Life as an older student

[Bisbee]

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This topic was touched on briefly in the thread about the jump ropers. But I thought it would be useful to have some discussion on what it's like for older students back in school. To begin, I was even old as an undergrad (finally returned to school and graduated in 2006). I was a commuter student and didn't get involved much with any clubs on campus except for the Mature Student Organization. As I got to know some people in my major, though, I felt more in common with some of the younger people than the older ones. It could be awkward at times, and maybe I was self conscious myself. Some conversations I overheard sounded immature which made me often wonder what I was doing there. However, I think my life experience helped me on some level to do well academically. I also realized, though, that I had to study longer and required more sleep than I used to. How do other older students out there find both undergrad and vet school?

 

[sunnex3]

bisbee you should talk to LetItSnow and Startingovervet -- i think they're both older vet students with families -- they've both offered tons of general advice on this forum! they're great sources for anything really, they're super helpful 🙂

 

[Bisbee]

Sunnex - I know you're right. I am hoping they will add some of their wisdom to this threat for all to see!

 

[that redhead]

There are many days where I feel like we've reverted back to high school, and I'm only 24.

 

[finnerma]

I'm right there with you Bisbee. I used to be able to stay up so late studying and it never bothered me, now I have to get 8 hours of sleep or I'm useless and distracted all day. Other than that slight annoyance, I think undergrad is somewhat easier when you're older because you do have life experience. Its like, eh only a test, not the end of the world. At least thats my 2 cents.

 

[sunnex3]

i just want to add that a lot of the time i felt like others around me were "immature" in undergrad...and i'm 22. when you go to grad school though i feel like you meet people from all stages of life and it's much easier to find your "niche" -- but what do i now 🙄

 

[jemappellejane]

I'm 27- not exactly old, but I am non-traditional. I need a TON of sleep. If I go to bed late, I NEED to take a nap after work, or I cannot study.

I'm taking a few classes this semester (online) and find that studying is a bit easier now. I actually find what I'm reading about very interesting and view it as bettering myself, not just trudging my way through college, like I felt several years ago. Now that I actually TEACH biology, I've learned more than ever. It's WAY different having to explain concepts than learn them. Granted, what I teach is much more basic than what we do in college, it has really changed the way I approach learning.

 

[Megascops Asio]

So, I'll preface by saying that I am only 27 - not old, but not young (well, at least not fresh out of high school young).

Now that I'm back in school (working on all of these vet school prereqs - why did I not study biology as an undergrad?!?!), I've personally found that age is simply a number when it comes to maturity. This is something I realized a long time ago, but being back in school with all of the "youngsters" has really reaffirmed that for me. Most of the people in my classes are extremely immature, but I do find a good handful that seem to have a decent head on their shoulders. So, for me, I will willingly socialize with anyone who I find myself comfortable with, regardless of age. As for the immature ones, I just let them be. They're young. They'll grow up eventually.

I also find myself needing much more sleep than I did as an undergrad. If I don't get enough sleep I tend to feel sick throughout the day. I also am studying a lot more. There's probably a handful of reasons for that, but the main one is that I am working my butt off, and am generally much more interested in what I'm learning than I was before.

I'd say the most "difficult" part of being an older student is the balance of school, work, and family. I got married last fall, but haven't had too much time to really "enjoy it" due to working every day that I'm not in class. I've become much more proactive with my studies so that I can take any instance of free time I have and spend that time trying to have a life (a life? what's that?). It can be stressful at times, but all the work is a means to an end.

 

[Megascops Asio]

I actually find what I'm reading about very interesting and view it as bettering myself, not just trudging my way through college, like I felt several years ago.

👍 👍 👍

 

[Bisbee]

Sometimes a topic would come up in a course that I already read and knew about in real life. For example, when I took Developmental Biology, I already knew so much because of my experience as a parent raising two children. Other times, I would be taking an exam and would know an answer to a question which I was sure hadn't been covered in class. It's like when you're watching Jeopardy...when you just know the answer but don't know how. Somehow it's just in there, lodged in your brain. Then, after the exam while students complain about "where did that question come from?" I can't complain too much. Some negatives, though: At the start of each semester there seemed to be an unspoken assumption that, because you're "old" you're not smart. I even got this vibe from some professors When I would add a comment during class or lab, I'd see the (supposedly) private looks between younger students and eye rolls. Do they think that because we're old we are blind or don't understand those looks? Most semesters, though, things would warm up as time went on and I'd have a few nice acquaintances or even friends (especially when I helped them and they realized that maybe I knew a thing or two). It became tiresome always having to prove myself every semester I always had to keep telling myself, though, that I was there to learn and to finish my degree. If I had friends, that was icing on the cake for me. I do wonder what the real "college experience" is like, though. I probably wouldn't have even enjoyed it when I was young since I've always been kind of results-oriented and not into the party scene.

 

[lei325]

There are many days where I feel like we've reverted back to high school, and I'm only 24.

I feel the same way. Then again, I do go to school with 20 and 21 year olds...

But still, even some of the students my age (I'm 26) can act like children.

 

[OH Bunny Girl]

I will turn the big 3-0 two days before orientation. I would hope that my future classmates are going to be mature adults, but I am prepared to be "that" older student if neccessary 🙂

But I am also TERRIFIED.

 

[Bisbee]

I will turn the big 3-0 two days before orientation. I would hope that my future classmates are going to be mature adults, but I am prepared to be "that" older student if neccessary 🙂

But I am also TERRIFIED.

Such a big class at Ohio...I think there'll be several other older students so you can all gravitate together.

 

[ouijetaime]

I'm 23, and if I get in this year (Please please please with a cherry on top) I will be 24 before I start. However, I look about 16. Which can be weird. People often think I'm not old enough to be using my debit or credit card. Anyway, I know 23 isn't that old, but I feel like I'm going to be by the time I get accepted. I know that made no sense. Sorry. The pollen count here today is ridiculously high, and it is my top allergy, so yeah...allergy meds. I'm just going to stop now.

 

[twelvetigers]

Our class has some older people - about 4 in the 30-35 range, and one 45 year old. I like all of them, but especially the 45 year old. We get dinner together sometimes and talk about crap, bitch about school and classmates, whatever. I think, if there's anyone in the class that is 'dumb' or doesn't fit in (not sure I can say that there is) it's definitely not the older bunch.

I like the just-turned-21 person in our class quite a lot too, by the way. 🙂

 

[twelvetigers]

I'm 23, and if I get in this year (Please please please with a cherry on top) I will be 24 before I start. However, I look about 16. Which can be weird. People often think I'm not old enough to be using my debit or credit card. Anyway, I know 23 isn't that old, but I feel like I'm going to be by the time I get accepted. I know that made no sense. Sorry. The pollen count here today is ridiculously high, and it is my top allergy, so yeah...allergy meds. I'm just going to stop now.

Our class has a really even spread throughout the 20s. I'm 26, two of my best friends are 27... there are lots of us.

Thing is, who you like or make friends with often has nothing at all to do with age. So no one should worry about it as a social aspect! Start complaining about how it's hard to hear lecture with your hearing aids or something. 😉

 

[OH Bunny Girl]

Such a big class at Ohio...I think there'll be several other older students so you can all gravitate together.

161+ me! Maybe I can use my "age" issues as an excuse to not have to remember everyone's name? lol

 

[sooprnova]

I'll be 32 when I start at Penn this fall. I've been taking classes with undergrads and I actually kind of like it. As far as maturity goes, I'm more likely to make a stupid joke than they are, because I understand that anatomy lab is HARD, and sometimes we just need a penis joke. Seriously.

The funny thing is that most of them don't realize I'm that much older until I tell them. At my Penn interview, I was talking to a group of girls and said, "Clearly, since I'm so much older than you guys..." and they were like, "What? I'd say you were maybe 24 or 25!" And really, I'm not one of those people who looks young for her age.

A lot of classmates actually come to me for advice, and I even had one "Can you feel my forehead?" episode in O-Chem lab last semester! I sort of like being able to be a "mom" but also to be the cool lady who makes wiener jokes. 😉

 

[LDConsidering]

I'm only 26 but I was homeschooled and didn't have much interaction with people my age. This is my first college experience and I feel really out of touch with a lot of the people at my school because most of them are just out of HS, or much older with kids. Surprisingly quite a few of the older students act just as immature as the just of of HS kids. I always get really frustrated when I see these 19-20 yr olds party all the time, hardly show up for class, and still pull pretty decent grades. It just makes me feel like I'm either too old or just too stupid because I have to struggle to make good grades. I can say that I'm glad I waited so long to go to college cause I know for a fact I wasn't ready at 17-18. I would have screwed it up miserably I'm sure. It is getting to that point where I can't function without 7-8 hrs of sleep, which sucks! Not sure how thats going to work out if/when I get to vet school. 😱

 

[PetPony]

Hey.. I'm probably gonna be the youngest one commenting here.. hahaha I'm just 18, but even I think that so many people in my classes are so immature. I don't know if that is because I have a set goal that I am working towards and I'm not in college to party, or because I think in Germany we just grow up 'faster' because we get much more responsibility and trust from our parents from a younger age on. But sometimes I don't feel that comfortable around them..

I've also noticed students laughing at the people older than them. Yes, this semester, there is a lady in my class that really just seems super ignorant about becoming a vet ("What? We have to castrate and process baby pigs in this major? I didn't sign up for that!"). 😕
But it's still not ok to laugh at them just because they're older. I had another lady in two of my classes last semester and she was awesome! In no way was she behind like some people assume or any of that. I wish we had a class together this semester.

 

[jemappellejane]

I know 23 isn't that old, but I feel like I'm going to be by the time I get accepted.

Ohh I wish you knew!! You will NOT be old by the time you get in. Whether it be 24, or 34. You WON'T!

 

[jemappellejane]

Jeesh. I just realized that post didn't really make sense either
It's just so hard to explain to people that if you've found what you want to be doing, you are never too old to pursue it. It's easier said than believed, but it's just so true. Stop stressing about where you will be in a year or 10 years and live for TODAY!

 

[Bisbee]

I agree very much with TT that age is not the most important thing in a friendship. We are who we are throughout our entire lives. When we get old, we are still the same people on the inside that we were at 18. Of course, we share life experiences with our age cohort (like growing up watching the same TV commercials or knowing the same pop songs). But, when I was in college a few years ago, many of the older students were not science majors. Being very into my studies, I felt I had more to talk about with people in my major. I think it's very interesting that those people who are young but feel more mature than their classmates (like PetPony and others who have commented here) are focused, pre-vet people. I think it's the immature people (of any age) who would roll their eyes at an older person just because she's older.

 

[jrwinsto]

I will be 30 in August with a new baby, so I am hoping to get into my IS school, so I don't have to uproot the whole family to go to an OOS school. But I will be so happy to get in anywhere we will just have to make it work. I am super nervous about how the heck I will balance vet school and a baby.

 

[PppermintTwist]

I will be 30 in August with a new baby, so I am hoping to get into my IS school, so I don't have to uproot the whole family to go to an OOS school. But I will be so happy to get in anywhere we will just have to make it work. I am super nervous about how the heck I will balance vet school and a baby.

I want to have a baby and go to vet school... (Im almost 27) It will be really hard, but my fiance ( husband in less than a month!!!) will be really supportive which I think will help, but Im expecting it to be hard. Now just to get in somewhere...

 

[StartingoverVet]

Ok... Guess I can't ignore this one (for those of you new to the forum, I am in my 40s)

A few things....
1) As far as getting along with classmates. Absolutely no issue either when I took pre-reqs or at Penn. There may be a couple of people who felt weird about the "old guy", but if they did, I certainly didn't notice it. I am not much of a social butterfly, but if I needed to, there wouldn't be much of a problem.

2) As far as maturity of the "kids", I felt like when vet school started there were a few "less mature" individuals, but everyone grew up real fast.. Vet school will do that to you. I don't really see that anymore. With pre-reqs it was a little hit or miss, but mostly was not a problem.

3) Sleep requirements. Well, the all-nighter is pretty much out for me. So is studying 20 hours a day. I actually find that I cram better waking up early than staying up late. Day before exams I go to sleep early, and then wake up at 4 or 5 to finish cramming. I'm a bit wired the day of the exam, but it works for me. I used to be more of a night person (hell, I worked night shift about 1/2 my career).

4) Balance. This is the real tough one. Big adjustment for me. I had a hard time balance vet school, stress, and my wife at first. I got better at it, but it is the thing that really makes me question the decision to do this. I often feel it might not be worth the sacrifice. And i feel bad for my pets, let alone people with kids. So many times I think how much easier it would be to do this single, but then again, some people feel like their spouses make it easier. Depends on the individual I guess.

5) Awkwardness. I never real feel very awkward. I joke about my age all the time, mainly so other people don't have feel strange about it. Mostly things are funny, like when they don't know the music from the 80s, or I don't know some sexual colloquialism (wow I have learned a lot). Once I felt a bit put out that some girls were talking how "yucky" it was that a 39 year old guy was interested in them, but that was about it.

Age is definitely not all in your mind though. I have much less energy than my classmates, I have some health issues that I never worried about in my 20s, I have declining vision, hearing, memory, concentration etc. That is life. I can't outwork em, can't outsmart em, and my experience has nothing to do with vet school. At least I am emotionally secure.

SOV out.

 

[Bisbee]

SOV - Thanks for chiming in. I hoped you would. It sounds like the life balance is the hardest issue for you, making you sometimes wonder why you're putting yourself through it all. How do you get through those days when you feel that way? How do you not quit? Also, with physical limitations of being older, are you concerned about the clinical rotations and being physically able to do them (especially the large animal stuff)?

 

[rustysmom]

SOV - Thanks for chiming in. I hoped you would. It sounds like the life balance is the hardest issue for you, making you sometimes wonder why you're putting yourself through it all. How do you get through those days when you feel that way? How do you not quit? Also, with physical limitations of being older, are you concerned about the clinical rotations and being physically able to do them (especially the large animal stuff)?

I'm finishing my clinical rotations in May and I will be 40 🙂eek: how did that happen?!?!?) in November. What has helped me the most in clinics is taking care of myself - getting enough sleep, eating as healthy as possible, and exercising as consistently as I can. Taking care of myself has helped me to have a lot of stamina on my more time-consuming rotations.

My large animal rotations were equine-related and my age wasn't an issue. Having basic equine knowledge was more important than my age. Actually, being shorter hindered me more with my equine rotations than my age. It's a lot easier for a horse to raise its head out of the reach of a 5ft tall person than a 6ft tall person. 😀

Life balance is challenging on clinics, regardless of age. Some rotations are easy-going and others are quite time consuming. I can go home on most weekends to see my husband (we live apart during the week) and on weekends where I can't come home, he comes to me. I definitely enjoy clinics a lot more than the pre-clinical classes though.

I need a lot more review on cases. I need more sleep than they do and I will need bifocals soon. But, I am very happy to be where I'm at and I am excited (and terrified) to transition from student to veterinarian. It's been a lot of sacrifice and heartache but there's really no other place I'd rather be. Well... maybe on a beach, sipping a margarita would be better 😉

 

[StartingoverVet]

SOV - Thanks for chiming in. I hoped you would. It sounds like the life balance is the hardest issue for you, making you sometimes wonder why you're putting yourself through it all. How do you get through those days when you feel that way? How do you not quit? Also, with physical limitations of being older, are you concerned about the clinical rotations and being physically able to do them (especially the large animal stuff)?

Physical Strength is not much of an issue for me or vet med in general. Biggest issue for large animal stuff is exposure to the elements. I can't stay out all day in 100 degree weather, nor 30 degree weather. But at least the cold I can dress warmly.

Clinical rotations, I can't say. I don't get the sense it will be impossible.

I am more worried about needing an internship... I don't think I can do what is needed there. on call all the time, working nights a lot, long periods without rest. That I don't think I can survive..

Why don't I quit? Well, I am still interested in the career, and have to do something with my life. I am not sure what my Plan C is. And I am pretty stubborn. Those aren't the best reasons but they suffice for now.

 

[StartingoverVet]

I'm finishing my clinical rotations in May and I will be 40 🙂eek: how did that happen?!?!?) in November. What has helped me the most in clinics is taking care of myself - getting enough sleep, eating as healthy as possible, and exercising as consistently as I can. Taking care of myself has helped me to have a lot of stamina on my more time-consuming rotations.

My large animal rotations were equine-related and my age wasn't an issue. Having basic equine knowledge was more important than my age. Actually, being shorter hindered me more with my equine rotations than my age. It's a lot easier for a horse to raise its head out of the reach of a 5ft tall person than a 6ft tall person. 😀

Life balance is challenging on clinics, regardless of age. Some rotations are easy-going and others are quite time consuming. I can go home on most weekends to see my husband (we live apart during the week) and on weekends where I can't come home, he comes to me. I definitely enjoy clinics a lot more than the pre-clinical classes though.

I need a lot more review on cases. I need more sleep than they do and I will need bifocals soon. But, I am very happy to be where I'm at and I am excited (and terrified) to transition from student to veterinarian. It's been a lot of sacrifice and heartache but there's really no other place I'd rather be. Well... maybe on a beach, sipping a margarita would be better 😉

Thanks for the post. Sounds like things are going well for you now!

 

[Bisbee]

Rustysmom - Wow! Congratulations on how far you've come! You're almost a vet. Glad to know that physical strength isn't the biggest factor in clinicals.

SOV - I know what you're saying about internship. I know I couldn't be up round the clock like that either. It's just physically impossible once you get to a certain age. I also would worry about long-term health because lack of sleep takes its toll. Good for you for not letting the life balance issue not push you over the edge. I also understand the weather elements. Although heat doesn't seem to bother me, cold bothers me more and more as I get older for some reason. (I guess that's why so many people retire to warm-weather places).

 

[LMMS]

Physical Strength is not much of an issue for me or vet med in general. Biggest issue for large animal stuff is exposure to the elements. I can't stay out all day in 100 degree weather, nor 30 degree weather. But at least the cold I can dress warmly.

Clinical rotations, I can't say. I don't get the sense it will be impossible.

I am more worried about needing an internship... I don't think I can do what is needed there. on call all the time, working nights a lot, long periods without rest. That I don't think I can survive..

Why don't I quit? Well, I am still interested in the career, and have to do something with my life. I am not sure what my Plan C is. And I am pretty stubborn. Those aren't the best reasons but they suffice for now.

I think you'll make it just fine. I get to say this because I'm now in my late 30s (OMG!!) and currently live your second full paragraph. If you truly love what you do, age isn't an issue. The joy of what you're doing gets you through. Sure, when I have to switch from night to day, I get a little wacky; but I pull through. Also, I swear I've been on call nearly every day for nearly 10 years. If it ever went away, I fear there could be an empty space in my world. Sure, it would be great to have a full life and be able to do anything you'd like to do whenever you'd like to do it; but you learn to prioritize and make things work. The only thing that ever got to me was when I was a full time weekender and my sister had a baby. I rarely got to see her and that sucked BIG time. But I pitched a fit and now we rotate. 😎

As for getting along with the younger crowd, it's been fine. Sure, I've had a few issues in pre-req classes with less mature individuals. But I think anyone who's taken an undergraduate course (regardless of them being 18 or 60) has run into that. Thus, I can say that it's been great. I think it's because I've been teaching / training both undergraduates and graduate students for almost my entire career. I'll tell ya - 20somethings keep you young! No, I can't keep up with them - I'm long past shutting the bar down. But, if I'm invited out for something I always at least make an appearance. And then, if it's getting too late for me, I say that my old bones need some rest. We have a good chuckle and I head home.

Age is simply a number we cannot control. I think my 70-year-old dad says it best... "I grew up once and gosh it was awful! I'm NEVER doing that again!!"

 

[devyn]

My situation is a bit unique as I am a 30 yr old in a class of pretty much all 18 and 19 yr old Irish students who are attending university for the first time. The vast majority of them are very immature and while most of them are extremely nice, I am just on a completely different level maturity wise from them having already been through an undergrad degree and 7 years of professional career (of sorts ). I am in the 5 year program over here, so that is why I am with all of the youngings! So I think the hardest thing for me has been finding my niche here and meeting people my own age to hang out with. Thankfully, my roommate is a 2nd year in the grad program which helps and I hang out with her and a few other 2nd years sometimes, but they are all still younger than me.

The full courseload was a bit tough to get a handle on the first semester and manage all my study/reading time. I think the older I get, the more ADD I have. And I am still getting a handle on their examination process over here, but it is much different from the states, so that really doesn't pertain to this thread. I think having so much life experience and work experience in the vet world really has helped a lot even just in my 1st semester of vet school. And I can see perhaps better how things apply then my classmates.

And I think another huge thing for me (and this might be true for a lot of vet students even younger ones) is that I am truly happy and thankful to be attending vet school. I have worked so hard to get here and sacrificed so much, that I don't take any of it for granted. And that helps keep things in perspective when it gets hard and when finals time comes around. 🙂

Oh and yes - sleep is necessary. 😴

 

[rustysmom]

Thanks SOV and Bisbee! 🙂

I chose not to do an internship because I know I can't handle it physically - my emergency/critical care rotation proved that to me. I get really sick if I don't get enough sleep, which is a big change from my younger days. I also don't want to work that many hours in a week - it's more important to me to get home from work at a normal time so I can take care of home and family obligations. I am currently job hunting and have a few good prospects I am pursuing further.

Physical strength does come into play during clinical rotations. I find that most people are willing to help lift, restrain, whatever if needed. What's way more important is effective time management - I tend to do my paperwork at home whenever possible so I can keep up to date on my patients during the day when I'm at school. I keep a notebook with me at all times so I can write down what I need to do for each patient.

 

[Bisbee]

Thanks SOV and Bisbee! 🙂

I chose not to do an internship because I know I can't handle it physically - my emergency/critical care rotation proved that to me. I get really sick if I don't get enough sleep, which is a big change from my younger days. I also don't want to work that many hours in a week - it's more important to me to get home from work at a normal time so I can take care of home and family obligations. I am currently job hunting and have a few good prospects I am pursuing further.

Physical strength does come into play during clinical rotations. I find that most people are willing to help lift, restrain, whatever if needed. What's way more important is effective time management - I tend to do my paperwork at home whenever possible so I can keep up to date on my patients during the day when I'm at school. I keep a notebook with me at all times so I can write down what I need to do for each patient.

I think it's great that others help you with lifting and restraining. It sounds like you've really worked out a system doing paperwork at home. I also think it's important that you've come to realize your physical limitations as far as an internship goes. We can only do what we can do. Keep us posted on the remainder of vet school! Best of luck in the job search, too!

 

[Dsmoody23]

It's true that your metabolism slows down after 30 or so, as well as your ability to stay up for 3 days on a single can of coke and a bagel. But it's definitely a trainable skill. I worked back my sleep schedule to a required 6 or so hours, last semester. Exercise helps, and a good diet will get you back on par with the young'uns, energy wise.

Beyond that, I've met some fantastic people, both young and older. At 33, I'm pretty tight with two of the under 21 crowd in the pre-vet track here, and have completely normal relationships with the majority of my younger classmates.

I think the general rule is not to make a big deal out of being older. If you act like an assh*le, try and dominate every interaction with the implied gravity of your age, and constantly make them aware of their relative immaturity, you'll be a social pariah. They don't care if you don't make a production of it.

And, much more than I thought I would, I actually like the little idiots.

 

[squirrelsrule]

Sometimes a topic would come up in a course that I already read and knew about in real life. For example, when I took Developmental Biology, I already knew so much because of my experience as a parent raising two children. Other times, I would be taking an exam and would know an answer to a question which I was sure hadn't been covered in class. It's like when you're watching Jeopardy...when you just know the answer but don't know how. Somehow it's just in there, lodged in your brain. Then, after the exam while students complain about "where did that question come from?" I can't complain too much. Some negatives, though: At the start of each semester there seemed to be an unspoken assumption that, because you're "old" you're not smart. I even got this vibe from some professors When I would add a comment during class or lab, I'd see the (supposedly) private looks between younger students and eye rolls. Do they think that because we're old we are blind or don't understand those looks? Most semesters, though, things would warm up as time went on and I'd have a few nice acquaintances or even friends (especially when I helped them and they realized that maybe I knew a thing or two). It became tiresome always having to prove myself every semester I always had to keep telling myself, though, that I was there to learn and to finish my degree. If I had friends, that was icing on the cake for me. I do wonder what the real "college experience" is like, though. I probably wouldn't have even enjoyed it when I was young since I've always been kind of results-oriented and not into the party scene.

I had similar negatives as you, just as the youngest member of every class. I did the PSEO program and started college when I was 16. Plus I graduated in 3 years so I was taking more classes and mixing with the upperclassmen quicker than others I started out with. It was challenging at first because I got a lot of the what are you doing here looks since I was so young plus on top of that I look younger than my age, by a lot! At that time when my family and I went out to eat they still asked if we were all adults and would look at me like maybe I'd get in at the kid price, which stops at age 12! So, that was a struggle, but people learned that I could teach them a thing or two and not to count me out because I was the youngest. My professors were great and very supportive, at least my science professors, not necessarily the English and social sciences professors 👎, but I survived 🙂. I even became a tutor, which I really enjoyed. People would always meet me the first time and you could just see that look on their face like 😕 certainly I'm in the wrong place, this can't possibly be my tutor she's like 14 lol. After we got going they were all happy to have me as a tutor and one actually requested me as their tutor for 3 of their other classes. There are stereotypes about age, but I think of all the stereotypes, it's one of the easier ones to overcome 👍

My point, well kinda second point, is don't discount the youngsters just because of their age. I think I was a pretty mature student, did very well in school, studied hard, and tried to help others out and I was way younger than everyone else. If I had gone on to vet school right after college I would have GRADUATED vet school at age 22!

For me, going back as a little older than average student has been weird. I'm used to being the odd ball. I still think of myself as the little post secondary student who is gonna show everyone I mean business and am gonna do awesome. I still look like I could be a PSEO student.

Life experience really does help out in classes. I took Micro this past semester and was amazed at how much of the stuff I knew from my rehabbing experience. I enjoyed the class (well overall I wasn't a fan of the class, but certain parts were really interesting) a lot more now than I would have when I was in college before too. A lot of the info. helped me further understand the issues creatures with the parasites and stuff have plus the implications of using different meds, and just the overall view of how the immune system worked was great. The info. seems more useful than it did when I was in college when I was younger. I can see how it will help me as a vet and rehabber instead of it just being something else to memorize for the test.

 

[breenie]

Some of my older classmates are my favorites!

I like that they know how to party and get rowdy without barfing everywhere and letting their boobies fall out.

 

[Bisbee]

Squirrelsrule - That was interesting to hear the other side--being the youngest and not the oldest. It must have been hard not being with kids your own age. I remember that I enjoyed high school so much. I hope you didn't miss out on too much. What was the reason that you decided to go to college so early? I'm glad that you'll now have the opportunity to be right in there with people your own age (and people of many ages).

 

[Bisbee]

Some of my older classmates are my favorites!

I like that they know how to party and get rowdy without barfing everywhere and letting their boobies fall out.

No...I try not to let that happen!

 

[sunnex3]

Some of my older classmates are my favorites!

I like that they know how to party and get rowdy without barfing everywhere and letting their boobies fall out.

👍👍

 

[breenie]

No...I try not to let that happen!

It's a trait I admire and try to cultivate in myself. 😉

 

[StartingoverVet]

I like that they know how to party and get rowdy without ... letting their boobies fall out.

See, now here we disagree. That is exactly why I like to party with young people!

 

[flyhi]

Guess I can chime in here 😀 In my 4th decade and feel great! A huge difference from undergrad, but here are my observations:

1) Yes, I could still hang with the young'uns, but maybe not til 2am at the pub 😀 I would start strong and when it was time to go home and take my Metamucil, I would slip out and go get my beauty rest.
2) Physically, I am in very good shape and actually had an easy time with farm practicals, walking miles to/from class, basic stamina, etc.
3) Studied much more effectively since cramming and all-nighters are not an option. Many of my young classmates would party hard during the semester and put off projects until the last minute and stay up all night. Nope, not this old fogey. In UG I did the same thing, but in vet school I planned way ahead and actually got things done early.
4) Time management - seems much easier this time around. What used to seem overwhelming is no longer after years of corporate stress.
5) Getting along with the young'uns... No problem at all. I think they appreciated me because I don't act old and can hang. Not having to go home to a family, I was usually the first to recommend hitting the pub after a long afternoon in the dissection room.
6) Staying active - exercise is a must! I played on the vet school's soccer team and actually surprised some of the 18 and 19 year olds. Of course, I couldn't walk the next day 🙄
7) Like Squirrelsrule said - your life experience will help you more than you can even imagine at this point. It's weird, but everything is just easier and makes more sense. I attribute a lot of this to familiarity.

It's really all about your attitude and how you approach it. I found that they are initially intimidated by us 'old fogeys', but once you start to work together and integrate, it's like there is no age difference (except when they chatter during the entire lecture, talk about who they shagged the night before, came in wearing the same outfit as the night before, etc dang kids ). We are typically seen as stable, dependable and leaders. I loved my 'young'uns'. I found it easy to become protective of some of them because you see them having typical 20yr old issues and you just want to give them advice and a big hug.

You'll be fine Bisbee! Just go with the flow.

 

[VetHead]

I rather enjoyed being a bit older than most of my classmates when I went back to school for my pre-reqs (I'm 27). I really like meeting new people, and although I needed to remind myself how young certain people were on occasion, on the whole I really enjoyed making new friendships with the younger students, and I met a lot of other post-baccalaureate students to relate to as well.

I was really happy to read on this thread that I'm not the only one who can't do the all-night cram sessions effectively anymore (I used to be great at them!).

I'm excited to start vet school in the fall, and I know I'll probably not be the only non-trad student around catching quizzical glances at orientation. Then again, I was a TA for vet anatomy last semester, and when I said I was 27 all my students were shocked when they found out I was that old. Ha, I didn't realize that I was over the hill already! Anyway, I think having had lots of interesting life experiences really helped me get into vet school in the first place, and it was certainly necessary for me in coming to the decision to commit myself to this path.

The only real downside I can see is that I'll be much older than most vet students when I'm finally able to pay down all my loans, which might be a limiting factor for my future career options. But then again, I was able to travel, bartend, and do the Peace Corps in my early-to-mid twenties instead of spending them in the vetmed library 🙂 That to me is priceless!

In short, I love being a (slightly) older student.

 

[sunnex3]

We are typically seen asstable, dependable and leaders. I loved my 'young'uns'. I found it easy to become protective of some of them because you see them having typical 20yr old issues and you just want to give them advice and a big hug.

👍👍 you guys are so nice and supportive....

You'll be fine Bisbee! Just go with the flow.

seriously. bisbee - from what i can tell from what you've said and the advice you've offered in this forum i think you're going to be FINE in vet school 🙂

 

[LetItSnow]

Apologies in advance for the length. I just MULTIQ'd whatever looked interesting to me. 😉

I'd say the most "difficult" part of being an older student is the balance of school, work, and family.

That's the biggest thing for me. I have to admit, there have been a couple times this year where I realize I haven't seen my kids in two days and it's brought me to tears. I'm pretty good at taking time for them, but certain weeks it just gets out of control. This last week, for instance:

Study Sunday afternoon/evening for a Tue test. Get called for a late-evening foreign-body surgery Sunday night. Get home ~1am. School 8am Monday morning. Stay late studying for Tue test. Get home ~midnight. School 8am Tue morning. Test 1pm. Get home ~5pm. Get called for a late-evening diaphragmatic hernia at 7:30. Get home ~1:30am. School 8am Wednesday. Clerk duty in large-animal hospital from 6pm-midnight Wednesday night.

You get the idea. Most weeks aren't as tight as that, but sometimes ... you just lose it and balance goes out the window.

I will turn the big 3-0 two days before orientation. I would hope that my future classmates are going to be mature adults, but I am prepared to be "that" older student if neccessary 🙂

Please don't put too much in the way of expectations on your future classmates. They'll be all over the map. Some will be awesome, mature people. Some will be immature brats. If you expect TOO much, you're going to be disappointed.

As far as getting along with classmates. Absolutely no issue either when I took pre-reqs or at Penn. There may be a couple of people who felt weird about the "old guy", but if they did, I certainly didn't notice it. I am not much of a social butterfly, but if I needed to, there wouldn't be much of a problem.

This has been exactly my experience, too. I get a LOT of teasing about being older - virtually every day - but it's all good-natured and welcomed on my part.

Sleep requirements. Well, the all-nighter is pretty much out for me.

I can still do the all-nighter, but I'm shot the next day after whatever test it was that caused me to stay up. So I miss lectures, which just puts me behind.

It took me an entire semester to realize it ... but the fact is that my grade really doesn't seem too dependent on whether I put in 4 hours of studying or 8. Or maybe 6 and 12. I don't know exactly where the sweet spot is, yet. But I've definitely figured out that there is a point of minimal return on studying (as it relates to the outcome). I've started closing the book and saying 'heck with it'... even if there are entire lectures I didn't get time to review... and my grades are no different than when I was killing myself.

Age is definitely not all in your mind though. I have much less energy than my classmates, I have some health issues that I never worried about in my 20s, I have declining vision, hearing, memory, concentration etc. That is life. I can't outwork em, can't outsmart em, and my experience has nothing to do with vet school. At least I am emotionally secure.

Also been my experience. (I'm basically throwing the 'me too' out there on all this just to say that yeah, I think that's a normal experience.) I don't think I've suffered the same health issues (from what I've gathered in other threads), but my hearing is worse, I have to work far harder to memorize than my classmates, and I get tired more quickly. I do believe, though, that I bring some general life experience to the picture that slightly offsets the youth advantage. By no means completely, but I have a much easier time relating to professionals and teachers than some of the younger people in my class.

Guess I can chime in here 😀 In my 4th decade

Somewhere along the way I got the impression you were in your 40s, Flyhi. You're only in your thirties?

In general, Brisbee, I find that there's far less awkwardness than I expected. I feel like my classmates accept me as much as anyone else in our class. I think the unifying bond of interest in vet medicine generally overcomes a lot of differences.

 

[flyhi]

Somewhere along the way I got the impression you were in your 40s, Flyhi. You're only in your thirties?

admitting math is not my strong suit...isn't being in my 4th decade equal to over 40? 😕 If I were to say I'm in my 40th year, I would be 39, but not sure that works when using decades. I dunno, but yes, I'm 40.75 years old 😀 Either way, it's irrelevant...I fit into the OF (Old Fogeys) group


Going to agree with LIS and SOV on the memory part. I have noticed that it takes longer for me to memorize things and my attention span is less. So, I have to do short(er), more intense sessions rather than just studying and reading for 6 hours. There has to be a definite study plan for me in order to make sure I get through everything because you may not have the mental stamina in terms of total studying hours that your younger peers still have.

 

[jradjsb]

1) Personally I haven't even thought about age for vet school. If you look at teh average age of enrolling classes most schools are around 25-26 so that tells you that there is a pretty good mix of ages in vet school.2) In UG the only time that I felt weird about going to class was when I first returned and was taking freshman classes all over again. It was all fine within a week or so. Luckily I still look young and even when I tell classmates my age they don't believe it. Most think I'm like 22-23.3) Getting along with the younger class is easy. There were a few guys taht I though were really immature and it made me wonder if I acted like that at their age. Once you get the really know them, you realize that they are also motivated and mature about school they are just trying to have a good time and their immaturity actually lightens the stress level. 4) I find that it is easier to study this time around. I'm not as bad about procrastination and actually don't stress about exams as bad as I used to. Staying up all night is no big deal. I have a young son so I am used to going w/o sleep and plus I work a few night shifts and have class afterwards so it isn't uncommon for me to be uop 30+ hrs straight.5) Two things scare me, one is school/family balance. I have to move OOS to go to vet school which means uprooting my family w/o a clue how much time I will get to spend with them during school. The other is my health. I have a bad back, knees, and shoulders. I know I can make it though vet school, but practicing is hard on the body. With my age I will be paying student loans until I'm 50+. Hope my body can last long enough for me to pull this off.

 

[squirrelsrule]

Squirrelsrule - That was interesting to hear the other side--being the youngest and not the oldest. It must have been hard not being with kids your own age. I remember that I enjoyed high school so much. I hope you didn't miss out on too much. What was the reason that you decided to go to college so early? I'm glad that you'll now have the opportunity to be right in there with people your own age (and people of many ages).

I went to college early because it was free! They had a little lecture in like 6th grade about it and I knew that was what I wanted to do! You have the potential to save like $40,000 in loans. Plus for me, as soon as I mentioned I was interested in it to my parents they were really excited. Our family isn't rich, I mean we're certainly not poor either, but my parents weren't gonna be paying for my undergrad education. When I actually got to the point of signing up for the classes and they knew it was for real, they told me they'd pay for my last two years of college if I completed 2 years as a PSEO student. So, I had the opportunity to get my bachelor's degree with no loans. After I started taking classes (17 credits each semester the first year) I realized that I could handle more and took 20-24 credits per semester and some 13 credit hours over the summer after my second year. So, I saved my parents some money too and my total cost of college out of pocket turned out to be $17,000.

I am not really a social person. I've always had my small group of friends that I'm really close with and that's about it. Going off to school meant I wasn't in their classes anymore, but I still got to hang out with them after school, although I was usually pretty busy with school. There did get to be a little bit of a disconnect between some of my friends and myself because they just weren't at the same point in their life as I was. They didn't understand how much I had to study and their high school issues just seemed so silly to me.

Our High school has semesters so you can take 2 science classes, 2 math classes, etc. each semester depending on how you schedule things. So, by Sophomore year, I wasn't with any of my classmates in science or math, just for social studies and English. So, I got used to mixing in with the slightly older group before starting college, so it wasn't a total shock to be with no one my own age. Yes, in college they were 3-4 years older than me versus 1-2 in High school, but it wasn't too bad.

I think my experiences have helped me see how the younger and older students feel. I remember in Algebra 2 my sophomore year of HS, we had someone coming over from 8th grade because they were so advanced in math. Poor kid was like scared senseless and didn't say a word at first. I felt her pain and quickly befriended her and everyone else followed suite.

My experiences as being youngest for so long has helped me get along with people of all ages. I don't assume anything about people just because of their age and in O. Chem my lab group consisted of a 20 year old, me (25), and a 40 something year old. We got along great and had no issues.

And for the record, I have never been able to pull an all nighter, so even being younger didn't help me in that regards. Plus I wasn't allowed near the dorms as a PSEO student and I didn't go to the bars, so hanging out anytime after class with classmates was pretty much just studying in the library sometimes. I made quite a few friends still 🙂. I think no matter what the situation, you can always find the best in it and enjoy it. I wouldn't trade my UG years for anything! And I am so glad I went when I did because I had the awesomest biology professor in the world, who retired the year after I graduated, so had I not gone when I did, I wouldn't have ever had him as a professor and going when I did, I had him for 4 different classes!