First Year Must Haves

[vampyrica]

Hi all! I wanted to start a thread on what people would be getting/have gotten for their first year of vet school! Whether or not I will be attending is still up in the air but I know plenty of people have gotten accepted and we all could use a list of "must haves" to bring with us. I know each school will provide a list of things they require but do you have any advice for study programs? your favorite scrubs brands? stethoscope types? shoes? and anything else you believe to be beneficial to bring/invest in during your vet school journey.

Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[SkiOtter]

your favorite scrubs brands

I absolutely LOVE my Cherokee infinity scrubs. Super lightweight and comfy. A lot of people love Figs but those were too thick of fabric for me. @battie (and many others) love Mandala scrubs as well (didn’t fit me well and were thicker imo, like figs)

 

[JaynaAli]

In my opinion, I would just get a nice-but-intro-level model stethoscope to start vet school and then upgrade at graduation once you have skills to appreciate the differences. Cardio at my school had a really wide range of stethoscopes we could play with, erm, I mean practice using, and though Littmans are very popular and I had been given a Classic 2 model that worked just fine (and still does!), but I actually preferred the feel and sounds of the Welch Allyn Harvey Elite model better. If I’d stayed in clinical practice I would have upgraded after graduation. You really won’t have the skills to appreciate differences between a classic and higher end model when you’re just starting school, so I’d take a couple years to try other people’s stethoscopes before making a larger investment in a fancier model. Springing for a fancier model from the start is fine too of course, but don’t feel like you need a $300+ model when starting out.

Making sure you have plenty of cloud storage is a must. If you’re an iPad user, the Apple Pencil and a nice keyboard is really worth it for ease of studying and note taking.

I bought some insoles for my anatomy rubber boots and those helped with comfort a lot. Also, my lab group pooled money together to buy a sacrificial anatomy dissection book/guide we just left at our station in the lab so we didn’t have to get our personal copies used for studying at home juicy/smelly. Not sure if y’all still even use papers in labs though nowadays. I’m old.

Buy extra phone and laptop/tablet chargers. Keep extras in your bag, car, etc. for emergencies.

 

[supershorty]

I absolutely LOVE my Cherokee infinity scrubs.

THESE ARE MY FAVORITE

I also am obsessed with my Oofos shoes, but mostly now when I'm walking around all day. For classroom learning, they're not necessary.

 

[vampyrica]

In my opinion, I would just get a nice-but-intro-level model stethoscope to start vet school and then upgrade at graduation once you have skills to appreciate the differences. Cardio at my school had a really wide range of stethoscopes we could play with, erm, I mean practice using, and though Littmans are very popular and I had been given a Classic 2 model that worked just fine (and still does!), but I actually preferred the feel and sounds of the Welch Allyn Harvey Elite model better. If I’d stayed in clinical practice I would have upgraded after graduation. You really won’t have the skills to appreciate differences between a classic and higher end model when you’re just starting school, so I’d take a couple years to try other people’s stethoscopes before making a larger investment in a fancier model. Springing for a fancier model from the start is fine too of course, but don’t feel like you need a $300+ model when starting out.

Making sure you have plenty of cloud storage is a must. If you’re an iPad user, the Apple Pencil and a nice keyboard is really worth it for ease of studying and note taking.

I bought some insoles for my anatomy rubber boots and those helped with comfort a lot. Also, my lab group pooled money together to buy a sacrificial anatomy dissection book/guide we just left at our station in the lab so we didn’t have to get our personal copies used for studying at home juicy/smelly. Not sure if y’all still even use papers in labs though nowadays. I’m old.

Buy extra phone and laptop/tablet chargers. Keep extras in your bag, car, etc. for emergencies.

I was gifted a Littman's classic III for christmas by my parents. I heard good things about it as an intro stethoscope!

 

[MintyMoose]

Stethoscope with your name on it, an apple pencil, a waterproof ipad case for lab, jogger scrubs (literally love them so much), fuzzy socks (its good to be comfy when you're stressed), notability (has a great tape feature which helps with learning terms), and a retractable badge reel

 

[SkiOtter]

THESE ARE MY FAVORITE

SO COMFY. I’ve also had 3 of my pairs since 2020 and they’re still in pretty great condition and I wear them regularly.

 

[battie]

Study tools: good old outlines inside before class, then printed out and wrote written notes on for the classes where there was actually teaching. If I was in a class where the prof just read off their notes, I put in headphones and made another outline.

Merck vet manual physical copy: wish I had used this to study for NAVLE tbh

Scrubs: I use mandala scrubs exclusively because their cheaper with decent quality. The set I'm wearing right now is 2.5 years old and just now having issues with the pockets losing their seams. $60 for under scrub, joggers, and single pocket scrub top.

Pens you like. I think they're worth the extra money.

 

[overcastkidjuno]

Current 1st year. Got most of my stuff at Dollarama.

• An extra lab coat specially for anatomy lab (keeping it clean will become a lost cause quickly)
• A solid clipboard (helpful for labs, exams, even studying while laying in bed)
• Physical flash cards (your eyes will get very tired looking at a screen)
• USB drive to store assignments & textbooks
• Duotangs (at least at AVC, we get a lot of printed lecture/labnotes)

I don't feel an iPad/tablet is always necessary (I typed all my notes on my laptop, or handwrote them), though I think I was one of the very few in my class who doesn't have one.

 

[miniaturedove]

Current 1st year. Got most of my stuff at Dollarama.

• An extra lab coat specially for anatomy lab (keeping it clean will become a lost cause quickly)
• A solid clipboard (helpful for labs, exams, even studying while laying in bed)
• Physical flash cards (your eyes will get very tired looking at a screen)
• USB drive to store assignments & textbooks
• Duotangs (at least at AVC, we get a lot of printed lecture/labnotes)

I don't feel an iPad/tablet is always necessary (I typed all my notes on my laptop, or handwrote them), though I think I was one of the very few in my class who doesn't have one.

That's good to know 😳 Did you ever try those Rocketbook things?

 

[beans2020]

Current first year! I recommend a few pairs of old scrubs/Scrubs you don't care about for anatomy lab (they will get soooooo stinky) and old shoes and definitely an extra lab coat.
Also, some of the basic things - a good backpack, lunch box, and water bottle for those days you are at school forever.

 

[overcastkidjuno]

That's good to know 😳 Did you ever try those Rocketbook things?

I have! I got one for cheap on clearance (not Rocketbook but a very similar concept) and I found it really helpful for tests. I didn't really log the notes much but they were good for studying for an exam and then clearing to start the next one.

 

[mkg323]

That's good to know 😳 Did you ever try those Rocketbook things?

i believe a classmate of mine had it and was happy with it! If handwriting notes is what works for you any kind of electronic tool its worth it to save notes, I handwrote all my notes first year on paper and while i made it through, having an ipad second year was so much easier and more organized and I since I have all of my powerpoints on one app I could review and check later down the line if I forgot something. control F is a beautiful thing!

as others have mentioned on stethoscopes - I've made it through with my littmann cardio IV (gifted) and have been very happy with it but its certainly not necessary. I am a cardio nerd and plan on getting a master cardio after graduation to get rid of that pesky pediatric bell (which was admittedly very helpful for some of my small animal patients). another thing to consider if you're doing smallies is if you want a little extra distance between your face and aggressive dogs/fractious cats - they make stethoscopes with longer tubing, the decrease in audio quality wont be noticeable when starting out in school. regardless of what you get find a way to make it easily identifiable - charms, name tags, get it engraved, i even know some people with airtags on them. I chronically misplace mine in the hospital but the unusual color combo + my initials on the bell means that it doesnt get accidentally picked up by anyone else. (also take care of it! dont leave it coiled up in the bottom of your backpack for months on end, the best way to store a stethoscope and avoid kinks is hanging it up!)

 

[pp9]

I absolutely LOVE my Cherokee infinity scrubs. Super lightweight and comfy. A lot of people love Figs but those were too thick of fabric for me. @battie (and many others) love Mandala scrubs as well (didn’t fit me well and were thicker imo, like figs)

Fellow Cherokee infinity fan here - only kind I will wear. I tried figs when they first came out, I didn't love the fabric either but I'm glad to see they've extended their sizing range significantly 🙄 . Otherwise, scrubs from Goodwill for anatomy lab. Check Mercari and Poshmark for scrubs as well.

A laptop with long battery life and insurance/protection plan - school buildings are old and there are more laptops than plugs. +1 on cloud storage. Personally I used OneNote throughout vet school and still use it for my slow but steady boards prep. Insurance/protection because there's a good chance it will get beat on at some point.

Anything you feel you might need to make sitting in a ancient lecture hall chair for 8 hours a day more bearable (within reason...). A good, durable coffee thermos. An air fryer or instant pot for easier/quicker meals at home. Appropriate clothes if you're going to an entirely different climate.

I prefer and recommend my Cardio III/IV, but I agree that a 'good' stethoscope is not necessary until you're on clinics, if not until you're out in practice.

 

[vampyrica]

Does anyone have boot recommendations? When I worked with cattle, I just bought a cheap pair of rain boots and used those until they were destroyed. Is it worth buying a nice comfy pair of work boots or stick with the rain boot method?

 

[Cowsrcool]

Does anyone have boot recommendations? When I worked with cattle, I just bought a cheap pair of rain boots and used those until they were destroyed. Is it worth buying a nice comfy pair of work boots or stick with the rain boot method?

Muck boots are my ride or die ! (From a large animal girly perspective haha)

 

[_rae_]

Does anyone have boot recommendations? When I worked with cattle, I just bought a cheap pair of rain boots and used those until they were destroyed. Is it worth buying a nice comfy pair of work boots or stick with the rain boot method?

Unless you wanna work with large animals, stick with the rain boots. I barely went in the barn my first semester, and I prefer wearing hiking boots with the horses anyway. I was gifted a pair of hunter rain boots that will become my cow barn boots this semester. I would also recommend getting a CHEAP pair of rubber boots for large animal anatomy. At least at UMN, our cadavers are hung from the ceiling, so when we're working, they're just dripping away.

 

[DVM882029]

How about a membership to Total Wine & Co? JK. Love this thread! Omg I'm gonna be a first year 😱😭😬🤯

 

[overcastkidjuno]

Does anyone have boot recommendations? When I worked with cattle, I just bought a cheap pair of rain boots and used those until they were destroyed. Is it worth buying a nice comfy pair of work boots or stick with the rain boot method?

I have a pair of Dakota WorkPro midcut women's hiker boots that I use for all my large animal work. They're not fully waterproof (as in, I wouldn't walk a puddle like with rubber boots) but I have done extensive work outside in mud, rain, etc. and never had an issue with having wet feet. I've been using them regularly for over two years and they're really no worse for wear. I got them from Mark's.

 

[mkg323]

another vote for cheap rain boots for cattle work - but check with your school that they dont require steel toed boots! in the hospital I typically wear blundstones, or waterproof sneakers, and there are plenty of people that wear hiking sneakers or just normal sneaks. another thing to consider is waterproof coveralls, the clean up is so much easier! they aren't super necessary if your not working with a lot of cattle frequently during your first couple years or not working with cattle in clinics - but they are so nice if you are palpating a lot of cows on clinics or are on field service where you're going to multiple farms in one day. there are pairs on amazon for <50 bucks, and they have been so life changing I wish I had just got them from the get-go to use in my early labs. a cheap set of hemostats to hold your rectal glove to your coveralls for palpating is also helpful.

other random thoughts: paperlike screen protectors for ipads/writing pads, extra ipencil tips if you're heavy handed with writing, and a nice thick pencil grip for it. a good pen. cheap/donated/"borrowed" scrubs for anatomy lab - use and then throw away after the course, and either bring a second set of clothes for classes after or wear the scrubs over your outfit to protect it bc that stench lingers. If you want to bring your anatomy text book or your ipad into anatomy lab put them in gallon size ziplock bags so they dont get juice on them. a good retractable ID holder so you're not fishing it out of your wallet every time you need to get into a different building on campus (mine is currently held together by tape). I also invested in some nice noise cancelling headphones during first year because I am one of those people that very easily gets distracted by the things around me when studying at school and it has been a lifesaver. oh and don't bother buying waterbottles, you will get a bajillion free ones.

some from my classmate:
splurge on the study tool that works best for you, whether thats quizlet plus, anki, a notability subscription, or heck try kahoots. this may be specific to penn but good weather gear - raincoat, umbrella that fits easily in your backpack (and a good comfy backpack!). 6-foot charging cable, a fast charging block - bonus points if its one that has several ports, a power strip tower if you want to be extra. a good lunchbox is also a must.

 

[couldhavebeenme]

I'm a big proponent of the iPad (or similar) for vet school. I have all of my notes, lectures, textbooks, etc from all of vet school on there. Now that I've graduated, all I have to do is open Notability and type in a keyword and it will pull up all of my notes that reference that thing. It is sooooo helpful.

If you're doing any large animal work at all... idk if my ears are broken but I literally cannot hear a horse heart without my Littmann Cardiology IV. I have 4 stethoscopes (all different Littmann varieties) and that's the one I use daily. (I have a Classic, Lightweight, and the extra-long veterinary stethoscope).

 

[madrigal01]

For those already in vet school and use Notability, how do you organize your notes? For undergrad I had Semester > Class > Jumbled Mess of All Notes but I was wondering if someone had a different option, especially with the thousands of slides I'm sure are given. The day Notability comes out with more than two headings is the day I cry of happiness!

Also, has anyone found the upper limit on recording length? I recently recorded 16 hours of lecture and that file is now glitched to hell and back. And where do you back up your notes? I'm not an apple person besides my iPad so I use Google Drive right now but curious to see what other people have to say 🙂

 

[mkg323]

For those already in vet school and use Notability, how do you organize your notes? For undergrad I had Semester > Class > Jumbled Mess of All Notes but I was wondering if someone had a different option, especially with the thousands of slides I'm sure are given. The day Notability comes out with more than two headings is the day I cry of happiness!

Also, has anyone found the upper limit on recording length? I recently recorded 16 hours of lecture and that file is now glitched to hell and back. And where do you back up your notes? I'm not an apple person besides my iPad so I use Google Drive right now but curious to see what other people have to say 🙂

I organize that way and each lecture name has title and date in it so I can review in order for exams. We typically didn’t get slide sets with like thousands of slides but sometimes the decks had to be split into part 1 and part 2 etc bc otherwise the download to notability would crash. As for recording I don’t record on my iPad as all lectures are recorded and uploaded online, and I think every school does this tbh. I backup to iCloud bc I’m a Mac person so I can’t help much on that end of things

 

[CapricornCat]

For scrubs at work I used to swear by Cherokee Infinity but our newest order was mandala and I’ve been converted. I also swear by clove nursing shoes with insoles. Nothing beats being able to spray disinfectant right on your shoe and wipe it off. For steel toed boots I wore muck boot brand all through undergrad.

 

[vampyrica]

For scrubs at work I used to swear by Cherokee Infinity but our newest order was mandala and I’ve been converted. I also swear by clove nursing shoes with insoles. Nothing beats being able to spray disinfectant right on your shoe and wipe it off. For steel toed boots I wore muck boot brand all through undergrad.

Are cloves worth it? I heard your feet get super sweaty and gross

 

[CapricornCat]

Are cloves worth it? I heard your feet get super sweaty and gross

I personally have such sweaty feet anyway regardless of shoe that I think they’re worth it (especially when I get anal gland on them). I just wear wool socks and that seems to help. I also have inserts that help with smell

 

[beepboopbop1]

Does anyone have boot recommendations? When I worked with cattle, I just bought a cheap pair of rain boots and used those until they were destroyed. Is it worth buying a nice comfy pair of work boots or stick with the rain boot method?

I bought a pair of Jim Green AR8s last year and they have been awesome. I wear them daily for just about everything. Its easy to rinse off any bodily fluids/mud/etc off of them with a hose. Technically they are water resistant, not waterproof but I haven't had any issues with wet feet. They are quality leather boots that require a small amount of maintenance but I think its worth it. Plus they're resolable!

For those already in vet school and use Notability, how do you organize your notes?

I use a "divider" for each semester, under which I use sub dividers for each course. In each of those sub dividers, I have one "subject" per exam.

 

[skgray1]

Anything else other than general clothes and note taking things? Anything more niche/specific that people wouldnt even think of?

 

[battie]

Anything else other than general clothes and note taking things? Anything more niche/specific that people wouldnt even think of?

If you don't already have the skill, cooking classes and basic budgeting skills. Dixie Chick serious. I didn't really learn how to cook prior to graduating form vet school, so I lived off some bare bones shenanigans. IF you have the time/money to take some cooking classes, do it.

Budgeting is kind of it's own choose your own adventure. Again, I didn't get serious about it until after vet school; but now that I'm there, I can tell you down to the cent where every single penny I spent last year went. I've gone through multiple iterations of my personal excel sheet budget and I'm still tweaking it here and there.

 

[JaynaAli]

Anything else other than general clothes and note taking things? Anything more niche/specific that people wouldnt even think of?

Warmth items. Classrooms are often freezing. Where I did my residency the students literally had bins of blankets and stuff at the back of their classrooms.

Also, start saving cash now because you’ll probably be absolutely inundated by clubs selling school and club swag as fundraisers. So many tshirt, hoodie, and tumbler orders. And blankets and car decals and sweats and vests and fleeces and pullovers and rain coats and coveralls and coffee mugs and keychains…and I’m not exaggerating. I feel like first year there was extra excitement and I spent more than I probably needed to on vet school branded items. So have some cash ready.

 

[JaynaAli]

Also, this isn’t really something to buy/have, but I will say that pet sitting can be a nice way to make a little extra money on the side. If you’re staying in town over breaks there will be plenty of vet students and staff who need sitters for their dogs and cats, but I also landed a couple regular pet sitting jobs for non-vet people that lasted years. People were looking for a first year who could potentially come sit regularly for a few years and be reliable. I had one family where my own dog and I went out to their farm to take care of their dogs and chickens, and we would stay there while they traveled several times a year. I had another lady that I ran by her house at lunch two days a week to let her dog outside to pee. But both of those regular jobs I secured first year because of the potential to be able to do it for the next several years.

 

[beepboopbop1]

Anything else other than general clothes and note taking things? Anything more niche/specific that people wouldnt even think of?

I use my Instant Pot every weekend to make large batch meals. That way I can avoid cooking during the week.

Costco sometimes carries glass Snapware sets that I use for meal prep. You can also get them for cheap at Ross. Sometimes I freeze homemade meals in anticipation for the weeks that cooking isn’t going to happen.

A kindle and/or library card is nice if you enjoy reading. I highly recommend the Libby app to check out e-books and audiobooks.

A large lunchbox that can hold lunch but also snacks (and maybe even dinner too for the long days).

A couple sets of business casual and/or professional clothing for attending conferences.

A powerstrip to charge all your devices in one spot at home.

A scientific/basic calculator. Most of my classes don’t allow us to use graphing calculators for exams that have math.

Various office supplies I find myself using regularly for some reason: scissors, scotch tape, colored and black pens, sharpies (fine and standard point), notebooks for if you prefer to rewrite your notes by hand. I also never seem to have a single index card or piece of printer paper when I need it (usually used as scratch paper for exams).

Sunscreen and sunglasses for outdoor labs/exercises.

Finding local services in advance for when you need them:
- A good mechanic
- Primary care physician (often book months in advance for first time patients)
- Eye doctor
- Dentist
- Hairdresser/barber

 

[vampyrica]

Not really a must have, but how do you incorporate a healthy school/life balance during your first year? I have a hobby that I hold near and dear to my heart and I’m fearful I’ll have to put it on the back burner/go on hiatus again 🙁 Obviously if I have to sacrifice it, I will but I’d really like to not full blown quit.

 

[pp9]

Not really a must have, but how do you incorporate a healthy school/life balance during your first year? I have a hobby that I hold near and dear to my heart and I’m fearful I’ll have to put it on the back burner/go on hiatus again 🙁 Obviously if I have to sacrifice it, I will but I’d really like to not full blown quit.

I think it depends on how well you manage your time/how efficiently you study, as well as how time consuming the hobby is. What works for one will not work for another. Some people choose to 'study' concurrently with their hobby (ie listening to a lecture while running). Others had to reserve hobbies for weekends where you had a larger block of time to devote to it, or devote a specific amount of time per week. For me (a historically inefficient studier), my gaming hobby was reserved to 1-2 hours on weekends, some Friday nights, and much longer on weekends between our quarters if I wasn't going home.

 

[battie]

Not really a must have, but how do you incorporate a healthy school/life balance during your first year? I have a hobby that I hold near and dear to my heart and I’m fearful I’ll have to put it on the back burner/go on hiatus again 🙁 Obviously if I have to sacrifice it, I will but I’d really like to not full blown quit.

Agreed it comes down to prioritization. This is probably not good advice (or maybe even considered bad), but once I realized I wasn't going to be a great student with high grades, I did what I had to do to pass. So I always devoted an hour or two every day to chilling and not doing school at all. That time was spent reading (boyfriend and I read the same books at the same time and texted about them), played videogames, took a nap, etc.

 

[pp9]

Agreed it comes down to prioritization. This is probably not good advice (or maybe even considered bad), but once I realized I wasn't going to be a great student with high grades, I did what I had to do to pass. So I always devoted an hour or two every day to chilling and not doing school at all. That time was spent reading (boyfriend and I read the same books at the same time and texted about them), played videogames, took a nap, etc.

Yes, I did the same. No sense in spending 3+ hours a day at my desk if I'm getting the same results with 1-2 hours. (again, I'm not the best studier, so ymmv). Plus, specific to UofI...I knew I was never going to get 4.0's no matter what I did, so didn't feel like it was possible to make up for my first year grades. That changed how I approached the next 1.5 years of lectures/studying. The goal was to pass.

I think most people relaxed a bit after first year, too. IMO, first year was the hardest year for both academics and personal life things. Aside from academics, you're trying to settle into a new place, fight off imposter syndrome, find new friends, and adjusting to a lifestyle entirely different from undergrad life. Some people are thousands of miles away from the support systems they've relied on for the past 20+ years. The only people you can really relate to at the time will be your classmates, but that doesn't mean you like everyone/want to do the same things they're doing.

Do your hobbies when it makes sense. It's a balance between maintaining academics (even if at the bare minimum, which is fine in my book) and maintaining yourself, without using one as an excuse for ignoring the other.

 

[overcastkidjuno]

Not really a must have, but how do you incorporate a healthy school/life balance during your first year? I have a hobby that I hold near and dear to my heart and I’m fearful I’ll have to put it on the back burner/go on hiatus again 🙁 Obviously if I have to sacrifice it, I will but I’d really like to not full blown quit.

Sorry in advance for the long post, I'm prone to "word vomit" so to say 😆

YMMV depending on your school curriculum & personal study habits, but I have honestly found it easier to maintain a consistent school/life balance in vet school than I did in undergrad. We have classes at AVC exclusively from 8:30 - 4:30 (with minor weekly variation), usually lectures in the morning & then a lab in the afternoon. There is usually an exam (or sometimes two) every week accompanied by a few small written assignments.

I spread out my written assignments throughout the week to serve as a counterbalance to studying for exams. Sometimes I sacrifice my hour lunch breaks on studying in lab (mostly for anatomy). Usually, I'll study for exams between 6 and 11pm by doing Quizlets/Knowts & reviewing lecture material. This is super dependent on the day & what's coming up; if there's a big comprehensive exam soon, I've spent 10-12 hour days on weekends, & on the flipside often at least one or two days a week (barring finals period) I don't do any studying outside of class and dedicate the time to R&R.

I try to make time for hobbies - try to get at least 1-2 books read a week (usually on weekends), play some video games each day (even if its only 20 mins), & I've been playing hockey twice a week. On my non study days I often smoke some weed & do some more involved hobbies, like model building. My boyfriend comes up for a weekend once a month & when he does I take Fri-Sat off from schoolwork.

It took me until vet school to find that the Quizlet strategy & "progressive testing" (remove topics from my rotation once I've proven I can easily get them each time, & keep grinding the ones I need more practice on until they become second-nature like the former, then day before test comprehensive review of everything) is super effective for me & helps me retain the high volume of information best. I have many classmates who study day-in, day-out & have little time for hobbies.

For me, though my priority is still high achievement in vet school, I know this can't be achieved if I don't dedicate time to caring for myself. Burnout & lack of sleep will do you worse on tests than doing a little less studying but with a clear, motivated headspace.

 

[vampyrica]

So I always devoted an hour or two every day to chilling and not doing school at all. That time was spent reading (boyfriend and I read the same books at the same time and texted about them), played videogames, took a nap, etc.

Do your hobbies when it makes sense. It's a balance between maintaining academics (even if at the bare minimum, which is fine in my book) and maintaining yourself, without using one as an excuse for ignoring the other.

I try to make time for hobbies - try to get at least 1-2 books read a week (usually on weekends), play some video games each day (even if its only 20 mins), & I've been playing hockey twice a week. On my non study days I often smoke some weed & do some more involved hobbies, like model building. My boyfriend comes up for a weekend once a month & when he does I take Fri-Sat off from schoolwork.

For me, though my priority is still high achievement in vet school, I know this can't be achieved if I don't dedicate time to caring for myself. Burnout & lack of sleep will do you worse on tests than doing a little less studying but with a clear, motivated headspace.

This is relieving to hear! My hobby is live streaming. I've had little youtube channels since I was 9 years old and made the jump to streaming during covid. I've had to take breaks here and there but I always returned back to it. I normally stream 2-3 hours 2 times a week so based on your responses, it looks like it's definitely do-able but I will need to have discipline. Sounds like first-year will always be a little shocking in the sense that you have to learn the ropes, but I'm glad its pretty much a universal feeling. I'll be moving from PA to CO and it would be nice to keep the little support system I maintained on the internet to feel a little more at home 🥺

Thank you for your advice and sharing your personal experiences! I really appreciate it c:

 

[JaynaAli]

I agree with everyone else. You can make time for just about anything you want, it just depends on what you’re willing to sacrifice for that activity. Maybe it’s less studying, maybe it’s less sleep, maybe it’s something else…and it’s a personal choice what you’re willing to prioritize vs let go.

 

[battie]

This is relieving to hear! My hobby is live streaming. I've had little youtube channels since I was 9 years old and made the jump to streaming during covid. I've had to take breaks here and there but I always returned back to it. I normally stream 2-3 hours 2 times a week so based on your responses, it looks like it's definitely do-able but I will need to have discipline. Sounds like first-year will always be a little shocking in the sense that you have to learn the ropes, but I'm glad its pretty much a universal feeling. I'll be moving from PA to CO and it would be nice to keep the little support system I maintained on the internet to feel a little more at home 🥺

Thank you for your advice and sharing your personal experiences! I really appreciate it c:

I follow several streamers on Twitch. Just realized there was a vet student on my Broski's stream last night actually 🤣 If you feel comfortable, dm me your twitch handle and I'll give you a follow!

 

[primefox]

I follow several streamers on Twitch. Just realized there was a vet student on my Broski's stream last night actually 🤣 If you feel comfortable, dm me your twitch handle and I'll give you a follow!

Same! I would love to follow!!!

 

[_rae_]

I'm a big proponent of the iPad (or similar) for vet school. I have all of my notes, lectures, textbooks, etc from all of vet school on there. Now that I've graduated, all I have to do is open Notability and type in a keyword and it will pull up all of my notes that reference that thing. It is sooooo helpful.

If you're doing any large animal work at all... idk if my ears are broken but I literally cannot hear a horse heart without my Littmann Cardiology IV. I have 4 stethoscopes (all different Littmann varieties) and that's the one I use daily. (I have a Classic, Lightweight, and the extra-long veterinary stethoscope).

This was a ways back, but I want to strongly second this. Almost all of my classmates have some sort of tablet. I specifically got mine because of arthritis and I figured digital would be easier to write on, but I'm positive I would have gotten one anyway. Other options include the Samsung tablets, or if you can only afford one device, something like a surface pro.

I prefer Goodnotes personally, after testing out both free versions. I have an iPad Air (one of the older ones that still has the intel chip actually) and I personally think it's the perfect size. The mini was too small for me and the Pro felt unreasonably large and expensive. Splurge on the Apple Pencil, but if you have a laptop already, don't bother with the keyboard.

 

[vampyrica]

I follow several streamers on Twitch. Just realized there was a vet student on my Broski's stream last night actually 🤣 If you feel comfortable, dm me your twitch handle and I'll give you a follow!

Same! I would love to follow!!!

Ah! I'm slightly embarassed because I stream with an avatar versus my face and I know that might not be everyone's cup of tea. Also it's primarily gaming streams. 100% no need to follow but if you think you'd enjoy watching someone panic and sweat during DBD, then sure! i'll share lol

 

[battie]

Ah! I'm slightly embarassed because I stream with an avatar versus my face and I know that might not be everyone's cup of tea. Also it's primarily gaming streams. 100% no need to follow but if you think you'd enjoy watching someone panic and sweat during DBD, then sure! i'll share lol

I'm a casual listener/watcher. I'm always doing something else, so I'm still down to follow 😊

 

[EB73674]

I’m a massive massive fan of finding whatever way works best for you to have healthy meals at least 4-5 times per week - I hate cooking with a passion 95% of the time, so I found a local meal prep service here in Columbus that you can either pick up or get for delivery, and I’ve used it straight through the last 3 years. I get a weekly grocery order of fresh veggies/fruits, dairy, and whatever toiletry/household products I need, and I’ve been able to keep things semi-affordable.

I’ll also echo what @battie said about budgeting - I used to use Mint (honestly just as a spending tracker without much thought), but I’ve been using YNAB for the last 6 months and LOVE it. It takes some getting used to, and it’s not always the most intuitive interface, but once you figure it out it’s a game changer - it’s specifically MEANT to be flexible & so you know exactly where all of your money is and what what it’s going to. I’m able to portion out my loan money each semester to the various important categories/bills, and then I just have to stick to my budgets & make sure my purchases are being lodged correctly. And if I go over a budget category in something I can pull from another one & spend less. It’s really nice!

 

[Gina Lawson]

This was a ways back, but I want to strongly second this. Almost all of my classmates have some sort of tablet. I specifically got mine because of arthritis and I figured digital would be easier to write on, but I'm positive I would have gotten one anyway. Other options include the Samsung tablets, or if you can only afford one device, something like a surface pro.

I prefer Goodnotes personally, after testing out both free versions. I have an iPad Air (one of the older ones that still has the intel chip actually) and I personally think it's the perfect size. The mini was too small for me and the Pro felt unreasonably large and expensive. Splurge on the Apple Pencil, but if you have a laptop already, don't bother with the keyboard.

Fave non i-pad tablet recs anyone?

 

[battie]

Fave non i-pad tablet recs anyone?

I liked my surface. I am anti-apple so it was the comparable product. Got a refurb for $600 and it lasted all 5 years of vet school and then 2 years beyond that

 

[_rae_]

I liked my surface. I am anti-apple so it was the comparable product. Got a refurb for $600 and it lasted all 5 years of vet school and then 2 years beyond that

I didn’t use it for taking notes but my old hospital, each tech got their own computer and it was a surface. I loved it, plus, they’re like indestructible. I’m way more worried about setting my MacBook down too hard than I would be about flinging my old surface like a discus across the room.

 

[battie]

I didn’t use it for taking notes but my old hospital, each tech got their own computer and it was a surface. I loved it, plus, they’re like indestructible. I’m way more worried about setting my MacBook down too hard than I would be about flinging my old surface like a discus across the room.

My surface died because it died on the inside. Definitely went through a lot of physical trauma and basically thought it was a Nokia phone circa 2006

 

[supershorty]

Fave non i-pad tablet recs anyone?

I've had Surface Pros since I started vet school (a Pro 3, which lasted 4 years until it catastrophically died the week of my PhD qualifying exam lolol, and then replaced it with my current Pro 7, which has been trucking along since 2020). I've been really happy with them.