The past six months have been completely life changing. In February, I moved 400 kilometres away from home into my own room on campus at university, to begin my dream course: a Bachelor of Veterinary Science.
I’ve wanted to be a vet ever since I was young, my earliest memory of wanting this career path being from the age of five. At the time, I wanted to be a vet nurse because I “didn’t want to cut up the animals” – as I matured, of course, becoming a veterinarian was the path I wanted to follow.
Moving away from home, my family and my two beloved pets to a city where I did not know anyone was tough, especially since I find it difficult to meet new people – let alone two different groups (friends in the college I live in and friends doing the same course I am)! Luckily, though, I met three amazing girls in my block at college and another four who are in my course.
The university initiation that is O Week was, for me, rather a chance to relax and settle in to my new home than a week of partying. I was underage for the entire semester, turning 18 at the beginning of exam week, so I was not able to “live a college lifestyle” as some would put it.
University was both exactly how I thought it would be and the polar opposite at the same time. As much as high school tries to prepare you for university life, nothing they told me helped me one bit. Nothing could have prepared me for the sudden, immense workload, the long hours (I wish I was doing a course which only required two hours a day like most people I know) and the sudden reliance on self-motivation.
Don’t get me wrong, I did well in school. I graduated in the top three of my year level, but university is somehow different. In high school, I had all the help I needed and all it took was asking a teacher. Lecturers are far more intimidating – I have classes containing up to 520 students so everything is very impersonal. I did not have issues remembering due dates of assignments or quizzes unlike some people I know, but the lack of help regarding content was unsettling for me. Soon, after receiving the results of my first few assignments and tests, I discovered that doing well in high school certainly does not mean that you do well at university. I found myself slipping to the middle of the pack – not doing fantastically well but not doing horribly either.
It’s an odd feeling, going from a five-year lifestyle of expecting A grades and being disappointed in a B+, to another five-year lifestyle of being over the moon by passing the subject. It’s certainly tough, but it’s something that I have to deal with to work in the career of my dreams.
First semester wasn’t everything I expected it to be. First, I have to learn the basics – three of my four subjects included Chemistry, Biochemistry/Immunology and Biodiversity, which mainly covered concepts taught in high school but at a much higher level. My fourth subject was finally veterinary-related, but taught mainly ethics and industry knowledge rather than clinical skills.
As much as the theory sucked, the weekly practicals occasionally offered some fun. As a part of my assessment, I got to play with beautiful Thoroughbred and Standardbred horses, docile-natured cows and young (yet stubborn) sheep. Jumping straight into large animals rather than starting with cats and dogs was quite difficult for me, having never handled large, potentially dangerous animals before! Fortunately, I passed the practical assessment, which also included basic syringe handling in addition to basic clinical examination (mmmm, rectal temperatures).
Despite spending every night at my desk studying or working on an assignment, come SWOTVAC week I was completely unprepared for any of my exams. Trying to cram thirteen weeks of work into one week was hell, resulting in stress, late nights and a miserable few weeks. I went into my exams expecting to barely pass, which I think I did in three of my four subjects – one, however, was a 150 question multiple choice exam, of which I confidently answered maybe 8 questions. Fortunately, I passed the semester with one High Distinction, a Distinction and two Credits – much more than I was expecting!
By far one of the hardest things about my first semester of university was leaving home. I left behind my boyfriend to start a long-distance relationship, which was tough but we made it. I left my pets, my companions, one of the only forms of stress relief I had. I left my family, my mother, my rock. I was on my own and it sucked. I was able to come home for a week over Easter, but that didn’t stop me from longing to come home at the end of semester.
As much as this sounds like I hated university, I certainly have a love-hate relationship with it. I don’t want to go back, but when I go back I will be happy to be in my routine again. It’s going to be a long five years, but I’m already one tenth of the way to becoming a qualified veterinarian!
One down, nine to go.
Sarah May xx
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