Episode 58: "Don't give up, keep pushing." Victory Knight, Victoria Menendez

In this engaging conversation, Pink Phoenix and Victory Knight discuss the challenges and triumphs of veterinary education, particularly as they approach spring break. Victoria shares her experiences with academic pressures, hands-on learning in large animal care, and the importance of making connections in her studies. They also touch on the excitement of returning home for spring break, the cultural significance of food, and the importance of perseverance in the face of challenges. The conversation concludes with words of wisdom for fellow students navigating their own academic journeys.

Keywords VetaHumanz, veterinary medicine, academic challenges, spring break, hands-on learning, fun facts, cultural connections, study strategies, personal growth, veterinary education, perseverance

Takeaways

• Victoria is excited for spring break after a busy exam week.
• She has been prioritizing her coursework while managing outside activities.
• Hands-on learning in large animal care has been a highlight for Victoria.
• Victoria is making connections in her studies, enhancing her understanding.
• She learned about the differences in animal stomachs during her classes.
• Victoria emphasizes the importance of studying and absorbing material.
• She has had to adjust her sleep schedule to keep up with studying.
• Victoria plans to enjoy cultural foods during her spring break.
• She reflects on her academic wins and the importance of learning material.
• Victoria encourages others to persevere through academic challenges.

Chapters

00:00    Introduction and Challenges in Learning

01:30    Academic Progress and Hands-On Experience

03:20    Interesting Learnings and Fun Facts

06:10    Time Management and Overcoming Challenges

08:46    Spring Break Plans and Cultural Connections

10:51    Reflections on Wins and Future Goals

Transcript

Hey superheroes, I'm Pink Phoenix coming to you from Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine's League of VetaHumanz. This week, our guest on VetaHumanz Live is our host, Victory Knight! Thanks for being on the show. How are we doing today?

Victoria Menendez

It's been a long, long week. I have to say that. We are in week nine. Today was our last day before spring break. So we had all those exams that all the teachers try to get over with so we don't have to do it when come back for spring break, which I appreciate, but it was a lot. We had two quizzes and two exams on top of, we had an exam the Friday prior. So it's kind of just been back to back to back. So I'm just happy to be here.

Sandra San Miguel 

We can not.

Ooooo

Sandra San Miguel 

So

Sandra San Miguel 

So you're ready for break.

Victoria Menendez 

yes, I am so excited for break.

Sandra San Miguel 

And for this afternoon, right? What are we doing this afternoon?

Victoria Menendez 

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I am so excited. We are doing a wildlife, like veterinarian lecture, or like guess teaching to the fourth graders. So for better humans. So I'm really excited for that. Yes, yes,

Sandra San Miguel 

Excellent, excellent. So I know it's been really busy, especially the past week, but last time we had this goal of keeping up with all of our coursework while still spending some time on outside activities. How's that going?

Victoria Menendez 

Yeah.

Victoria Menendez 

I think it's, it's like there, it's like there. I have been trying, I have been better about keeping my like coursework ahead. There is some that I have to like, I'm like, I just prioritize. I'm like, okay, well, like I've kind of like slipped behind on like one of my classes for Meena just because I know I have swim break to catch up. And like we had just taken a quiz. So also like we take quizzes regularly. So it allows me to like study too.

So I'm not like been super, super focused on it, but I've been taking the quizzes. I've been doing really good. So like I've been prioritizing, but also keeping on track of classes. I know half exams stuff. So that's been going pretty well. So I've kind of been doing that. And for like, for myself, I would say so it's just kind of been like, as an as like, I guess intentional just because how crazy it is, but I still, I watched, I started, I finished my last show Suits. I finished it.

Sandra San Miguel (03:21.678)

Good.

Sandra San Miguel 

Yeah, I haven't finished it yet. Dun-uh. No spoilers, no spoilers.

Victoria Menendez 

that I was okay. And then I moved on. I moved on to love is blind. So I've been still trying to keep my like my routine the same. I still watch my show. I still talk to my family. But definitely spring break is gonna let me catch up on what I've been probably wanting to need a break from. So yeah.

Sandra San Miguel 

As an aside...

I was out of town trying to find something to watch and flipping stations and there was something called Suits LA? Is that like the same Suits or is that a different show?

Victoria Menendez 

I don't know, not that you mention it, I felt like I saw something, but I like looked at the little like image, you know how like they advertise it. I was just like, huh, and I don't know, just like passed, like flew by it. I'm gonna have to look into it because if it is a continuation of like another series, then I have to watch it.

Sandra San Miguel 

Yeah!

Sandra San Miguel 

It did look like it in the same people. So that's your homework. Check that out for me. Okay, victory night.

Victoria Menendez 

yeah, I might just have to. I might just have to. I love suits, it's so good.

Sandra San Miguel 

Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled program. What have you enjoyed most about the past month?

Victoria Menendez 

Like for academic wise, I would say we're doing a lot more hands on for like large animal, which I know I mentioned that last time, but we're doing more like physical exams and stuff. And like, I definitely start to like ask more questions. Like, like we were like, you know, the cows were in the shoot and everything. And I was just like, how do we like exam, like, how do we even like draw from the jugular lift? They're kind of pushing themselves in and out. Like can't even. It like, actually you can like hold, like you know how we did the restraints and you have somebody doing that. And I'm like,

Sandra San Miguel 

You

Victoria Menendez 

Oh, I didn't even think about that. Or I'll just ask simple questions where I'm like, OK, well, if you want to palpate, he's like, oh, if you can't, then if they're moving their neck a lot, then you're probably an indicate. I'm like, huh. So definitely putting it more into perspective, large animal, which I don't have any experience. I'm starting to be like, OK. And now I get to ask questions I probably would have never thought of. So that's been really, really good. And I love that.

So we've been doing physical exams. We're doing like IM and IVA and stuff. We're practicing like on the models for like, when you do like, radiographs for equine and stuff. So definitely see how like big they are compared to like everything I've seen and known. So that's probably been the most funnest. And I definitely like just love like seeing what else, you know, I learned.

Sandra San Miguel 

That's awesome.

Sandra San Miguel 

Okay, on that note, what's the most interesting thing you've learned? What's your fun fact for everybody this month?

Victoria Menendez 

Hmm

Victoria Menendez 

My fun fact, I'm trying to think.

Victoria Menendez 

Hmm. I don't... Hmm. Wait, do you mind repeating the question one more time?

Sandra San Miguel 

What's the most interesting thing you've learned? Your fun fact for everybody.

Victoria Menendez 

I would say, so I didn't obviously like, I didn't really know any of them on a large animal that much when I came in. Definitely like now that we've done immunohistology and digestive, seeing their stomachs, their fore stomach, I'm like, oh wow, they do a lot. They do a lot. I learned that carnivores don't have like a non-granular stomach. They like lack that. So I did learn that. Like you just.

Sandra San Miguel 

Serious

Victoria Menendez 

You just learn new things. I just was like, oh, which now I'm like, you study and you're like, oh yeah, that makes sense. That does make sense.

Sandra San Miguel 

Yes, soon you will be able to tell what species it is by the colon. Then you know you've won.

Victoria Menendez 

Yeah, that's true too. Yeah, that was true. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, literally, the equine, was like, look at the colons and I was like, how do you like, and it just takes, it's crazy because you get presented so much information, just like, how am gonna remember this? And all it just takes is like, time to study it. And then you're like, yeah, that's like the left or something, you know, and then it's, pretty cool. You just, it's just realizing you just got to take time to study it and like absorb it.

It makes sense and it's pretty fun after you get through that hurdle.

Sandra San Miguel 

I love that because the fact that you're making the connections makes that tells me that you're actually spending time to learn the material and not just memorize it and get through. When you're to the point where you can start putting it all together and you get that whole, that's way cool. Then you've got it.

Victoria Menendez 

Really?

Victoria Menendez 

Mm-hmm.

Victoria Menendez 

Yeah, and I think Purdue does a really, really good job with repetition. So a lot of classes overlap. even if I'm like, remember that faintly, and then I'm like, no, yeah. And then they do a lot of that repetition. So it kind of does stay in your head too. And not necessarily you have to keep looking at it, but it definitely, you're like, yeah, I did learn that. And you see it often, so you don't have to rethink about the whole thing, if that makes sense. So it's really nice. Yeah.

Sandra San Miguel 

Excellent. Well, I know the past week or so has been pretty challenging with time management. Any particular challenge that sticks out and how are you overcoming it or how did you overcome it?

Victoria Menendez 

Yeah, I would say it's just like the amount of studying we had to do for all these like stuff because like, like we're not talking about like one one lecture for a quiz. No, we're talking about like four or five lectures of quiz. And at the end of the day, like kind of every point helps you to have buffer. So, you know, you obviously want to learn the material and then obviously you kind of want to do well because at the end of day you are getting tested on it. And I think that's probably the hardest part is this.

trying to study every like what you need to do well on them. So I think that's probably the hardest time and I did like with that this week specifically we had so many quizzes we even had like a quiz at home too. So like three quizzes, two exams. You definitely I did have to cut a little bit my sleep back. did I did have to I did have to do that. I would just push like 12 instead of like 1030 but sometimes I don't realize.

Sandra San Miguel 

much.

Sandra San Miguel 

Okay.

Victoria Menendez 

So I was like, okay. And then I would just wake up a little earlier review in the morning. So definitely, but I'm not like falling asleep in class. Like I can still function. Yeah, I'm still functional. I'm still functional. It's just like, I'm not getting my like optimal or like my ideal. But I mean, I'm still able to function and stuff. But so I did have to cut back on that. And I just hope to regain some of that on spring break. But yeah, and then yeah.

Sandra San Miguel 

Okay.

Sandra San Miguel 

Okay.

Sandra San Miguel 

Okay, you got that for Spring Break.

Victoria Menendez 

It's kind of been crazy, but I'm just glad it's going to wind down now and then I can kind of get like a head start push from breaks so I can hit the ground running for when we come back.

Sandra San Miguel 

So tell me about Spring Break, are these plans?

Victoria Menendez 

Yeah, so I decided I'm going to just go home. So I catch a flight tonight. I literally get to like Florida like one in the morning. So I'm just going to see family. I kind of was there in January. It just feels so long ago. This semester has felt so long. I can't even tell you what month we're in. It's just kind of dragging. That's how it feels like. So definitely just see my family, catch up with everyone. And then I come back Thursday back to Indiana. And then I'm just going to

Sandra San Miguel 

Yeah.

Victoria Menendez 

kind of just relax here, but I'm definitely gonna be studying throughout. I plan to like studying the mornings and then have like majority if not the whole afternoon and like night off. Like I'm just not over killing myself, but I'm definitely gonna catch up for like we have exams when we come back so.

Sandra San Miguel 

Yeah, don't get too far behind because then you'll just be more stressed. But make sure you take that time out to catch up on your sleep. Eat some good food. What are you looking forward to the most?

Victoria Menendez 

Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

I'm looking forward to like my Hispanic food. It's so hard here. They only really have a lot of Mexican food, which is delicious I love Mexican food, but like over there They have like a variety of like everything a Cuban food Calamian food everything you think of they have over there So I'm definitely looking for that. I have my mom I told my mom she can make lasagna because I haven't had them forever So it's like it's just it's a lot of steps to make something like I don't have time to make that here So just kind of excited is like

Go back to the culture, the food. It's really nice. And the weather, it's like 80 something over there. Yeah, I plan to go to the beach. Yeah, it's gotten really warm over here, but yeah, I plan to go to the beach as well. yeah, I'm excited. Yeah, thank you.

Sandra San Miguel 

It's gonna be like 80 today, right?

Sandra San Miguel 

That sounds good.

Hey, what's your biggest win?

Victoria Menendez 

Okay, so I'd say like my biggest win is just honestly surviving these weeks and definitely just giving myself grace and at the end of day as long like I'm just my biggest goals like learning the material knowing that I know it. We had like an exam that didn't really like I studied like a whole bunch that I thought he was gonna put on there and at the end day like even if it wasn't on the test I was like I still know it and it's still gonna be useful so I was just like it is it is what it is and I know it so it's okay.

So definitely just learning my materials is probably my biggest win, just being okay with

Sandra San Miguel 

Yeah.

Sandra San Miguel 

Excellent. And that goes hand in hand with next month's goal.

Victoria Menendez 

Yes. Yes, definitely. Next month goes definitely making sure I still off obviously stay on top of everything but kind of like now that I kind of have a break to make sure I actually like not try to speed through it but kind of like making sure I make connections and stuff because it definitely does make a difference. So definitely I want to keep doing that and it definitely makes studying learning that easier when you make connections and really like

sit there and absorb it.

Sandra San Miguel 

Absolutely. Any other words of wisdom for our audience?

Victoria Menendez 

would say just don't give up. know it's like now it's getting really rough and stuff, but like if you've made it this far, like you can always, like there's like, like if you've made it this far, like why there's no point in stopping now, you know, or even giving up. You're just so close. And at some point you will get a break and that is our break is our break. So, and again, in the summer we'll have our break. So just keep pushing and you will get a break and it will all be worth it. Once you finally finish that semester, you finish that year off. So.

Yes, that is my word, or my words of advice and inspiration.

Sandra San Miguel 

That beautiful and so true.

Victoria Menendez 

Thank you. Thank you, thank you.

Sandra San Miguel 

And yeah, it will be worth it. It'll be sweet. All right. Well, thank you again for being on the show. I'm excited to see you in a couple hours at the Community Center. wishing you a wonderful spring break. And for our audience, if you get a spring break, wishing you a wonderful break or at least a wonderful, wonderful rest of your week.

Victoria Menendez 

Yes. I'm excited.

Victoria Menendez 

yet.

Sandra San Miguel 

So if you had an awesome time listening, please like this episode, subscribe, rate, and share it with your friends, and tell everybody they can learn more about the League of VetaHumanz at VetaHumanz.org And most importantly, remember, use your powers for good.

Victoria Menendez (17:18.849)

Use your powers for good