Class of 2016....how ya doing?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
I won't lie, I'm a little worried about the fact that caffeine does nothing for me except make me anxious and shakey if I have way too much. I don't know how I'm going to get through vet school without it.

Don't worry. I've done it. I only had caffeine the night before my last final. It was 7pm and I just couldn't keep my eyes opened. I probably had like a 1/4 of a bottle of Mtn Dew. I've also managed to go to bed every night between 9 and 10pm (unless it's a weekend). I'm very proud of myself for it. I know that there have been students who would pull all-nighters, especially during finals. Oh did I mention that I've gotten mostly A's and B's. There is definitely a way to balance everything.
 
Don't worry. I've done it. I only had caffeine the night before my last final. It was 7pm and I just couldn't keep my eyes opened. I probably had like a 1/4 of a bottle of Mtn Dew. I've also managed to go to bed every night between 9 and 10pm (unless it's a weekend). I'm very proud of myself for it. I know that there have been students who would pull all-nighters, especially during finals. Oh did I mention that I've gotten mostly A's and B's. There is definitely a way to balance everything.

That's what I'm talking about! If I'm up past 10:30 I "stayed up late".
 
I have read through parasitology... 😱 Way too many different species of lice, mites, ticks, etc. I shall see how much information I have retained when I get into the lab tomorrow and quiz myself... :xf:


Now onto... bacteriology, quickly review virology and finish up inflammation...

Slowly getting through it, but slow and steady wins the race, right??? (I hope so).
 
Is it possible to get through vet school without caffeine :laugh:

Yes. I am not allowed it often because it makes my heart start improvising rhythms... I have had some for emergency studying here and there but it's probably less than once a month. I'm 3 weeks from done my classroom portion of vet school. Ask me in a few months about clinics with no caffeine!😴
 
Same here! It's doable. You just have to make an effort to do it.

I'm the same way, you wouldn't want to see me the next day after Epi projects were due! It always seemed to fall on me to get the drafts together. Last project I was up until 11 (then started falling asleep working on it so I went to bed and got up at 4 AM to finish it). I was not a happy camper the next day! I am definitely the type that needs 8 hours of sleep a night. I go to bed at 9 or sometimes even 8 😳 each day 🙂. I too am pulling As and Bs (finals still to come, but hoping for mostly As).
 
I could not function without Diet Coke. No coffee, tea, or other types of pop, but Diet Coke. I need the taste, and the caffeine.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using SDN Mobile
 
Thanks for all the replies and discussion on caffeine!! 😀. 😍

It makes me feel better knowing that some of y'all are doing vet school without or with very little caffeine. I love the taste of coffee but it makes me very anxious and jittery. I will drink a caffeinated soda Maybe once every 2-3 weeks, and not for the caffeine, but for the flavor , or more so to get my root beer or cherry coke fix for the month :laugh:

It also makes me happy to hear that some of y'all actually go to bed early as well 😀 I refuse to pull all nighters. I function so much better if I get a good nights sleep.. I've even found that if I go to bed early and get up a little early to study that I feel like I retain more. I love 😴
 
Thanks for all the replies and discussion on caffeine!! 😀. 😍

It makes me feel better knowing that some of y'all are doing vet school without or with very little caffeine. I love the taste of coffee but it makes me very anxious and jittery. I will drink a caffeinated soda Maybe once every 2-3 weeks, and not for the caffeine, but for the flavor , or more so to get my root beer or cherry coke fix for the month :laugh:

It also makes me happy to hear that some of y'all actually go to bed early as well 😀 I refuse to pull all nighters. I function so much better if I get a good nights sleep.. I've even found that if I go to bed early and get up a little early to study that I feel like I retain more. I love 😴

They make non-caffeine Root Beer. 😍

I'm obviously not in vet school yet, :laugh: but I cannot function well without some type of caffeine. Coffee, tea, energy drink, doesn't matter. It helps chase away the brain fog and helps my body hurt less.
 
Thanks for all the replies and discussion on caffeine!! 😀. 😍

It makes me feel better knowing that some of y'all are doing vet school without or with very little caffeine. I love the taste of coffee but it makes me very anxious and jittery. I will drink a caffeinated soda Maybe once every 2-3 weeks, and not for the caffeine, but for the flavor , or more so to get my root beer or cherry coke fix for the month :laugh:

It also makes me happy to hear that some of y'all actually go to bed early as well 😀 I refuse to pull all nighters. I function so much better if I get a good nights sleep.. I've even found that if I go to bed early and get up a little early to study that I feel like I retain more. I love 😴

I pretty much always went to bed by 10 at UTK. It's definitely doable.
 
They make non-caffeine Root Beer. 😍

I'm obviously not in vet school yet, :laugh: but I cannot function well without some type of caffeine. Coffee, tea, energy drink, doesn't matter. It helps chase away the brain fog and helps my body hurt less.

I didn't know there was a root beer with caffeine.

I think there is only one that has caffeine, Barqs maybe? I'm not sure lol

I pretty much always went to bed by 10 at UTK. It's definitely doable.

👍
 
I need more friends. This sounds stupid, but hear me out. When I first got here, I started hanging out with a bunch of people (roommate included) that turned out not to be the kind of people I want to hang out with all the time. Now they semi-ignore me because I don't want to go out drinking every three minutes. I'm sitting next to my roomie in class (bad idea, in retrospect). I love the people who sit in front of me, but it's so awkward talking to them when they're in front of me (and I'm not someone they turn around to initiate conversations with, so it's mostly on me). I feel like everyone is set in their groups now, and I'm kinda stuck.

Gah. I knew this was going to happen.
 
I need more friends. This sounds stupid, but hear me out. When I first got here, I started hanging out with a bunch of people (roommate included) that turned out not to be the kind of people I want to hang out with all the time. Now they semi-ignore me because I don't want to go out drinking every three minutes. I'm sitting next to my roomie in class (bad idea, in retrospect). I love the people who sit in front of me, but it's so awkward talking to them when they're in front of me (and I'm not someone they turn around to initiate conversations with, so it's mostly on me). I feel like everyone is set in their groups now, and I'm kinda stuck.

Gah. I knew this was going to happen.

I hear you. I've only got one good friend, and though I can talk to other people, I don't feel like I really fit in anywhere. I had a feeling the same thing was going to happen to me. I'm personable, but an introvert. I can't always thing of something to say, which can lead to awkward silences. But you seem like an awesome person. I'm sure it'll get better. I bet there are plenty of people who want to be friends with you. You'll just have to give them a little bit of time.
 
Finishing up notes on Clostridium then heading to bed... I will have skipped half of bacteriology and not covered any virology... I am just going to wing it at this point...

Exam number 2 of vet school begins tomorrow (ok in 8 hours).... :scared:
 
I need more friends. This sounds stupid, but hear me out. When I first got here, I started hanging out with a bunch of people (roommate included) that turned out not to be the kind of people I want to hang out with all the time. Now they semi-ignore me because I don't want to go out drinking every three minutes. I'm sitting next to my roomie in class (bad idea, in retrospect). I love the people who sit in front of me, but it's so awkward talking to them when they're in front of me (and I'm not someone they turn around to initiate conversations with, so it's mostly on me). I feel like everyone is set in their groups now, and I'm kinda stuck.

Gah. I knew this was going to happen.

NStarz, things will work out! Maybe you could try switching seats one day. Just get to class and sit somewhere new. That way you can talk to some new people, even if it is just about class, finals, etc. I know what you mean about people going out drinking all of the time. Today in histo, people went around and invited classmates to a bar tonight and they literally invited everyone at my table, got to me and then just walked away. I kind of felt left out for a minute, but then thought to myself "I wouldn't go out to a bar on a Monday night anyway!"

Trust me this class is far from set! I feel like there will be some maturation that goes on and people will be more open to getting outside of their group of friends. And I know a lot of people that feel the same way that you do. Maybe you could start an event that doesn't involve drinking. Like a movie night or something? There are also a lot of events that involve alcohol but are fun for those who don't want to drink. I have been to a few this year where I didn't drink because I needed to drive home, but still had a great time!

:xf: that you find some people that you are comfortable with!
 
Finishing up notes on Clostridium then heading to bed... I will have skipped half of bacteriology and not covered any virology... I am just going to wing it at this point...

Exam number 2 of vet school begins tomorrow (ok in 8 hours).... :scared:

We have faith in you! Good luck! :luck::luck::luck:
 
Finishing up notes on Clostridium then heading to bed... I will have skipped half of bacteriology and not covered any virology... I am just going to wing it at this point...

Exam number 2 of vet school begins tomorrow (ok in 8 hours).... :scared:

Wishing you the best of :luck: :luck: :luck:

Kick some exam tush!!
 
Finishing up notes on Clostridium then heading to bed... I will have skipped half of bacteriology and not covered any virology... I am just going to wing it at this point...

Exam number 2 of vet school begins tomorrow (ok in 8 hours).... :scared:

Good luck tomorrow!!! We got faith in you! Kick that exam in the arse.
:luck::xf::luck::xf::luck::xf::luck::xf::luck:
 
I need more friends. This sounds stupid, but hear me out. When I first got here, I started hanging out with a bunch of people (roommate included) that turned out not to be the kind of people I want to hang out with all the time. Now they semi-ignore me because I don't want to go out drinking every three minutes. I'm sitting next to my roomie in class (bad idea, in retrospect). I love the people who sit in front of me, but it's so awkward talking to them when they're in front of me (and I'm not someone they turn around to initiate conversations with, so it's mostly on me). I feel like everyone is set in their groups now, and I'm kinda stuck.

Gah. I knew this was going to happen.

I feel there are a lot of people that could use to grow up a little in our class. There are so many awesome people in our class as well though. You'd be surprised how friendly and open people are when you chat with them. Get a study group together, sit in a new seat, you are far from stuck with the current people you hang out with. I sit up front every Tuesday so I can see for the clicker quizzes. There is still a ton of seat shifting, you might not notice it since you're towards the front, but there is a lot of it still going on. It'll all work out. I am really happy with the people I decided to sit next too, but if I wasn't, I'd just switch seats to be near people I wanted to be near. It's not a big deal and as long as you don't take someone's seat who always sits in the same place, you shouldn't cause any issues. I'd just ask around about open seats. The front is pretty set in their ways, but there are a lot of seat swapping towards the back. The group of 6 in front of me is now a group of 5 and that seat is always open and now someone from the front sits there a lot. Just ask around and see where there are open spots, or just come in and sit somewhere.
 
I need more friends. This sounds stupid, but hear me out. When I first got here, I started hanging out with a bunch of people (roommate included) that turned out not to be the kind of people I want to hang out with all the time. Now they semi-ignore me because I don't want to go out drinking every three minutes. I'm sitting next to my roomie in class (bad idea, in retrospect). I love the people who sit in front of me, but it's so awkward talking to them when they're in front of me (and I'm not someone they turn around to initiate conversations with, so it's mostly on me). I feel like everyone is set in their groups now, and I'm kinda stuck.

Gah. I knew this was going to happen.

I know it seems like everything is set in stone already, but things will continue to shift. Second year for our class has already been so mcuh smoother than last year. I second the suggestion of inviting a few people over for potluck or movies or whatever, just to show that you're interested in hanging out 🙂
 
Just gonna leave this here.
ImageUploadedBySDN Mobile1354041013.222461.jpg
 
I know it seems like everything is set in stone already, but things will continue to shift. Second year for our class has already been so mcuh smoother than last year. I second the suggestion of inviting a few people over for potluck or movies or whatever, just to show that you're interested in hanging out 🙂

+1 you'd be surprised at how many people are in the same situation, and sometimes it's just a matter of finding them.

I totally agree with the suggestion to maybe invite a few people for food or something. But one thing I will say though, is to make sure you're aware of when things aren't working out and just let it go and move on. You WILL find the right people if you look hard enough so don't waste time, energy and emotions on those who don't value you. Because seriously, vet school is just like high school and it only gets more awkward and upsetting when you try to forge friendships that just weren't meant to be. Remember that you don't need to be friends with everyone (and not everyone needs to be friends with you), but you WILL need to spend the next 4 years with them.

I've seen some tragic outcomes to this whole friendship debacle in vet school... and it's really really sad esp because they were preventable.
 
Freaking out a little. Our Dev bio final grades are in and I needed to pass this test to pass the class. Didn't feel that great about the test and so I don't want to see my grade because finals are next week and I feel like it's going to depress me if I failed the course leading to me failing the rest of my courses.

ETA: I'm in the clear and got my highest grade in vet school so far! Really pleased since I pulled an all nighter and wasn't sure how it was going to turn out.
 
Last edited:
Thanks all. I really appreciate it <3 <3 <3

Marino gets extra super hugs cuz she's awesome!

I ended up sitting with some other people today and I had such a better day. I wasn't constantly getting upset/annoyed because I was being ignored (and it really is me, because my friend ended up sitting in my seat and they were talking to her. OY!) I hate girls. Lol.

But I'm in much better spirits today. I think I'll take some of your guys' suggestions when we get back in January--everyone's a little uptight because of finals next week, and I need all the time I can to study!


In other news, has anyone had any success with the Glass Horse CDs? Our Equine club is selling them but they are super pricey (and why can't they put the whole darn horse on one CD?). I wouldn't mind spending the money if they are going to be awesomely useful, though.
 
In other news, has anyone had any success with the Glass Horse CDs? Our Equine club is selling them but they are super pricey (and why can't they put the whole darn horse on one CD?). I wouldn't mind spending the money if they are going to be awesomely useful, though.

Our anatomy professor did a lunch lecture last year where she took us through some of the glass horse CD. It was decent, but I just didn't feel super amazed/impressed, even being the visual person that I am. I believe our equine club keeps a copy for members to use if they want, but I never did. More worth it to go to the lab and slog through all of those flexures :meanie:
 
Thanks all. I really appreciate it <3 <3 <3

Marino gets extra super hugs cuz she's awesome!

I ended up sitting with some other people today and I had such a better day. I wasn't constantly getting upset/annoyed because I was being ignored (and it really is me, because my friend ended up sitting in my seat and they were talking to her. OY!) I hate girls. Lol.

But I'm in much better spirits today. I think I'll take some of your guys' suggestions when we get back in January--everyone's a little uptight because of finals next week, and I need all the time I can to study!


In other news, has anyone had any success with the Glass Horse CDs? Our Equine club is selling them but they are super pricey (and why can't they put the whole darn horse on one CD?). I wouldn't mind spending the money if they are going to be awesomely useful, though.

They are coming out with a virtual Equine anatomy next year I think. It's too late for our anatomy, but we can use it for rounds. I'm really excited about it! I'm glad moving around has helped! I hate how catty our class is getting. There are so many little tiffs going on, it is a lot like high school, but worse in my opinion.
 
They are coming out with a virtual Equine anatomy next year I think. It's too late for our anatomy, but we can use it for rounds. I'm really excited about it! I'm glad moving around has helped! I hate how catty our class is getting. There are so many little tiffs going on, it is a lot like high school, but worse in my opinion.

I really hope it does come on time, because it's been "coming out very soon." for a long time. That would be such a great resource because Dyce sucks so bad!
 
Anyone have advice on how to make oneself actually get up in the morning??? It's finals time and I need to start getting up earlier to make sure I get stuff done and I'm having a really difficult time. I'm not a morning person and I know part of the problem is that I stay up until like 2 AM doing work (more of a night owl) but I need to start getting up earlier if I want to get more done. But it's so difficult when I live in a basement apartment so my bedroom stays super dark and my bed is so comfy and warm.

I know someone is going to suggest going to bed earlier, but I can try that and I still won't get up any earlier.
 
Anyone have advice on how to make oneself actually get up in the morning??? It's finals time and I need to start getting up earlier to make sure I get stuff done and I'm having a really difficult time. I'm not a morning person and I know part of the problem is that I stay up until like 2 AM doing work (more of a night owl) but I need to start getting up earlier if I want to get more done. But it's so difficult when I live in a basement apartment so my bedroom stays super dark and my bed is so comfy and warm.

I know someone is going to suggest going to bed earlier, but I can try that and I still won't get up any earlier.

Unfortunately, the only thing I can do is welcome you into the club of night owls... I understand what you mean about the dark thing too... it is dark here until about 8ish AM and then the sun starts to go down around 3:30PM and it is dark at around 4-4:30 PM.

(Psst...if you find the answer out to this please let me know. 😉)
 
Unfortunately, the only thing I can do is welcome you into the club of night owls... I understand what you mean about the dark thing too... it is dark here until about 8ish AM and then the sun starts to go down around 3:30PM and it is dark at around 4-4:30 PM.

(Psst...if you find the answer out to this please let me know. 😉)

Totally remember that about the UK. And on the few occasions it was sunny during the winter, my only window in my bedroom faced a brick wall, so I never got much light...
 
Anyone have advice on how to make oneself actually get up in the morning??? It's finals time and I need to start getting up earlier to make sure I get stuff done and I'm having a really difficult time. I'm not a morning person and I know part of the problem is that I stay up until like 2 AM doing work (more of a night owl) but I need to start getting up earlier if I want to get more done. But it's so difficult when I live in a basement apartment so my bedroom stays super dark and my bed is so comfy and warm.

I know someone is going to suggest going to bed earlier, but I can try that and I still won't get up any earlier.

Lamp on a timer that comes on at wake-up time?
 
Anyone have advice on how to make oneself actually get up in the morning??? It's finals time and I need to start getting up earlier to make sure I get stuff done and I'm having a really difficult time. I'm not a morning person and I know part of the problem is that I stay up until like 2 AM doing work (more of a night owl) but I need to start getting up earlier if I want to get more done. But it's so difficult when I live in a basement apartment so my bedroom stays super dark and my bed is so comfy and warm.

I know someone is going to suggest going to bed earlier, but I can try that and I still won't get up any earlier.

Put your alarm on the other side of the room so it forces you to get up & turn it off and/or put multiple alarms. Seems to work for me and I am in NO way, shape or form a morning person. Hope that helps 🙂
 
Anyone have advice on how to make oneself actually get up in the morning??? It's finals time and I need to start getting up earlier to make sure I get stuff done and I'm having a really difficult time. I'm not a morning person and I know part of the problem is that I stay up until like 2 AM doing work (more of a night owl) but I need to start getting up earlier if I want to get more done. But it's so difficult when I live in a basement apartment so my bedroom stays super dark and my bed is so comfy and warm.

I know someone is going to suggest going to bed earlier, but I can try that and I still won't get up any earlier.

No matter what you do to try to wake up easier in the morning, if you want to wake up early you should really try to go to bed earlier. You may need to do something else too, but that is important. However much sleep you need to feel mostly rested, you should try to get that at least a few nights a week.
 
The thing that I find REALLY helps me, is one going to bed early, but then actually getting out of bed the first time I wake up in the morning, even if it's at 6am and I don't need to be out of bed until 8. That way you're waking up naturally and not when an alarm dictates. So you don't get woken out of deep sleep. I feel wayyy more rested if I do that then if I sleep and extra 3 hours.
 
If anyone would like, I have three animals that love to be my alarm clocks at least an hour before mine goes off. And they don't have a snooze button. You are MORE than welcome to borrow them.
 
Anyone have advice on how to make oneself actually get up in the morning??? It's finals time and I need to start getting up earlier to make sure I get stuff done and I'm having a really difficult time. I'm not a morning person and I know part of the problem is that I stay up until like 2 AM doing work (more of a night owl) but I need to start getting up earlier if I want to get more done. But it's so difficult when I live in a basement apartment so my bedroom stays super dark and my bed is so comfy and warm.

I know someone is going to suggest going to bed earlier, but I can try that and I still won't get up any earlier.

Nope.:meanie:
If you are a night owl, nothing will work to make it easier. I work at 6 am almost every day, have been for a few years(previous job was 5 am 😱). I STILL get up at the very last second and rush around grabbing things and getting ready and fly out the door. I like my big comfy bed, and I'm also a night owl. I have to force myself to go to bed before 11 pm.

The only thing that helps me after I've actually gotten out of bed, is coffee. But I usually don't get to drink any until I'm at work. :laugh: No time at home, and too hot in the car.
 
The thing that I find REALLY helps me, is one going to bed early, but then actually getting out of bed the first time I wake up in the morning, even if it's at 6am and I don't need to be out of bed until 8. That way you're waking up naturally and not when an alarm dictates. So you don't get woken out of deep sleep. I feel wayyy more rested if I do that then if I sleep and extra 3 hours.

I really wish this worked for me, but I wake up naturally every 2 or so hours as it is. If I did that, I would never get any sleep. 🙁 (I've started taking Melatonin 4-5 times a week now, and it has helped some. I sleep around 5 hours before waking up now) Even with the waking up all the time, my body prefers to get around 8-9 hours of 'sleep'.
 
Anyone have advice on how to make oneself actually get up in the morning??? It's finals time and I need to start getting up earlier to make sure I get stuff done and I'm having a really difficult time. I'm not a morning person and I know part of the problem is that I stay up until like 2 AM doing work (more of a night owl) but I need to start getting up earlier if I want to get more done. But it's so difficult when I live in a basement apartment so my bedroom stays super dark and my bed is so comfy and warm.

I know someone is going to suggest going to bed earlier, but I can try that and I still won't get up any earlier.
Borrow my dogs or my cat, depending on how early you want to get up. They are persistent. And let me tell you.... you might think little dogs wouldn't be too bad, but their legs are like long sticks poking you in the chest (and other areas I won't mention)... you WILL get up when they are ready for breakfast!
 
I really wish this worked for me, but I wake up naturally every 2 or so hours as it is. If I did that, I would never get any sleep. 🙁 (I've started taking Melatonin 4-5 times a week now, and it has helped some. I sleep around 5 hours before waking up now) Even with the waking up all the time, my body prefers to get around 8-9 hours of 'sleep'.

That's my problem too. If I did this a lot of the time i'd be getting out of bed at like 2 am on those occasions I get in bed by like midnight. Otherwise its probably like 4 or 5 am. I feel like a lot of the time I don't hit a deeper stage of sleep until early in the AM I'm not sure if that's really possible but I never remember dreaming before 6 AM. And I think that's one of the reasons I have issues is because my alarm is going off when I hit REM sleep. And this could be complete bogus but is just something I've noticed. I'm definitely going to start putting my phone across the room and see if that helps first.
 
Some company makes alarm clocks that roll off the nightstand and actually roll around the floor so you have to catch it to turn it off. Supposedly you're awake by the time you catch it.

If I wasn't on my phone I would look it up for you 🙂
 
Some company makes alarm clocks that roll off the nightstand and actually roll around the floor so you have to catch it to turn it off. Supposedly you're awake by the time you catch it.

If I wasn't on my phone I would look it up for you 🙂

I would break it when I caught it and then climb back in bed and fall asleep..

I have actually gotten out of bed and completely ready for class before to wake up in bed 2-3 hours later.

I could set 50 alarm clocks and still either snooze them all until they turn off or sleep through them.

My parents have told me that I could sleep through a bomb explosion.
 
That's my problem too. If I did this a lot of the time i'd be getting out of bed at like 2 am on those occasions I get in bed by like midnight. Otherwise its probably like 4 or 5 am. I feel like a lot of the time I don't hit a deeper stage of sleep until early in the AM I'm not sure if that's really possible but I never remember dreaming before 6 AM. And I think that's one of the reasons I have issues is because my alarm is going off when I hit REM sleep. And this could be complete bogus but is just something I've noticed. I'm definitely going to start putting my phone across the room and see if that helps first.

I dream ALL the time and usually remember the dreams.


Clocky Alarm Clock

http://www.amazon.com/Clocky-Alarm-...1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1283800917&sr=8-1

41ELRoKRzTL._SX355_.jpg
 
I can't use alarm clocks that beep beep beep. My brain incorporates into a dream and I turn it off in my sleep/oversleep.

I now just use my phone with a Rooster alarm. It cock-a-doodle-dos at me. :laugh:
 
Top