OMG, I'm really doing this....

[GAgirl85]

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So I guess I could be considered a "Lurker" I joined a few months ago when I decided to start "researching" what it would take to "consider" going back to school to become a vet. I'm 25 years old, married, and was pretty comfortable in my current career but looking for a more rewarding and challenging long term goal. I finally made the big decision in April and last Friday I was offered a position as a tech assistant at my dream vet hospital (YAY!!!!). Well, I turned in my two weeks notice yesterday and it is all starting to hit me now... I'm really doing this... holy cow... I barely slept last night due to the mixture of exhilaration and paralyzing fear. I'm not so much afraid of the job (I've already got about 2000hrs as a tech assistant at a mixed animal practice and a few hundred hours volunteering with a rescue group) I guess its just the fear of actually fully committing to this... I made some pretty dumb decisions as an undergrad and will be fighting to raise my GPA and I've already started studying for the GRE but... I'm finally doing this and now there is no turning back... Anyone in a similar situation or just starting out with prereques? Any advice from successful applicants? Anyone just wanna tell me "it'll be ok"? Really I'll take anything I can get. Thanks for reading!

 

[Whyevernot55]

Welcome to the fray! If you use the search function, you'll find LOTS of good threads for non-traditional applicants (and lots of support).

It won't be easy, but this is a great place to come for advice and encouragement, and to see what others have accomplished!

 

[EveyG]

Hey GAgirl!
Welcome to SDN! I too am 25 and married, and I too made some really stupid decisions in undergrad that made my GPA non-competitive (I mean literally- it's a 3.1). I'm not quite sure if your long term goal is vet school, but if it is, the best decisions I have made are these:
1) I went back to school and got a Masters in a plan "B" type program, which means I didn't have to do a thesis. I studied my butt off and got a 4.0 over the course of 2 years. 2 years of a really high GPA in graduate level courses will show an admissions comittee that you didn't have a low GPA in undergrad because you were unable to keep up with coursework, but that you didn't try as hard as you should have. 😉
2) I expanded my experience to include, LA, SA, research and wildlife. Even volunteering 2 hours a week somewhere counts and will help out your app.
3) I made my timeline flexible. I wanted to be in vet school 2 years ago, but it didn't work out that way. I had to realize that even though it was later than I had planned, there were benefits to just relaxing and working towards the goal at a pace that allowed me to be productive but not go crazy with stress.
Don't know if that helps, but good luck.

And..It'll be ok. 🙂

 

[KittyPaws]

Welcome GAgirl!

I was 26 when I decided that I truly wanted to follow my lifelong dream of becoming a vet and went back to school. I was married at the time and I also thought that I was happy in my accounting career. (Seriously?! Who is happy with an accounting career? LOL) The road was still a bumpy one trying to work to pay the bills and go to school. My husband and I separated and then divorced, completely unrelated to school) and I moved about 2000 miles away. At that point I decided to give up the idea again. But now, a couple years later the dust settled and I found that the dream just wouldn't die! So now I'm heading back to school once again, at age 29 now, ready to tackle those pre-reqs!

When I was 26 I felt like I was so far behind everyone, now that I am 29 I felt even more behind. But coming here and reading so many people's stories that are so similar to mine really reminded me that age truly is just a number and it is never too late! I don't care if I'm 60 when I finish school, I'm going to be a vet!! 😀

Good luck and congrats on the new job!