I woke up Thursday morning, put on a pot of coffee, and grabbed
Shorty (our miniature Australian Shepherd) and his leash and headed
for the door. The sun hadn't even started to come up yet as
we walked around the apartment complex as Shorty hunted for
squirrels and a place to do his business. I was contemplating
the day ahead as I was shaking the sleep cobwebs from my
head. I was up and out at this extra early hour because I
needed to do some more last minute studying for my last final of my
MBA curriculum, investments. Also on the docket for the day
was the DVM Graduation ceremony that afternoon. Since
the graduating class were only a year ahead of me for the first
half of vet school (that is until I left vet school for my 1 year
MBA program), I had several good friends and knew practically
everyone in the Class of 2012. Suddenly, I realized that I
"only" had 2 years until graduation, 730 days. Wow, that
seems so far off.
For those of you that read these blogs with some regularity, you
already know that I have spent the past year across the street in
the business school. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the MBA
program. The program opened my eyes to the business world,
gave me a chance to use another part of my brain, and I got do all
of this while being around some great people. Just like vet
school, I made some awesome friends that made all of the work and
stress worthwhile. Everything wasn't roses though. For
one, I had to leave my vet school class, the folks who were with me
in the trenches of first and second year, the people who saw me at
my best and worst for two years. Some of the best friends I
have or could ever hope to have. Now, they are all fourth
year students under a year from graduation, and here I am, 730 days
to go……
My first thought is that I don't want to share this revelation
with Lauren, my lovely wife. Our 700 square foot apartment is
starting to feel small after 3 years, and I added a whole year on
to school because of the MBA program. She has been completely, 100%
supportive and committed, but I know that she, like me, is ready to
be finished. 730 days just seems so far off.
As the day went on, I took my investments test (any body care to
know who the father of behavioral finance is?) and walked out of an
MBA classroom for the last time. I went about the rest of my
day and finally made it to the graduation ceremony. I found
several of my friends after the ceremony and took great pleasure in
calling them Doctor. The look on their faces at the sound of
the word is pure joy. You just can't beat it. As we
caught up, I told a couple of them about my thoughts concerning 730
days, and to a person, they all said, "trust me, it goes
fast." Part of me knows they are right, but a part of me is
still thinking, 730 days is a long time. They all lamented
that it would pass quickly, then one said something that really
struck home, "at least it isn't 731 days."
I have spoken several times in my blogs that vet school is a
grind, a marathon at a sprint pace. The key is to take it one
day, one assignment, one class at a time. Don't let yourself
get overwhelmed by the totality of the workload. You can't
eat the whole meal in one bite, you must work at it piece by little
piece. I had forgotten my own advice, and my friend reminded
me that all journeys, no matter how long, start with a single
step. The key is to just keep putting one foot in front of
the other. Some of those steps are big, and some are small,
but as long as you keep moving forward, you will cross the finish
line. With my rediscovered perspective, I will continue to
enjoy my time and the simplicity of school. I look forward to
joining the Class of 2014 in the fall, and I know, just like my
time in the Class of 2013 and in the MBA, I will build some
fantastic friendships and have some amazing experiences. For
now, I am just thankful that it isn't 731 days.