We Made It!

I can’t believe summer vacation is finally here. This time of the year is always a little bittersweet, bringing the freedom of the season -- no more midnight cram sessions and no more 6:00 am wake-up calls to make it to homeroom in time. Woohoo! -- but also making us a little sentimental as we watch our friends in the senior class graduate and move on (no more students to mooch pizza from at lunch!)

But, there are so many things to do and explore—I could career shadow, volunteer, read all the stuff I’ve wanted to during the year.

This year has been particularly momentous for me, and I’ve enjoyed having you tag along on my weekly discoveries and musings. I’ve loved your company and hope my stories and advice have proven helpful as you pursue your own adventures.

Although I was all set to graduate this spring, something tells me I still have some unfinished business to take care of at home. I think I’ll mull all my options for next year—pawing into each possibility, maybe even sticking around for awhile.

Have an awesome summer.

Woof,

Clyde

It's never too early...

To rising freshmen and sophomores, you may think you have all the time in the world to think about your future, but as my senior pals have told me – high school flies by pretty fast. One minute you’re walking in the door as a freshman, the next minute you’re walking across a stage receiving your diploma. 

If you want to get to graduation in a few years with no regrets, take a few tips from my friends:

• actually care about your freshman and sophomore years
• enjoy every moment – it goes fast
• high school only gets harder – it’s easier to start strong than try to play catch up
• be yourself – no matter what
• don’t worry about the seniors – they aren’t as big and bad as you think
• don’t sign up for everything that looks like fun – you’ll be overwhelmed. Pick a few clubs and commit to them. Soccer? Chess? Service club?
• write down all your activities so you’ll have them when you need to write up your resume
• high school isn’t bad if you pay attention in class
• never say you’re ready for it to be over because it will be some of the best years of your life
• every semester matters – but enjoy every minute

I can’t believe summer vacation is almost upon us, and it’s far too quite around here.

I’m going to take that last tip and go round up my friends…see if they’ll join me in the water. The summer, like high school, will be over in a flash. I’d better soak up every second. Who knows what ?????? August will bring?

Woof,

Cyde

Before you strut your stuff...

To all you rising seniors out there: As you watch your friends graduate this year, you’re probably faced with mixed emotions – you’re sad to see your buddies go, but you can’t help but feel just the tiniest bit superior because you have FINALLY made it to the top of the totem pole!

But before you get too wrapped up in how you are going to rule the school,

don’t forget that there is more to your senior year than getting that prime parking space, being first in line at the lunch counter (mmmm, chicken nuggets)

and, of course, wining the spirit contest at every pep rally. Your year ahead will be one of fun and excitement, for sure, but it will be also about buckling down and preparing yourself for that next step – your future.

Heed a little advice from the seniors from my school:

• Don’t procrastinate
• Try to have fun your senior year – take part in bonding with the senior class – you won’t regret it
• Always give yourself choices because you don’t know what can happen during senior year
• Pick the school where you feel most comfortable
• Look at more than one college and visit as many as you can
• Don’t be afraid to open your eyes to new places – branch out and be different
• Send everything in on time
• Find a college that you can call home and remember that what you get out of school depends on what you put in it
• Keep it simple
• Don’t worry too much about it

All that being said, have fun this summer, and get ready for your year at the top.

Woof,

Clyde

Got 9 Lives?

I don’t think so. If you did, you could do high school over again – in the classroom and in your extracurriculars. Since you can’t, you do need to know that if you are a rising freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, you’ve got time. R E A L L Y, you have a better shot at fixing things now than you ever will have again.

That’s a great thing about high school and college–when you start either, you have a clean slate. My counselor reminds students that they get as much out of the high school or college experience as they put in it, so . . . inve$t in yourself.

Funny thing – my counselor also notes that if graduating seniors take their own advice, they’ll do really well in college – in and out of the classroom – and in life after college. So don’t be up a tree like my friend here.

No matter where you are on the school scale – take heed of these words of wisdom from the Class of 2010☺!

If I could go through high school again, I’d:

• be more involved
• work harder and enjoy more things
• take harder classes
• stress less
• not change a thing
• actually make more of an effort in the classroom and in activities
• review more for classes
• focus on clubs and activities I was passionate about
• realize grades in my freshman and sophomore years mattered
• dedicate more time to learning
• try to reach out to others and try to develop more friendships
• try to hang out with friends more
• take it SLOWLY and not wish it away–it’s only four years

Graduation is almost here. Where will you be when you graduate from high school–accomplished or wishing for a do over? The choices are up to you–go out and make your mark. Give it everything you’ve got.

Woof,

Clyde

College Selection: advice for those in the passenger’s seat

Ever wish you could remind a parent that you, not the parent, are the one going to college? Just remember...raising parents is hard work. Is your parental type one of those swirling helicopter types, one of those hands-off types or one of the many parents that fall in between those two extremes? 

You’re in luck☺! Because my counselor asks graduating seniors to provide words of wisdom on lots of topics, some of my graduating senior buds have advice for you to share with your parents when it’s your time to apply to college.  
Here goes, straight from my ears to you – use as you see fit: 

 

• let your students choose, but help them stay organized
• don’t freak out–it only adds more pressure on your student–your student will find college choices that fit
• don’t do the paperwork for your student
• provide your student with a checklist to make sure everything gets done on time
• listen to your student
• go visit colleges with your student
• help make sure that the colleges on the list fit your student’s needs
• start with a big list...but narrow it down
• help your student weed out college choices by making a pros/cons list
• try not to suffocate your student
• be helpful and supportive, not controlling and demanding
• encourage your student not to procrastinate –timing matters
• you won’t accomplish anything by panicking
• keep an open mind
• encourage your rising senior to write essays the summer before senior year
• remember: your student will be at college by themselves
• talk to your student about your ability/willingness to aid with college costs
• support your student’s decision
• your senior really does care about what you have to say

FYI, my counselor says DO NOT THROW  ! She says the best approach is, after research, to make a reasonable vertical list, visit as many choices as you can, talk with college reps (and alums and parents of alums and students at the college from your school and college fair folks, and–you get the picture–anyone and everyone who can offer insight),do the paperwork in a timely fashion, apply for aid/scholarship/housing/orientation, make a decision, pay your deposit, and don’t second guess yourself.

L8R, 

Clyde

No time to blog, I've got to STUDY!!!

Seniors – If you haven’t finished your exams already, keep studying! While you may have already MENTALLY graduated, don’t blow your future because you just don’t feel like you can take one more test. Don’t forget – colleges can (and DO) retract their offers. 

Juniors – Your final grades this semester are of vital importance as colleges are going to be looking at how well you do this year as an indicator of whether or not you’ll make a good fit on their campuses.  Junior year grades are the last ones they’ll see when you submit applications!

Sophomores – Study hard! You’re two-thirds of the way there to making your academic impression on the colleges you’ll be applying to in another 18 months. 

Freshmen – You may feel like you have plenty of time to catch up just in case you don’t do too hot on your finals this semester – but that is not the case! Your grades now can make a big impact on your GPA. The lower you start, the harder it is to bring it up. 

With that advice in mind – Good Luck!!!! We’re almost there, friends, and I’m taking that last lap with you. I’ll see you at the finish line! 

Woof, 

Clyde 

Wake Up, Lazy Bones!

I know, I know, each and every one of you is counting the days until graduation, the last day of school, summer vacation, your trip out of town – whatever the case may be – I have a strong sense that I’m not the only one around here with a case of senior/junior/SUMMER…make that school – itis!

While the warm afternoons and pending end-of-the-school-year activities may make it hard to concentrate on that chemistry final, don’t spend your last few days or weeks daydreaming your classes away…or you might wake up to a nightmare!

Take the advice of some of my two-legged siblings – don’t forget to balance, balance, balance!

Take a study break and call your BFF to discuss hash out who was sent home last night on American Idol.

Put your Shakespeare down and go meet a friend for a latte – you’ll get a little R&R AND a caffeine boost.

Unearth yourself from the mountain of notes you have covered yourself with, and go hang out with your family for a little while – play a game

or watch a movie.

The key is to take small breaks as you go along that will help get you to the finish line without calling for the medics! Don’t burn yourself out…but don’t drop all of your responsibilities to party like a rock star either. You’re almost there…stay focused, stay balanced, and then, in the words of Kool and the Gang, (Never heard of them? Go ask your parental units) you can CELEBRATE!

Woof,

Clyde

Chew on this -- the vet school path, part 2

A snack, a nap, sunshine under a palm tree – that is living.

But, I digress . . . back to what I learned about being a vet.

Whoa! Guess what? Just like for medical school, if you want to go to Veterinary School, you can major in anything. I mean, you could be a music major and go to Vet school.

Most people don’t do it that way, but . . . what a concept! To be successful in vet school, you will need specific courses. Being admitted is all about being prepared, both with classroom expertise and job shadowing/work experience in the field. It is also about having the right people skills for the job. Some vet schools will admit students as undergrads, as long as they have the appropriate coursework and experiences, while others require an undergrad degree.

There are only 28 AAVMC (American Association of Veterinary Medical College) vet schools in the U.S.—not even one per state. Vet schools are looking for the qualified and committed.

An electronic application is used by 25 of the 28 vet schools (Tufts, Tuskegee and Texas A&M are not part of the electronic application consortium). The average vet school applicant, according to Dr. A, applies to four vet schools. Since not every state has a vet school, vet schools contract with states without vet schools to enroll students from those states. Auburn, for example, contracts with Kentucky and West Virginia to admit candidates from those states.

While some vet programs, like some med school programs, have a fast track/early admit, Auburn does not. Students should not get the idea that an undergraduate degree from the school where a vet school is located is an automatic plus in the vet school admissions process. It isn’t.

HA! Here is some good news☺— vet schools don’t look at your high school transcript. Your college science classes, your GPA, your science/math GPA and your out-of-class college experiences will matter. Don’t smile too quickly. That high school coursework is what sets you up to succeed in the tough classes you need as a pre-veterinary student. You need lots of chemistry– regular, bio and organic.

You also need to be grounded in physics and animal nutrition. Success in those college classes will be tough if you aren’t prepared for them in high school. NOTE TO SELF AND FRIENDS: pay close attention in class in high school, do your homework, and take the toughest classes you can.  One of your letters of recommendation for vet school generally must come from a vet. 

Another thing Dr. A noted was, although vet school admissions are competitive – once  students make it into vet school, most of them graduate!

A question was asked regarding what the biggest adjustments are that a vet school student faces:

• The first year is rough – 30-35 hours a week of class time with no real control of your schedule. You can no longer opt out of 8 A.M. classes. Lots of out-of-class study time is required. Our cohort of students is smaller and more homogenous than that of your undergraduate cohort.
• There are a LOT of lectures during your first year.
• There are a lot of case study reviews your first three years.
• Demands on you and your time will be hard, but you will bond with your classmates and form strong relationships because you go through a lot together as a group.

Dr. A noted that technology is playing an increasing role in veterinary studies. A tablet PC is required. Research is interactive globally, much like the video conference I participated in. Technology also allows professors to record and post lectures so that if a student is ill or has a family crisis, make-up work is more possible than it was in the lecture-only modus operandi.

Wow . . . that is a lot of information to chew on. I have a new friend – he is so new that technically he is being called Nameless.

I think I’ll have a chat with him about how you become a vet.   

TTYL8R,

Clyde

Career Info - byte by byte, in real time, with a pro

OK – I decided I like this videoconferencing thing. Today I went with students at my school to a video conference with Dr. Donna Angarano who is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Angarano is a veterinary dermatologist. Imagine that! I didn’t even know there was such a career option. How cool is that? I am, after all, a dog, so it is time I found out how my doctor got trained.

With me during the conference were freshmen, sophomores and juniors from my school as well as a couple of classroom teachers. Here is what we found out about becoming a vet.

What exactly is a vet? A vet, according to Dr. A, is a biomedical scientist with a plethora of career options. In fact, there are about 75,000 practicing vets in the U.S. and they all work in areas that relate to both animal and human health.

She noted that we could think of a vet as a doctor whose practice is not limited to one species. She also noted how important people skills were to vets. After all, most animals don’t show up at a vet’s office on their own! Clients – those human types – bring animals to the vets. Vets also frequently have to work as team members–while training, in running an office or practice, and/or in conducting research, etc.

Dr. A also talked about the need for vets to learn wisdom – how to use knowledge to solve problems, how to internalize facts so as to have a breadth and depth of understanding based on those facts. Being a vet is far more than being able to name bones, identify animals and give vaccinations.

Some vet schools track students into large or small animal paths. Auburn does not. In vet school, as a senior, a student would participate in clinical rotations. Although about 80% of vet school grads go into private practice, there are tons of other possibilities for vet grads to pursue. Biomedical research is an option. Working for the FDA is an option, as is working for the military. Vets can also be teachers.

Vets can specialize by discipline, too. Just about every field you can practice in medicine on humans is also available to vets as a specialization. You can be, for an example, a vet anesthesiologist, oncologist, surgeon, radiologist, dermatologist (like Dr. A☺☺☺), or a parasitologist, etc. You can even specialize in veterinary physical therapy, rehab or holistic medicine. All the meat we eat in the U.S. is certified by USDA vets.

Vets can also be involved in public health practices, especially in relation to terrorist threats to water and food supplies. When U.S. troops are deployed all over the world, vets are involved in assuring water and food quality as well as controlling infectious diseases. Dr. A noted that Lab Animal Health is probably the highest paying career option for vet school grads.

Hmmmmmmmm . . . the thought of steak gave me an idea – it’s pizza on the porch day.

I’m going to get some of that pizza, maybe with USDA certified pepperoni.  More to come on vet school.

L8R,

Clyde

What engineering is . . . and what engineering isn’t - Video conference info from those who know

What exactly is the best definition of an engineer? Dean Charles Karr, of the University of Alabama

made it very clear from the beginning of my engineering video conference that engineers aren’t people who looked for answers at the back of the book! He noted that engineers are problem solvers – people who provide effective and efficient solutions to real world problems that people care about. They push boundaries, frequently asking “why not?”

Math and science are important to all areas of engineering, but not in the high school homework way. The answers have to be found, not read! Engineers use their math and science skills and their inventiveness to make the world a better place.

Some things to think about if you are considering engineering:

• Engineering covers a wide array of fields–aeronautical, water supply, bridge and road construction, water treatment and usage, transportation efficiency, and environmental concerns. The list is limitless.
• Engineers need to know how to read, write, think and communicate effectively.
• The Dean noted that a quality college prep curriculum is important to success in a college of Engineering.
• The Dean also noted that while many entering engineering students have had Calculus in high school, Calculus is not a requirement for entering the study of engineering. Colleges of Engineering want first-year students to be Calculus-ready. This means their math background is such that they can step right into a college Calculus program and be successful. He pointed out that if a high school offers Chemistry and Physics classes, those classes would be great assets to an entering engineering student.
• Believe it or not, your creative side is important in engineering too.
• Engineering students today can participate in Engineers Without Borders, Co-Op, international study programs, have service learning experiences, and should look for opportunities to meaningfully participate in undergraduate research opportunities. By the way, they do all of this while also being engaged in extracurricular and community activities.

In terms of success in college, Dean Carr and Dean Whitaker

talked about a paradigm switch. In high school, you’re probably in class (counting transportation to and from high school) around 40 hours a week– 40 hours! (In case you’re counting, that’s 2400 minutes!).You might study around 16 additional hours a week. In college, the shift is actually being in class about 16 hours a week. That is quite a shift.

Dean Carr said, to be successful, you need to think of college as a job and put in 40 hours a week studying. He asked if that sounded like a lot and the students thought that was a huge amount of time. They wondered how they could do anything else but go to class and study?  He asked them about their current out-of-class involvements and basically proved that you can be a good student and be involved–it just requires discipline.

Dean Carr also gave some college selection tips: I’m always looking for those☺!

• Don’t go where your parents, girlfriend/boyfriend, relatives and/or friends think you should go.
• Don’t pick a college because your parents hate it!
• Colleges have personalities–find colleges and programs that fit your personality.
• Visit . . . Visit . . . Visit!
• Make sure your work ethic is developed and functioning well–nobody will push you the way they did in high school. Take it from me, YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE!
• Build opportunities–don’t wait for them to come to you. Network from day one!
• Set high expectations for yourself and for those providing your education and extracurricular opportunities. What can you do to take the next leap forward–what can you develop, invent, author, or patent, etc.?
• Be true to your moral compass. Braniacs with no compasses frequently fail.

Stay tuned - I like this video conference stuff! More to come.

L8R,

Clyde