That’s right, I’ve officially completed my first year of vet school! It was pretty anti-climatic as we completed a rather easy final exam in Renal Physiology to end the year. Nevertheless, Spring Quarter came to an end over a few weeks that seemed like they would be rather overwhelming and leave very little time for fun.
I, as usual, was not willing to devote the last few weeks of vet school to just studying. I was determined to maintain the work-life balance that I had in the beginning of the quarter and maintained throughout — hanging out with friends, going to movies, out for drinks, and exercising regularly by swimming and rock climbing. I managed to do so up until the very end, only missing one day of rock climbing (the first day of finals week, due to lack of sleep — ironically not because I was studying all night). I was quite proud of myself for managing such a balanced lifestyle throughout the term and managed to pull off quite excellent grades overall!
Now it must settle into my head that I am now a second year veterinary student. That might take a while as I feel as if I just arrived! The time has gone by so quickly and I anticipate that it will continue to do so. It’s hard to believe that I in a few short months I will be helping the incoming first years with orientation and helping guide them through their first year. I can only hope that my laid-back attitude helps them relax and enjoy vet school rather than spending their time fretting over grades and losing sleep. I’m proof that you can manage both life and vet school while being extremely happy and well-rested on a daily basis and still achieve good grades.
Congrats class of 2013 on an amazing job and an unforgettable year! And good luck class of 2014 — I can’t wait to meet you all!