I never really worried about signing up for a five-year course; friends would gasp at the prospect, but I’d always laugh it off for a multitude of reasons.
If I’m being honest, the part of me worried about leaving the security of secondary school was quite happy to have a set plan for the next half a decade, with most of the major decisions already made for me. It also helps that I’m a bit of a nerd and I’ve always enjoyed learning – not tests, though sadly they seem to come hand in hand – and anyway is it really “work” if you’re doing what you love?
Food for thought
Almost three years on and nothing’s really changed. I still love my course and where I’m heading, and no number of exams could ever diminish the joy of learning something new. But at the same time, as I approach the halfway mark of my course, it’s hard to watch friends I’ve made along the way begin to plan life after their own courses.
When everyone around you is getting ready to begin their next chapter – discussing dissertations and job markets and other truly terrifying adult-sounding-topics – it can be easy to fall into a slump.
The traditional “half-way meal” organised by the third years does help to soften the blow somewhat (food being the ultimate comfort), and also serves as a reminder that getting this far really is an achievement, one we’ve all made together. It helps to think of the next half of the course as the vet student’s version of “the next chapter”, because the shift to clinical years really is a different world – or so I’ve been told.
Mature student
It probably doesn’t help that I’m an old soul, but as you near your fourth year you can start to feel like you’re becoming the pensioners of the campus.
I’ve always been the kind of student who prefers an evening in with a takeaway than a night on the town, but even my avid-clubbing friends are starting to wind down now. The older you get, the more being surrounded by bouncing, wide-eyed freshers are going to take its toll.
I think the hardest part for me about still having so far to go is the constant desire to just get stuck in. When the Australian bush fires crisis began, veterinary professionals around the world migrated in to help and I would have jumped at the chance to have been one of them.
Preserve your virtue
Patience is key in any profession, but I think veterinarians acquire it the hard way. Nevertheless, there’s a lot we can do while we wait for graduation to arrive. Volunteering is the obvious example. However, if you can’t afford a flight to Australia, there are always issues to be tackled closer to home – working to preserve your local wildlife, perhaps at a rescue centre, is as good a cause as any.
Volunteering, work experience, blogging (ahem) or educating those around you on subjects of animal care and well-being are just a few ways you can spend your time in these pre-professional years.
It’s okay if you feel stuck, or in a slump, it’s a pretty common thing. Just don’t wish it all away too quickly, because I bet we’ll miss these years when they’re done.
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