1.) I had no clue what studying really was. This seems odd- most people would assume that to get into vet school you have to have a pretty good grip on what studying is, and you probably would also assume that a vet student is good at it. I thought I had a handle on it, and I figured I knew how to best approach studying. I thought wrong. By the end of the midterms in the first semester I quickly realized I had no idea what I had been doing all along but it most certainly didn't constitute studying- at least not for this level of school work. And my midterm grades showed it, being so so at best. In undergrad, I realized that I could put in relatively minimal effort and my grades were always perfectly acceptable. By minimal effort I mean that in comparison to other students- I certainly put forth effort or else I wouldn't have gotten grades decent enough to get into vet school; I mean that I had to put forth less time and effort than a lot of kids did. I figured that since the subject matter was interesting, I paid pretty good attention in class (I thought-- I actually didn't pay nearly close enough attention), that I would be just fine with a routine amount of studying. Wrong. From midterms on in that first semester I spent a huge amount of my time dedicated to staying on top of lecture material, to committing details to memory. I gave up a lot of free time to study. I now know what studying in vet school really entails.
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| Class Halloween Party, 10/2012 |
2.) Free time is sparse- use it wisely! Once I realized that you can't just study for two nights before the midterm and expect to do well, I also realized my free time was going to take a big hit. People always said you go to school for 8 hours, come home and study for 5 or 6 more, go to bed, get up and study while you eat breakfast, and repeat. I thought this was an exaggeration- that was only for the most hardcore of people. The truth is it is somewhat of an exaggeration-- I left my breakfast time study free for the most part (except for before finals/midterms- then I usually ate and studied). Regardless of the large amount of time you spend with your nose in notes/texts you have to find ways to take breaks, or your brain will rebel and nothing will stick. I explored walking trails, the beaches, the city... or just walked away from the notes long enough to watch some trashy TV show that would allow my brain to stop focusing on something. I tried to make sure that if I was studying both Saturday and Sunday there was enough free time in there to get out and see or do something. If you don't incorporate free time, especially during finals, your brain will implode. (Well, maybe not but I am pretty sure it will be massively ineffective.)
3.) Your classmates become your new family. People always tell you that your classmates will be who you see and interact with the most. They aren't lying! You spend at least 8 hours most days with these people. I am fortunate to go to a school with a comparatively small class size (62 of us, many schools have 100+ these days). Due to this large amount of time spent together, and the activities that the class puts on, it is inevitable that by the end of the year, your class has a special bond. And much like families- you may not always agree one everything with one another, but you still know that if you needed something they would be there. I am proud to say I feel this way about my class. When Evie passed away several of them offered their condolences and offers to do whatever I might need to help us out. It's nice to have that kind of relationship, especially when you are not near home, and you are all stressed from the same thing- school!
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| Visiting one of the professor's farms! |
4.) The hardest part is NOT getting in! This is an old saying that gets thrown around a lot-- the hardest part is getting in! This is not true. Yes, getting in is difficult- just ask anyone who has sat through the application process, the admission interviews... they are nerve wracking and make you anxious. However, once you get in you have a LOT of work to do. See lesson 1.
5.) Grades are a number. They do not define your intelligence or ability to be a good vet. This sounds like a cop out from someone who didn't achieve stellar scores- and that may be... but the truth is that while grades matter for things like scholarships and internships they play very little role in your ability to translate what you learn in the classroom to what you can do in a practice scenario. Almost any professor will tell you this. It took a long time for me to accept that sometimes the grades I thought I deserved or earned were not what I was going to see in front of me. I did very well this last semester, but I still would have been annoyed by a couple of the grades if I compared them to my undergrad. Things are different in vet school- the grading is harder, the material denser, and the sheer volume of material required to learn under very tight time constraints put your learning abilities to the test. Yes, people do achieve all A's. Yes, people do very very well. Yes, you should continue to strive for excellence-- but in the end getting a C+ for a grade does not mean that when faced with the same scenario in practice you will only be able to respond with that level of competence.
6.) Your friends and family are your best support system. So many times I heard people say they didn't talk to their family for days in a row- or they called just long enough to say that they were still alive and well. I admit, I did not talk to my parents/friends as much as I used to when I was working full time, or like when I was in undergrad. I may have previously talked to my parents at least every other day, but this time around especially during tests I might go a week between talking. I had to set limits/time frames when I was free to skype. Does it put a strain on your relationship with your friends and family? Maybe-- but only if you let it. I tried to make sure I kept in touch with everyone I could through facebook, phone, e-mail and texts. It was compounded by being in Canada-- but ultimately when I was having a bad day or problems if I had alienated all my family and friends I would have had next to no support system. Having understanding friends and family made a huge difference in my ability to succeed this first year- it's important to work hard-- but even more important to maintain contact with those people who love and support you through the program.
7.) Lastly, I learned I will survive this! After the first semester midterm grades I had serious doubts as to whether or not I could actually do this. Just because you do well in the field (I worked as a tech for 6+ years quite happily), does not mean you can automatically have a leg up on others. You don't. Sometimes I had an advantage- the terminology, some of the cases we looked at, radiology terms and structures were not all foreign to me and gave me a good baseline to work with. I happened to have an advantage in the hands on classes and Parasitology. However, there was some stuff that was sheerly fresh material for me. I never took developmental biology so I had no basis for Embryology, and similarly I had very little background in Immunology. Epidemiology was utterly foreign. All of this could be overwhelming- especially when you realize that a test at midterm was 60 plus pages of material to understand and remember in less than 2 days time. I spent many a night during test time whittling away the hours instead of sleeping because I was anxious or nervous about a test. 8 tests spaced out every other day for 2 weeks or so is enough to make anyone doubt their capabilities. However, if you want something bad enough-- and I want this badly-- then you can and will survive. I'm proof of that!
I am beyond excited for the next semester. I know the second year, first semester of vet school is another intense semester with a lot of clinical applications, but I am excited. I know what it takes to get grades that are successful. I know I want to do this. I know I have people who support me, and best of all, I know that in the end the pay off for all the work, all the tears, the late nights, and the anxiety of tests will be worth it!
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