What is a typical day for a vet student?

[Riscatto]

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I understand there are other forums, but I was wondering what the typical day is? Is it really stressful or easy to manage? Also how much studying and sleep do you get? Last thing, were you able to maintain a steady job if you had rent and other bills?

 

[orca2011]

Pretty sure there is a previous thread here that covers it. But very quickly for basic schedules here:
1st year - 9-5 M-F for the most part. Anatomy lab in the morning, lectures in the afternoon. How much you study is probably dependent on you but it's a lot. I didn't sleep a lot first year cause I chose to stay up late. Kind of regret that looking back.
2nd year -9-3 or 4. More studying due to more constant exams. Significantly less sleep during exam weeks.
3rd year - 8-4 M-F. For the most part, I slept more (gave up on studying after midnight) and we had more take home exams especially if you did blocks in the 2nd half of the year.
4th year. - too early to too late. currently I'm at the school from like 5AM-7PM and then have paperwork to do and research for cases/procedures until like midnight. Plus any night/overnight/weekend wards/patient care shifts. I'd say most of the time, I'm getting 4-6 hr a night. Some days are better, some are much worse. Some rotations are less intense and some are significantly worse.

Job wise, I worked breaks, summers and picked up shifts as a team leader for a club at a local shelter on weekends. I'm now on a list to work as a veterinary assistant in the school if there are days where they are understaffed, but I haven' been able to fit one in with the rotations I've been on when they needed help.

 

[Lupin21]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-vet-student.1001274/

 

[Ashgirl]

I understand there are other forums, but I was wondering what the typical day is? Is it really stressful or easy to manage? Also how much studying and sleep do you get? Last thing, were you able to maintain a steady job if you had rent and other bills?

Here's a few threads on the topic:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/what-is-you-vet-students-life-like.695554/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-vet-student.1001274/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/vet-students-school-life-balance.800522/

Overall, I would say the schedule is normally 8/9-3/5 during the week depending on the block, with lectures and labs filling up the day.

For me I normally try to keep up with lectures as I go, so I study about 3-4 hours a night after school (unless there's an exam then it can be 5-6 hours). Weekends I'm normally studying 5-9 or so hours a day, depending on what exams are when. Your mileage will vary though, there are people who study way less and way more than me. It all depending on your study habits and other life commitments. I personally have no problem getting 7-8 hours of sleep, sometimes less if I have a crazy exam week. As for working, I could never do it (I have to rely on loans). That being said, I think for the 10 people in my class that do work, they normally average 5-10 hours a week and do just fine (A few others tried to do more than 10 hours and absolutely couldn't do it). Again, it depends on you, so you may have a different amount of sleep, studying, etc.

One thing I learned quickly is that if something is important to you, then prioritize your time to make it work. For me it's running and baking. If I don't make time to do these things, I actually fare worse than if I tried to spend that time studying. For others it's sleep. For someone else it may be going out with friends. Regardless of how stressful school can be you can still find time for things you love to do, and it's actually important that you make time to do these things, because then school becomes easier to deal with (at least in my experience).

 

[Riscatto]

Thank you guys for the thread links and extra information

 

[Pugsforlove2014]

For me right now I'm in school from 8/9/10-3/5 depending on scheduling etc, this is first year. It was longer in the beginning of the semester but is letting up a little now. I usually study anywhere from 0-8 hours after I get home. (Yep that sometimes means staying up till 3 depending). Those longer days really don't seem to happen that often though. I often take nights off after big exams, just because mentally I need the break. I've actually had a couple weekends this semester where I didn't even need study at all, and didn't.
I have club activities sometimes, but I'm taking it slow since this is my first semester...Other than that it isn't really too bad. It's all pretty interesting too.

 

[Puffins]

I'm in school generally from 9-5 all week. I try to sleep about 7-8 hrs a night unless there is an exam I'm cramming for. I get up at 5 to study and try to get in as much as I can before school and I spend about half of my lunch break studying. I try to study at least 3 hours a day. I generally don't study much after I get home from school. I chill and hang out with my SO and pets. I'm in bed by 9 or 9:30. On the weekends, I study pretty much 8-5 both days. It's an important study time for me. I adjusted my sleeping schedule for vet school. I used to always be up past midnight but my most productive study hours are in the morning when it's blissfully quiet and my brain is sharp.