From Kate:
My name is Kate. I will be starting at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in about a month as a member of the class of 2012. Words can't express my excitement (although...I imagine I will be singing a different tune a few weeks in:) ). It has been a pretty rough road getting to this point, and I still can't believe this huge goal I had is finally coming to fruition. My life and road to vet school has been amazing so far, and I can only hope it continues.
I spent a LOT....I mean A LOOOOT of time lurking around online at message boards and online diaries of vet students in the past year. Joanne's Vet School Diary was the first one I read, and I learned so much about what to expect from vet school. So, I decided at that point that if I was accepted, I would write one too. So, here is a little about myself to get people to know me a little better.
First, the normal where are you from, what do you like to do stuff...
I was raised in good ole' Nashville (and contrary to popular belief, it is mostly the tourists you see walking around with cowboy hats. I think a lot of people expect that most Nashvillians wear a cowboy/girl getup everyday, and that's what is necessary to fit in when visiting. But, I do love tourists!) I don't have a strong Southern accent, because both of my parents are from Wisconsin, so I am not really very southern or northern. However, I do say "y'all", and never really realized how weird it sounds to northerners until I noticed my WI cousins asking me to repeat it over and over...
My parents divorced when I was in 8th grade (no condolences necessary...we were all so relieved! I don't know how they stayed married so long). After the divorce, my 2 sisters and I moved in with my mom into a new house. I met my husband a few weeks later. Weird, I know. But, to sum that long story up, my future husband lived 2 houses down from me, and we were basically inseparable since then (with a few "breaks" in between of course). That was almost 8 years ago. We got married last year, and live in the very boring town of Manchester, TN (yes, this is where Bonnoroo is held!). We live here because Tim is in graduate school at the University of Tennessee Space Institute studying Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering. He will be transferring up to the main campus in Knoxville to do his PhD. And yes, I DO tell people he is a rocket scientist.
So, here we are in Manchester, TN. We don't have kids yet -- we're still trying to determine when that'll be possible, unless you count our 2 dogs and 3 cats. I know I married the right man because Tim lets our dogs sleep in our tiny bed (despite his mother's look of disgust when she hears this). That is 48 extra pounds we have to make room for, but we love them.
Ok, now lets see... Personally, I think I am the funniest person I know. Yes, it is true. I am gut-splitting funny. I get it from my momma. You'll see. You'll see. Other than that, I find myself to be independent in a self-destructive kind of way, such as, I have a very hard time asking for help. For instance, not long ago, I fell in my living room and my back went into these earth-shattering spasms. I was immobile for a good 15 minutes when a landscaper in my apartment complex happened to come blow my porch off. I am pretty sure a normal person would ask this man (the screen door was the only thing between me and him) to help. Like, maybe hand me the phone so I can call Tim or something. But no. I was too embarrassed and prideful to ask, so I dragged myself by the fingernails behind the nearby couch so he couldn't see me and stayed there until Tim came home. I imagine this will probably be something I will have to change once in vet school. I am INCREDIBLY long-winded, which I am sure you will all find out. I think I am trust-worthy and kind, but I find myself being a little cynical sometimes. I'm not big into corny, and I don't really like to hug others (other than my husband). I'm more of a hand-shaking kind of girl. I believe I am incapable of lying (lying well that is), which I guess is good. These are a few things about me.
As far as my educational/vet journey background go....
I started college thinking I wanted to be a vet. Then came Organic Chemistry. I am very strong-willed (this is what my mom calls me instead of what I really was when I was a kid, thanks mom), so I really thought long and hard before eventually deciding that it was too hard, and I needed to drop it. I pretty much decided there is no way I could be a vet. So, for about a year and a half I looked at other things; medical technology, research, etc., and then, I grew up. I had moved away from my friends and in with my fiance at the time, and realized I was in a better environment to tackle the beast that was O. Chem. I enrolled in it again, and this time went at it like a fly on feces. I stayed on top of that bronco until I got the A I worked so hard for. This is when my life changed. I realized no class was too hard, and that it just depended on how hard I felt like working. I actually even TA'd the Organic Chem 1 lab the next semester. So, then I decided I wanted to be a vet for sure, and applied to one school when the time came (Tennessee). (I will make sure to post my stats and admissions stuff in the 1st post, as I know I was curious about others stats when I was applying).
Well, I think this is where I will end my bio. Did I mention I am long-winded? The purpose of this diary will be to give potential vet students an idea of what to expect in vet school, and also to document the process for myself to look back on. I am looking forward to writing it, and hope everyone likes it too! Please feel free to message me with any questions/comments.
-kate
