Vet School Essentials: 5 things I bought, built, or scheduled before starting school

Everyone knows the basic things one needs before starting veterinary school: laptop, backpack, writing utensils, maybe an ipad and apple pencil to take notes, scrubs, etc. But here I am going to talk about a few extra things that I am excited to utilize during vet school.

1) A Whiteboard - I like to write things out and draw diagrams to make notes and connections while studying, so a whiteboard was a must have.

The thing I am the most excited about is the whiteboard Britain and I built (well, really she put it together; if I would have, multiple unnecessary holes would have somehow found their way into the wall - like when I attempted to put in shelves...). We went to Lowes and bought a panel of whiteboard for ~$17 and some mirror hangers for ~$10 to make the whiteboard flush with the wall, and it turned out so cute!

Here are the exact materials from Lowes that we used:

We also used a drill, a hammer, and a level that we already had.

I wanted a large whiteboard, so this was definitely the cheapest and cutest option for one. Usually premade whiteboards of this size are around $50, and we made this one for $27, a pretty good deal! And, I like how it looks. I even put it in a spot where it can be "hidden" behind my clothing rack when not in use - which was nice because my apartment has limited space.

2) A Crockpot - this might seem weird, but as students with little time to prep and cook for ourselves, a crockpot makes the work so easy, throw in some ingredients before you leave for school and it'll be done cooking by the time you get home in the evening.

I LOVE my crockpot - it makes life so much easier on busy days.

3) A Creative Outlet - for study breaks I like to have a creative outlet for myself. Personally, my favorite outlets are watercolor painting and baking. I can't say I'm a great painter, but I have fun with it!

4) A Lunchbox + Glass Tupperware - to hold your food for lunch, because nobody has money to eat out every day on campus while also being a student. I prefer glass Tupperware because it is much easier to wash and doesn't stain like plastic does when you put something like marinara sauce in it.

5) Prescriptions + Appointments - I did not want to have to be going to appointments to get updated prescriptions or refills during the school year, so I made sure to get all of them done before school starts. My dog and I both take medications, so I am constantly having to go pick up refills for both of us. To combat this, I made appointments for both of us during the summer and asked for prescription refills that will last us at least three months. This is going to be SO helpful when I have a busy schedule as a student and dog mom. Don't forget contacts/eye doctor, medications/primary care/veterinarian for your dog, haircut appointments (I have one Monday for a trim so I don't have to worry about it during school), vaccine boosters, ordering your pets preventatives/getting a HW test, or anything else you might not think of now but will be happy you remembered later.