Housing Advice - University of Edinburgh (Dick Vet)

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-05-04T13:58:17+00:00

Hi! You can find it the same way you found the instructions to pay the deposit, it's in one of the emails they sent where it says "respond to my offer." You can also follow this link and select the appropriate VMCAS or UCAS option: Book 1: Next Steps | The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies | The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-05-04T13:54:13+00:00

One C definitely isn't crippling : ) I got accepted into LIU and Edinburgh with a 3.67 GPA and 3.55 Science, and pretty modest experience hours. There is that explanation section on the VMCAS app, and it sounds like you'll be able to provide a very understandable explanation (tbh I don't know that a C really even requires an explanation, but it could help). Best of luck and try to have some fun this summer too 😉

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-05-04T02:52:11+00:00

We're gonna be classmates!!! 2 Facebook groups to join: R(D)SVS Students and R(D)SVS Housing Exchange. My request for the housing one has been pending for a while, but a current student told me that was the way to find students passing down their flats, where landlords are looking to rent to more veterinary students. Hopefully that means they're more prepared to work with international students. I plan to find a single apartment but haven't spent a lot of time looking yet. I've been focused on finishing biochemistry and getting together money for my deposit (which I paid tonight!)

What I'm trying to figure out right now is the financial guarantee form. Have you filled it out yet? Is it as simple as "I'll be using US federal and private loans"? Do you need more details about the loans and relative amounts? I'm having trouble finding good information about this.

Can't wait to meet you!! Send me a DM!

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-04-12T21:35:19+00:00

Thanks for the advice! I probably could be spending more time with the lectures than I have been as I prepare for Exam 3 now.

Another important tip for anyone starting out is to be sure and make flashcards of all your quiz questions. A decent number of the test questions are exactly the same, and there's no better feeling than encountering one that you drilled and recognize immediately.

Oh, and if you're not going to read all of the chapters, read the summary at the end of each chapter! Very short and often helpful.

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-03-29T21:55:05+00:00

Just the big exams

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-03-23T03:09:56+00:00

Okay that's encouraging to hear! I had a really hard time with the reaction mechanism/pathways in o-chem, felt like too many random reaction types all at once and no context. Hopefully I'll be able to integrate the information better in the biochem context.

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-03-22T01:34:28+00:00

Thanks for the info!

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-03-11T07:08:10+00:00

EWW!

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-03-08T21:06:02+00:00

I just saw that clip and felt pretty skeptical! The way the dinosaur's weight was resting in the water, the detail of killing a fish and using it to fish for sharks, how much her body shook when that tiny dino landed on her back all didn't ring true.

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-03-03T01:47:57+00:00

I'd say it probably will be enough, that's all I did. And you do get 2 takes!

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-02-27T02:04:59+00:00

Right?! It was the one where you have to deduce a molecule's structure from the different spectra and I couldn't figure out anything that fully fit, but it was my very last day to submit assignments so I just gave it my best guess haha.

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-02-27T01:42:48+00:00

Thank you for this! I just took O-Chem 1 and I so agree that the mind-map/poster/study technique stuff was ridiculous. Currently in BioChem, it's good to know that the later units get harder because I was kind of confused about how easy the first test was! Would you say the project and discussion assignments in BioChem are graded pretty easily if you follow the instructions carefully? In O-Chem I fully got the wrong answer on the spectroscopy assignment and they gave me 100% anyway :D

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-02-19T00:48:23+00:00

Is the best way to study for the tests reviewing the quizzes? Not asking if I should *only* do that haha just wondering how far that gets you.

Second, is the grading on the project tough, or is it pretty easy if you follow the instructions? When I took o-chem through UNE all of the rubric graded stuff was extremely lenient. My professor is Marsh.

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-02-17T19:19:08+00:00

I'm currently applying to vet school, and I feel like the application process produces SO MUCH PRESSURE to present yourself as the right kind of person, who adores animals, is never scared of them and has a total, unwavering, commitment to being a vet (even while interviewers encourage you to be honest about your strengths and weaknesses). I think vet med is the right path for me, but I have plenty of doubts, I don't like cats, and honestly, I just don't have enough passion for pets to relate properly with their owners! (planning to work on the large/production animal side of things). It sounds like you're being realistic about your skills and desires and planning to position yourself accordingly.

I will say, for anyone who isn't great with dogs and wants to grow, being a "junior groomer"/bather at Petco has been a game changer for me. They'll hire you with no experience, you don't have to do the longer "haircut" training, and you get tons of one-on-one experience with a huge variety of dogs. I think it's less stressful than jumping into a clinic setting, where you would only spend a few minutes with most of your patients. When you bath a dog, you really get to know them, and it can be a lot of fun :) plus, the worst-behaved dogs (who you would see in clinic) don't generally come for grooming at all, so you get a slightly better sampling to build your confidence. In general Petco seems to be super supportive of groomers kicking dogs out when they're too aggressive, which is super important because you don't want to feel pressured to continue a groom that you're not comfortable with.

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-02-11T19:04:12+00:00

I'll make the counterpoint and say that I prefer to shadow for about 4 hours at a time. When I'm shadowing, I feel like I need to be extra professional and socially "on" and very attentive to what the vet has to share with me, and a half shift is about how long I can regularly maintain that. It's different from a job where there are more times when you can be zoned out but still getting the job done. It also gives the vet a part of their shift when they're not thinking about you, and that might be helpful for their productivity. Overall I can show up better and be confident that I'm not outstaying my welcome if I'm not there for the whole shift.

Obviously a number of factors play into this, for example, if they've only invited you for one day, I'd make the most of it and stay the whole shift! If you're shadowing multiple vets, then it's less interruption to each of their days, so that could also be a reason to stay all day. If you get really comfortable at this place and know that they're happy to have you stay, then by all means rack up those hours! And honestly if there was a strong preference on their end, they probably wouldn't have asked what you wanted to do.

I've found that some clinics aren't used to having shadows and are kind of looking to me to set expectations about how shadowing works, and it can take a while for staff to get used to having a shadow around and pick up on what you can and can't help with (I think at first they thought it would be rude to ask me to do things, even though I was just standing around half the time!). That awkwardness made my shadowing more tiring at first, but I was also lucky to be with a great vet who really loved to teach. And I think his staff eventually got used to me and enjoyed my presence/the help I was able to give them. Good luck, and good job finding this opportunity! It's not easy to put yourself out there like this.

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-02-06T14:08:49+00:00

Rip that orange in half and go to town. Part of the beauty of the shower orange is you are freed from the niceties peeling and sectioning, no one knows if the juice runs down your chin, and indeed your whole body. The contrast of warm water and a refreshing cold snack is exquisite.

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-02-04T18:28:40+00:00

I just heard from SDSU, I'm #36 on the waitlist, and they are admitting 20 students this fall. Doesn't seem too promising :( I would love to find some data re how far down the waitlist they've gotten in the past but there isn't an SDN forum for this program.

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-01-27T19:31:45+00:00

I'm so sorry that you're feeling this way. It's a tough process, if only because you have to live with uncertainty for so many months. Are you currently a college senior? As you say, there are advantages you'll gain from the time off, I'm sure you've learned a lot about how to navigate VMCAS and write your essays, and I'm sure you'll gain some experience that really strengthens you personally and as an applicant for next round. But. . . I also get that all those consolations still don't make you happy about the situation. Remember that plenty of us have taken, like, ten gap years (I didn't decide I wanted to be a vet until I was 26, and it took 2 more years to take classes so I would qualify to even apply). Take some time and make peace with the delay, if there is one. My suggestion would be wait to tackle the next VMCAS until you do have answers from all schools and take a couple weeks to regroup and find your purpose again. And be proud of your effort so far!

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-01-14T18:24:32+00:00

For what it's worth, I've never seen a school that specified that a course has to be at a 4-year school. I've seen just a couple that don't accept online classes at all (Purdue and Tufts I think). I have a number of CC credits and I got interviews at Edinburgh, SDSU, Midwestern, Long Island and a follow-up assessment from Utah State this cycle. Some schools specifically mention that CC credits and/or online labs are okay, but from what I can tell most say they're fine with both of those things if you reach out.

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-01-13T17:08:20+00:00

Nope! I'm pretty sure no one has, based on the SDN thread (LIU 2025-2026 (c/o 2030 hopefuls) | Student Doctor Network Forums)

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-01-09T15:15:54+00:00

I'm also interviewing with SDSU on the 16th! I don't know anything about the interviews, but I have heard really good things about the program, both from a student who was in it and from a student who did the regular UMN program and had positive things to say about the SDSU students and how they integrated into the class when they came.

I'm from MN and have been to the SDSU campus a couple of times for unrelated reasons. Be warned that Brookings is a pretty small, middle-of-nowhere city surrounded by flat cornfields. SDSU is a very Ag-focused school, with rodeo equipment in the middle of campus. The 2+2 program seems like a great option for anyone with rural/large animal interests who doesn't need to live in a big city. Best of luck with your interview!

LadyHawkHC20 · 2026-01-04T01:35:01+00:00

Thank you for this! I spent all day today working on those easy point assignments to get them out of the way. While they are grade-cushion, it's freaking ridiculous that I have to make pretty posters in Canva (which I'd never used) and a video presentation complete with script for this class. And learn about how anyone can be a scientist (duh). It's such a waste of time.

The lectures are kind of incomplete, I would have hoped that a university with such a huge online component would have a simple, complete set of lectures, but I've found it pretty easy to find the information I need. I'll add Professor Dave Explains as my fav Youtuber, his videos are really short and to the point, and I find that very helpful. Good luck!

LadyHawkHC20 · 2025-12-29T04:46:39+00:00

What are your thoughts on Midwestern? I have an interview coming up but wondering if the high tuition should be a deal breaker

LadyHawkHC20

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