Well... *Rant/Vent*

[Bonny]

Does your college offer tutor help? Hang in there & ask for help. Where there is a will there is a way don't give up your dream.

[Roxyluvsme13]

Thank you everyone, you all have helped me feel a little better about this.

Yes, we do have a tutoring center at my school, and people that will help with studying skills even. I know how to study, highlighting and reading stuff over and over and over, as well as flashcards, really help me, I just have to put the time into doing that and not study the night before an exam anymore.

I think I might go back and retake Chemistry this summer. I was going to take Organic Chemistry, at least the first half, over the summer anyway, but I might just redo Chem at a community college then and start organic in the fall.

[Kater]

If you have anything below a C, there's no hope of getting into vet school at all.

Nah, not true. There are no such absolutes. I failed a general chemistry class in college (Yes, an F). I retook it. Of course all that showed up on my application. I graduate from veterinary school in less than 6 months.

The 'vet school dream' is a marathon, not just a 5K. One slip up is not the "end-all be-all"...but you do have to make up for such mistakes in the long run. I am not sure exactly how far along you are in your degree, but it sounds as though you are still in the first half. Make that second half better than the first! It will take a lot of focus and commitment, but if this is truly what you want, then it will be worth it.

A good understanding of biology is important to this career, moreso than chemistry. I would definitely get a tutor when you retake that class. Maybe it doesn't come to you easily, but most of us can do well if we just put in the time and effort necessary to learn the material. Remember that your professors are great resources, too! Let them know that you want to do better and see what suggestions they have to help you improve. Studying in groups can also be really helpful for some, depending on your learning style.

Veterinary medicine is not the only animal career out there, so make sure you've spent some time investigating what veterinary medicine is really like and what the costs are....with regards to time, finances, work-life balance, school debt:salary ratios, etc. I would not dream of discouraging someone from pursuing this career path, but I would encourage them to do their utmost to understand what it is TRULY like.

Best of luck to you!!

[Roxyluvsme13]

Nah, not true. There are no such absolutes. I failed a general chemistry class in college (Yes, an F). I retook it. Of course all that showed up on my application. I graduate from veterinary school in less than 6 months.

The 'vet school dream' is a marathon, not just a 5K. One slip up is not the "end-all be-all"...but you do have to make up for such mistakes in the long run. I am not sure exactly how far along you are in your degree, but it sounds as though you are still in the first half. Make that second half better than the first! It will take a lot of focus and commitment, but if this is truly what you want, then it will be worth it.

A good understanding of biology is important to this career, moreso than chemistry. I would definitely get a tutor when you retake that class. Maybe it doesn't come to you easily, but most of us can do well if we just put in the time and effort necessary to learn the material. Remember that your professors are great resources, too! Let them know that you want to do better and see what suggestions they have to help you improve. Studying in groups can also be really helpful for some, depending on your learning style.

Veterinary medicine is not the only animal career out there, so make sure you've spent some time investigating what veterinary medicine is really like and what the costs are....with regards to time, finances, work-life balance, school debt:salary ratios, etc. I would not dream of discouraging someone from pursuing this career path, but I would encourage them to do their utmost to understand what it is TRULY like.

Best of luck to you!!

Thanks for the tips, glad to hear this from someone who is going through vet school and has been through what I'm going through.

I am a sophomore right now, halfway done with my sophomore year.

I'm going to step up my game, but if it seems I can't do that after next semester, I think that I will have to look into other options, a school change, or a career change.

[caseysmom]

I didn't mean to sound like I was raining on your dream, just saying you need to finish college no matter what, if one door closes make another one open. Really you need to put in the time in the library, your an intelligent young lady and this is the time in your life to set yourself up for your forever, make the most of it, have no regrets.

[k9krazee]

I wanted to be a vet since I was 5 years old. I went to school for four years and got a Pre-Vet degree. I decided in my third year that I wasn't going to be a vet - there were many reasons but I too was afraid that my grades wouldn't be good enough for vet school. My first year I failed 2 classes and redeemed myself after that and did well the next 3, but my GPA wasn't as good as I had liked. I ended up doing something completely different, and I'm glad that I did. If it's meant to be it will be, and maybe you're meant to do something else. I would have never thought in a million years that I'd be a funeral director, but now I couldn't see myself doing anything else. I know that I'm meant to be here. Or all hope is not lost, you just need to, like Kater said, do all you can the next few years in school, do as much volunteer work as you can and keep working towards your dream.

I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do.

[Roxyluvsme13]

I didn't mean to sound like I was raining on your dream, just saying you need to finish college no matter what, if one door closes make another one open. Really you need to put in the time in the library, your an intelligent young lady and this is the time in your life to set yourself up for your forever, make the most of it, have no regrets.

I didn't take it that way, I know you were trying to help . And yes, I know. I know I am smart enough to do this, I just really have to work hard at it.

I wanted to be a vet since I was 5 years old. I went to school for four years and got a Pre-Vet degree. I decided in my third year that I wasn't going to be a vet - there were many reasons but I too was afraid that my grades wouldn't be good enough for vet school. My first year I failed 2 classes and redeemed myself after that and did well the next 3, but my GPA wasn't as good as I had liked. I ended up doing something completely different, and I'm glad that I did. If it's meant to be it will be, and maybe you're meant to do something else. I would have never thought in a million years that I'd be a funeral director, but now I couldn't see myself doing anything else. I know that I'm meant to be here. Or all hope is not lost, you just need to, like Kater said, do all you can the next few years in school, do as much volunteer work as you can and keep working towards your dream.

I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do.

I didn't know that you had done pre-vet, Ashley. I'm glad things worked out for you and you found out what you were meant to do.

I'm going to see how next semester goes... but I'm trying to keep myself positive that I will do better.