs. an introductory chem class.

(The OP you quoted posted in 2013. A newer poster rightfully resurrected the thread to ask a similar question.)

@maggiemay16 ... I would just stick with the 5 hrs/week in that office. You've got plenty of time, and those hours will accumulate. Give yourself a semester or so to get used to school before you take on more. Grades are forever, so it is much easier to keep a good GPA than repair a dismal one - so focus on that to start, and then gradually add other recreational or experiential things as you figure out you can manage. No rush.

 

[maggiemay16]

Thanks everyone for the advice! I will really try to tone down my anxiety over school. Whenever I start freaking out though I always try to breathe deep and go for a run or something to clear my head. It's nice to hear from people who are going through or have gone through the same thing to know I'm not alone. Its far more reassuring than I would ever have hoped for! So thanks a million again!

 

[TerraVet]

A couple things I wish I had known as an undergrad....

1) I second the person who said take advantage of tutoring on campus. A few friends who shared my classes and I met every week at the tutoring center to compare notes, collaborate on assignments, and discuss questions. If there was something we couldn't figure out together then we had the tutors to help.
2) Try different things, even things you're not sure you'd like. My favorite quarter was one where I took two biology classes and an acting class. I got straight A+s and I think it was because I was so genuinely happy and not overworked. The acting class is still my favorite non-science class ever.
3) Don't overreach. It's easy to get caught up in all the events, activities and clubs, but remember to get enough down time. This was my single biggest mistake in college--I would work two jobs, a research gig, run a club, take 15 units of science, and feel completely and utterly overwhelmed. Don't learn your limits the hard way if you can avoid it. Respect the downtime. Embrace the under-scheduled (or at least not over scheduled) life.
4) Get help early. Not sure how something works? Ask. Feeling overwhelmed? Utilize the free/cheap counseling, preferably before a complete stress meltdown. Not sure how to best arrange your schedule? Talk to a counselor.
5) If you make a mistake (get a bad grade, take on too much, etc), your life will not be ruined. Learn from your mistake (did I not study enough or efficiently? Did I take on too much? Not get enough sleep?) and move on. I really wish I had embraced this earlier in life. It would have saved me a lot of stress.

 

[rockatiel]

I guess what I could chip in echoes what everyone has said here... Do what makes you happy. Don't overload yourself. I learned this the hard way.

 

[battie]

Also, if you have a major life event that's messing with your academics, get that situated before it ruins your grades. It's totally worth it to do a 12 credit semester and do well while taking care of your personal problems over taking care of those same problems with 16-19 credits. It makes a huge difference.