So this last week I had my first three whole days of veterinary school. I'm officially a BUCKEYE! [O-H! and you say?... I-O!!] My lovely sister at OH so Blessed! suggested that I blog about my first few days... and that's a good idea because if I wait any longer I'll forget what it was like!
Wednesday, August 27th was our first day as the class of 2018. It was overwhelming. When I first walked into the auditorium and saw my 161 other classmates getting out their laptops, books, notebooks, and binders... it's the first time I really realized: "This will be my life for the next four years"... and that's an amazing, but overwhelming feeling. The people I'm surrounded by will one day soon become my colleagues. We WILL be veterinary professionals, and it won't take as long as it seems at this moment. While I've only been a veterinary student for less than a week, there's already a lot I've learned about both vet. med. and the logistics of navigating veterinary school. They are as follows:
- Leave earlier than you think is necessary; parking is not fun.
- Walk the dog before you leave, and then walk directly to the dog park after class. It gives both you and your puppy a break before dinner/study time.
- Be open to conversation with anyone, at any time. You have A LOT of new people to meet. Not just in your own class, but clubs/organizations, upperclassmen, and professors.
- Upperclassmen are one of your greatest resource for study tips/advice on how to balance school and fun. (If you are given a "big sib," take advantage of that. They are a great resource, and want to help you adjust quickly to your new surroundings and they know how scary it can be.
- Your professors all want to see you succeed. They WANT you to ask questions and learn from everything they have to offer. Take advantage of that.
- Study often, but take breaks and know your limitations. I will most likely study every night.. just for an hour or two to go over what we talked about that day and will talk about the next. It makes a difference without becoming overwhelming.
- Study in groups.
- There are 162 people and 162 seats.
- Some people get mad if you try to sit in the seat they have "claimed."
- If you don't get to class on time, the only open seat will inevitably be right in the middle of the auditorium. You will have to trip over 1,000 backpacks, lunch bins, and peoples' feet to get there, and you will distract absolutely everyone when you trip and curse your way to that seat... please don't.
- If at lunch time you're worried about sitting in a bathroom stall like Lindsey Lohan on Mean Girls because you don't fit in... Just stop. Everyone in your class has one thing in common: They love animals. Just go ask to sit with someone and ask if they have any pets -----> Perfect conversation starter for vet school.
- As a first year student, we will perpetually have the wafting aroma of formaldehyde. It's how the upperclassmen can identify us as first years. [Yay?]
- Even if you wash all exposed skin in the sink after anatomy lab, change your clothes, and febreeze yourself, you'll probably still smell like formaldehyde.
- Your notes packet for first semester will consist of somewhere near 1,000 pages.
- You will want to join every club or organization.. limit yourself. I've been told 7-8 is a good number.
- Lastly, BUCKEYES RULE!!! Our class had 162 spots. 1,417 people applied for those spots. Everyone wants to be a buckeye ;)
Look, I'm not an english major. I'm sure there's some rule about having a blog post mostly made up of bulleted lists....(I've never followed rules, sorry).
This semester will be great, and so will every semester after. [Because I have the power to make it so!] I'm so proud to be a part of this amazing class of 2018. Wish me luck, Let's do this!!!!
