Taking Time Out / Repeating The Year
Vet School is hard and stressful, and sometimes events & circumstances outside of our control can make studying even harder. Maybe taking some time off to look after you is what you need. Below is some information for you to get a better of idea of what this could look like.
How would the vet school support me?
Whether it's for personal or family health reasons, or to take advantage of a really cool opportunity to do something awesome for the year (i.e. sailing around the world), or work for a year, or have a baby etc. you have the option to take time out from your studies and the vet school are absolutely supportive of you doing that.
Before making the decision to take time out, there are some things you need to think about…
Withdrawal & Re-entry information
The best place for you to get all the up to date information on is VetHome. Click here to read the current information on advice for you to follow if you are contemplating taking time out from the programme.
What steps do I need to follow if I want to pursue taking time out from my Vet degree?
STEP ONE: Read the up to date information on VetHome to guide your decision making!
Click here to access the information on the VetHome page.
STEP TWO: Talk to Shelley , our amazing Student Support legend.
Shelley is your best ally if you think that taking time out from your Vet degree is the best option for you. She’ll be able to chat through your decision with you and point you in the direction of the best next steps for your situation.
Or if you aren’t quite sure yet, Shelley is the calm, empathetic & knowledgeable ear you need to help guide you to the best decision. Pop up to _______ to visit Shelly in her office, or email her on S.Hanlon@massey.ac.nz to organise a time to meet with her.
In some cases, Shelley will be able to link you in with one of the Associate Deans to discuss & organise the logistics of taking time out.
You aren’t alone in this.
“I’m starting to think I might need a break.”
“I wish I had taken time out sooner. If you are thinking you need a break now, please take one.”
“Currently taking a year off, honestly it’s been a great relief. Prior to the break I began to struggle to fit information in my brain and sadly felt like I was losing sight of the purpose of all the stress, but taking a break really made me remember why I chose this profession.”
“Take care of yourself first and foremost, becoming a vet can wait a year.”
“It’s not a quitters path to take a break!”
“Coming back is hard and scary but not as bad as expected in the grand scheme. Best thing I ever did!!! If you’re thinking about it, you bloody need it, so just do it.”
““I honestly hear “I’m glad I took a year off” more than I’ll ever hear “I’m glad I suffered through and barely crossed the finish line standing.”
“There are so many paths in this degree, don’t get bogged down on finishing it all in one fell swoop.”
“Treat burnout, poor mental health, etc, like poor physical health. You wouldn’t try to run on a broken leg, right?”
“My mental health started to take a nosedive, and it took failing an exam by 1% for reality to hit that maybe I needed a break.”