CLASS OF 2014...how ya doing?

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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Oh, I should also say I do still use some paper, but mostly in the form of 3x5 cards. I do get a lot of learning from re-writing/translating the OneNote lectures, so when I am reviewing them I try to write down the key points or stuff I know I will have a tough time remembering on 3x5 cards. I have a little file box for them, so then I can carry them around and flip through them at lunch or whatever, rather than dragging out the laptp and powering it up and trying to find some slde in a lecture. So I am still a dorky old dinosaur in that way.
 
nyanko said:
I actually listen to lecture podcasts and take paper and pen notes later too, for what it's worth.
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That's another thing. I really wish we had lecture podcasts. No such luck. If you don't go to class, you miss the lecture. Unless you have a friend record it for you, but audio alone isn't as helpful. If you really learn well from lecture, it makes it difficult to ever be sick. Do most schools podcast lectures? I'm curious.
 
Unfortunately we're really behind the technology curve at VMRCVM. Very few lectures are recorded (only one professor has done it so far).
That being said, I'm super old fashioned. I do pretty much everything handwritten and love having the course notes printed out for us. For some classes I even rewrite the course notes in my handwriting. My memory works through my hand it seems, so if I draw something out I can usually recall it for an exam much better than just looking at something someone else did.
 
we have audiorecordings of every lecture. THANK GOD! because even though i go to lecture, i still listen to recordings. usually if i stop understanding something it is hard for me to jot notes down about it while they talk because i dont know what they are saying haha
 
UTCVM is half and half. A few of the professors give us preprinted note packs at the beginning of the semester. All most all of them put power points online before hand, but we have a few that insist on posting them afterwards or not at all. And I think, but don't quote me on it, that lectures are only recorded if the staff knows that someone will be missing for legit reasons, but once a lecture has been recorded it is available to everyone, not just the student that was out.

I'm an old fashion hand written notes kinda girl myself. I tried to use my computer, but writing frantically not only helps me remember what was said, but it keeps me awake too. >< I've also found that I'm more likely to write down what a professor SAYS if I do it by hand. If I'm just typing in additional notes, I fall into thinking that everything is already on the slides.
 
Anybody know how Wisconsin does things? Powerpoints/purchased class notes/podcasts/etc.
 
Hello, Class of 2014! First, thanks for inspiring aspiring hopeful pre-vets like me. You guys are all awesome 👍 Second, anyone want to share their 1st year via PM or otherwise especially if you're from Oregon State, Univ. of Florida, UPenn, or Tufts (I welcome posts and messages from any school but those are the 4 I applied to)?? I'm in this cycle, have 1 acceptance (but I'm waiting on word from my other 3 schools before I set my mind to a decision) and would love to hear some firsthand accounts. For example, I know that 1st year may be really hard to adjust to with courseload, anxiety/stress from other sources. Thoughts? Also, how did you decide your respective school? Understandable if you got 1 acceptance like myself so far, but if you got 2 or more (props again), how'd you really settle? If you'd like to share a link to go to a thread with answers, I'd appreciate that too!

My only request: be as honest as you'd like. I've heard good & bad about vet school but I'd LOVE to hear from first years (since I hope to join the first year ranks come fall!)

Best of luck with your second half of 1st year!!!
 
kaydubs said:
Hello, Class of 2014! First, thanks for inspiring aspiring hopeful pre-vets like me. You guys are all awesome 👍 Second, anyone want to share their 1st year via PM or otherwise especially if you're from Oregon State, Univ. of Florida, UPenn, or Tufts (I welcome posts and messages from any school but those are the 4 I applied to)?? I'm in this cycle, have 1 acceptance (but I'm waiting on word from my other 3 schools before I set my mind to a decision) and would love to hear some firsthand accounts. For example, I know that 1st year may be really hard to adjust to with courseload, anxiety/stress from other sources. Thoughts? Also, how did you decide your respective school? Understandable if you got 1 acceptance like myself so far, but if you got 2 or more (props again), how'd you really settle? If you'd like to share a link to go to a thread with answers, I'd appreciate that too!

My only request: be as honest as you'd like. I've heard good & bad about vet school but I'd LOVE to hear from first years (since I hope to join the first year ranks come fall!)

Best of luck with your second half of 1st year!!!
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I know I'm not a first year, but if you read through the whole thread, you'll get a pretty good look at at least UPenn - Blackat, SOV, and GellaBella have posted a bunch about it.
 
nohika said:
I know I'm not a first year, but if you read through the whole thread, you'll get a pretty good look at at least UPenn - Blackat, SOV, and GellaBella have posted a bunch about it.
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hahaha i'm so glad i made it through first semester!!! this semester, we have SO much free time! it's like wtf happened lol But I am prepared, I hopefully kicked ass on my first exam. Now I have 3 weeks to prepare for all the rest of my exams. It will be interesting because this quarter is completely different than last semester. Last semester we had an exam every week. This quarter we have all our exams the last 2 weeks.

anyway, i think the three of us posted our honest thoughts a lot in this thread. I really struggled with first semester. However, I do love it here and I wouldnt have picked a different school. I know GellaBella would agree with me too. She actually didn't struggle first semester like me lol. My friends here are amazing and there is no competition. I think the only reason I made it through first semester is because of my bf, my fellow pennwes, a professor who stayed in lab til midnight with us 2 nights in a row, and this counselor that I was told to go see to help me with my stress and studying methods.

edit: this is where the semester starts for penn. It was when I found out our orientation schedule and then classes started right after orientation. it's probably a lot to read started from pg 6 til the end haha http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=743036&page=6
 
kaydubs said:
Hello, Class of 2014! First, thanks for inspiring aspiring hopeful pre-vets like me. You guys are all awesome 👍 Second, anyone want to share their 1st year via PM or otherwise especially if you're from Oregon State, Univ. of Florida, UPenn, or Tufts (I welcome posts and messages from any school but those are the 4 I applied to)?? I'm in this cycle, have 1 acceptance (but I'm waiting on word from my other 3 schools before I set my mind to a decision) and would love to hear some firsthand accounts. For example, I know that 1st year may be really hard to adjust to with courseload, anxiety/stress from other sources. Thoughts? Also, how did you decide your respective school? Understandable if you got 1 acceptance like myself so far, but if you got 2 or more (props again), how'd you really settle? If you'd like to share a link to go to a thread with answers, I'd appreciate that too!

My only request: be as honest as you'd like. I've heard good & bad about vet school but I'd LOVE to hear from first years (since I hope to join the first year ranks come fall!)
Click to expand...

I think that much of this really helpful info would be easier for future SDN'ers to find in the "Factors when picking a school" thread. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=580221

I bumped that thread the other day in hopes some of the discussion about notes, tablets, and lecture recordings might find its way over there.

If anyone cares to post there it would be awesome.
 
Studying for our first exams of the semester seems very unimportant compared with the freakish 65 degree January weather we have in Raleigh this weekend. Blerg.
 
NittanyKitty said:
Studying for our first exams of the semester seems very unimportant compared with the freakish 65 degree January weather we have in Raleigh this weekend. Blerg.
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Agreed. The weather is beautiful this weekend here in Knoxville. What am I doing? Learning anatomy. I'd much rather be in the mountains...
 
skittles12 said:
Agreed. The weather is beautiful this weekend here in Knoxville. What am I doing? Learning anatomy. I'd much rather be in the mountains...
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I was very sad to be stuck in for most of the weekend, but at least I got to study with the windows open today.
 
after a horrible first semester, i just received my first exam grade this semester and i got an A!!! 😀😀😀 Only missed 4 questions (5 would have given me a B) so i was not expecting it!
I definitely contribute it to:
1) better studying schedule since i stopped going to most lectures and just listen to audio at my own pace so i dont waste time and
2) no fill in the blank with random minutia that you have to memorize but just a detailed knowledge of processes.

hope everyone else is enjoying their second semester too!!
 
Anatomy this semester needs to go die in a fire. 😡😡😡 First exam today was horrible. I'm really not sure how one exam can make you feel as though everything you learned in a previous class is 100% wrong when you passed that class with an A. 😕 Sorry, end rant. Now off to catch up on all of the classes I neglected in favor of studying for anatomy.
 
BlacKAT33 said:
1) better studying schedule since i stopped going to most lectures and just listen to audio at my own pace so i dont waste time
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I dream of getting to do this in vet school. I gain so little from lectures when I can't go at my own pace.
 
katryn said:
Anatomy this semester needs to go die in a fire. 😡😡😡 First exam today was horrible. I'm really not sure how one exam can make you feel as though everything you learned in a previous class is 100% wrong when you passed that class with an A. 😕 Sorry, end rant. Now off to catch up on all of the classes I neglected in favor of studying for anatomy.
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It truly was terrible. I went and looked at the answer key afterward, and got halfway through reading it before I just got totally discouraged. 🙁
 
katryn said:
Anatomy this semester needs to go die in a fire. 😡😡😡 First exam today was horrible. I'm really not sure how one exam can make you feel as though everything you learned in a previous class is 100% wrong when you passed that class with an A. 😕 Sorry, end rant. Now off to catch up on all of the classes I neglected in favor of studying for anatomy.
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Greeat.....We have our first LA anatomy test this Friday (I should be studying now in fact...) and I'm worried about it. Have to re-learn pretty much all the muscles since, you'd think they'd remain in the same place for the most part from dog to horse but nope. They gave us a myology comparison chart and half the muscles have migrated their insertions and origins. Luckily actions stay relatively constant. And that's really the least of my worries on that test lol.
 
nyanko said:
It's funny that this is what seems to work for so many of us...
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It is pretty much an indictment of the teaching ability of the instructors. Anyone who can't do a better job teaching someone in person than on a blind audio tape should probably just stick to research.

My feeling is mostly they care and they try, but they are often disorganized and most have clearly never been "taught how to teach."
 
HopefulAg said:
Greeat.....We have our first LA anatomy test this Friday (I should be studying now in fact...) and I'm worried about it. Have to re-learn pretty much all the muscles since, you'd think they'd remain in the same place for the most part from dog to horse but nope. They gave us a myology comparison chart and half the muscles have migrated their insertions and origins. Luckily actions stay relatively constant. And that's really the least of my worries on that test lol.
Click to expand...

Ours should not have been that bad. But it was. We started with differences in the cervical region and body cavities of the horse, not horrible, studied and felt like I knew the material. The prof just has a very bad habit of asking things he said he wouldn't(developmental anatomy anyone? 😱), and phrasing questions in a very wishy-washy nonspecific way. Combine that with multiple choice that always contain all of the above and none of the above as answers and we were all screwed.
 
I agree with the second-semester anatomy complaints. Our whole class is sooooo much less enthused about going through this dissection, practical, exam, gorge and purge process again. We have our first exam next Wednesday on the neck, back, thorax, and abdomen of the pig, horse, goat, and cow (yeah, holy information, Batman!!!) and I just don't caaaare enough to study as much as I should.
 
Ahhhhh pathology, anatomy, physiology, and neurology exams all within a week! My brain is going to implode, or explode, or turn into a black hole from which there is no return. Might as well forward my mail to school because that's all I've seen for the past two weeks! Ok, self pity party over. Back to studying 😀
 
StartingoverVet said:
It is pretty much an indictment of the teaching ability of the instructors. Anyone who can't do a better job teaching someone in person than on a blind audio tape should probably just stick to research.

My feeling is mostly they care and they try, but they are often disorganized and most have clearly never been "taught how to teach."
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Meh, I don't know. Even for professors I find engaging, interesting and informative I still have to listen later to really be able to absorb everything right personally.

There are definitely some that I just automatically tune out because they are just not good at the teaching thing, but I can't really say that it is a huge factor for me.

I'm just too easily distracted maybe
 
StartingoverVet said:
It is pretty much an indictment of the teaching ability of the instructors. Anyone who can't do a better job teaching someone in person than on a blind audio tape should probably just stick to research.

My feeling is mostly they care and they try, but they are often disorganized and most have clearly never been "taught how to teach."
Click to expand...

i actually dont have a problem with the way they teach, i like about 90% of our profs. i just need to go slower because i cant understand things that fast.

i think Spear is a good example though, his first lecture everyone was lost and he was frustrated himself cuz he thought we knew more. The next week he slowed it down and asked if he did better and it was a huge improvement! he said that he was worrying all weekend that he didn't get through to us. aww lol

I also think they are really organized because a lot of them have handouts to match the powerpoints. The only thing that wasn't organized this semester was the fermentation handout that i think was a problem because the administrators posted the wrong powerpoint but they replaced it and now the lecture matches perfectly
 
Our first anatomy exam wasn't nearly as awful as I imagined it would be. I managed to pull it together.

We don't have the option of listening to lectures at home, except for histology last semester. It kind of stinks but at the same time, most of our professors try to be engaging. There are a couple that just bore you to pieces but they mention a lot of stuff in lecture that make up a significant portion of exams so it does pay to attend class. (atleast for me)
 
3 weeks left of school--anatomy LAST exam week. its crazy to know that anatomy will be over already!

This quarter has been really great 🙂 during clinical labs i was able to listen to many heart murmurs, awesome!

looking forward to spring break and celebrating st. patricks day!!!!!!!!

hope everyone else is enjoying their classes 😀
 
Lol. That was wonderful! I love John Cleese. :laugh:
 
teatime said:
This made me 🤣. And then it made me :cry: at the thought of where I'm going to be come fall.
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well i saw it and then i realized i had to go to class :laugh:

but it definitely gets better. even though its still first year, our clinical class is 10x better than last semester and i get sooo happy after every clinical lab. and i know it will go up hill from here because each quarter there is more hands on experience! so just keep reminding yourself that during first semester!
 
in 2 hrs, i will be done with anatomy, FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!! (except for the impt clinical stuff 😀)

:banana:
 
BlacKAT33 said:
in 2 hrs, i will be done with anatomy, FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!! (except for the impt clinical stuff 😀)

:banana:
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In 3 hours i'll be done with anatomy too!! (besides our final on monday) Soooo exciting to have afternoons free!
 
Don't know much about anatomy. Don't know much about embryology. Don't know much about my science books. Don't know much about the case I took. But I do know that I love brew, and if I could have quite a few, what a wonderful world it would be.


I gotta do *something* to keep myself entertained during public health.

And in case anyone's confused...
 
HopefulAg said:
Don't know much about anatomy. Don't know much about embryology. Don't know much about my science books. Don't know much about the case I took. But I do know that I love brew, and if I could have quite a few, what a wonderful world it would be.


I gotta do *something* to keep myself entertained during public health.

And in case anyone's confused...
Click to expand...

lol that was awesome. Keep 'em coming!
 
Haha, agreed! That is great--and you have to do something to keep your sanity!
 
HopefulAg said:
Don't know much about anatomy. Don't know much about embryology. Don't know much about my science books. Don't know much about the case I took. But I do know that I love brew, and if I could have quite a few, what a wonderful world it would be.


I gotta do *something* to keep myself entertained during public health.

And in case anyone's confused...
Click to expand...

Love it!
 
Third quarter at Penn is over! 😀
Our second semester is divided into two quarters with spring break in the middle. Third quarter was way more manageable than first semester. Neuro is a beast though but at least it's half over!
 
bunnity said:
Third quarter at Penn is over! 😀
Our second semester is divided into two quarters with spring break in the middle. Third quarter was way more manageable than first semester. Neuro is a beast though but at least it's half over!
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i cant believe i memorized all that neuro lab in 2 days! i amaze myself lol i really do think i needed to "retrain" my brain to memorize well.

i loved 3rd quarter!!! now THIS is what i was expecting vet school to be. a shtload of work but able to be done if you study a lot. I could actually breath this quarter and stay on top of classes by studying. and i love phys!!! it is sooo interesting!

next quarter looks horrendous though haha but right now its SPRING BREAK!!! yayyy!!!
 
Basically I dug myself a hole in Anatomy again and have to bail myself out on Friday. Then, Spring Break!

Other than that, it's the status quo. I'll sure be glad when I don't have to worry about the five locations that the lateral collateral ligament attaches.
 
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