So, I made it through my first year of vet school. I think my grades will end up as follows:
Anatomy: C
Physiology: C
Microbiology: C
Public Health: C
Neuroanatomy/Embryology: B
Clinical Correlates: A
Which is a far cry from first semester:
Anatomy: B
Physiology: B
Immunology: B
Histology: B
Professional Development: A
Clinical Correlates: A
But hey, I made it through the hardest 4 months of my life this semester, and I managed to learn a few things about myself - mostly regarding studying. For instance:
1. I hate studying. I just really hate it. There are other people in vet school that it doesn't bother. Some even enjoy it. But for me, it's like pulling teeth.
2. I learn better when I study in groups. I can't be lazy and sulk about how much I hate my life, instead of actually studying.
3. I hate studying even more under pressure. For example, cramming for a test.
Every semester since I began undergrad, I have told myself, I'm going to do all the things I'm supposed to do this semester. Pay attention in class. Review my notes every day. But in the past, I have always told myself I am doing it for better grades/to be more successful. So it always falls apart after about the third week in vet school, when I quit caring and go into survival mode. So next fall, I'm going to go about it from a different mental perspective. I'm going to review every day and be as engaged as possible. But I'm going to do it because I want to suffer less. I don't want to have to cram before every exam. Because although I may be unhappy studying, I'm even more unhappy studying under pressure. Additionally, I think if I keep on top of things, I might even be able to study less (in terms of total hours) because I will be reviewing instead of learning things twice. It will be so efficient!
Aside from being miserable for the last 9 months, I also gained 15 pounds. My goal is to lose that by the end of summer. The plan is Atkins - we'll see how it goes!
Sorry for such a depressing blog post, but that sums up my first year of vet school. One upside is that I made two friends who kept me from going off the deep end, and they are both back here with me in Austin. Also, being a vet student pretty much guarantees me a summer job, so I have two. I will be working at Banfield for the first half of the summer and at an emergency clinic the second half. I'm so excited to get out of textbooks and back in the field (with animals!). And actually have physical activity as well!
And of course, I'm in Austin, the promised land, with my amazing hippy husband and four lovely children. It doesn't get any better than this. :)
