Class of 2015... How ya doing?

[Minnerbelle]

We were graded on our dissection. It sucked.

At first, it was peer graded. However, you couldn't just give your classmates good grades because you got checked by the TAs and if you missed something you got points off.

Then why didn't the TAs just grade them???

Like... how do you grade those anyway?
-grp 1 had too much fat fascia left on the muscle -1
-grp 2 must have severed a nerve and tried to make one out of fascia -2. not on my watch!

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[that redhead]

Then why didn't the TAs just grade them???

Seriously! It seems like that sort of thing would foster competitive, nasty behavior among students instead of team-work and all that jazz. Eek.

 

[Lissarae06]

You were given a list of 5 or so things. If they had been dissected you would give them a check mark. If not, an x. Then the TAs would look. Part of it was to make sure you were doing the work. The other part (the grading other groups part) was to make sure you could properly identify stuff. Like if you said long head of triceps had been dissected properly but it hadn't you got points off for not properly identifying it. If I remember right, we had 5 of these evaluations. Like I said, it sucked. It didn't really make things competitive. We were all so paranoid about our dissections. We would figure out who graded ours and be like "how did we do? Did we do everything right?" Everyone was pretty nice about it.

 

[heylodeb]

Well, it seems like a lot of you are in full swing by now. Here at Davis, we apparently just bunt the ball instead...The last two weeks have been (dare I say it??) excruciatingly BORING. It's actually been pretty frustrating for me at how dang slow they have started us off. I know, I know...you can say what every single person has said - "Be glad for this time..."

We just finished what is called the "Prologue Block." Lecture titles included things like, "Functional Meetings"/"Intro to Evidence Based Learning"/"Intro to Reading the Medical Literature" It's not that this information lacks importance - I'm just super jealous of everyone who is studying hard and learning new things!

Next week should get more exciting, I can't wait to actually START!

 

[Minnerbelle]

You were given a list of 5 or so things. If they had been dissected you would give them a check mark. If not, an x. Then the TAs would look. Part of it was to make sure you were doing the work. The other part (the grading other groups part) was to make sure you could properly identify stuff.

that makes so much more sense. lol, i was imagining being graded on the quality of dissection and such.

 

[twelvetigers]

It's more of a completion thing than it is a quality thing. It's silly, but I'd imagine it's meant to ensure that everyone does what they're supposed to, and also to reinforce what you need to know by making you see it on another animal.

 

[that redhead]

Makes more sense now. I thought it was more of a "take points off other people or you get points taken off!" sort of thing. Good to know it isn't!

 

[CarpeDiem89]

ok I don't know about the rest of you guys but I am kind of freaking out... Everyday after school I spend time going over every subject and writing out extra notes on everything. But for some reason I still feel behind. I feel like I am not catching on fast enough and I am spending so much time studying but I still feel behind.

Like in anatomy when my lab partners are zooming ahead and naming off every single muscle, origin, and insertion and I still don't know half of it. Then I ask how long they study and it seems like not nearly as much as I have been doing. Also I want to come to anatomy lab everyday on the days after anatomy but the group did not really seem like they wanted too. So I end up going in there by myself and trying to figure out things but I don't even know if the muscles I am looking at are even the right names I am studying.

The stress is really getting to me. I feel lost not only in class but in this new town. I miss having my dog here but I don't know if I will have time for her since I am at school from 7-8am to 7ish at night so I left her with my parents. Does not help either that my long term relationship just ended basically because it turned long distance.

Week 2 starts tomorrow and thus starts the quizzing. I can't even sleep. Hence the 1am post.

 

[scb44f]

Do NOT compare your studying to someone else's! Everyone learns so differently that the time it takes to learn different subjects is different for every individual. In the end, all you feel like is crap if it takes a little longer to learn concepts, which implants a seed of doubt that could grow into a huge feeling of doubt later on.

The best advice I received was to not even talk about how long or how much you study, because it does no good to constantly compare when we're all in this together and should be helping each other out. If you do notice people are at a point where they have more down in anatomy, ask them what tricks they used to get there. You may find a new technique you hadn't thought of that's more efficient, when, if you had asked for time, they might've only studied for so long.

 

[Bearby]

ok I don't know about the rest of you guys but I am kind of freaking out... Everyday after school I spend time going over every subject and writing out extra notes on everything. But for some reason I still feel behind. I feel like I am not catching on fast enough and I am spending so much time studying but I still feel behind.

Like in anatomy when my lab partners are zooming ahead and naming off every single muscle, origin, and insertion and I still don't know half of it. Then I ask how long they study and it seems like not nearly as much as I have been doing. Also I want to come to anatomy lab everyday on the days after anatomy but the group did not really seem like they wanted too. So I end up going in there by myself and trying to figure out things but I don't even know if the muscles I am looking at are even the right names I am studying.

The stress is really getting to me. I feel lost not only in class but in this new town. I miss having my dog here but I don't know if I will have time for her since I am at school from 7-8am to 7ish at night so I left her with my parents. Does not help either that my long term relationship just ended basically because it turned long distance.

Week 2 starts tomorrow and thus starts the quizzing. I can't even sleep. Hence the 1am post.

First of all, calm down. I promise you that you are not the only person who feels like they're behind. In my anatomy group, there are 4 people - 2 of them seem like they know everything there is to know, and the other 2 (another girl and I) are not quite as on top of it.

If your anatomy group doesn't want to hang around and go over the muscles and stuff, see if there's someone else in the class that does. Like I said, I can guarantee that someone else knows how you feel. No man is an island.

Secondly, don't let the stress keep you from functioning normally. A little stress is good, it initiates the fight or flight response which usually kicks your butt into gear a little bit. Too much stress, however, can do more harm than good. You need to eat, you need to sleep, you need to take time for yourself or you'll go comepletely bat****. I know that I personally suffer from severe anxiety, and stress out so much that it becomes debilitating...and it's really hard to do well on tests or even study when you're in that position.

See if you can find a study group, look online for anatomy sites that quiz you on muscles and such, and breathe. You can do this! The vet school wouldn't have let you in if they thought you couldn't.

 

[Minnerbelle]

CarpeDiem, I think it's normal to feel that way even if you're doing just fine, so even if that feeling is uncomfortable at first, know that a lot of it will probably subside over time. Most people will always feel "behind" throughout vet school, so it gets easier once you accept that will be the case. It's virtually impossible to do all the readings ahead of time and review lecture notes from the day before, while studying for imminent exams. At first it can be really hard to know what information is really pertinent, so the volume of info can seem impossibly overwhelming. The best advice I've heard is to keep studying the way you are now until your first set of exams and assess from there. Chances are, you'll realize that half of what you're doing daily does not need to be done as thoroughly as you're doing it now.

Like in anatomy when my lab partners are zooming ahead and naming off every single muscle, origin, and insertion and I still don't know half of it. Then I ask how long they study and it seems like not nearly as much as I have been doing. Also I want to come to anatomy lab everyday on the days after anatomy but the group did not really seem like they wanted too. So I end up going in there by myself and trying to figure out things but I don't even know if the muscles I am looking at are even the right names I am studying.

ok, that's a really unhealthy mindset, and that has GOT TO STOP. Feeling inferior will only hinder your learning. It's hard to get stuff in your head when you're feeling intimidated (been there done that, and never again). Maybe your lab partners are lying, and maybe they're not about how much they study. Or, more commonly, a lot of first years tend to focus most of their studies on anatomy (kind of like how UGs taking orgo tends to focus all their energy on that). If your group is amenable, then say "hey, I feel a little behind, could you guys help me out?" And maybe let the other people do the dissection, while you spend lab time learning the muscles (origins/insertions can be learned later). If it helps, start at one edge of the part of the body you're doing and start identifying them in order. Ask if you get stuck. If your group isn't very nice, flag down a TA/professor or ask for help outside of class.

And don't rely on your group to study anatomy outside of lab time. You can go in yourself, with another friend, or schedule a time for extra help with a tutor/professor if you're really struggling. I went in almost at least once a week with my friends (not lab partners) to study and compare specimen, and that's when I did a bulk of my learning. I'm not sure what resources you're using, but if you're really shy about going into lab by yourself, you can try studying first on virtual canine anatomy or a coloring atlas.

Definitely compartmentalize your learning because if you go in with the mindset that you need to sit down and emerge 10 hrs later knowing everything, it will be overwhelming (I mean hotdamn, it'll be like "ok muscle 1 is located . . . its origins/insertions are ____, it is innervated by X, supplied by Y, drained by Z, it does this action when flexed if the limb is weight bearing, and that if not. holy crap! there's 50 more of these and it's already 2 am....") Do bones one day. Just work on identifying mm another day (or two). Then read the text if you want to about the finer details about function and whatnot with respect to origins/insertions. Don't worry about vessels and nerves until once you know the locations of the bones and mm, because it'll blow your mind trying to identify them since their locations are described with respect to bones/mm (and it's easier to learn what they supply/innervate if you already know the mm cold).

The stress is really getting to me. I feel lost not only in class but in this new town. I miss having my dog here but I don't know if I will have time for her since I am at school from 7-8am to 7ish at night so I left her with my parents. Does not help either that my long term relationship just ended basically because it turned long distance.

Week 2 starts tomorrow and thus starts the quizzing. I can't even sleep. Hence the 1am post.

The start of vet school can be a really tough transition (academically/life-wise), and it feels infinitely worse when others around you seem to be having a ball, but chin up! it'll definitely get better.

 

[skittles12]

CarpeDiem, I think it's normal to feel that way even if you're doing just fine, so even if that feeling is uncomfortable at first, know that a lot of it will probably subside over time. Most people will always feel "behind" throughout vet school, so it gets easier once you accept that will be the case. It's virtually impossible to do all the readings ahead of time and review lecture notes from the day before, while studying for imminent exams. At first it can be really hard to know what information is really pertinent, so the volume of info can seem impossibly overwhelming. The best advice I've heard is to keep studying the way you are now until your first set of exams and assess from there. Chances are, you'll realize that half of what you're doing daily does not need to be done as thoroughly as you're doing it now.

I think this is very good advice. I felt WAY behind when my first set of exams came up. Turns out I did pretty well on them. There really is no way to feel totally caught up all of the time. There is just too much information. We were told that you can't study from exam to exam and get by that way. Guess what? When you have 6 or 7 tests in an 8 week period, there's no other way to study. Keep up with each class the best you can, then when it gets close to an exam, try to focus more on that one class. That's what works for me at least.

 

[CarpeDiem89]

: ( thanks guys.

Hopefully I will get the hang of things. I felt a lot better at school today. Way more confident then I was last night. I guess I just sometimes doubt myself. We will see how I do on exams coming up next week...

 

[Coquette22]

So, day one down. We had physiology and four hours of anatomy today.


Oh god, anatomy.

 

[nyanko]

: ( thanks guys.

Hopefully I will get the hang of things. I felt a lot better at school today. Way more confident then I was last night. I guess I just sometimes doubt myself. We will see how I do on exams coming up next week...

Good to hear!

One note though - please please do not get into the trap of letting your exam scores too deeply influence your opinions of yourself. I see a lot of people fall into this and it's really sad. You are not your exam scores, just remember that...good or bad.

 

[that redhead]

Status changed to veterinary student, since I survived the first day and all. I washed the dishes and am posting on SDN as my down time and then I'm going to be oh-so-virtuous and ingrain the habit now of revisiting everything. Update on that in a few weeks

 

[CarpeDiem89]

Good to hear!

One note though - please please do not get into the trap of letting your exam scores too deeply influence your opinions of yourself. I see a lot of people fall into this and it's really sad. You are not your exam scores, just remember that...good or bad.

I'm hoping for a B

I would like to at least know that I am absorbing most of the information.

 

[LetItSnow]

I'm hoping for a B

I would like to at least know that I am absorbing most of the information.

I'm hoping just to remain in good academic standing. I suppose I ought to raise the bar just a bit?

(Joking aside, thank you nyanko, mb, skittles, for the advice.)

 

[CarpeDiem89]

I'm hoping just to remain in good academic standing. I suppose I ought to raise the bar just a bit?

(Joking aside, thank you nyanko, mb, skittles, for the advice.)

Fo shiz. Lets be real I just want to pass too.

 

[roughleggedhawk]

...then I'm going to be oh-so-virtuous and ingrain the habit now of revisiting everything. Update on that in a few weeks

Heh. Just finished reviewing all the physiology notes from today and am about to look over anatomy again, then histo for tomorrow. I feel all awesome and proactive. Wonder how long that'll last?

I am VERY glad I stayed for a fourth year of undergrad. I know if I hadn't taken all those 4th-year bio courses I'd be a bit lost in physiology right now.

Also, I can still smell the formalin from anatomy lab.

 

[lareinesoleil]

Status changed to veterinary student, since I survived the first day and all. I washed the dishes and am posting on SDN as my down time and then I'm going to be oh-so-virtuous and ingrain the habit now of revisiting everything. Update on that in a few weeks

That's my goal, too. I figure if I do some anatomy every single day, I won't be on the floor in the fetal position come test time. Well, I still might be, but not for lack of trying

EDIT: I changed my status too! It's official!

 

[Coquette22]

Heh. Just finished reviewing all the physiology notes from today and am about to look over anatomy again, then histo for tomorrow. I feel all awesome and proactive. Wonder how long that'll last?

I am VERY glad I stayed for a fourth year of undergrad. I know if I hadn't taken all those 4th-year bio courses I'd be a bit lost in physiology right now.

Also, I can still smell the formalin from anatomy lab.

What's up with the locker situation for anatomy, anyway? Some people don't have one? Or have to share? That's a little inconvenient.

I read over physio and working on anatomy notes now. I totally just left histo in my mailbox though.

 

[squibby]

In week two here at Illinois, we start out with 8 weeks of rotations. To sum it up, this curriculum rocks, it is going to help us all be MUCH better clinicians (don't know about you research people). I really like IL too.

 

[heylodeb]

In week two here at Illinois, we start out with 8 weeks of rotations. To sum it up, this curriculum rocks, it is going to help us all be MUCH better clinicians (don't know about you research people). I really like IL too.

Still wish you were here at Davis. oh well. I'm super glad you like IL! My mom's family lives around the chicago suburbs and I always enjoy going out there.

 

[pooter]

Well, after day 1, I've decided that Puppy the dead dissection dog is actively trying to kill me. The lab is pretty well ventilated, but I kept leaning *way* too close to pick at fascia and make out the individual muscle fibers . . . until a burning sensation in my lungs reminded me why formalin and living creatures don't mix. The lesson stuck . . . for about 15 minutes. Here's to hoping I can get through the year with minimal alveolar scarring. Round 2 starts in 9 hours.

 

[twelvetigers]

The dead smell bugs me way more than formaldehyde... probably because I have such a pitiful gag reflex. It's sad.

 

[StartingoverVet]

Well, after day 1, I've decided that Puppy the dead dissection dog is actively trying to kill me. The lab is pretty well ventilated, but I kept leaning *way* too close to pick at fascia and make out the individual muscle fibers . . . until a burning sensation in my lungs reminded me why formalin and living creatures don't mix. The lesson stuck . . . for about 15 minutes. Here's to hoping I can get through the year with minimal alveolar scarring. Round 2 starts in 9 hours.

Hint of the day.... keep your mouth closed whenever possible when in anatomy lab (especially when leaning over to see how things are going). No kidding....

 

[goldnretrivrgrl]

It's only day 2 and my brain hurts

 

[Bearby]

Had a mock anatomy quiz today (real one is on Thursday), and I must say that I pretty much rocked it. I still don't know everything about everything, but this was definitely a confidence boost and reduced my stress level a little bit. Now, instead of completely freaking out tonight and tomorrow, I'm going to just minorly freak out and keep on doing what I've been doing. Seems like it's working so far!

 

[HopefulAg]

Like in anatomy when my lab partners are zooming ahead and naming off every single muscle, origin, and insertion and I still don't know half of it. Then I ask how long they study and it seems like not nearly as much as I have been doing.

I feel like some people lie about how much they study, or their previous exposure to the material. I don't see how anyone could know all the insertions and origins of every muscle after only one week.

Anyhow, don't let it get you down. There's an amazing amount of information one can learn in a single day. Been there, done that, got an A on the test (and my *only* A on a vet school test so far!) If it helps, I found that drawing stuff out really helps, unfortunately I figured that out at the *end* of the year rather than the beginning.

 

[jmo1012]

I feel like some people lie about how much they study, or their previous exposure to the material. I don't see how anyone could know all the insertions and origins of every muscle after only one week.

to add to that, i believe (for my personal sanity) that when my classmates are flying through anatomy, they're probably not nearly as far in another class (where I am definitely strong). a lot of my classmates seem to be struggling with physiology right now but to me its fairly easy and straightforward, at least for now.

AND once you get a few weeks in, you settle in and relax out a bit.

 

[heylodeb]

so we got our 1st rabies vaccine today. (we can go as a class to get them done)
I was feeling FINE until I got on facebook and read about the other people who are having reactions. (nothing serious just some fevers, dizziness, etc) Now I'm feeling light-headed, my arm hurts, and I'm feeling strangely lethargic.

It's gotta be all in my head. Who knew my brain was so susceptible to input!

 

[Coquette22]

My upper year buddy left a pack of Sharpie highlighters and a mini-Kitkat in my mailbox today.

 

[Packen]

Quick "hi" from across the pond. Glad everyone is doing well so far, or at least somewhat optimistic We had to wrestle sheep today...lots of fun!! Watching the farmer use his border collies to herd them was amazing. Wishing everyone the best of luck!!

 

[squibby]

Still wish you were here at Davis. oh well. I'm super glad you like IL! My mom's family lives around the chicago suburbs and I always enjoy going out there.

Aw, thanks.

 

[goldnretrivrgrl]

Hey guys. I'm ashamed to admit this but I'm having a lot of trouble adjusting. When I'm actually at school, I'm fine. I enjoy the classes, have some friends, and overall am happy to be here. The problem is that I'm finding that I wake up really early every day , feeling anxious about what's to come. Not a good anxious either. And when I get home, I just feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I could or should be doing. I just don't know how to prioritze and make time for everything. Anatomy has so many pressing needs. Should I be reading ALL the dyce, studying the origins and insertions, or focusing on the lab stuff for tomorrow? Does all that anatomy need to be done before I look over another class's stuff?

And I know this isn't true but it just feels terribly like everyone else is enjoying themselves so much and at least handling the work, while I'm struggling not to cry as I type this. And the really poor sleep quality doesn't help with the emotions. I know I need some time to adjust, I'm just terrified that I'll always feel this anxiety. I had some trouble with social/generalized anxiety in the past and I'm so disappointed that it has returned so strongly. I just want it to go away again so I feel better. Overall I think I just really need a hug and for someone to tell me that they felt this way too and that everything will be ok.

 

[Bearby]

goldn, don't be ashamed. There's nothing abnormal about feeling overwhelmed and/or anxious at the beginning of a big change like this. As far as the anxiety goes, I've found that talking to someone really helps with that because they can give help you to overcome it. A lot of schools have psychologists on campus specificially for vet students and see students just like you all day every day. You're not the only person out there who feels like they're drowning. There's also no shame in seeking out help from a professional of that sort. I feel like there's a stigma against people who see therapists, but why should there be? They are people who can help you to be successful, just like professors and employers.

As far as how to study, that's really a personal thing, everyone does it differently. I learned a long time ago that I can't study in groups because I end up getting too focused on what everyone else doesn't know instead of what I don't know - and usually they're not the same things. Anatomy seems like the end of the world at the very beginning of but I promise you it is manageable. And you can manage it without completely giving up everything else that you enjoy. I'm the kind of person who has to draw or write it out and say it to remember things. I drew out the vasculature a few times and now that's like 2nd nature. I wrote flash cards for the origins and insertions of each muscle - and that's still hard. I don't know all of them, but I don't drill myself all day and all night because I think that your brain gets fatigued. I know that the longer and more intensely I study immediately before something, the less likely I am to remember anything. Again, this is all very personal. My only advice would be to give yourself some time to rest...even if resting is looking at info for another class that you don't feel so stressed about (for me that's histo). Remember to sleep, because your brain can't function well without it!!!

 

[jmo1012]

Hey guys. I'm ashamed to admit this but I'm having a lot of trouble adjusting. When I'm actually at school, I'm fine. I enjoy the classes, have some friends, and overall am happy to be here. The problem is that I'm finding that I wake up really early every day , feeling anxious about what's to come. Not a good anxious either. And when I get home, I just feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I could or should be doing. I just don't know how to prioritze and make time for everything. Anatomy has so many pressing needs. Should I be reading ALL the dyce, studying the origins and insertions, or focusing on the lab stuff for tomorrow? Does all that anatomy need to be done before I look over another class's stuff?

And I know this isn't true but it just feels terribly like everyone else is enjoying themselves so much and at least handling the work, while I'm struggling not to cry as I type this. And the really poor sleep quality doesn't help with the emotions. I know I need some time to adjust, I'm just terrified that I'll always feel this anxiety. I had some trouble with social/generalized anxiety in the past and I'm so disappointed that it has returned so strongly. I just want it to go away again so I feel better. Overall I think I just really need a hug and for someone to tell me that they felt this way too and that everything will be ok.

I am almost through my 3rd week and I can tell you that it DOES get better. You will relax into the schedule and start to feel better about your short comings. I still haven't figured out how to approach anatomy, it's a day by day thing.

I spent my first two weeks feeling either completely overwhelmed and on the verge of tears or in denial. I spent the better part of last week crying (I did have a couple of big things happen since starting school so that was definitely a factor) but this week I feel a lot better.

I spent 3 hours in the lab last night with one of my lab partners going over what we did this week. One of our partners is incredibly bossy, condescending, and hard to work with so the two of us have basically adopted a smile and nod approach to dealing with her (not sure how the 4th is handling it yet). but last night the two of us realized that when it came to muscles of the thoracic limb, we were completely clueless!

I think the main thing you need to do right now is make sure you get enough sleep. Try aiming for 7.5-8 hours for a few days because sleep makes a huge difference in how you feel and how well you learn. I love to sleep and I have been keeping it on my priorities list (for better or for worse) but it really does make a difference with regards to how I feel overall and how well I absorb the material.

Best of luck! Hang in there, it does get better As long as you're doing the best you can for now, thats all you can ask of yourself. You can slowly increase that demand over time to meet school needs and that way it isn't too anxiety provoking

I have decided that what I lack in anatomy, I am making up for in another class. Because I swear there is no stinking way that some of my classmates know every single teeny tiny detail about anatomy AND the same for 5 other classes. Can't be true. At least not in my head. Makes me feel leaps and bounds better.

 

[nyanko]

Hey 2015'ers having problems with anatomy...

I can empathize. I hated that stupid subject and found everything about it massively contemptuous. And that was with an amazing lab group, awesome instructors and a solid study group. Just abhor the whole idea of memorizing things that I still feel like were worthless to memorize.

Anyway, I made this thread last year during my struggles with the class and it might have some suggestions in it from fellow SDNers that could help you better deal with it if it's not conducive to your learning style the way it's taught. Good luck and it will be okay in the end!

 

[StartingoverVet]

Hey guys. I'm ashamed to admit this but I'm having a lot of trouble adjusting. When I'm actually at school, I'm fine. I enjoy the classes, have some friends, and overall am happy to be here. The problem is that I'm finding that I wake up really early every day , feeling anxious about what's to come. Not a good anxious either. And when I get home, I just feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I could or should be doing. I just don't know how to prioritze and make time for everything. Anatomy has so many pressing needs. Should I be reading ALL the dyce, studying the origins and insertions, or focusing on the lab stuff for tomorrow? Does all that anatomy need to be done before I look over another class's stuff?

And I know this isn't true but it just feels terribly like everyone else is enjoying themselves so much and at least handling the work, while I'm struggling not to cry as I type this. And the really poor sleep quality doesn't help with the emotions. I know I need some time to adjust, I'm just terrified that I'll always feel this anxiety. I had some trouble with social/generalized anxiety in the past and I'm so disappointed that it has returned so strongly. I just want it to go away again so I feel better. Overall I think I just really need a hug and for someone to tell me that they felt this way too and that everything will be ok.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GO SEE ASHRA Right away. She is a great shoulder to cry on and she can steer you in the right direction.. She has helped so many Pennwe's every year. She is completely nonjudgemental. Just saying that everything will be ok is not always the best answer. Penn's counseling service is really helpful and it is better to get a handle on this at the start before letting it snowball.

I am not saying it is going to be a huge problem, but it is always best to meet these head on. If you need any help at all, PM me..... I am close by and could give you guidance.

 

[that redhead]

I'm sorry it's rough for you, Goldn I'm kind of the opposite: I'm feeling good about the material so far but not good about the social aspect. To be fair, I feel like I make friends better through the classroom/labs instead of "forced" socialness but I still feel a little out of the loop. It doesn't help that I definitely feel foreign here. Not that everyone isn't super nice but I just don't feel like I belong. I know once we really get into classes it'll be better but for now, not so awesome. The bonus is that I'm studying a lot, right?

 

[jmo1012]

I'm sorry it's rough for you, Goldn I'm kind of the opposite: I'm feeling good about the material so far but not good about the social aspect. To be fair, I feel like I make friends better through the classroom/labs instead of "forced" socialness but I still feel a little out of the loop. It doesn't help that I definitely feel foreign here. Not that everyone isn't super nice but I just don't feel like I belong. I know once we really get into classes it'll be better but for now, not so awesome. The bonus is that I'm studying a lot, right?

i think you'll find that gets a lot easier as people settle into school and their new lives. i know things are slowly getting better in that dept for me as i click and unclick with more of my classmates. i have spent a lot of time feeling very lonely and isolated. i was supposed to be in school here with a friend who ended up in the hospital on day 3 and had to withdraw from the semester for medical reasons (since day 3, she's doing well now though). on top of not having my friend or roommate, i missed a lot of orientation dealing with the emergency which left me feeling like i knew no one. balancing school and life where i'm putting myself out there doing things i thought i'd never do has allowed me to meet more people. i'm bonding with some of my various group partners too which is awesome.

i know i keep saying it, but i really do believe it gets better with time because i felt the exact same way originally.

 

[Coquette22]

Not that everyone isn't super nice but I just don't feel like I belong.

Aw, I'm so sorry you feel that way. If it helps, I think you're awesome. I'm usually around if you need someone to hang out with (one of my housemates is a little er, intense and it's nice to get away from her) and I have my car here.

 

[bunnity]

Golden, I PMed you.

 

[goldnretrivrgrl]

Thanks for the support everyone. Today actually was better. I just got home a little while ago and don't feel so crushed under the pressure (right now anyway). My lab group is meeting early tomorrow morning to go over stuff so I hope that helps some. I will definitely take all your advice into consideration. I'm going to see how I do over the weekend but if I feel anything like I did this morning, I will go see Ashra and/or a counselor next week. Special thanks to SOV and bunnity for their PennWe advice.
Just to stress for the pre-vets, I've struggled with anxiety before, so this is automatically going to be a little bit more of an adjustment for me. It's not my intention to frighten anyone. Penn's professors and other academic support staff have been nothing but wonderful to me and I'm really lucky to be here. Hopefully, in the next few weeks my psyche will realize that too.

 

[PocoCalypsoQH]

Ummm, we just finished day 3 and I am totally overwhelmed by the amount of material. The thing that is making me the most stressed is that they keep telling us to stick with the study skills that got us into vet school....There's this teenie tiny problem tho....I have NO study skills! I never have. Did not study for a minute in high school and still ended up with a 3.5. Through undergrad I just crammed every night before the exams and got through with a 3.5. I know what I did in undergrad is NOT going to work for vet school. There is just WAY too much material. I feel like I have no idea what studying actually is. Just read your notes 10x through? I have no idea what I am supposed to do.

Aside from that, I feel like everyone in my class is all pals already and I sit there thinking, "When did all these people all of a sudden become friends?!"

I am not freaking out too bad, my problem is exacerbated by the fact that I am probably one of those people who does not have enough healthy anxiety. I should be putting in about 3 hrs tonight trying to figure out how to learn this stuff, but I just have no motivation at all. I just have no idea what to think at this point...

 

[BlacKAT33]

I PMed some people but I just wanted to say that being overwhelmed this soon is completely normal. Crying is normal. The first semester will be hard in many ways but once second semester comes you'll get the flow of things and classes become more interesting

Seek help asap because things will just get harder. Remember, majority of your class is feeling the same way but they are all probably afraid to talk about it because they also think that everyone else is doing fine.

@PocoCalypsoQH- I have always been the crammer like you. When I sought help first semester I was told some of the greatest advice that boosted my self esteeem. I was told that it is usually the crammers who do well because vet school is like cramming year round. You constantly need to absorb info then push it out of your brain for the next exam. Don't worry at this point about remembering every fact for all classes. You will see that next semester and the years to come all of this info repeats itself and it will eventually go into your brain long term. Right now, just imagine you are cramming all the time. In the end, what worked for me (and does not work for everyone) is skipping class and listening to the audio recordings at home. It saved me time and I understood the info better.

Also, people say you can't cram for vet school. This isn't completely true. I'm not saying to put off all the info for an entire exam. But when it comes time for a certain exam, you DO cram right before it. Whether it is 1 day or 3 days, you are cramming more info into your brain than you ever thought was possible. So study every night, but no matter how much you study in advance, be prepared to cram before every exam!

 

[Minnerbelle]

Also, people say you can't cram for vet school. This isn't completely true. I'm not saying to put off all the info for an entire exam. But when it comes time for a certain exam, you DO cram right before it. Whether it is 1 day or 3 days, you are cramming more info into your brain than you ever thought was possible. So study every night, but no matter how much you study in advance, be prepared to cram before every exam!

+1

I've always been a crammer by nature, and still am. I generally don't start studying until I get this sense of impending doom on a particular subject, and then I get right on it and don't stop until I have it down. My body's gotten really good at giving me that sense of impending doom at the right time depending on the subject. Sometimes I'll feel it like 1 week before the exam for something like anatomy where you can't get away from straight memorization. Or sometimes it's just 2 days before for something like physiology, where a couple days of really focused and targeted review of everything serves me much better than looking at the material everyday.

I've tried to be good and study regularly, but it always ends up being very inefficient for me (I'll nitpick at unnecessary detail, read things super slowly, etc...). I just make sure that I understand the material as it comes up, and if I don't, I'll spend time to look it up and read additional resources. But otherwise, all of the memorizing and putting material together happens in a couple of sittings. So no worries, there is a place in vet school for crammers. Not everyone works best by going through lecture notes everyday.

 

[scb44f]

Aside from that, I feel like everyone in my class is all pals already and I sit there thinking, "When did all these people all of a sudden become friends?!"

Secret 1: They're not all friends, they're just acting like it, so don't feel like you're singled out I'd bet there are quite a few of them who feel similarly to you.

Secret 2: They have faked it, and they made it, so try the same - talk to people around you, make conversation, etc. I'm not a big fan of study groups, but if you're curious about some topic, ask to study with someone, especially in a high-traffic area like anatomy lab where you'll talk to even more people. Friendships have to start somewhere!

 

[twelvetigers]

Just be friendly to everyone and see who sticks around. It's also a bit of circumstance - lab partners, people you ended up sitting by. Someone you study with. I haven't made any BFFLs yet, but I'm pretty sure I like about 96% of my class thus far. And the 4% simply has some undesirable (read: gossipy/hateful) traits that I'd like to distance myself from. It's standard fare.

The first exam didn't go wonderful, but I'm not gonna nut out about it. Cell phys is a bit boring (and disjunct as well, in this case) and the professor hasn't taught it before so there are no past exams and he hasn't figured out what sort of questions will make students throw a fit. He's figuring that out now. Neuro and renal phys WILL be better.