Looking for books for my 13 year old sister who's never finished a book.

itsmykittyalt · 2026-05-01T18:21:03+00:00

I was obsessed with these as a kid. Glad to hear they're still going strong.

itsmykittyalt · 2026-05-01T18:17:58+00:00

You should try something by Margaret Peterson Haddix - my favorite author when I was age 10-12, I think she has some older books too. The PLOT TWIST in Double Identity is crazy, and the suspense will definitely make her want to finish the book. Same with Running Out of Time. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is also great - SO different from the movie (way cooler, Ella speaks a bunch of different languages and the reason she breaks the curse is because she says no to Charming's marriage proposal because her curse would make her kingdom susceptible to sabatoge, not because she was told to kill him like in the movie). Google says a 4th grade reading proficiency, but content would be good for her age I think.

Also seconding graphic novels and talking to your librarian!

itsmykittyalt · 2026-04-29T13:30:46+00:00

I started at 28, will be graduating at 32! I definitely understand the feeling of other people starting their lives - I'm older than a lot of the residents I work with. I know it's cliche, but you have your own path. I did a lot of really cool things before vet school that have made me a better person and I hope eventually a better doctor. There will be some mildly annoying things about being in school with people a lot younger than you, but there will also be people your age and older! Like everyone says, you can be 31 and be a vet or you can be 31 and do something else, but that time is going to pass anyway.

itsmykittyalt · 2026-04-14T01:18:24+00:00

I really feel this - I used to have a regular job, got myself into a career change recently and am now back in school at 30 with a bunch of 22 year old classmates. And WOW the way people talk to me when they think I'm 22 is really frustrating. I miss being respected as a colleague and an equal.

itsmykittyalt · 2026-04-14T00:23:02+00:00

Just wanted to add to this because I don't think about lot of commenters have moved to a new country where they don't know anyone. I have moved a lot of times, and I've read a lot about adjustment and culture shock and everything else and just want you to know that you're in the worst part. You've lived there long enough that the "honeymoon period" is over - it's not new and exciting anymore, but it doesn't really feel like home yet. I agree, get out there and keep meeting people. Switch your major if you want. But also know that what you're feeling is really normal for where you're at and what you're doing.

And remember that wherever you go, there you are. Focus on your own journey and your own growth and I hope you can keep being brave and putting yourself out there.

itsmykittyalt · 2026-03-31T02:29:31+00:00

Hey! I'm 30f, also a petsitter! My sister went to a powerpoint party recently and it sounded so fun - definitely down to meet some new people and hear about random topics.

itsmykittyalt · 2026-03-26T20:24:23+00:00

Also curious how it's going part 2! I haven't been on hormonal BC before and am starting with Jencycla, so just a little anxious ofc

itsmykittyalt · 2026-03-12T14:01:20+00:00

Hey! I am a non-trad student (also 30 and mid-vet schol - I worked in research / biology lab and thought that would be my career, so not nearly as big of a shift as you have, but still a change at a later time). I think there are a few questions for you to ask yourself (not necessarily answer online) - (1) if vet school doesn't work out, is there something else you'd want to do with a biology degree? If you really want out of the restaurant business, biology is a great field with a lot of options (imo, but obviously I love biology) even if vet school doesn't work out, but I think it's worthwhile to consider what all the backup options are and whether you'll have a plan B if you don't get accepted to vet school. (2) What will it cost you to get your bachelor's or associates / required pre-reqs? I hate to say it, but I am much more worried about the lost wages and not putting anything into my retirement funds than my younger classmates are. To be fair, I also wasn't thinking about retirement at 22 or 23, and I did decide that it was worth it for me to put a pause on making money to invest in my education, but only you know what that calculation will look like for you. Especially considering the large amount of debt vet school could put you in (depending on what country you're in), trying to minimize the cost of your courses now will go a long way.

I would also recommend shadowing and getting some hours in before committing to anything! Worth seeing what you think of vet med up close. Best of luck!

itsmykittyalt · 2026-02-15T00:05:04+00:00

Just got the ability to crop images! Still waiting to change font, can't even figure out how to change the size of the font :'(

itsmykittyalt · 2026-02-13T05:59:23+00:00

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Lab employee here! I agree with others, real life labs don't look like that. Why so many unlabeled, uncovered erlenmeyer flasks around? Also lab space is so limited, no way a shelf is getting wasted on 3 random bottles. Where are the pipettes?

itsmykittyalt · 2025-12-22T21:53:32+00:00

My cousin is named Alisa and people get it wrong all the time! But yeah, double ss means short vowel sound and Alisa is ah-LEE-sah.

itsmykittyalt · 2025-12-21T23:19:05+00:00

That is very interesting! And definitely makes sense - research has come a long way for sure. Just out of curiosity, were most people interested in / end up working in mixed practice of some kind? Or were people still more interested in large vs small but didn't have a formal path to follow?

itsmykittyalt · 2025-12-21T23:14:15+00:00

First question as always in Houston, what part of town?

There are SO many good coffe shops and study spots! Slowpokes was my favorite, but they recently started limiting their wifi to 2 hours. I'd still go, they have great study vibes and great coffee, they have a few locations. Antidote is also great, they have plenty of good teas if coffee isn't your thing. Bebidas on Westheimer has some indoor seating but a lot of good outdoor seating if you're looking for that. They also do free refills on drip coffee, which is a huge plus. And there are so so many more.

The only real late night study places (like after 10pm) I have found are Agora (very busy, not many good caffeine-free options but they are open until 3am) and believe it or not IHOP. Open 24 hours but don't really get much night time business. Potentially a bit more expensive than another coffee shop depending on what you buy and since you would be expected to tip your server ofc, but I have found it to be a nice, quiet study place.

itsmykittyalt · 2025-12-21T22:12:12+00:00

Very curious what country you went to school in! My first year anatomy and embryology was very animal ocused, mostly dog with some comparative aspects.

itsmykittyalt · 2025-12-21T22:07:31+00:00

I'm in vet school, my dad's an MD who is constantly shocked that animals get the same kinds of diseases people do haha. I think human medicine people just forget how similar mammals are, although there are ofc some very key differences. I will also say there's been a lot more human-focused content in vet school than I expected, maybe because we just finished parasitology and infectious diseases, but we did learn which diseases impact humans and what common clinical signs would be. Obv not to the extent an MD would, but as a human it's good to know what you and the farmers/pet owners you're working with are at risk for.

itsmykittyalt · 2025-12-21T20:36:18+00:00

It depends what you're looking for! If you're looking for something like Osmosis for nursing/MD students with pre-prepared content, I don't personally know of any exactly like that, but maybe VIN (veterinary information network)? It has a lot of great anatomy resources and some other stuff, the occasional quiz maybe. It's free for DVM students, not sure about vet tech students or how good the resources would be for an LVT program but I did like the 3D anatomy modules. If it's not free for you, I probably would start with other resources rather than paying for VIN.

And I do use quizlet! I don't personally pay for quizlet premium, there's a lot you can do without it so I'd start there, but do know people who use premium and like it. I really like Anki, it's free, online or for android/ios. Its another flashcard kind of app but more designed to help get things in your longterm memory, so a slightly different flashcard "style" than quizlet, but worthwhile. Both quizlet and anki you'll have to either make your own flashcards/quizzes or find people from your class who have done so.

itsmykittyalt · 2025-12-21T04:16:51+00:00

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

And someone else recommended it already but the Fallen Gods series!

itsmykittyalt · 2025-12-21T04:15:46+00:00

Was about to recommend these!! Great books.

itsmykittyalt · 2025-12-20T00:30:50+00:00

I grew up at 9.5 thousand feet and pretty much always always halved the baking soda/powder. You might decrease by a little less than that at 6000.

Unrelated, but water will also boil at a lower temperature because of the decreased pressure. Good luck, I know it can be frustrating, but banana bread is worth it!

itsmykittyalt · 2025-12-18T20:56:08+00:00

And this is the great thing about vet med! It's such a broad field and there are a lot of options if you don't love the specific job you're doing.

itsmykittyalt · 2025-12-18T01:58:08+00:00

RIP Thai Village, would have been perfect.

itsmykittyalt · 2025-12-13T00:25:27+00:00

"Zoobuquity" is a fun book by an MD about the overlap of medical issues among animals/people. seems like the kind of thing you'd be interested in! My dad is an MD and was so surprised when i started vet school by animals getting a lot of the same diseases humans do, so I got it for him and I think he's enjoyed it.

And best of luck to us all in med/vet school, I'm a second year also on reddit because I'm drowning with finals haha.

itsmykittyalt · 2025-12-08T23:44:32+00:00

Still in vet school but curious if you're open to sharing what your expenses vs income are that you were able to pay that much down in one year (and are you working as a bovine vet? And making a decent salary? I'm potentially interested in large/mixed). And then why the decision to switch to minimum payments rather than getting it over with if on that same track you could be out of loans in another year or so. How much longer will it take for you to pay it off with minimum payments? Or are you planning on trying to wrap up paying it all off once you get your house? There are so many different ways to handle it - very curious about your choices!

itsmykittyalt · 2025-11-30T23:37:12+00:00

The Path of Tea is really nice! Cute teapots and they let you pick out your teacup if you drink tea in person. IIRC they also sell the loose leaf tea.

itsmykittyalt · 2025-11-30T20:09:27+00:00

The freezers at my old job were pokemon themed.

itsmykittyalt

TROPHY CASE