Class of 2026... how you doin'?

Veterinary Science Graduate Programs from U. of I.
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puppydogtor said:
Nashville, Denver, and Moab
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None of those are in the Midwest lol
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puppydogtor said:
Hiking is one of my favorite hobbies!! My favorite hikes have been in the Rocky Mountains, pretty much all over Arizona, Zion and Bryce Canyon NP in Utah, and Shenandoah NP in Virginia.

My bf and I are planning our road trip/move to vet school this weekend. If anyone has any recommendations for stops, please let me know! We'll be driving from PA to AZ and so far our only planned stop is Nashville. We'll also have our kayaks and mountain bikes with us. I have no idea where to stop though, I know nothing about the midwest.

Edit: got our stops!! Nashville, Denver, and Moab 😍
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Seconding Mammoth Caves! Also, the Smoky Mountains are gorgeous.
 
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puppydogtor said:
Hiking is one of my favorite hobbies!! My favorite hikes have been in the Rocky Mountains, pretty much all over Arizona, Zion and Bryce Canyon NP in Utah, and Shenandoah NP in Virginia.

My bf and I are planning our road trip/move to vet school this weekend. If anyone has any recommendations for stops, please let me know! We'll be driving from PA to AZ and so far our only planned stop is Nashville. We'll also have our kayaks and mountain bikes with us. I have no idea where to stop though, I know nothing about the midwest.

Edit: got our stops!! Nashville, Denver, and Moab 😍
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Puppy, going to be in Denver end of May!! When are you moving??
 
Yaya_Cat said:
Thank you! Hiking is so much fun! I went to Colorado a few years ago and just loved all the trails and the mood over there. What has been your favorite place to hike?
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I live in western Washington and usually go to the Cougar Mountain/Squak Mountain areas to hike since they’re pretty close to me. I also liked Poo Poo Point …not just for the name, of course…

When I went to Hawaii with my partner, we walked from Waikiki to Diamond Head and back. My legs were sore that day! 😭
 
puppydogtor said:
Fluff!! I am so excited for you! We are moving in the first week of July 🙂
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I'm going primarily to Fort Collins to find a place, but will let you know if I stumble across any cool things in that general area! I'm officially moving there in August. Good luck with the whole trip and the move!
 
genny said:
None of those are in the Midwest lol
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As a native and current Denverite that spent 10 years in Nebraska and Illinois, I felt this in my soul (even though my half of Nebraska is also not midwest)
 
divergent14 said:
Reality is setting in that i'm moving to a different state in less than 2 months to start vet school....what the heck🤣
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It’s so surreal feeling. I’m non-traditional and have the added bonus of moving my SO and pets with me. I can’t believe I’m voluntarily moving cross country to be extra stressed out for at least 4 years.

We got this though guys! I’m excited to see our growth in the coming months/years
 
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astoldbydrc said:
It’s so surreal feeling. I’m non-traditional and have the added bonus of moving my SO and pets with me. I can’t believe I’m voluntarily moving cross country to be extra stressed out for at least 4 years.

We got this though guys! I’m excited to see our growth in the coming months/years
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I’m in the same situation! Im already getting nightmares about missing exams and classes lol
 
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My favorite is the chipmunk and rabbit one!
 
Is anybody else super anxious about curriculum/classes yet? I am trying to enjoy my summer but all the people saying "vet school is the hardest thing you'll do in your life" is really stressing me out and already has me thinking I won't be able to do this...I genuinely just hate not knowing what to expect. Anyone else?!
 
mcdoc98 said:
Is anybody else super anxious about curriculum/classes yet? I am trying to enjoy my summer but all the people saying "vet school is the hardest thing you'll do in your life" is really stressing me out and already has me thinking I won't be able to do this...I genuinely just hate not knowing what to expect. Anyone else?!
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Maybe time for some perspective. Vet school was hella hard for me; I even repeated first year. But vet school was not the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. And I'm only 30 and graduated a year ago.

There will absolutely be real life events that will come around that will absolutely be harder to deal with/handle than vet school. For me, it was the death of my sister. Likewise, some of the best moments of your life will happen during/because of vet school. I *loved* specific aspects of vet school (wildlife clinic, OTS, certain study sessions, bar crawls, etc) that I will likely never experience again and am enormously grateful for.

It's about keeping things in perspective. There's nothing wrong with struggling through vet school or hating 99% of it by the time you get through it. But you as a person are not defined by vet school or even veterinary medicine.
 
mcdoc98 said:
Is anybody else super anxious about curriculum/classes yet? I am trying to enjoy my summer but all the people saying "vet school is the hardest thing you'll do in your life" is really stressing me out and already has me thinking I won't be able to do this...I genuinely just hate not knowing what to expect. Anyone else?!
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I also hate not knowing what to expect as a rule :laugh: What I tell myself when I get into those little anxiety whirlpools is that there are simply things I cannot control or cannot know every detail ahead of time. I can do my best to prepare for a situation and that’s about it :shrug: Same for vet school; yes, it’s really hard, but it’s a doable thing. Do what you can to prepare (NOT studying, but arranging housing, supplies, support system, etc) and then just…let it go 🙂
 
mcdoc98 said:
Is anybody else super anxious about curriculum/classes yet? I am trying to enjoy my summer but all the people saying "vet school is the hardest thing you'll do in your life" is really stressing me out and already has me thinking I won't be able to do this...I genuinely just hate not knowing what to expect. Anyone else?!
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I definitely relate to you - sometimes to the point where I'm having pretty bad anxiety about it and struggling to put my mind at rest when going to sleep. But like battie and that redhead said, we will make it through. At one of my interviews last fall the dean told us that we are all here because we are qualified, dedicated, and smart enough to go to vet school. He said he would accept all of us if he could and that he wishes there were more programs. You have made it to the point of being accepted into a vet school - you are so ready. It's okay to be anxious, but take care of yourself so you can do the things you need to do to prepare (like figuring out housing/seeing friends/family/etc.). Don't miss out on enjoying stuff now - you might regret it when we're in the midst of exams and wishing we could go back to summer for a bit. We got this 🙂
 
Does anyone here have experience with using a Surface Pro? I'm looking into getting one for vet school and not sure what type I should get. It looks like the newest model comes with either an i5 or and i7 processor. Obviously the i5 is a lot cheaper, but is it worth the investment to get the i7, or is that beyond what I would need for school? Also, how much memory/storage will I need?
 
zenarcade said:
Does anyone here have experience with using a Surface Pro? I'm looking into getting one for vet school and not sure what type I should get. It looks like the newest model comes with either an i5 or and i7 processor. Obviously the i5 is a lot cheaper, but is it worth the investment to get the i7, or is that beyond what I would need for school? Also, how much memory/storage will I need?
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I have a Surface Pro 7 and have avoided the storage issue (and saved my bacon a couple times when I've had computer issues) by having all my stuff homed on Dropbox instead of on my tablet itself. I love the Surface Pros.

I had a Surface Pro 3 for most of vet school and it was great until it abruptly died one day. It had suffered some abuse though, so I think it was coming.
 
zenarcade said:
Does anyone here have experience with using a Surface Pro? I'm looking into getting one for vet school and not sure what type I should get. It looks like the newest model comes with either an i5 or and i7 processor. Obviously the i5 is a lot cheaper, but is it worth the investment to get the i7, or is that beyond what I would need for school? Also, how much memory/storage will I need?
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Some veterinary schools have technology requirements. For example, KSU required an i7 or higher processor for us. I would check with WSU and see if they have specific requirements.

I had a surface pro for a year and loved it! It was very old and was a hand-me-down, so I’m not sure which version it was.
 
I guess I unofficially started first year a couple of weeks ago since my program strongly encouraged us to do our electives over the summer. I've enjoyed both my electives- they're thought provoking, and one of them I think will help me a ton with relearning anatomy. In the back of my mind, it's had not to think that they want us to do our electives early because they think some of us will struggle to make it through first semester. I already know I'm going to struggle immensely with anatomy- I really shouldn't have passed it in my masters, but fortunately some very kind professors let us take a couple group exams, so I just barely ended up passing. I don't know why I'm so intimidated by first year, especially since I've more than likely learned large chunks of the material last year. After investing so much time/money into just getting here, thinking about the very real possibility of not making it through, and what I would do with my life outside of vet med is daunting.
 
snuggs114 said:
I guess I unofficially started first year a couple of weeks ago since my program strongly encouraged us to do our electives over the summer. I've enjoyed both my electives- they're thought provoking, and one of them I think will help me a ton with relearning anatomy. In the back of my mind, it's had not to think that they want us to do our electives early because they think some of us will struggle to make it through first semester. I already know I'm going to struggle immensely with anatomy- I really shouldn't have passed it in my masters, but fortunately some very kind professors let us take a couple group exams, so I just barely ended up passing. I don't know why I'm so intimidated by first year, especially since I've more than likely learned large chunks of the material last year. After investing so much time/money into just getting here, thinking about the very real possibility of not making it through, and what I would do with my life outside of vet med is daunting.
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I'll respond more thoroughly to this tomorrow, but I failed first year due to anatomy and just celebrated one year as a doctor. Suffice it to say, there are ways to mitigate the risk and make it. 🙂
 
@snuggs114 it’s normal to be worried about making it through, it’s normal to wonder what life would be like if you hadn’t followed this path. Those feelings often persist through vet school. Then there’s imposter syndrome that can continue through your years of practice. It’s all within the realm of normal emotions. It’s also normal for people to cram down those feelings and keep going even if there is something better for them out there. Classmates will fail or drop out to pursue other things, and that’s OK too.
 
snuggs114 said:
I guess I unofficially started first year a couple of weeks ago since my program strongly encouraged us to do our electives over the summer. I've enjoyed both my electives- they're thought provoking, and one of them I think will help me a ton with relearning anatomy. In the back of my mind, it's had not to think that they want us to do our electives early because they think some of us will struggle to make it through first semester. I already know I'm going to struggle immensely with anatomy- I really shouldn't have passed it in my masters, but fortunately some very kind professors let us take a couple group exams, so I just barely ended up passing. I don't know why I'm so intimidated by first year, especially since I've more than likely learned large chunks of the material last year. After investing so much time/money into just getting here, thinking about the very real possibility of not making it through, and what I would do with my life outside of vet med is daunting.
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Which school did you end up accepting? Are you going to KSU?
 
kyuiruwu said:
Which school did you end up accepting? Are you going to KSU?
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No, I'm going in state to UNL/ISU. As much as I initially had my heart set on going to KSU, the last year there really put a lot into perspective for me. I also very much know I'm not in a financial position that really makes it justifiable to go out of state. I wish you the best at KSU- the professors/opportunities are wonderful.
 
battie said:
I'll respond more thoroughly to this tomorrow, but I failed first year due to anatomy and just celebrated one year as a doctor. Suffice it to say, there are ways to mitigate the risk and make it. 🙂
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Thank you, I appreciate it- feel free to post here or PM me.
 
snuggs114 said:
Thank you, I appreciate it- feel free to post here or PM me.
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I've also been distracted by my 2 week old boy. Lol.

The fear of failing is very real and something I experienced all of first year 1.0. And then I actually did fail and had to join the class below. The life lessons I got from that to do better were 1) focus on my organizational skills (started using a planner for the first time ever), 2) ask for help, and 3) find a drama free group/friends. I got involved in drama within my original class I really regret in hindsight. Not good for mental health or focus.

I ended up absolutely loving my new class and would do anything for any of them. They all helped me through some of my worst times.

Vet school is so hard, but not the worst experience. Likewise, I cherish a lot of experiences from vet school I'll never have again.

Make vet school what you want it to be, but know yourself well enough to know your limits.
 
Who else has no motivation to pack? I’ve lived in the same apartment for 2 years and have accrued an insane number of things left behind by my old roommates, now I’m the only one left. I’m supposed to be gone in less than a week but here I am looking at a few almost filled boxes with absolutely no intention of filling them until the last minute. How have moves been for everyone else? What did y’all do to finally get you act together
 
Bonfuturedvm said:
Who else has no motivation to pack? I’ve lived in the same apartment for 2 years and have accrued an insane number of things left behind by my old roommates, now I’m the only one left. I’m supposed to be gone in less than a week but here I am looking at a few almost filled boxes with absolutely no intention of filling them until the last minute.
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Me! I'm supposed to be moving out this weekend and have nothing packed. Also have been at my place for 2 years with things left behind by a former roommate. I have to move things to my parents' house, and then move things to my apartment by school a week later 🙃
 
I'm moving in 2 days and I'm...sort of packed? But definitely have more to do that I'm just procrastinating on. I also completed the loan entrance counseling this morning which is kind of depressing lol.
 
Is anyone else struggling a lot emotionally with moving? I’m only moving within the state, but I’ve lived in my college town for 5 years. I love this town. I’m moving away from all my friends. A lot of the IS people at my vet school went there for undergrad and they all know each other, so I feel like I’m gonna have no friends :/ I’m lucky to be moving with my bf, so I’ll have him, thankfully. It’s just a lot on top of worrying how hard school is gonna be.
 
katiemcat said:
Is anyone else struggling a lot emotionally with moving? I’m only moving within the state, but I’ve lived in my college town for 5 years. I love this town. I’m moving away from all my friends. A lot of the IS people at my vet school went there for undergrad and they all know each other, so I feel like I’m gonna have no friends :/ I’m lucky to be moving with my bf, so I’ll have him, thankfully. It’s just a lot on top of worrying how hard school is gonna be.
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I'm also getting a bit emotional about it as I've been at the same apartment an job for the past 2 years. I'm about to move 2-3 hours away from my friends, family, and boyfriend.
 
katiemcat said:
Is anyone else struggling a lot emotionally with moving? I’m only moving within the state, but I’ve lived in my college town for 5 years. I love this town. I’m moving away from all my friends. A lot of the IS people at my vet school went there for undergrad and they all know each other, so I feel like I’m gonna have no friends :/ I’m lucky to be moving with my bf, so I’ll have him, thankfully. It’s just a lot on top of worrying how hard school is gonna be.
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I feel the same...I've been at my new place for about a week but I'm still adjusting. I think a lot of the people at the vet school did go here for undergrad as well. I moved in with roommates to save money but I kind of wish I had just sprung for my own apartment because I feel very out of place living a room in a house where everyone already knows each other. I have kind of been hiding in my room...I'm hoping when school starts I will be too busy to care as much.
 
zenarcade said:
I feel the same...I've been at my new place for about a week but I'm still adjusting. I think a lot of the people at the vet school did go here for undergrad as well. I moved in with roommates to save money but I kind of wish I had just sprung for my own apartment because I feel very out of place living a room in a house where everyone already knows each other. I have kind of been hiding in my room...I'm hoping when school starts I will be too busy to care as much.
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I’m sorry! It’ll get better when school starts.
 
Do you guys think that using older editions of textbooks like Dyce, Miller, and Evans would pose any issues?
 
Momochi said:
Do you guys think that using older editions of textbooks like Dyce, Miller, and Evans would pose any issues?
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No, but also, don't buy textbooks.

Other than Dissection of the Dog, you probably won't use them.
 
supershorty said:
No, but also, don't buy textbooks.

Other than Dissection of the Dog, you probably won't use them.
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I second this. And I didn’t even use dissection of the dog 😂
Everyone in my lab group had one and we only *needed* one copy of it per day and someone else always had theirs so I never bothered to bring mine.
I definitely learned from undergrad that textbooks are not my thing so I purchased exactly 1 of them (and then sold it after first year) and rented the immuno book. 0 regrets on not wasting money on books I wasn’t going to read
 
Be proactive. Don't wait to get behind - if you have lab partners, see if you can set up a weekly review with them? Does your school offer tutoring? Are there open lab periods? Anatomy can feel overwhelming to a lot of people. Figure out early on how to break it down into manageable information, so that you understand it and don't have to think about it later.
 
yogapony said:
Be proactive. Don't wait to get behind - if you have lab partners, see if you can set up a weekly review with them? Does your school offer tutoring? Are there open lab periods? Anatomy can feel overwhelming to a lot of people. Figure out early on how to break it down into manageable information, so that you understand it and don't have to think about it later.
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We do have open access to lab, I was probably going to go in later today. I actually think I'm keeping up well so far, but I'm having trouble remembering the actions of the muscles.
 
I've even done this whole semester before & I'm overwhelmed - don't worry, it really does get less overwhelming, especially once you figure out your schedule of due dates & what study methods work the best for you!
 
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