Congrats to all of you
I remember posting back when I was starting in 2006, it's sooo exciting.
It's very daunting at first. Sometimes it feels like youre being fed information through firehoses attached to both your ears
But you know what? There were only very few times where I felt like I had no life, was stressed to my limit, etc - sure, there are rough times, but you WILL be fine. The everyday life of vet school is not a death sentence on free time and happiness by any stretch of the imagination. Heck, I am one of the most laid-back, i-hate-studying-type people on the face of the earth - I made it intact
And don't worry about the initial volume in things like anatomy - these names and concepts will be repeated over and over and over as the years progress - they don't expect you to have it memorized for the rest of your life just upon hearing it once! Heck, I didn't really *learn* anatomy until I took musculoskeletal med, see what I mean? You hear it all again, and that's how you learn, repetition and application!!!
Words of advice: make friends with your professors and technicians early - the more friends you have fourth year, the better. It makes like so much easier when you have people around you that you are already friendly with. Doing a rotation with a clinician you never spoke to can be weird! But don't brown nose to do it - they know what is true interest and what is someone sucking up.
Also, rely on your upperclassmen. Books, scrubs, jackets, words of encouragement, and all that. Most are more than willing to help.
Get a mentor! I went through vet school without one and it definitely made getting info on career choice and residency difficult. I finally found one during my senior year, one of the pathologists I had never really met before because as underclassmen we weren't exposed to the research path people much. But I feel that if I had gotten to know the path folk back in first year, as opposed to third, it would have been must nicer.
Again congrats
I just saw this thread and had to post