I hate this feeling...

[OneDay81]

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My boyfriend just came over to see me and he saw that I was looking at this forum and he said "Why are you looking at prevet? You can't be a vet, unless you can figure out a way to make six figures!"

I know he was joking, but at the same time its comments like that that perpetuate the feeling that I have to keep this hidden from him and my family. I don't like the lack of support. Luckily I'm not a pushover or easily influenced by others, so it isn't enough to make me change my mind, but I would also like to not have to deal with any negativity. Going through the application process next year is going to be tough enough as it is!

Unfortunately I think what is going to happen is that he isn't going to know anything about it until I'm able to approach him and say "I'm going to go to vet school in (insert state or country here) in the fall" and then he'll either have to accept it or see his way out the door. I really love being with him and would hate to break up; at the same time I'm not really a "relationship" type person anyway, so going through life single doesn't bother me. We'll see what happens. I just had to vent because he got me frustrated and a little down.

 

[sabriel777]

I know how you feel. I started getting frustrated a few years back after hearing the incessant, "If you're going to go to school for four extra years, why not just go to medical school and make more money?" It does start to wear you down, but stay strong! The way I always looked at it is that I grew up in a middle-class family, and so I'm used to not being wealthy. I don't need a lot of material possessions to make me happy. You can live quite comfortably off the salary of a vet, which should be all that matters if you're doing what you love.
As for the boyfriend, I think it sounds like you have your head on straight about that. I have several friends whose boyfriends have persuaded them not to go to the colleges they wanted or pursue the career paths they dreamed about simply so that they could stay closer to them; all of these friends have told me that they regret having allowed their boyfriends to dictate their future. Honestly, from what I heard about vet school, you might as well be single because if you are in a relationship, you never have time to see them anyway.
Good luck and don't give up! 🙂

 

[OneDay81]

Thanks, Sabriel 🙂

I really can't wait to start vet school and I am REALLY looking forward to getting back to working with animals so that I can get some more recent experience for my application! Even if for some reason I didn't go into vet med, I don't think I would want to repeat the past six years where my interaction with animals and enjoying outdoor recreation has been extremely infrequent. I feel like I am about to get back to doing what makes me ME and satisfies me to the core, instead of just what pays the bills and going through the motions of day to day activities.

I grew up in a family that relied on welfare checks, food stamps, and govt food donations. While I NEVER want to put myself in that sort of position, I also realize that money is only worth so much. As long as I can get to the point where I don't have to worry about whether or not I will be able to pay the bills, and I am able to save toward retirement and buy myself a little something nice here and there, then I will be okay with that.

And regardless of how much I make, I'm not supporting any man, unless he's my son and younger than 18. Just like I wouldn't expect any man to support me.