Has any one failed a course or needed to repeat a year in vet school?

[Seawolf420]

Hey all, second year Spring semester is giving me a run for my money. I feel like I generally understand the material being taught, but one of the courses I'm in I feel so far behind and that for every quiz/exam it is a complete 50/50 as to whether I do okay or bordering failure, and the tests we have had so far are supposed to be representative of the much larger exams coming up.

I was just wondering if anyone else has failed one or more courses and what happened? Did you have to repeat the year or were you able to do the courses over the summer? This semester is taking its toll on my mental health, so it would be nice to hear that failing a course wouldn't set me back permanently.

TIA

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[WildZoo]

It really depends on your school, every one has a different policy on course failures. Some have no tolerance, some you have to maintain a certain GPA, some let you retake. I would contact your school's admin or see if you can find that info in a student handbook or something like that.

Also, if you are struggling, please reach out for help! Talk to the professor about the things you seem to be having the hardest time with, see if they have suggestions. Lean on your classmates for help too. And if you feel your mental health is suffering as well, please get help. Hopefully your school has counseling resources available.

 

[battie]

I repeated first year of vet school (integrated classes, so you couldn't technically fail a single class; you failed a quarter or the year). I even was at risk of failing second year (not first year 2.0, but actual 2nd year), and graduated 132/133 in my class.

Currently doing very well as a practicing vet to where my co-doctors in my hospital were surprised to learn of how poorly I did in regards to grades.

Let me know any questions/concerns/discussions you'd like to have. Struggling in vet school is scary! Don't be afraid to ask for help!

 

[JaynaAli]

At the school I went to courses were only offered once a year. So if you didn't successfully complete a spring course and were allowed to repeat (more commonly you would just be dismissed due to the policies that I won’t get into here) you essentially had to sit out the fall semester and retake it with the class below you when it was offered the next year. The schedules really weren’t aligned where you could stay with your current class and courses weren’t re-done over the summer.

Is your school on a semester system? If so, it’s very early in the semester and there’s time to turn things around. Talk to the professor, and see if they have suggestions for study habits or can help you figure out why your performance is variable and you’re struggling. Try different study methods, different classes often need different approaches. If you’re not on a semester system it may be harder if courses are shorter but don’t just give up try to find some help. And also okay and bordering failure average out to decent passing grades so while you obviously want to do as well as possible, a passing average in the end is a perfectly reasonable goal.

 

[Seawolf420]

At the school I went to courses were only offered once a year. So if you didn't successfully complete a spring course and were allowed to repeat (more commonly you would just be dismissed due to the policies that I won’t get into here) you essentially had to sit out the fall semester and retake it with the class below you when it was offered the next year. The schedules really weren’t aligned where you could stay with your current class and courses weren’t re-done over the summer.

Is your school on a semester system? If so, it’s very early in the semester and there’s time to turn things around. Talk to the professor, and see if they have suggestions for study habits or can help you figure out why your performance is variable and you’re struggling. Try different study methods, different classes often need different approaches. If you’re not on a semester system it may be harder if courses are shorter but don’t just give up try to find some help. And also okay and bordering failure average out to decent passing grades so while you obviously want to do as well as possible, a passing average in the end is a perfectly reasonable goal.

We are on a semester system. I am all for the mindset of C's get degrees, so my concern is more that since the course I am struggling most with is cumulative that it is only going to continue to get harder. I am getting tutored though, so hopefully that keeps me afloat.

 

[yogapony]

Many people struggle as students and wind up being successful veterinarians. Some people struggle with test anxiety, some people struggle with particular types of tests, and everyone struggles with the volume of information. I would recommend, if you are able, to sit down with your instructor and/or tutor to figure out what happens during your tests. Are there particular types of questions that are challenging? Are you not retaining the content, or are you having a hard time integrating your knowledge and problem solving? See if you can figure out where you are stumbling, so that you can direct your efforts accordingly.