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So, I have my schedule for first semester, but I was curious what an actual typical day is like for current vet students. And maybe a typical weekend?
1st year typical day
- Thread starter sumstorm
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Here are a few:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=606998
But not many, and not necessarily first year. I hope you can get a few more responses!
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=606998
But not many, and not necessarily first year. I hope you can get a few more responses!
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Typical? lol. It really does change day to day. You have your schedule so you have those times set up already, but the rest of the day really depends on the person. Actually, believe it or not, there's a few vet students who skip class regularly too.
Most of the day really depends on what you want and need. If you want high grades and need to study a lot to get them, then you'll probably study a lot. If you just want to pass and only need to study a bit, then you'll do that. Lots of vet students around here party on the weekends, some every weekend. First year, at least at the beginning, will be a lot of figure out what works best for you. Finding your place to study, maybe finding a study group to get into (highly recommended) and figure out how to balance everything (okay, that might be an ongoing process throughout vet school and afterwards).
Most of the day really depends on what you want and need. If you want high grades and need to study a lot to get them, then you'll probably study a lot. If you just want to pass and only need to study a bit, then you'll do that. Lots of vet students around here party on the weekends, some every weekend. First year, at least at the beginning, will be a lot of figure out what works best for you. Finding your place to study, maybe finding a study group to get into (highly recommended) and figure out how to balance everything (okay, that might be an ongoing process throughout vet school and afterwards).
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Lectures from 8-12 and labs from 1-5, although you usually are done about 4...sometimes you're done at 3, sometimes not til 5:30. After that, often review sessions, club meetings, wet labs (The days that you are in the vet school for 12 hours straight are really, really long!).
Then its up to you, depending on your study style-I go home, take care of animals, make supper, maybe work out or go to rugby practice, then study for a couple hours.
You end up going back into the lab to study for anatomy lab or other classes, some people like studying at the library, I prefer studying at home if at all possible.
Weekends vary as well too-some people don't study at all. I prefer to do some studying because I'm not one of those who can pull all-nighters for the two nights before the tests next week. So for me weekends are grocery/walmart shopping, cooking, laundry, cleaning, studying, and sleeping for as long as possible. Theres often wetlabs or conference sessions you can at attend at the school on weekends too (if you want). Most of my classmates do not have jobs, and the ones that do mostly work 5 hours or less a week. A couple work as bartenders on weekends and get some more hours, and several guys go home to help out on farms/ranches on weekends.
Hope that helps a little, but every school and every person will vary. For me the biggest change from undergrad is the sitting in the classroom or lab from 8-5 without ever being outside...I preferred my undergrad schedule of classes, work, more classes, more work for some variety in my day.
Then its up to you, depending on your study style-I go home, take care of animals, make supper, maybe work out or go to rugby practice, then study for a couple hours.
You end up going back into the lab to study for anatomy lab or other classes, some people like studying at the library, I prefer studying at home if at all possible.
Weekends vary as well too-some people don't study at all. I prefer to do some studying because I'm not one of those who can pull all-nighters for the two nights before the tests next week. So for me weekends are grocery/walmart shopping, cooking, laundry, cleaning, studying, and sleeping for as long as possible. Theres often wetlabs or conference sessions you can at attend at the school on weekends too (if you want). Most of my classmates do not have jobs, and the ones that do mostly work 5 hours or less a week. A couple work as bartenders on weekends and get some more hours, and several guys go home to help out on farms/ranches on weekends.
Hope that helps a little, but every school and every person will vary. For me the biggest change from undergrad is the sitting in the classroom or lab from 8-5 without ever being outside...I preferred my undergrad schedule of classes, work, more classes, more work for some variety in my day.
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What is .... "sunlight"? LOL. This past week was our Spring break and it was really nice to just sit out in the sun. There are ways to get some quick peeks of the sun during vet school. Step outside between classes, it may just be 2 minutes, but for some it can really help. I tend to find picnic tables at tiny parks where no one goes to study at when it is nice out and not windy. If I have to be inside, I like to study with a window at my back. That way I'm not to distracted to look out the window, but still get some sunlight.
And I won't even get into sitting that long, gotta be the worst part.
And I won't even get into sitting that long, gotta be the worst part.
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What's interesting to me about it is that I was ready for the sitting part. I had a desk job w/ 9-5 hours for 5 years before coming to school. At my desk jobs, the total number of hours at work was about the same or maybe a bit more than the amount of hours spent in class and lab. So I thought the time commitment of class would be easy. It turned out to be kinda hard for me, and this is why. The big difference is that I find class and lab to be more draining. At work, my brain could be half on at times. Or I could take breaks, whatever. At school, you do get breaks (we have 10 min between each lecture and an hour or so lunch period). But you're basically think and trying to absorb and understand information pretty much the entire day. It turns out to be way more draining than working. At least from my experience.
No typical day but...
The longest class can run is from 8 -5. First year class will sometime start late at 9 and occasionally 10 and generally run until 3 or 4. Second year classes almost always start at 8am and often run until 4. Third year classes start at 8 and run until 5 most of the time but you have tues and wed mornings off unless you are doing your spays that week.
For the first two years you are done with class at noon on Tuesdays. The rest of the day is for selective (unless you schedule it some other time).
Unlike undergrad you don't have a class at 11am M, W, F, instead what class you have, what time, how long, and where are all up for grabs. You may not have a class one week and the next you might have it for an hour or two everyday. Basically you just get used to looking at the schedule every night to see what you'll be doing the next day.
Wetlabs for various clubs are generally on the weekends often 9-noon on saturdays.
The longest class can run is from 8 -5. First year class will sometime start late at 9 and occasionally 10 and generally run until 3 or 4. Second year classes almost always start at 8am and often run until 4. Third year classes start at 8 and run until 5 most of the time but you have tues and wed mornings off unless you are doing your spays that week.
For the first two years you are done with class at noon on Tuesdays. The rest of the day is for selective (unless you schedule it some other time).
Unlike undergrad you don't have a class at 11am M, W, F, instead what class you have, what time, how long, and where are all up for grabs. You may not have a class one week and the next you might have it for an hour or two everyday. Basically you just get used to looking at the schedule every night to see what you'll be doing the next day.
Wetlabs for various clubs are generally on the weekends often 9-noon on saturdays.
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I agree, though I'm not sure I could handle a desk job well either. I think class would be different if I could even just be able to take breaks when I wanted. I can go longer without a break when I'm fresh in the morning rather than when I've already been in class for three hours.
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I haven't ever worked a traditional desk job.... always worked physically active jobs that demanded a lot of mental acuity (and typically required me to be 'on' for more than 8 hours) so maybe that will help. Sitting still will be HARD! I am a kinesthetic learner as well.
I actually toured my future vet school last week, and our tour guide said the first year was the worst, in her opinion.
I actually toured my future vet school last week, and our tour guide said the first year was the worst, in her opinion.
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First year is absolutely the hardest, IMO. 1st semester of 1st year was hands down the worst for me. I've heard others day 2nd semester was harder though.
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1st semester took about 1 month to get started and then was painful until Christmas. 2nd semester started out hard and will be easy for the last month. Sophomore year doesn't seem too much easier, but at least there is no Anatomy lab taking up all of your study time.
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sumstorm,
After meeting some colleagues at NAVC this winter from NCSU, we have a pretty similar order of courses as NCSU. For here at UTK, the semesters tend to build in difficulty (1st year is definitely the easiest) with fall semesters being more loaded with difficult classes than spring. Unfortunately, we don't have many regular posters from NCSU, but since we're getting them in the same order, I figured this MIGHT be helpful.
After meeting some colleagues at NAVC this winter from NCSU, we have a pretty similar order of courses as NCSU. For here at UTK, the semesters tend to build in difficulty (1st year is definitely the easiest) with fall semesters being more loaded with difficult classes than spring. Unfortunately, we don't have many regular posters from NCSU, but since we're getting them in the same order, I figured this MIGHT be helpful.
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Class in the morning usually 8-12. Hour break for lunch with labs in the afternoon. Most of the work comes after classes are over when you go home and go over everything plus find time to study for upcoming tests. It's SO easy to fall behind. First semester didn't seem so bad for me compared to 2nd semester where classes got a bit harder. The hardest part for me has been figuring out how to study better and more efficiently. Quantity does not always equal quality. Looking back to my undergrad, I could've done so much better if I put the effort into studying that I do now. Just try to stay level-headed because stress only makes it worse. Don't think about all you have to do, just get it done the best you can!
Oh, and bring caffeine and snacks. It helps soo much!!
Oh, and bring caffeine and snacks. It helps soo much!!
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Any study tips that worked well for you?
I love lists so here we go.
1. Re-write your notes. Every day! It forces you to look at what you did that day so it's not totally foreign the next time you see it. (and you understand the next day when they build off it) It's harder to do with power-point lectures but go over the key points and jot them down. Just writing things over and over helps cement it in your head. (This is also helpful when you have fast-paced teachers and your notes are pretty much scribbled as fast as you can get them down, with smoke trails coming off the paper! I went back and made them all neat, added extra points, filled in missing things, etc) Same goes for drawing pictures, mechanisms, physiologic pathways, etc etc. I just figured the last one out after doing bad on a test and then studying with a group, I realized how much it helped to draw out the pathways. Just reading them in your notes does not help!
2. That brings me to...study groups! I always considered myself an individual learner that didn't do well in groups. Someone always seemed more prepared and I just got lost. I found in vet school that you can always find someone in the same boat as you or at your same "level". Just hearing things worded a different way or having them point out something you overlooked before is a HUGE help. I have a friend who is a fricking genius in vet school and as much as it intimidated me to study with her, she quizzed me and made me draw things and I ended up being like, wow, that really helped! (and it helped her too)
3. For anatomy, I colored every single picture in that book. Being able to look at muscles isolated away from all the other lines running around the picture made it a lot easier. I also drew huge charts (overachiever alert) of arterial and nerve pathways (where they started, where they went), muscle attachments, blood flow, muscle attachment sites on bones, etc. I also traced the bones and drew in the different important parts. Nerd, I know. But it helped!
4. I always make a study guide for tests. It helps to organize my thoughts into what was important and what wasn't, and to see a pathway for thinking, if that makes sense!
5. For the love of all that is chocolate, read the book. People may not agree with me on this (maybe they have better teachers or are just smarter than me?) but it really helped me to get extra info on confusing things or to put together what my teacher said that day. When you are writing notes so fast, you almost don't have time to think about what you're writing. So when you look at your notes after reading the relevant part of the book, you're like, oh that's what I meant to write!
It might not be necessary for all things, but it helps.Wow, reading over that makes me wonder how I even have time to sit here and type this! Sorry for such a long-winded reply. I guess PM me next time!
With a little time-management, patience (and ice cream in my case), you can get the job done! Best of luck.- Joined
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One study tip which probably helped me the most:
Do not ever get stuck on going over every detail. You need to just focus on what you are doing and just keep moving on. You will feel like you are never going to be "caught up" so just remember to keep on going....
Do not ever get stuck on going over every detail. You need to just focus on what you are doing and just keep moving on. You will feel like you are never going to be "caught up" so just remember to keep on going....
