[JessicaLouise16]

Like most Veterinary students, I have wanted to be a vet from a very early age. Being surrounded by all sorts of animals since birth I guess it is no wonder! However I've hit 16 now and suddenly I've realised the sheer amount of pressure and good grades needed to become one of the most sort-after careers. I thought after receiving reasonably good GCSE results that my dream was becoming a reality and after being accepted into one of the best sixth forms in the country it only made me more enthusiastic! Unfortunately, now reality is that I am struggling with my AS's. I'm receiving Us/Es and a few Cs and Bs in my in-class tests and mocks and I'm so worried that my predicted grades will be awful too. I am very well motivated but can daydream like any other normal person but I was wondering if there was any hope for me at all? Many thanks

Jess x

[gingerbreadman85]

(Original post by JessicaLouise16)
Like most Veterinary students, I have wanted to be a vet from a very early age. Being surrounded by all sorts of animals since birth I guess it is no wonder! However I've hit 16 now and suddenly I've realised the sheer amount of pressure and good grades needed to become one of the most sort-after careers. I thought after receiving reasonably good GCSE results that my dream was becoming a reality and after being accepted into one of the best sixth forms in the country it only made me more enthusiastic! Unfortunately, now reality is that I am struggling with my AS's. I'm receiving Us/Es and a few Cs and Bs in my in-class tests and mocks and I'm so worried that my predicted grades will be awful too. I am very well motivated but can daydream like any other normal person but I was wondering if there was any hope for me at all? Many thanks

Jess x

Work as hard as you can, Vet/Med is a long road and a hard one. Even excellent students that work hard don't always make it.

I always advise people looking for the really top-tier courses to have a backup plan in case it all goes pear shaped. Aim for vet, but have a realistic backup plan in case you don't get the grades, that way if the worst does happen you're not completely devastated and have a backup plan.

[ofssinfoxes]

(Original post by JessicaLouise16)
Like most Veterinary students, I have wanted to be a vet from a very early age. Being surrounded by all sorts of animals since birth I guess it is no wonder! However I've hit 16 now and suddenly I've realised the sheer amount of pressure and good grades needed to become one of the most sort-after careers. I thought after receiving reasonably good GCSE results that my dream was becoming a reality and after being accepted into one of the best sixth forms in the country it only made me more enthusiastic! Unfortunately, now reality is that I am struggling with my AS's. I'm receiving Us/Es and a few Cs and Bs in my in-class tests and mocks and I'm so worried that my predicted grades will be awful too. I am very well motivated but can daydream like any other normal person but I was wondering if there was any hope for me at all? Many thanks

Jess x

Well, vet med is certainly a difficult course to get into.... and as you've said, it requires pretty good grades. All I can say is, try your best to bring your grades up, and if you're really motivated, keep up with your work experience (or start them now). If you can't get in during your first year, there's always the option of resitting your A levels. Alternatively, you can try the graduate route (take an undergraduate degree in something relevant, and apply 3 years later), but do note that it requires a rather hefty financial sacrifice.

Good luck!

[stef_vet?]

Don't compromise on your dreams. If you've been accepted into a good school and got the GCSEs then you will have the academic potential to do well in your A Levels. I too was getting Us and Es in my science and maths particularly and had to re-think the way in which I revised and put in a lot more hours because I didn't originally cater for the huge jump from GCSE to AS and I ended up with straight As. If you struggle with some of the concepts then it may be worth getting a personal tutor, even if it's only for one or two sessions, as they will be able to take the time to explain to you individually things in different ways and using different examples. Make sure you also have a tonne of work experience both to show prospective universitites that you are serious about studying veterinary medicine and so that you gain a better all round understanding about the role of the vet.

It's not for everyone, but if you're still passionate that it's the only career for you after undertaking relevant experience then there's no reason why it shouldn't be for you. good luck!

[jordanelouise]

(Original post by JessicaLouise16)
Like most Veterinary students, I have wanted to be a vet from a very early age. Being surrounded by all sorts of animals since birth I guess it is no wonder! However I've hit 16 now and suddenly I've realised the sheer amount of pressure and good grades needed to become one of the most sort-after careers. I thought after receiving reasonably good GCSE results that my dream was becoming a reality and after being accepted into one of the best sixth forms in the country it only made me more enthusiastic! Unfortunately, now reality is that I am struggling with my AS's. I'm receiving Us/Es and a few Cs and Bs in my in-class tests and mocks and I'm so worried that my predicted grades will be awful too. I am very well motivated but can daydream like any other normal person but I was wondering if there was any hope for me at all? Many thanks

Jess x

Hey! I was in exactly the same position as you in my AS year! I failed Maths, got a B in Biology and then a D in chemistry.. and for some reason i took photography and got a B, so they weren't the best grades ever! In most of my mock exams i got very low scores because i never took them seriously, i revised but very little! However my AS year was a huge flop and so i decided to spend an extra year in college I did modular re sits in the January and picked up my grades too A's I decided to not carry on with Maths and pick up Geog instead! I'm now in my third year at college and i have AA in geog and chem and i'm still working on my geography! What ever you do don't give up on your dream, I've only received one interview and it's not looking hopeful so i'm considering a gap year and i'm actually really excited to have a year out to do whatever i want! Just don't give up and your dream will come true eventually!!

[JessicaLouise16]

Thank you all so much for your kind words . I feel a lot less worried now. I am considering getting a maths tutor and have decided that if my AS results are not very good then I will look into a career like midwifery or something like that! Thank you all xx

[joshhardwick81]

Just work harder until you get to where you need to be with your A-levels. I have to say, it was the biggest worry for me about getting into vet school, luckily it came off in the end but it seemed like so much hard work at the time.
Don't give up, just try and focus on making your studying/revision as efficient as possible. If you feel like you work for hours but then nothing sticks in your head, then you need to change strategy until you find one that makes you remember things

As others have said, once you get to vet school the amount of work is an absolute bitch- so working like mad for your A-levels can only put you at an advantage when you get here!

Most importantly, stay positive.

[JessicaLouise16]

Thank you it means a lot - I've done next to 200 hours of revision for my exams that I've just finished (my last is today!) and I've been doing a variety of different activities - mind maps, writing out, past papers and I'm feeling a bit more confident! I hope it pays off


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[Erin01]

Hey, just a quick note to agree with everyone else - you are capable if you put your mind to it

in my AS year I got an A in maths, Cs in Chemistry and Biology and D in physics... what made it so incredibly difficult was that everybody had extremely high expectations of me, and I felt like I'd disappointed my parents and my teachers as well as myself. Safe to say I stepped up my game in my second year! I retook some chemistry and biology modules and redid my whole AS and A-level year physics in one year - my friend's dad was a physics teacher, so he gave me some tutoring and went through loads of past papers with me (my actual physics teacher sent me out of the class when I told him, he said 'if you need a tutor I'm obviously not doing my job, so you can leave'... we sorted it out afterwards haha). Anyway, I ended up with AABB ... my biology went from a C to a whopping 97% A so it CAN be done!

BUT my whole AS fiasco had me completely rattled and I didn't apply to vet med, and when I got my A-level grades I was still really unsure about my abilities and whether I would cope with a veterinary degree. So I went to uni and did a different course. Now, 4 years later, I got into Cambridge through the grad route! doing a degree first was great for me, because I feel so much more confident in myself and I know I'm capable and I'm good at what I do.... but this has come at a hefty price (literally... the debt will be hanging over me for the rest of my life). So IF you don't get the grades, or you get the grades but don't get a place, I would recommend taking a gap year and reapplying. But as someone said above, it is still a good idea to have a backup plan - look at other degrees and see what actually takes your interest, you need to choose something you will really enjoy and put all your effort into - whether you use this as a graduate route to vet med or not!

Good luck with all of your exams

[SilverstarDJ]

If retaking modules won't realistically improve your grades (ie if you will struggle to retake too many modules), you may wish to consider re-doing your AS year and start from scratch again. I know someone who didn't do well at AS, and moved to another school to start over, and then going into vet med. Not entirely sure what her circumstances were or what the reasons she gave to Uni for retaking a whole year. I know some Unis may be less approving of you retaking a year, so resits of modules should be your first choice, and retaking a year would only be your final attempt. However, it may be a viable option for you if retaking modules just isn't going to cut it. Be sure to have a strong application in other was too, and get as much varied work experience as you can. Good luck!

[JessicaLouise16]

Thank you all . This has really gained my confidence about VM. I want to do it so badly - I've got 5 weeks of work experience so far:

2 weeks in 2 different vet practises
2 at a farm
1 day at a laboratory
(the 4 weeks, because of how many hours I've done, according to one week = 37.5 hours, I have actually done 5)

Anyhow I also plan to spend 2 weeks at a rabbit rescue and 1 day in an abattoir (although I'm petrified!!). This is literally all I can fit into my hectic schedule! Do you think this will be enough to apply to Nottingham? I understand that Liverpool want 10 weeks an therefore the majority of people will have this, will this put me at a disadvantage?


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[Becky:)*]

(Original post by JessicaLouise16)
Thank you all . This has really gained my confidence about VM. I want to do it so badly - I've got 5 weeks of work experience so far:

2 weeks in 2 different vet practises
2 at a farm
1 day at a laboratory
(the 4 weeks, because of how many hours I've done, according to one week = 37.5 hours, I have actually done 5)

Anyhow I also plan to spend 2 weeks at a rabbit rescue and 1 day in an abattoir (although I'm petrified!!). This is literally all I can fit into my hectic schedule! Do you think this will be enough to apply to Nottingham? I understand that Liverpool want 10 weeks an therefore the majority of people will have this, will this put me at a disadvantage?


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Nottingham require a minimum of 6 weeks work experience so you meet their requirements. A lot of people will have 10+ weeks work experience but I think what matters is quality more than quantity and you seem to have a good range of work experience, plus having a day at a lab and an abattoir will make your application stand out If you haven't done so already maybe you could try and fit in some equine experience. You can also plan some work experience to complete after you've sent your application, you can just write about what you're going to do in your ps. What kind of farm did you work at?, because lambing and dairy experience is also good to have as well (and if you're looking for a large animal vet you're likely to encounter one on a dairy farm ).

[JessicaLouise16]

Thanks Becky. Yeah I just hope that they look at the quality not the quantity. I went to the vetsim conference at Nottingham and everyone has literally had YEARS of experience! I am so worried. I am also worried about my grades and my teachers are not behind my application. Do you think it would be pointless to just apply to Nottingham and leave the rest of my application blank? Would this be ridiculous? Yeah, I will look into equine.

No, I haven't had any dairy or lambing but hopefully, the farm will let me back in lambing time next year. Also, with dairy there are literally NO dairy farms around where I live. Ah, I feel like I'm making excuses. I'm really not.

[SilverstarDJ]

(Original post by JessicaLouise16)
Thanks Becky. Yeah I just hope that they look at the quality not the quantity. I went to the vetsim conference at Nottingham and everyone has literally had YEARS of experience! I am so worried. I am also worried about my grades and my teachers are not behind my application. Do you think it would be pointless to just apply to Nottingham and leave the rest of my application blank? Would this be ridiculous? Yeah, I will look into equine.

No, I haven't had any dairy or lambing but hopefully, the farm will let me back in lambing time next year. Also, with dairy there are literally NO dairy farms around where I live. Ah, I feel like I'm making excuses. I'm really not.

I didn't have years of experience, other than an animal sanctuary which I only did very occasionally so it didn't really amount up to too many weeks if it were condensed and got interviewed everywhere I applied, so don't be put off! I'd advise you get Liverpool's minimum (look on their site) of 10 weeks, even if you're not thinking of going there, as then you can be sure to meet everyone else's requirements. Variety is useful, and try to squeeze in as many weeks as possible.

It would be silly for you to apply to just Notts - why do you think you will not meet the others standards or if your heart set on Notts? You might as well apply to others. I found my first interview went awfully simply because I had never had even a practise one in my life! They are all different, but going to other interviews will help you learn from mistakes and gain confidence to talk about what you saw and know.

You need to meet minimum grade requirements at the end of the day and you should be able (or your parent) to persuade teachers to give you at least the minimum predicted grades.

Look further afield for dairy - do you have any family or friends who you could stay in the country? WHat about a B&B for a week or so? What about asking farmers if they have accommodation your could use (some do)?

Hope this helps and good luck

[Milliex_x]

What sixth form do you attend if you don't mind me asking? I'm going to be choosing a sixth form soon so just wondered which were the best ones to consider.

Thanks

[JessicaLouise16]

SilverstarDJ,

Thank you . I will try and see what I can do! I just finished my 5th week and have been invited for lambing next spring which I'm delighted about . I will look elsewhere for dairy!

I want to apply to just Notts as I do not meet the requirements anywhere else and so I will just be rejected :/. Sad but true! I am still going to await my AS results this August before making my decision - I'm praying! Literally on my knees!

I will search around

Thanks for all your advise x


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[JessicaLouise16]

Milliex_x one in Cambridge


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[SilverstarDJ]

(Original post by JessicaLouise16)

I want to apply to just Notts as I do not meet the requirements anywhere else and so I will just be rejected :/. Sad but true!

In what sense do you not meet your requirements? Is it just your grades? (you may be able to apply to do some sort of gateway/access course if you meet those requirements perhaps)

What would you do for your other choices then? My fifth choice really didn't like me having a vet PS when I applied to do cell biology at Manchester, and gave me higher grade requirements then Liverpool did for vet science which was a bit odd! Not sure how others react to you having a vetty PS?

[JessicaLouise16]

Yes solely the grades although I am yet to find out for real (in August). My AS grades will determine it for real.

That is strange!


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[JHP1996]

(Original post by JessicaLouise16)
Yes solely the grades although I am yet to find out for real (in August). My AS grades will determine it for real.

That is strange!


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If you don't feel that notts is right for you, maybe you could take a gap year, get some work experience and retake some A levels. That way you could get into the uni you want to and save up some money so you are little bit more financially prepared. I know it's an extra year, but it would surely beat going somewhere that you don't feel entirely happy about... I wouldn't want to spend that amount of money on somewhere that I don't believe I am suited to x


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