I have spent the last four years taking 122 credits at Grand Valley State University in order to complete my Bachelor of Science Degree all in an attempt to get into veterinary school. I have navigated through all of the required courses successfully and made it out in one piece. Overall, I have loved my college experience at GVSU and wouldn't trade it for anything. Hopefully my experiences and knowledge will help you better navigate the jungle that is registering for classes!

My tips:

• Be in the Honors College. If you meet the requirements, I highly suggest being a part of the Honors College and partaking in the honors curriculum. This is a fantastic opportunity that opens a lot of doors, challenges you academically, and will help better your chances of getting into veterinary school. As a pre-veterinary student, I have thoroughly enjoyed my four years in the Honors College and have found it to only be a benefit to my education. The courses aren't harder, they are just designed to make you think more. The classes are very small, thus allowing very personal and hands-on learning between students and professors. All of the professors in the Honors College are outstanding and really want you to succeed in everything you do. As someone going down the pre-veterinary pathway, I am sure that you are an exceptional student and being a part of the Honors College will help make you the best student you can be. 

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• Know exactly what classes you need to take each semester. GVSU does a good job laying out when you need to take certain classes, but your individual circumstances are going make it difficult to follow that guide completely. A great resource to use in MyPath, which can be found under your myBanner. This tool will let you know which classes you have completed and which classes you still need. 

• Have back-up plan classes. Especially in your first few years it is going to be tough to get all of the classes that you originally planned on taking. Spots in classes can be very limited, especially at certain times of the day, so find back-up classes that still better your educational goals. 

• Meet with your advisor or a trusted professor. The pre-veterinary route is pretty well laid out, but it is a very good idea to meet with your advisor at least once a semester to make sure you are on track. Advisors can also provide you with tips on which elective classes to take or any other academic programs/opportunities. It is also good to let them know you are alive and doing well.

• Wake up at 6am on registration day. You will not regret losing a few hours of sleep because being one of the first people to register on your selected day will give you a better chance of getting into the classes you need. You can find registration information at the following link: http://www.gvsu.edu/registrar/important-dates-39.htm.

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• Know what you are getting into with your classes. You should plan your semesters so that you have a few hard classes, an intermediate class, and a "blow-off" class. This way you aren't going to burn yourself out. Scheduling physics, biochemistry, calculus, and an elective might seem like a good way to get out of college fast, but all you are going to accomplish is a extremely stressful semester that lowers your GPA. Be smart about the level of difficulty of the classes you are putting together.

• Know the professors!  Unfortunately, in some classes the professor can make or break you. There are professors out there that no matter how hard you work, you won't get a good grade. This is an extremely important component of picking out classes to consider because one bad grade could mean the difference between getting into veterinary and not. A very valuable resource that I have used throughout my undergraduate career is Rate My Professor. This is a website where students from around the country can rate their professors on overall quality, helpfulness, clairty, and easiness. As great as this website is, you need to be smart about how you interpret the scores. An amazing professor might have a low score because they push or challenge their students, while a boring professor might have a great rating because they are an easy A. Make sure to thoroughly read the comments from students because that will really tell you if you might like the professors. I have mostly used this website to stay away from the professors who get very poor markings. Overall, I haven't had a bad professors utilizing the feedback from this website and my own judgement at GVSU. 

• Come prepared the first day and work hard. Some of these required courses, *cough* physics or cell and molecular biology, are meant to challenge you. They are going to be hard and they are going to push you beyond what you have ever been expected to do. These classes are helping to prepare you for the rigorous curriculum of veterinary school, so you need to show up to class from day one ready to work hard and do well. 

• Ask your professors for help and go to office hours!! Going to office hours is one of the biggest pieces of advice that I would give to any student because so many people don't do it. Your professors are there for you as a resource for doing well. When you go to them with questions you are showing them that you are working hard and want to do well in the class. Office hours are also a great way to make those very important connections with faculty, whether it is to get a reference letter or a research/internship opportunity. Go to Office Hours!!!

• Sit in the front of the class. This is similar to going to office hours because it is going to help the professor better recognize you and realize your dedication to the class. It is also going to help you do better in the class because you will have less distractions. 

• Utilize all of the resources your school has to offer. There are so many free resources on campus for students to help them succeed in classes. Particularly at GVSU, we have the Tutoring center, Writing Center, Research Assistance, Math Lab, CLAS Advising Center, SLA instructed courses, Student Academic Success Center, Science Success Center, Career Center, and many more. These different program are avaliable to help you succeed and it is in your best interest to take full advantage of them.  

• Have a good support system. College can be tough, but it is a little bit easier when you have a good support system of friends and family. Sometimes you are going to get to a breaking point where you can't study anymore and at those times when you feel stresed out and ready to cry you need to be able to call or go see someone. During my freshman year, there was one point where I was up against completing one paper, studying for two exams, and preparing for two labs. I just felt hopeless, so I called my mother in tears and she talked me down and told me I had to take a couple days off to just relax. Sometimes you just need someone to give you a hug, tell you everything is going to be all right, and then sit with you on the couch waching movies and eating ice cream.  

• Take a break sometimes and remember to have fun. It is easy in this major to bury yourself in your classes and never resurface until the end of the semester. However, that is just going to lead to you burning out fast and keep you from experiencing all of the things that college has to offer. Your grades are important, but not at the expense of your mental and physical health. You need to take time each week or even each day to take a break, have some fun, and relax. What that means to each person is different, but for me it means spending time with my cat, taking a nap, reading a good book, or having a night out with my friends. Remember, college is supposed to be one of the best parts of your life, so stop and enjoy it.