Already accomplished:
- Choose a vet school! I was accepted to three different schools and had a very difficult decision to make. I loved all of them when I visited, and I made extensive pro/con lists for each. I ended up choosing my in-state school, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, due to financial reasons. With the current cost of tuition and high interest rates on student loans, it was the only decision that my practical self could live with. Even though I went there for undergrad, I'm so excited for all the new experiences vet school will bring. Go Illini!
- Find an apartment and roommates. I got a great deal on a town-house style apartment that's less than 10 minutes away from the vet school! It was such a relief to get my living situation figured out since I have a dog, so that limits my options a bit. I also wanted to live with roommates to save money, but not knowing anybody posed a bit of a problem. I ended up finding a complex that provides roommate-matching services, so I'll be living in a 4-bed, 4-bath with 3 other girls. I'm a little nervous about having so many roommates, but hopefully it will work out for the best and we will all get along!
- Apply for financial aid. I filled out my FAFSA forms back in February, but had to go back and update them once my taxes were done. I received my award letter from UIUC, and now all I have to do is decide how much of the offered loan money to accept.
- Create a budget plan for vet school. I prepared a budget spreadsheet with both yearly and monthly itemizations in order to account for all my predicted expenses during vet school. This will hopefully help me to take out the minimum amount of loan money.
- Find a summer job. Just this past week, I finally found a job for the summer! I wanted something that would be low-stress so I can enjoy my summer, but would provide me with the necessary finances to pay for vet-school related expenses. I'm happy to say that I found a position that fits the bill, and I'll be working with animals! I should be starting this week, and I can't wait!
- Find a volunteer position. My boyfriend, Adam, and I just signed up to volunteer at an animal shelter on the weekends. Ever since I left my shelter volunteer position back in Illinois, I've been missing working with the rescue animals. I can't wait for Adam and I to spend our weekends this summer helping to make animals' lives better!
Still on my to-do list:
- Get my rabies vaccine series done. I need to contact my insurance provider and find out how much of the cost they will cover. Then I need to locate a healthcare provider in the area that will administer the vaccine for me. I've been kind of putting this off a little since it's annoying how overly expensive and difficult they make the whole process.
- Research scholarships. I'm hoping to get a scholarship or two to help decrease my student loans. I'm sure this will require lots of scholarship applications this summer!
- Get a new computer. I'm super excited to get a new computer for vet school, but this one will have to wait until after my loan money is dispersed. I've been doing some research, though, and I definitely want to get a laptop-tablet combo computer to make taking notes during class as easy as possible. Right now I'm leaning toward a Lenovo Thinkpad.
- Order my textbooks. Everyone says to wait until classes start before ordering your textbooks, but I'm so excited, I don't know if I'll be able to wait! I at least want to order one or two beforehand so that I don't fall behind on my studying from the get-go. I'll probably end up getting the dissection guide and the histology book before classes start, and then wait on the rest.
- Buy a new planner and personalize it. One of my favorite things about starting classes is buying a new planner. I have looked at a whole bunch of fancy ones, but I just can't justify spending $50 on a planner. I'm going to buy a cheaper one from Target and then personalize it myself with scrapbook paper, quotes, and stickers. Having a pretty and inspirational planner makes organizing my life and commitments so much more enjoyable!
- Read for pleasure as much as possible. I have a to-read pile a mile high, and I know I won't have much time to read during vet school. This summer, I want to read as many books as possible, preferably while laying by the pool!
- Spend tons of time outside. Being outside is so good for my mental health, and it always uplifts my spirits. I plan to do tons of hiking this summer, and hopefully go camping as well.
- Get into a better fitness routine. I tend to go through cycles where I work out all the time for several months, and then I become a couch potato for several months. Right now, I'm in the couch potato phase. I know that regular exercise is going to be crucial to both my mental and physical health during vet school, so I want to get into a better routine now. It's so much easier to work out regularly when you've already built up your endurance. I also want to take up yoga for flexibility and stress relief, so I hope to master a few basic yoga routines this summer.
- Take care of all my personal appointments before school starts. It's pretty common knowledge that vet school consumes your life to the point where it becomes difficult to even find time to go to the doctor. I want to take care of as many of those personal commitments as possible over the summer: doctor, dentist, and eye doctor, as well as a new haircut, maintenance for my car, and all Lucy's veterinary care.
- Organize my life as much as possible. I know that I'm going to have little to no free time once school starts, so I really want to streamline my life as much as possible to make things easier. This will include organizing my belongs and purging unnecessary clutter, simplifying my wardrobe, making music playlists for working out and studying, and preparing a recipe binder with quick and easy go-to meals for busy weekdays.
- Back-to-school shopping. I can't wait to go shopping for new school supplies, housewares for my apartment, and a new outfit or two. I also can't wait to buy all my veterinary related items, like coveralls, scrubs, work boots, and a stethoscope! And I need to find the perfect dress for my Blue Coat Ceremony!
- Spend time with friends and family. The final item on my list is also the most important. I want to spend as much time as possible with my friends and family this summer since it will be difficult to visit them during the school year. Being in Kansas while they are all in Illinois makes that a little difficult, but I'm going to try to make weekend trips home in May and July, as well as a full week in August right before school starts. I also want to do as many fun things as possible with my boyfriend, Adam, since come August, we will be going back to long-distance for the next four years...
I realize this list makes me look like a type-A perfectionist and overachiever, but let's be honest: that's what I am. I wouldn't have made it to vet school without my ambition and attention to detail! This is a long to-do list, but I am confident I can get it all done!
