CLASS OF 2014...how ya doing?

[Mizzou2014]

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Glad the year is wrapping up so well for you guys! I do have to say though, for anybody complaining that their semester goes longer than everybody else's-if someone from OSU had posted on here you wouldn't feel so bad. Those of us here, undergrad and vet students alike, still have 5 more weeks of classes and a week of finals. Take that!

We're taking finals right now (4 left to go on Monday/Tuesday) and then have EIGHT more weeks of classes before summer. We start middle of august with the majority of other schools and get out this year on June 29th. Oh well, 6 week summers mean 2 years of clinicals so I'll take it.

 

[libster06]

We're taking finals right now (4 left to go on Monday/Tuesday) and then have EIGHT more weeks of classes before summer. We start middle of august with the majority of other schools and get out this year on June 29th. Oh well, 6 week summers mean 2 years of clinicals so I'll take it.

I would so take 2 years of clinicals over having to busy myself with jobs for 2 summers...

 

[Mizzou2014]

I would so take 2 years of clinicals over having to busy myself with jobs for 2 summers...

Same...the reason I chose Mizzou was all the clinical time we get despite short summers. Besides I think I would be bored to tears if we had much longer off after the hectic schedule of classes! I've got a couple externships lined up along with a vacation with some friends so it should be just long enough to unwind a little without going stir crazy. Hopefully anyway....

 

[StartingoverVet]

Glad the year is wrapping up so well for you guys! I do have to say though, for anybody complaining that their semester goes longer than everybody else's-if someone from OSU had posted on here you wouldn't feel so bad. Those of us here, undergrad and vet students alike, still have 5 more weeks of classes and a week of finals. Take that!

We start in august. finish at the end of may, have no fall break, and a short winter break. Don't think OSU is much different there!

 

[nyanko]

What's a fall break?

 

[libster06]

What's a fall break?

Ours is a two-day break in mid October... but some schools (like my undergrad) don't have it. It's nice though... restores some of the sanity mid-semester. We also have Mardi Gras break in mid-March, seemingly to justify not having spring break until the 3rd week of April.

 

[twelvetigers]

Ours is a two-day break in mid October... but some schools (like my undergrad) don't have it. It's nice though... restores some of the sanity mid-semester. We also have Mardi Gras break in mid-March, seemingly to justify not having spring break until the 3rd week of April.

I bet LSU is the only school with a Mardi Gras break... rightfully so. But I kinda want one too. Haha.

Wat about Miss? They start July 1st. It's a normal length semester with normal breaks, but it's 'less rushed.' It's a nice idea (and I know lupolw (?) loves it) but I'm going on vacation in July sooooo yeah.

 

[libster06]

I bet LSU is the only school with a Mardi Gras break... rightfully so. But I kinda want one too. Haha.

It's a nice break but it's just not logical or necessary to have when you think about the reason and that is that our spring break is so late. Usually when students have spring break its on the first end of the later part of the semester, so they all come back for spring break with a lot to still look forward to and be motivated to study for. We had 18 days left of school when we came back and the only 2 tests weren't/aren't until the last 5 days.......... needless to say, study motivation and caring completely disengaged.

Wat about Miss? They start July 1st. It's a normal length semester with normal breaks, but it's 'less rushed.' It's a nice idea (and I know lupolw (?) loves it) but I'm going on vacation in July sooooo yeah

July is when you take all the trips! I will be doing something 3 out of the 4 weeks in July and nothing the rest of the summer! I would like to see what less rushed semester went like but I would rather keep my long summer more... because I am going to feel rushed no matter what 😛

 

[Lissarae06]

Usually when students have spring break its on the first end of the later part of the semester, so they all come back for spring break with a lot to still look forward to and be motivated to study for.

Yeah, not true. Spring Break killed all motivation I had just like Thanksgiving did last semester. I don't know if it is because this semester sucked or if because Spring Break gave us a sneak peak at summer but it was a motivation killer for just about everyone in our class.

 

[katryn]

Yeah, not true. Spring Break killed all motivation I had just like Thanksgiving did last semester. I don't know if it is because this semester sucked or if because Spring Break gave us a sneak peak at summer but it was a motivation killer for just about everyone in our class.

Same here, at least for me. Don't know about the rest of the class. Of course, it's probably more fair to say Spring killed my motivation. Once the weather gets nice enough to work on my flowerbeds and sit outside, my focus goes straight out the window.

 

[skittles12]

Same here, at least for me. Don't know about the rest of the class. Of course, it's probably more fair to say Spring killed my motivation. Once the weather gets nice enough to work on my flowerbeds and sit outside, my focus goes straight out the window.

Agreed, I've lost all motivation since the beginning of April. As soon as it gets warm, I just want to hike, camp, ride my horse, and do pretty much anything except schoolwork.

I would also like to add that Epidemiology is awful!

 

[RadRadTerp]

Agreed, I've lost all motivation since the beginning of April. As soon as it gets warm, I just want to hike, camp, ride my horse, and do pretty much anything except schoolwork.

I would also like to add that Epidemiology is awful!

I'm the only person in my class that volunteered to tutor Epi and the only person who seems to have enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I really want to take Advanced Epi next semester, but it may not be an option if the required 6-student minimum isn't met. 🙁

Anatomy final 44% of my grade tomorrow and I am BURNT OUT.

 

[chordy4]

good luck to everyone with finals...but at least you'll be DONE once they are over.

we're onto our 4th straight week of "midterms" AKA here's an exam or three every week...with five more weeks to go until finals (ugh, just writing that makes me depressed).

currently procrastinating for my neuro exam tomorrow morning....

 

[libster06]

Ok, cancel "motivation" and keep "lots to study for". That makes going to school worth it more than having 2 weeks of nothing and then 2 tests at the end....

 

[HandD42]

2 more finals to go, can't wait but Anatomy is this afternoon and I am scared

Then I am doing a week long elective next week that is all hands on learning to do basic exams for production animals...can't wait to see and touch live animals for a change!!!!

 

[HandD42]

Done with year one! 😀 x million

 

[Lissarae06]

The parasit final today kicked my butt. Our professor thinks someone stole the lab exam keys (I think he misplaced them or something) so he took it out on the whole class. He took away our bonus opportunities and made a lot of the questions harder than normal. I don't know why anyone would take the exam keys. You can't use them unless you also have the specimens so they would be pretty useless.

 

[racccjlm]

HandD42 - so not fair that you're done!! I'm one of those 26 that polycoms into your class every friday 😉. We have two finals left - welfare and neuro. boo!

 

[MSUspartan]

done with year one! x million

me too and it feels so good!!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

 

[drwildlife]

This is off-topic but....woooo I've returned! It seems like I've been gone foreva. School took over me there for a few months.

 

[HandD42]

HandD42 - so not fair that you're done!! I'm one of those 26 that polycoms into your class every friday 😉. We have two finals left - welfare and neuro. boo!

Do you have them both tomorrow? I'm so glad we got welfare done last week, this week was the absolute worst the way it was.

Good luck tomorrow

 

[RadRadTerp]

The parasit final today kicked my butt. Our professor thinks someone stole the lab exam keys (I think he misplaced them or something) so he took it out on the whole class. He took away our bonus opportunities and made a lot of the questions harder than normal. I don't know why anyone would take the exam keys. You can't use them unless you also have the specimens so they would be pretty useless.

That sucks! My parasit exam is tomorrow and a lot of us are freaking out as we also had physio and anatomy earlier this week. If only I had another week to study *sigh*

 

[Lissarae06]

That sucks! My parasit exam is tomorrow and a lot of us are freaking out as we also had physio and anatomy earlier this week. If only I had another week to study *sigh*

We had gen path Monday, equine anatomy Tuesday, Immuno Wed, Parasit today, and Physio III tomorrow morning. Whoever wrote our finals schedule is evil. Our 2 hardest on back-to-back days at the end of the week. I'm exhausted. Sleeping all day tomorrow!

 

[racccjlm]

Do you have them both tomorrow? I'm so glad we got welfare done last week, this week was the absolute worst the way it was.

Good luck tomorrow

Ugh I know - I've been up at 4 am and to bed at midnight every day this week. I am so ready to be done!! Welfare tomorrow (hoping it's not too bad) and then neuro on monday. They really know how to lay it on! But on the bright side, summer is just a weekend away!!

 

[katryn]

We had gen path Monday, equine anatomy Tuesday, Immuno Wed, Parasit today, and Physio III tomorrow morning. Whoever wrote our finals schedule is evil. Our 2 hardest on back-to-back days at the end of the week. I'm exhausted. Sleeping all day tomorrow!

Ouch, that sucks. They're mildly nice to us, and put our finals in descending order of difficulty each week, so at least the worst is over first and we have a weekend to study for which ever test is on Monday. Histology, Anatomy, Virology, and Physio are already out of the way. Taking Epidemiology(total waste of a class 😴) today, and Parasit on Monday. Then we're second years! 👍

 

[Lissarae06]

It's tradition at Oklahoma State for the 2nd years to help the first years celebrate making it through year 1 by shoe polishing their cars. I knew about it but totally forgot until I walked out from my last final to a group of 2nd years cheering and a shoe polished car. My car said things like "I do Rectals" "1/4 DVM" "I have Rabies" and my personal favorite "I <3 artificial vaginas" Some other cars had pretty funny ones like "I'm an induced ovulator" and "are you Phthirius?" It put a smile on my face after a long week/semester. Anyone else have traditions like that?

 

[cowgirla]

It's tradition at Oklahoma State for the 2nd years to help the first years celebrate making it through year 1 by shoe polishing their cars. I knew about it but totally forgot until I walked out from my last final to a group of 2nd years cheering and a shoe polished car. My car said things like "I do Rectals" "1/4 DVM" "I have Rabies" and my personal favorite "I <3 artificial vaginas" Some other cars had pretty funny ones like "I'm an induced ovulator" and "are you Phthirius?" It put a smile on my face after a long week/semester. Anyone else have traditions like that?

Haha I liked the "Honk for Herpes."
A certain "number one" had "I love naked oily parties" on the back of hers.

 

[HopefulAg]

Done. Hopefully I passed anatomy.

What a god awful semester this has been.

 

[racccjlm]

Done. Hopefully I passed anatomy.

What a god awful semester this has been.

1/4 a doctor hopeful 🙂 I hope this summer helps to recharge your spirits!

 

[rileyroo]

Done. Hopefully I passed anatomy.

What a god awful semester this has been.

omg i'm so jealous you're done already! we have 3 left...and i agree - god awful semester.

i'm praying i passed the neuro final.

 

[HopefulAg]

I'm curious: how was y'alls neuro final structured? Ours was a 4 hour long test with 3 hours written (though it took some people less and some people more. Took me 3 hours) of pure localization of lesions and a 1 hour lab portion in the afternoon. Then the very next day we had a 4 hour anatomy test. Talk about neurotransmitter depletion!

 

[nyanko]

I believe ours was also a 3 hour written test, cumulative and with some localization and some more basic neurosci questions, and then a 1.5 hour lab practical with gross specimens and diagnostic imaging (MRI/CT, etc).

edit: it was on Monday of finals week last quarter (Winter), and we had a final every day of that week. That's when the **** hit the fan for me, at least.

 

[heylodeb]

Good luck for everyone finishing up the semester! (and congrats to those who already finished!)

 

[breenie]

4 hour exams? Jk, vet school, I didn't really wanna do you... 😱

 

[HandD42]

4 hour exams? Jk, vet school, I didn't really wanna do you... 😱

Its not the 4 hours exams that are bad...it's the 4 hour exams 4 days in a row that gets ya 😉

 

[natalieises]

Its not the 4 hours exams that are bad...it's the 4 hour exams 4 days in a row that gets ya 😉

This is exactly what I love about Illinois. NO 4 HOUR EXAMS!!! We do have 3 hour exams, but only 3 of them twice per quarter. AMAZING!

 

[wolfpack87]

I'm curious: how was y'alls neuro final structured? Ours was a 4 hour long test with 3 hours written (though it took some people less and some people more. Took me 3 hours) of pure localization of lesions and a 1 hour lab portion in the afternoon. Then the very next day we had a 4 hour anatomy test. Talk about neurotransmitter depletion!

We were given 4 hours total to take the exam. Approximately 2 hours for both written and lab pracitcal. It was something like 210 out of 520 total points for the semester.

 

[eringobraugh]

I'm curious: how was y'alls neuro final structured? Ours was a 4 hour long test with 3 hours written (though it took some people less and some people more. Took me 3 hours) of pure localization of lesions and a 1 hour lab portion in the afternoon. Then the very next day we had a 4 hour anatomy test. Talk about neurotransmitter depletion!

Our neuro final was a complete joke.

We had a 50 point written test, 20 points written (not cumulative), 10 points on topography of the brain, 10ish points on the anatomy of the eye. We also had about 25 points on case studies which we had a week to do. Then we had to be filmed giving an actual neuro exam which took all of 10 minutes cause they only asked us to demo proprioceptive placing, test 1 cranial nerve and then some other postural reactions.

By FAR our easiest class this semester, so I'm not complaining. Holla for CSU!

 

[racccjlm]

Our final is cumulative - half case studies (i.e. localize lesions), part canine brain transections, and the rest is odds and ends taken from any lecture/reading during the semester. We have...either 3 or 4 hours to complete it (I don't remember). We're taking it monday - and it apparently really sucks. The professor did a whole "grade projection" thing at the beginning of the semester saying - "here's the average for the first exam from previous classes, the second exam, the third exam, and as you can see" *points to chart* "not so good on the fourth exam." The averages hovered in the 70s for the first three exams and then took a HUGE plunge on the final. No scaling either. Yay, I'm so excited for monday 🙄

edit: I do like neuro though - and our professor rocks.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Our neuro final was a complete joke.

We had a 50 point written test, 20 points written (not cumulative), 10 points on topography of the brain, 10ish points on the anatomy of the eye. We also had about 25 points on case studies which we had a week to do. Then we had to be filmed giving an actual neuro exam which took all of 10 minutes cause they only asked us to demo proprioceptive placing, test 1 cranial nerve and then some other postural reactions.

By FAR our easiest class this semester, so I'm not complaining. Holla for CSU!

It's crazy how some professors are very much on the "I want everyone to pass and gain confidence!" line of thinking, while others are out for blood. And very disproportionately so with the number of credits the classes are worth. Like... I think I've spent so much more time studying for my 2 credit parasit course and the 3 credit bacteriology course than for my 4-5 credit neuro/biology of dz courses!

 

[squibby]

This is exactly what I love about Illinois. NO 4 HOUR EXAMS!!! We do have 3 hour exams, but only 3 of them twice per quarter. AMAZING!

Wait, so do you mean each quarter there are a total of six three 3hr-long exams?

 

[GellaBella]

For our neuro final (in two weeks) we will have a 2 hour written exam (I think all our written exams have been 2 hours max) on Thursday and then a 1.5 hr practical exam on Friday.

The practical will be projections of brain slices with certain areas indicated and we will have to identify what tract passes through that nuclei, where it's going, where it's coming from, where it decussates, what type of fibers are in it etc. There will be some gross brain identifications as well.

so far our class has done really well in neuro (the midterm average was an 88) so we'll see how difficult they make this final exam.

I'm jealous of you guys already in or finishing finals! We have another week of classes then finals begin the following week with a nutrition final on Monday, the Neuro written on Thursday, Neuro practical on Friday, Physiology on Monday, Intro to Clinical Vet Med III on Wednesday, and Immunology on Friday.

Then we are freeeeee!!!!
which is good cause my hand is killing me from all this writing. i need to learn to be ambidextrous

 

[natalieises]

Wait, so do you mean each quarter there are a total of six three 3hr-long exams?

Yep. You have midterms and finals for each quarter. Every 4 weeks you take a 3 hour lab practical, a 3 hour multiple choice exam, and a 3 hour written exam over the course of a week.

 

[HopefulAg]

The practical will be projections of brain slices with certain areas indicated and we will have to identify what tract passes through that nuclei, where it's going, where it's coming from, where it decussates, what type of fibers are in it etc. There will be some gross brain identifications as well.

Oh...man that sounds awful. Our prof told us not to worry about any UMN tracts other than know that corticospinal crosses over by the obex and to know that nociception travels up both sides of the spinal cord, so it takes extensive damage at the spinal level to destroy pain reception. Beyond that he said there was nothing to be gained from knowing each individual tract because you're not going to diagnose and fix individual tracts.

 

[bunnity]

Oh...man that sounds awful. Our prof told us not to worry about any UMN tracts other than know that corticospinal crosses over by the obex and to know that nociception travels up both sides of the spinal cord, so it takes extensive damage at the spinal level to destroy pain reception. Beyond that he said there was nothing to be gained from knowing each individual tract because you're not going to diagnose and fix individual tracts.

I totally agree with your professor... if only our professor did 🙂

 

[nyanko]

We didn't have to know all of the nuclei on gross specimens, only some of them, but we did have to know a lot of tracts and where they decussate. Hah, it feels like neuro was so long ago but really it was only like a month and a half.

 

[StartingoverVet]

I totally agree with your professor... if only our professor did 🙂

What would be the fun of that? What is an exam without 500 things to memorize for the exam to be forgotten by the afternoon after it is over....

Honestly though, I have forgotten more this year than the rest of my life combined. Not really sure what the purpose of all this is anymore.

 

[katryn]

Oh...man that sounds awful. Our prof told us not to worry about any UMN tracts other than know that corticospinal crosses over by the obex and to know that nociception travels up both sides of the spinal cord, so it takes extensive damage at the spinal level to destroy pain reception. Beyond that he said there was nothing to be gained from knowing each individual tract because you're not going to diagnose and fix individual tracts.

We had about 12-15 tracts to know, but it was much more about which ones were pyramidal/non-pyramidal, and conscious vs. unconscious proprioception. Thankfully, we really didn't need to know exact locations, nuclei, or pathways for most of them. But from the sounds of it, everyone else's first year neurophysio will be our second year nervous system class. For us this year it was only a quarter of a semester's worth of our overall physio class.

 

[twelvetigers]

What would be the fun of that? What is an exam without 500 things to memorize for the exam to be forgotten by the afternoon after it is over....

Honestly though, I have forgotten more this year than the rest of my life combined. Not really sure what the purpose of all this is anymore.

I'm sure I do (or will, at least) agree with you there, but I have heard lots of students in 3rd year or so talk about how you would be surprised at how much you really do remember and really have learned. So, hand tight - it might not all be leaking out your ears even when it feels that way.

 

[nyanko]

it might not all be leaking out your ears even when it feels that way.

It is.

edit: I got hit playing hockey the other day and at least 3 types of nematodes shot right out of my ear. Good because I don't want parasites in my ear. Bad because parasit isn't over for awhile.