High anxiety from grades before vet school

[reptilelady]

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Hello everyone,

This post is more seeking advice from someone who goes through the same thing and how to cope with it. Ever since I have picked going through the pre-vet journey and all the pressure to be highly competitive, I have gone through repeatedly regular high anxiety "episodes". I don't get a panic attack or anything but when I receive anything less than a B, I get this knot in my stomach and my chest gets tight (not dangerously or anything - just that emotional feeling) and I can't stop thinking about it for the rest of the day. This feeling gets tiring and I have been told many times that grades aren't everything but it's hard for it not to affect me. I don't have a low GPA or anything but I'm trying to graduate with honors in May and I can only accomplish that by getting straight As this semester. So far it's not looking like I'll be able to get straight As. I'm taking 19 credits and took on a research assistant position. How do you cope? What do you suggest?

Thanks for your help

 

[dent for the win]

I have this problem too but I would suggest get some cardio in, eat healthy, and reach out to your family. These are simple things that are within your control that can shake off that vulnerable feeling. I also just watched an amazing ted talk that spoke on how our body language influences how we feel. The speaker demonstrated the results between two groups of people and their comfort with gambling/taking risks. I'm linking it and I eally hope it helps. Stay focused on the reason behind what you're doing and best of luck.

 

[LyraGardenia]

For me it helps to keep things in perspective - so if you don't graduate with honors, what's the worst that will happen? You said your GPA is good, so it probably won't affect you getting into vet school (if you've yet to apply). When you're looking for jobs after vet school, employers won't care about your undergrad grades (or your vet school grades, if you're not going for an internship/residency). Clients are never going to ask about your grades. In 10-20 years you probably won't even remember yourself if you graduated with honors! I understand feeling like a failure when you don't get the high grades that you expect of yourself, but I think it's important to keep in mind the reasoning for your goals and be realistic. Getting a B or even a C in a class when you're taking that many hours and doing research is still awesome! Just focus on doing your best, even if the grade isn't what you expected. Also, it might help to talk to a therapist/counselor about your anxiety and get some help there, your school might have someone on staff for free to students.

 

[JezDuke]

Hello everyone,

This post is more seeking advice from someone who goes through the same thing and how to cope with it. Ever since I have picked going through the pre-vet journey and all the pressure to be highly competitive, I have gone through repeatedly regular high anxiety "episodes". I don't get a panic attack or anything but when I receive anything less than a B, I get this knot in my stomach and my chest gets tight (not dangerously or anything - just that emotional feeling) and I can't stop thinking about it for the rest of the day. This feeling gets tiring and I have been told many times that grades aren't everything but it's hard for it not to affect me. I don't have a low GPA or anything but I'm trying to graduate with honors in May and I can only accomplish that by getting straight As this semester. So far it's not looking like I'll be able to get straight As. I'm taking 19 credits and took on a research assistant position. How do you cope? What do you suggest?

Thanks for your help

In my experience, taking time for yourself and doing things you enjoy is important for your mental and physical health. When I was having a really difficult semester with classes I disliked, it helped to remember why I was working so hard academically: so I could bevome a vet! Volunteering at an animal shelter or clinic in your spare time is a great way to reconnect with your end goal. And getting a couple of C's is fine as long as your GPA is still decent. Plus it looks like you're getting research experience this semester so you're already adding a lot to your vet school application 🙂 I may not be correct about this, but I feel that graduating with honors did not add anything remarkable and special to my application. So don't stress about it too much, because it won't make or break your application.

 

[supershorty]

Seeing a mental health professional is never a bad idea, either.

 

[ZZ801832]

All that you can do is the best that you can do. Don't stress about lower grades as long as you worked hard for them (now, if you didn't study and got a low grade, then maybe use that as motivation for your next test). First of all, there's nothing you can do to change them. And second, in the grand scheme of things, they don't matter. Also, take time to do what makes you happy. I found my grades improved drastically when I went from studying and thinking about school 24/7 to actually living a life. It may seem like school is everything right now, but it isn't. Taking care of your mental health will pay off.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Don't measure your self-worth by an arbitrary numerical scale. There are so many better and more accurate metrics to use. What makes you a good person, a smart person, a caring person, and/or person worthy of respect and kindness is not a number assigned to you after you take an exam.

You might feel this way because you are early in your education, and most of the feedback you have gotten thus far has been in the form of grades. Feeling nervous isn't your fault - it is what you are accustomed to! I hate the fact that so many great, bright young people in higher education have such a myopic view of who they are and what they are worth - but it isn't their fault, it is how education is structured 🙁

Think about others ways to measure yourself as a person. How many people have you smiled at or helped today? How many nice things have you done for others? How much time have you taken out of the day to cultivate your own personal happiness and take care of your body? These are all just as important when you're looking at your life and how much you are "achieving".

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

Also, this:

 

[StartingoverVet]

Also, this:

OT: Hi WTF.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

OT: Hi WTF.