UC Davis CO 2014

[incendium04]

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CONGRATULATIONS! I'm so happy that I will see familiar faces and SDNers in the Class of 2014!

For those looking for housing, I recommend Dowling Properties (www.davisca.com) and Zabace Properties (http://www.zabacerentals.com/). I've rented from Dowling for the last year (2 bedroom duplex, 2 miles from the vet school, $1350 and all the pets we want!) and was considering renting from them again (but a different duplex) but found a privately owned house that I like better. Both property management companies have many houses that allow pets. I've seen 3+ properties through Zabace this last month but I've been impressed by their hospitality and the condition of the homes.

A note for renters coming to Davis, MANY rentals do not include water and city utilities in the rent so consider an additional $50-60 expense per person per month.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Is this just an L.A. thing or California in general?

A lot of the apartments here do NOT come with a refrigerator. For some reason that is not included. I came here from the East Coast and was shocked to find 50% of the units were BYOR (bring your own refrigerator)!

 

[GeeQued]

I honestly love my tablet, especially with cardio where theres lots of writing on slides that is really only achieved by drawing it out. As far as wear and tear on your screen, I play bejeweled excessively and at the right angle you can see the lines from the bejeweled board where I drug my pen across it but it doesn't affect my screen at all and Im sure if I cleaned my screen it would go away.

The Tablets we have are the Toshiba Tablets Portege 750 something. I just have Vista on mine as we were told to wait till they test the compatibility with the Davis software (your computer comes fully loaded with radiology stuff, all the links tabbed and saved for the webpages you'll need among other stuff.

Ok back to checking on preggo mares for foal watch. Gonna be a loonnngg night.

 

[Soyjoy]

I honestly love my tablet, especially with cardio where theres lots of writing on slides that is really only achieved by drawing it out. As far as wear and tear on your screen, I play bejeweled excessively and at the right angle you can see the lines from the bejeweled board where I drug my pen across it but it doesn't affect my screen at all and Im sure if I cleaned my screen it would go away.

The Tablets we have are the Toshiba Tablets Portege 750 something. I just have Vista on mine as we were told to wait till they test the compatibility with the Davis software (your computer comes fully loaded with radiology stuff, all the links tabbed and saved for the webpages you'll need among other stuff.

Ok back to checking on preggo mares for foal watch. Gonna be a loonnngg night.

bejeweled? hahaha. that's funny.
anyway, thanks for the info. i'm most likely going to get the tablet. i'm going to check one out at bestbuy or something just to make sure. like nyanko said, hopefully it will be more stable with windows 7...

thanks jjohnston and geequed!

 

[mickeyy]

Just got accepted to Davis, and I'm OH SO EXCITED because it's been my absolute dream school!!!👍
However, I'm a Georgia resident, have only been to Cali once for my interview, and have no family or friends there. I've lived in GA for the past 20 years, and I'm worried about moving across the entire country. Is there anyone else that's out of state? And what's the adjustment like? Should I be worried about making a new life alone, or will there be other students like me?
And finally... how do you move all your stuff...?

 

[Llama Slug]

how do you move all your stuff...?

Im technically in state but actually from Arizona, went to college in VA then moved to cali to get residency. Ive become exceptionally proficient at putting my entire life into my Honda Accord and driving cross country with it. Also books on tape... cracker barrel allows you to "buy" them from them, then drop them off at the next one and get refunded all but 3 or 4 dollars.

Also.. for those lamenting fridge costs: craigslist and thrift stores work really well and cheaply 🙂

 

[StartingoverVet]

Also.. for those lamenting fridge costs: craigslist and thrift stores work really well and cheaply 🙂

Just make sure they really do "work really well" before buying them. i.e. freezer freezes things and refrigerator cools them. The cost of repair is greater than the value of a used frig in most cases.

Not saying not to get them this way (it is a great bargain), just make sure you aren't buying a hunk of junk!

 

[minikitte]

Okay, so I live down in Pomona and all of the apartments here require that you get a frig of your own. But if you can't buy one don't worry you can rent one. We currently rent ours for $12/month. This is a good option because there isn't a lot of upfront costs involved. I am sure that Davis has something similar with Sacramento being next door!

=)

 

[eventualeventer]

Just got accepted to Davis, and I'm OH SO EXCITED because it's been my absolute dream school!!!👍
However, I'm a Georgia resident, have only been to Cali once for my interview, and have no family or friends there. I've lived in GA for the past 20 years, and I'm worried about moving across the entire country. Is there anyone else that's out of state? And what's the adjustment like? Should I be worried about making a new life alone, or will there be other students like me?
And finally... how do you move all your stuff...?

CONGRATS to another out-of-stater!

You are not alone. I have lived in MD my entire life. I moved out for a year and lived near my job 50 miles away, but I'm back at home now that I'm back in school 8 minutes away from home. Before my interviews this winter, the farthest west I'd even visited was Memphis. However, I am super excited to be going to an awesome school in an awesome town, and I know that I will be surrounded by other vet geeks and will find new friends. Maybe I'm different, though, because all of my current friends are scattered all over MD, DC, and VA, so I don't see my friends in person every day. It WILL hurt to leave them behind completely, though -- sometimes phone calls and email aren't good enough. Such is life.

As for moving stuff, I plan to pack the essentials (books, computer, paella pan) in my Subaru and drive, then buy things like furniture once I get out there. I will probably leave my cat with my parents and fly back at some point to get her, since it will be in the heat of summer and I won't be able to safely leave her in the car anywhere for even a quick break. Also, even though she's a very laid-back cat, 6 days in the car might strain our relationship.

I signed up for a tablet -- I've always used PC's just out of habit, and I really want a tablet. I think it said it is using Windows 7, so at least it's not Vista. BTW, I'm a Scramble/Boggle person myself.

 

[HoneySmucks]

I have a quick financial aid question. If I've filled out my FAFSA and put Davis as the school, I should just wait until Davis lets me know what my financial aid package is? In the meantime I don't really do anything? Also, my FAFSA claims Social Security did not confirm I was a citizen so I need to show the Davis office my passport--do I need to do this now or should I wait until Davis processes my FAFSA?
Thanks!

 

[mickeyy]

CONGRATS to another out-of-stater!

You are not alone. I have lived in MD my entire life. I moved out for a year and lived near my job 50 miles away, but I'm back at home now that I'm back in school 8 minutes away from home. Before my interviews this winter, the farthest west I'd even visited was Memphis. However, I am super excited to be going to an awesome school in an awesome town, and I know that I will be surrounded by other vet geeks and will find new friends. Maybe I'm different, though, because all of my current friends are scattered all over MD, DC, and VA, so I don't see my friends in person every day. It WILL hurt to leave them behind completely, though -- sometimes phone calls and email aren't good enough. Such is life.

As for moving stuff, I plan to pack the essentials (books, computer, paella pan) in my Subaru and drive, then buy things like furniture once I get out there. I will probably leave my cat with my parents and fly back at some point to get her, since it will be in the heat of summer and I won't be able to safely leave her in the car anywhere for even a quick break. Also, even though she's a very laid-back cat, 6 days in the car might strain our relationship.

I signed up for a tablet -- I've always used PC's just out of habit, and I really want a tablet. I think it said it is using Windows 7, so at least it's not Vista. BTW, I'm a Scramble/Boggle person myself.

YES!!! I'm not alone! Holy cow... You're driving? FOR SIX DAYS?!?! Wow... I don't think I could handle that. And LOL essential paella pan?
I'm thinking about flying and shipping my stuff to me.

As for computers, I've always been a PC as well. But I'll probably get a Mac and keep my old laptop as well. I'm unsure about the tablet PC thing...

 

[cleo227]

Just got accepted to Davis, and I'm OH SO EXCITED because it's been my absolute dream school!!!👍
However, I'm a Georgia resident, have only been to Cali once for my interview, and have no family or friends there. I've lived in GA for the past 20 years, and I'm worried about moving across the entire country. Is there anyone else that's out of state? And what's the adjustment like? Should I be worried about making a new life alone, or will there be other students like me?
And finally... how do you move all your stuff...?

After college, I moved from San Diego to Indiana, which was kind of a pain. I basically packed my car to the gills and sent everything else, and I bought furniture when I got there. I wound up sending something like 10 large boxes via UPS, and I cataloged the contents of the boxes and numbered them so that if a box got lost I'd know exactly what I was missing. For what it's worth, that system worked well for me.... Good luck!

 

[Eireannach]

I have a quick financial aid question. If I've filled out my FAFSA and put Davis as the school, I should just wait until Davis lets me know what my financial aid package is? In the meantime I don't really do anything? Also, my FAFSA claims Social Security did not confirm I was a citizen so I need to show the Davis office my passport--do I need to do this now or should I wait until Davis processes my FAFSA?
Thanks!

I was wondering about the financial aid as well. When I was an undergrad at UCD they did everything after I filed my FAFSA and let me know what my package was in late May-early June. I was going to call and find out if it's any different for vet students (I still can't believe I'll be able to ask that😀) I'll let you know what I hear from them. Their office is closed the rest of this week for furlough so I'll find ut on Monday.

 

[GeeQued]

I was wondering about the financial aid as well. When I was an undergrad at UCD they did everything after I filed my FAFSA and let me know what my package was in late May-early June. I was going to call and find out if it's any different for vet students (I still can't believe I'll be able to ask that😀) I'll let you know what I hear from them. Their office is closed the rest of this week for furlough so I'll find ut on Monday.

So how I remember Financial Aid working last year was that mid/late July you got asked to fill out a FAFSA verification worksheet (basically restating certain numbers to make sure they match what you submitted). I believe our FAFSA was announced sometime late July/early August but note disbursements wont start till after classes begin.

Once your package has been posted you just go into My Awards to view and accept your package. They told us they would send an email when our package was ready but I never got one.

Hope this helps, sorry if it doesnt make sense or doesn't answer what you needed I've been on foal watch every 30 mins for the last two nights (=2 hours of sleep).

Someone tell this mare its time to foal so I can sleep because collecting stallions sleep deprived = no bueno.

 

[shelterURIgirl]

So I have a plug in tablet thingee for my mac, and I like it. Two comments though. 1.) to use the plug in tablet, you need software. Your options are CURIO (which is about $70) or adobe ($300?). 2.) I hate the bamboo tablet, I use another brand which is bigger, better, and cheaper.

The writing on the pad while staring at your computer screen is surprisingly easy. Once you focus on a spot on your computer, your hand just does its thing and you move around, point and draw and circle stuff or even handwrite. The screen gives you immediate visual feedback so its the same as if you were writing on paper, if that makes sense.

Anyways, I mostly type my notes so I dont really use the tablet plug in that much. But for radiology it is kinda nice to use.

 

[nyanko]

Anyways, I mostly type my notes so I dont really use the tablet plug in that much. But for radiology it is kinda nice to use.

Coincidental that you would post this just as I emailed and changed my selection to the Mac, and was going to ask what USB tablet people recommended. Thanks! 😀

 

[radssslp]

So I still haven't received an email but I thought I would be stupid and try to login to the Accept/Decline Form. To my surprise it let me login! Does anyone think this is good news for me?

 

[jesiah]

lol nyanko. after all these posts, now i'm leaning towards the tablet! i do like that the mac is 13 vs. the tablet's 12 inch monitor...maybe i'll just do the same w/ the mac. can't decide.

 

[Soyjoy]

Coincidental that you would post this just as I emailed and changed my selection to the Mac, and was going to ask what USB tablet people recommended. Thanks! 😀

what made you change your mind? i'm probably going to get the tablet but i'm not 100%.

 

[nyanko]

Soyjoy: Ah, I like the specs of the Mac better and really the only reason I initially chose the tablet was for the tablet functionality itself. If I can get a tablet to connect to the Mac and write on, I'd prefer the Mac option.

So I still haven't received an email but I thought I would be stupid and try to login to the Accept/Decline Form. To my surprise it let me login! Does anyone think this is good news for me?

Kim O'Bryan said that all the decisions were sent, so if you haven't gotten an email you should check your spam folder, and if it isn't there, you should maybe try to call them and let them know (on Monday - UCD is closed tomorrow for Cesar Chavez day)

If you can log in to that form you're most likely in though. 😉

 

[JustCats]

Yes!

Did you check your spam folder?

So I still haven't received an email but I thought I would be stupid and try to login to the Accept/Decline Form. To my surprise it let me login! Does anyone think this is good news for me?

 

[Soyjoy]

Soyjoy: Ah, I like the specs of the Mac better and really the only reason I initially chose the tablet was for the tablet functionality itself. If I can get a tablet to connect to the Mac and write on, I'd prefer the Mac option.

Hmmmm, now I'm undecided.

You don't think that it would be a hassle to have a separate tablet connecting to the Mac? The website uses "cumbersome" to describe this configuration..


RADSSSLP: i think it's a good sign, too👍 sorry that you have to go through all the uncertainty and stress...

 

[radssslp]

I have checked every mailbox at least 100 times per day! It would figure that the email would be lost in cyberworld somewhere; hopefully someone in a far away land has an acceptance email in their inbox! I don't want to be too excited until I see an email, but I guess one drink won't hurt since I have to wait until Monday!!

 

[eventualeventer]

Good luck radssslp!

 

[Pomona2006]

CONGRATULATIONS to the Class of 2014 from the beaches of Belize! Yeah, I managed to get a splash of internet on my spring break, just enough to say congrats.

I will chime in on stuff later -- feel free to PM me or message me through the blog if you have any questions!

Short noted input:

White Coats --> run really big

Computer --> love the tablet for all classes except radiology, where the images are clearer on the Mac. Writing on slides is a huge advantage, especially in radiology, cardiology, etc. where the slides are all pictures without labels. While I don't use the tablet function very often, I do really appreciate it and like being able to make a circle or arrow easily and work through problems for classes on it rather than wasting paper. (I love macs, though!)

Housing --> check out the blog for my 2 cents

Financial Aid --> be patient, it will all get figured out and they will communicate that all with you.

Again, congrats to all of you!

 

[CorporateFatCat]

CONGRATULATIONS to the Class of 2014 from the beaches of Belize! Yeah, I managed to get a splash of internet on my spring break, just enough to say congrats.

Sorry, had to butt in here. You're in Belize??! I went to Belize over the summer for an animal science program. They have the best beaches out in the Cayes. Are you on Caye Caulker?

 

[mickeyy]

Sorry, had to butt in here. You're in Belize??! I went to Belize over the summer for an animal science program. They have the best beaches out in the Cayes. Are you on Caye Caulker?

I LOVED Belize as well! I went for a field study of marine mammals and sea turtles! I went to Blackbird Caye and Caye Caulker as well. If you're into snorkeling/scuba, Belize is the BEST!

What are you studying there?

 

[annemal22]

Thinking about applying to UC Davis next cycle so I have been reading all the advice and questions from you guys. Just wanted to add that I loved Belize as well!! Best snorkeling by far! Went down there for manatee health assessments, stayed on Caye Caulker for 3 days then went further down the coast. Snorkeling was amazing!!

 

[mickeyy]

For those of you who have decided on UC Davis, when will you start looking for housing? And when is a good time to sign a lease? 😕

 

[Llama Slug]

ShelterURIgirl: if you dont like the bamboo tablet for MACs, which one do you use?

 

[incendium04]

mickeyy, it's a good idea to start looking at housing as soon as you've decided on a vet school. Try craigslist and daviswiki for recommendations. Be aware that much of the housing for Davis is signed for in March and it can be competitive/frustrating when searching for houses/duplexes since they have a tendency to be snatched up quick (i.e., the duplex I am in now had a walk through and the first person to see it signed for it on the same day). By no means do I recommend jumping on the first place, but try to be decisive. On the other hand, there will be listings for places throughout the year so don't worry that you won't find anything if you wait until the last minute. Many 2nd and 3rd years will also need roommates so keep a look out for those.

llama slug, I've heard a lot of good things about wacom tablets.

 

[CorporateFatCat]

I LOVED Belize as well! I went for a field study of marine mammals and sea turtles! I went to Blackbird Caye and Caye Caulker as well. If you're into snorkeling/scuba, Belize is the BEST!

What are you studying there?

Ohmigosh. Belize would be the perfect place to do field research. I LOVED the country. I was mainly on land working with a large animal vet and then an exotics vet. I had a blast...don't know if I can ever work with Brahman cattle again...those guys are ferocious! I went to San Pedro over one of the weekends I was there. It's definately more touristy on the islands, but it was a nice break from rice and beans every meal. I went on a dive while there (only 30 feet, so I didn't need to be certified), and it was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. I really want to go back to Belize again once I get SCUBA certified.

 

[incendium04]

LOL! Pomona isn't studying down there (or she better not be!). 😀 A little R&R is what everyone needs after the last quarter... though some do it in better style than others. 😉

 

[ZebraFinch]

Congrats to everyone who's heard good news lately, it seems SDN really did great in the Davis department this year! 😀

For those of you who got in off the alternate list previously, do you remember when you found out? Did you get a call, an email, or did you have to call? I was told I wouldn't know anything until April 15th, but I figured since the accept/decline form went up they have some idea at this point.

I'm very much staying positive but I'm also not trying to get my hopes up as there isn't a single person IS or OOS here on SDN who is planning on turning their spot down (unless there's some lurkers) - big kudos to those people, but big bummer for those of us on the waitlist. I'm hoping it's because the people here on SDN represent a biased group (the super cool and dedicated ) and the people who will turn their spot down aren't on here.

I'm in Davis right now, if anyone wants to meet up impromptu tonight for dinner or some Yoberry I'd totally be down!

 

[Pomona2006]

LOL! Pomona isn't studying down there (or she better not be!). 😀 A little R&R is what everyone needs after the last quarter... though some do it in better style than others. 😉

I'm back in the states! Incendium was right -- no "work" here. Literally the plan was to arrive without plans or reservations and actively do nothing. It was a fantastic, no frills vacation! 🙂

And yes -- we did go to Caye Caulker rather than Ambergris b/c every local we spoke to said they preferred Caulker...and you can't argue with the locals! We loved Caulker and I definitely appreciated the vast number of S/N stray dogs there!

I could probably be convinced to go out for some grub but skiing tomorrow means I must attempt an early bed time tonight.

 

[nyanko]

I'm very much staying positive but I'm also not trying to get my hopes up as there isn't a single person IS or OOS here on SDN who is planning on turning their spot down (unless there's some lurkers)

There are a few people who haven't quite decided yet - I think StartingoverVet, ColoGirl and ekchad at least have decisions to make. Maybe you could see what kind of bribes they'd be interested in.

Seriously though good luck!! I hope you get in!

And as for tonight, I'm totally gassed due to a long bicycle ride today and feel like being lazy. Next time though!!

 

[ZebraFinch]

Hmm, I'd totally do bribes - LOLcats, brownies, Dirty Jobs on DVD, anyone?
(I may be mistaken but doesn't Cologirl have a choice between Colo, Davis, and Cornell? That's seriously the best choice ever!)

Ever since the back tire completely fell off my bike while crossing the Anderson/Russell intersection, I've been wary of riding my lemon bike across town. At least now I check my bolts compulsively! Bicycling is not my forte, that's for sure. 😛

 

[UCD Aggie]

I could use a little input from the 2013 folks...

I have been wanting to get my own dog for the past couple of years, but I have forced myself to wait. (way hard!) Now that I have been accepted to Davis I'm thinking of getting a puppy and training it over summer. I was just wondering if you feel like you have enough time, etc, to take care of a dog?

 

[Pomona2006]

I could use a little input from the 2013 folks...

I have been wanting to get my own dog for the past couple of years, but I have forced myself to wait. (way hard!) Now that I have been accepted to Davis I'm thinking of getting a puppy and training it over summer. I was just wondering if you feel like you have enough time, etc, to take care of a dog?

I cannot speak from experience (don't own a dog and have never owned a dog) but I have heard some of my classmates advise prospective students against getting a puppy when starting vet school simply because of the amount of time/effort required. Like I said, I'm not speaking from experience...just what I've heard...

Some students have adopted or acquired adult/senior dogs at the beginning or during vet school and have found that is manageable. Incendium should chime in here 😉

What you might want to do is wait until you get here and sign up as one of the dog walkers for the colony dogs. Those dogs are adopted out at the end of the year and you could potentially adopt your dog (or another). GeeQued can chime in about the colony dogs 😉

 

[UCD Aggie]

What you might want to do is wait until you get here and sign up as one of the dog walkers for the colony dogs. Those dogs are adopted out at the end of the year and you could potentially adopt your dog (or another). GeeQued can chime in about the colony dogs 😉

I've totally heard about this! Seems like a really cool deal. 🙂

Haha, for some reason I've always really wanted a doxen...which I would only want to get as a puppy. But yeah, older dogs are probably the better way to go.

 

[GeeQued]

I've totally heard about this! Seems like a really cool deal. 🙂

Haha, for some reason I've always really wanted a doxen...which I would only want to get as a puppy. But yeah, older dogs are probably the better way to go.

If you are thinking of getting a dog I highly recommend being a colony dog walker. You get paid an hour a day to take the dogs out. You have first right to adopt the dog at the end of the year (at this time adoption is free, dogs are fixed, vaccinated, microchipped, and went through a weekly obedience class for the first 10 weeks. You can take the dogs home with you, they just have to be back on the days they are going to be used for a class.

Sadly I wont be adopting my dog, my housing next year wont fit in another dog and I think she needs someone with more time (I have two horses and a baby on the way so I have a lot of time already committed out.)

 

[Pomona2006]

(I have two horses and a baby on the way so I have a lot of time already committed out.)

Baby horse, right?! 😉

 

[incendium04]

Yes! Adopt an old senior doggy that would love to just stare and pant in your face as you study all day/night long. 😛 Or even better, decide what you REALLY want is an undersocialized, stray dog that happened to appear in my mom's backyard (he had to know her daughter was a soft-hearted vet student...) but won't let anyone touch him, yet. He's a handsome, young adult shepherd/lab mix? 😉 My mom is determined to socialize him within the next week or so to human touch... I think she has no idea what she's talking about. But that is a work in progress...

GeeQued, where and when did you hear about the colony dog program? I don't remember getting any notices about it and would potentially be interested in it for the upcoming year (if I don't give in and go to the shelter one day...).

 

[ColoGirl]

Hmm, I'd totally do bribes - LOLcats, brownies, Dirty Jobs on DVD, anyone?
(I may be mistaken but doesn't Cologirl have a choice between Colo, Davis, and Cornell? That's seriously the best choice ever!)

I do love brownies I haven't decided yet, hopefully I will get it together in the next week or so and I will let everyone know. If I do decide to stay in colorado, I hope a SDNer gets my seat 🙂

 

[moosenanny]

Good luck tomorrow when you call the school

I have checked every mailbox at least 100 times per day! It would figure that the email would be lost in cyberworld somewhere; hopefully someone in a far away land has an acceptance email in their inbox! I don't want to be too excited until I see an email, but I guess one drink won't hurt since I have to wait until Monday!!

 

[eventualeventer]

I have been planning for YEARS to get a dog when I move out for good in to a place where I can have a dog. If GeeQued's colony dog is still there in August, I will probably adopt her (the dog, not the person). 🙂 I am planning anyway to try to move out to Davis late July or early August (RAVS in early/mid July), so that would give me and the dog a month to settle in. Definitely not getting a puppy for my first own dog.

 

[mickeyy]

I've been planning to get a dog when I graduate for YEARS as well! My plan is to get a puppy sometime at the end of April/beg. May and spend the entire summer training her/him until vet school starts. 🙂

 

[mickeyy]

So I heard that you start choosing electives for the first year based on what track you declare. Have we declared what track yet? On the Accept/Decline page, I picked "Research" for my focus area, but I don't think that's one of the main tracks of Small Animal, Large, Mixed, Equine, or Zoo. Is there a different time we pick?
Anyone know how this works?
And then, does it matter what track you are? For instance, if you declare zoo, would you be unable to find careers in small animal? And finally, can you switch what track you're on throughout vet school?
😕

 

[nyanko]

I've been planning to get a dog when I graduate for YEARS as well! My plan is to get a puppy sometime at the end of April/beg. May and spend the entire summer training her/him until vet school starts. 🙂

Owning a puppy that's going through its jerk adolescent rebel stage when you first begin vet school sounds like quite a draining idea. 😛

 

[mickeyy]

Owning a puppy that's going through its jerk adolescent rebel stage when you first begin vet school sounds like quite a draining idea. 😛

oh noooo... I hope not!
lol. my vet gave me the advice that 3-4 months training will probably be fine.