Would this be silly?
 

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Lately I've been thinking a LOT about my future. It's always been a worry of mine and I already have my plans set up. I'm going to school for a five-semester program to become Vetrinary Technitian. I'm going to Columbia State Community College which is 1hr and 3 min from my front door. I'll be living at home and working nights and weekends at the local TSC or co-op Can you tell I'm prepared? lol

Anyways, about this time ayear I really focus on money problems, ( listen to me at 13 years old lol ) with Christmas and this year I'm thinking about the future as well and really want to put away some money for college and a car and gas. I was thinking a lot about earning money but since I'm only 13 (about to be 14) I was thinking about what I could do for a job and a light bulb just went on in my head! I could be a part time FARM HAND. It would 1.) give me an oppurtunity get involved with more animals 2.) allow me learn "tricks" and vet techniques to give me a head start on school and 3.) Help me improve my own farm!

Has anyone ever done any of these things before? What did you do? What did you charge? How did you find a job?

Thanks!

It is very hard for a farmer to hire a 13 year old. Im 16 and now im just starting to be useful to any farmer. I can't really offer alot more, but stick up for your self! tell them what you know how to do and how many times you have done it. If you can write down "Head Calf Raisier at____________ farms." Anybody will look at that and know you are a hard and good worker.

start by hauling hay in the summer. builds musles and shows reliability. winter is slow season for farmers, so you may have to wait till spring/summer.

-Melissa

You could also try checking out the local horse stables. They're always looking for people to muck out stalls, etc. Just remember that you have to start at the bottom and work up. And since you're still pretty young, they might be a little leery of having you do certain things that the "older folk" do such as run the tractor or work with intact (and possibly dangerous) livestock. After you've shown you're competent and mature enough, they will likely give you more duties.

Good luck with the veterinary technician course. You might also look into some online or long-distance/correspondence courses to give you an edge (and extra spaces during the day to study), but I know here that you have to be 16 years old to get into that.

Check with your local vet clinics and animal shelters. They usually need someone to mop floors, walk dogs and pick up poop. Not glamorous, but you can really learn a lot of basic vet skills there.

Horse rescues always need volunteers.

Another option is to buy baby calves and raise them to 200 lbs. Not many people want to fool with bottle calves but the market for calves who are eating hay is good.

You seem ambitious. Have you thought about going to vet school instead of vet tech? There is a shortage of livestock vets (plenty of cat/dog majors) and loans and scholarships are available. I believe U of Tenn has a DVM school.

Go for it! I've had a girl working here at the feed store since she was 13.5, and she is a great worker. She's 15 now. She knows her poultry stuff - has exhibiiton fowl that I've helped her with.

What impresses employers is:

a) Reliability. Show up on time, every time. Complete the work set for you, even when the task is boring. Boring comes with the territory from time to time.

b) Ability to think through a problem or task. Be a problem solver.

c) Ask questions if things are unclear. An employer wants to see you succeed at what you're doing.

d) Good work ethic. If you're done with your tasks, ask what else you can do. Even things like sweeping or organizing shows a good ethic. Don't sit around doing nothing. If anything, it's rude.

Your age (or lack of it, lol) shouldn't matter on these points. I've let go employees twice your age because they didn't have these basic skills.

Have your parents or prospective employers check into the laws surrounding employment of minors. The laws in California say that you have to be 14 to earn an official paycheck and pay taxes and all that fun stuff. Our young go-getter was a summer intern until she turned 14, and then we could pay her.

You seem articulate, ambitious, and forward thinking. Keep your eyes on your goals - education! I second the idea that you should consider vet school, to do an entire degree. Good vets are always in short supply!

My first job was as a trail guide at a local wilderness park when I was 14. Mucking, tacking up, grooming, and leading groups out on trail. Hard work, but fun!


Good luck, and cheers!

Katherine

I was thinking about that. I know around here it's soo slow.... I turn 14 in April and I'd probably do a spring/summer/fall job.

What I want most in life is to be a mom. i'm just getting a degree as a backup mostly, but if all else fails I will go for an entire degree.

14 is a great age to start hauling hay. you will get tired really fast at first but with time it'll get better. try to find a few others that are as reliable as you and get your own hay crew together. then after a few farms, you can get just about anybody’s fields. the biggest obstacle you face is transportation. how are you going to get to the job? around here people look the other way if kids (we're talking 15) drive the back roads to get to "work". is your parent/s able to get you to work on time or will you be relying on a friend?
As for the “going to college” thing. Never be solely reliable on another person for yourself. Be able to take care of yourself, by yourself, before handing that responsibility over to someone else. And if worst came to worst, you can help pay for your own critters expenses. Lol.

-Melissa

It's good to have that backup -- if everything goes right, the father and husband will always be able to support his family, but everything seldom goes right. Your husband could get hurt or sick; he could die; he could lose his job and not be able to find another one right away; or he could run off with another woman -- you hope those things don't happen, but they can and do sometimes. But I second those who suggest you shoot for veterinarian, rather than stopping with vet tech. It's possible to be a veterinarian and still be a wife and mother -- and you'll have your own business and not be dependent on someone else to hire you. Then you can hire young ladies who want to learn some skills and earn some money for college, LOL!

Some experience with working at a vet's office would be good for helping to get into veterinarian school. Quite a few years ago one of my sisters was wanting to go to the vet school at Oregon State U., and we learned that it's actually harder to get into vet school than it is to get into med. school to become a doctor! One of the things that would help you get in is experience working in a veterinarian's office. Experience with livestock will help (especially 4-H or FFA projects successfully completed); excellent grades will also help!

I hope you are able to find work this summer, and that you will be able to see your plans through to completion!

Kathleen

Not to brag or anything like that but grades aren't a problem for me. Currently I'm taking three highschool course and I'm making a 106, 103, and 96. My only problem is with English. I hate it and it's boring to me so I slack off and I'm making a 94 in there. I've also been around animals all my life.

I want to thank everyone here for the encouragement, and I want you to know I'm thinking about looking into becoming a vet. I don't know if I could take an extra 8 years, but I'll definetly pray and think about it. I guess if I'm going to school for something I love like animals then it my go by faster. Does anyone know if after the first 5 semesters you get to work as a vet tech in a clinic? Just wondering.

I'm so jealous of how easy classes are for you! I don't know anything about vet school but college goes by really fast! you start to look forward to each class.

-Melissa

Thats good. Also it's not like you're in class ALL day like MS and HS. My sister, who went to Belmont, would go to one class afor some days or two classes a day.

I loved your first post
 

I called my daughter in here to read it. I like your ambition and drive. At your age, it will get you where you want to be.
What I didn't like was your ambition to be a mother. That's a whole different world. You seem like a sweet caring young lady. Please don't mess your life up by having a baby too soon. That can wait. You have many years ahead of you.
Being a mom is not as easy as you might think. I am a dad 5 times, and I know what it can do to the sweetest of young ladies. Little babies are the sweetest thing in the world but it a 24/7 job caring for them. You don't get time off for good behavior and you don't get weekends off.

If you have the land, I second the idea of getting a calf or two that has to be bottle feed. That will give you a small taste of motherhood.
IMO you are just way too young to even be thinking about being a mom. That will come soon enough. Take your time and build your life first with the vet classes and all, and then build a family.

And if you do have a place so you can do it, bottle feeding new born calves could be your first money making job. That will get you directly into the field you want to be in, you will have teachers that can help you with any problems you have and last but not least, how did you come up with one hour and three minutes to the front door, LOL. You are punctual :)

You be a good girl and let mommy hood wait.
God Bless
Dennis

I just BURST OUT LAUGHING AT THIS!!! :baby04: I meant when I get older of course :) What I meant was WHEN I GET OLDER AND MARRIED I want to be a stay at home mother which came up when they were asking why I didn't go all 8 years. Don't worry I'm 13 and haven't even had a boyfriend yet :angel:

Another young person???
 

I don't think that would be silly at all! I think it is a good idea if you have the spare time.
I have never went to a farm and worked. I have babysat for farm animalsand pets. That is an idea! :baby04: Just try to get your name out that you will do farm work. It would be great experience for you!

You could maybe put an add up at your local vet's office or feed store, maybe even an ad in the paper.

You are 13? I thought there wasn't any younger people here, besides me. I am 16.
Well, whatever you decide to do, i hope you suceed at it. Good Luck and Best Wishes!
God Bless,
:1pig:Belle :1pig:

OK SarahJoy, as long as you aren't trying to jump the gun, LOL.
I have talked to my 17 now, YO very dear daughter about this subject for the last several years.
She decided not to get married until at least 25 years old. I said 45 but she won't listen, LOL.
Other than that, it sounds like you are on the right track. You can do the 5 semester deal and then go from there.
Don't put huge obstacles in your path. Set your goals one step at a time and then set another one. All the while you can be searching out what your next goal is so when you complete one you'll have an idea what you want the next to be.
But if I were you I would get a calf and bottle feed it while I was in school just to get the extra learning and earn some money at the same time. At your age you can probably earn more money at home doing that than you could getting a job, but at the same time a job will teach you skills that you won't learn at home.

Nothing you said sounded silly, except wanting to be a mom so young. If Stacey will hold off until she is 28 to 30 years old I will die a happy man.
God Bless
Dennis

You must truly be unique-- most of my classmates only attended class because the profs required it to get a passing grade. Can you imagine pre-vet students complaining about having to take an anatomy course?

Any student who shows a willingness to attend classes first thing in the morning, makes it to classes when others don't, puts forth the effort to understand WHY each course is important, will ALWAYS get good reviews from his or her' professors. The grades may be hard to keep up-- but getting the respect of the faculty is important when it comes to getting letters of recommendation--


For part time work-- consider 'pasture cleanup' Many smaller farms around here hire people to come out and pick up the manure piles-- especially the alpaca farms. When Pasture space is limited, it is important to keep the manure piles picked up, to permit better grazing as some animals won't graze next to a 'pile.' Perhaps even fence-line cleanup and repair.

I LOVED anatomy! of coarse it helped already taking it in HS (dissected a piglet then) and the fact that I butcher my own critters. In college we did cats. I’ve got a really strong stomach so during class as I was seeing what the last meal fluffy had was when I started complaining about being hungry myself. Totally grossed out my lab partners. But it was early morning and I had skipped b-fast. Microbiology was probably my favorite. Loved the whole feel of doing the CSI thing. The lab coat, safety-glasses, petri dishes, inoculation of bacteria, doing tests to find out which bacteria was which. I would love to take this class again. Good times, good times. lol.
I really liked all my classes except maybe gov. politics. that class sucked. I've found that kids just out of HS taking classes don't realize how important LEARNING the class is. they just want to make a good grade. I'm a little older (26) and am settled down. going out every night to party doesn’t thrill me anymore. (I get to tired) I waited till I was 23 before going to college. sowed all my wild oats before and got them out of my system. I'll continue to take classes even after I am finished with my degree. (respiratory therapy). the way I see it is, you can never take a class you "don't need". and I've found the more classes you take over the years, the easier they become.

GSFarm, sorry for hijacking your thread. I'll shut up now.

-Melissa

Not all at.... I like reading all this.

http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/a...comingtech.asp will take you to the AVMA's page on veterinary technology.

One thing that will help is to complete any pre-requisites and general courses before you begin the tech program. If there's a local community college, see what you can take there (usually for less tuition) that will transfer to the college with the Tech program. Definitely take chemistry and algebra in HS. The more "general" studies you can get out of the way, the more time you'll have to focus on Techie things.

When you're done, you'll have an Associates Degree and be eligible to sit for the Veterinary Technician National Exam. Unless you enter a Veterinary Technician specialty, it's the scariest test you'll ever take. There are study guides for it, and if you can pass the practice tests in the study guides, you'll do just fine.

I've been a credentialed vet tech for going on 8 years, and I really enjoy it. You see a wide variety of people and pets, and no two days are ever the same.



On the vet school side of the discussion:
I have never seen a new graduate veterinarian have enough $$ to start their own clinic. Usually they're working for a long-time veterinarian for not a whole lot more $ than a vet tech, and trying like mad to pay off student loans in addition to paying for continuing education and malpractice insurance. Pharmacists make more money than veterinarians.

Thank you so much for this info CloverBud ( sorry I don't know your name ) Also I LOVE you line under your name....

As I got to thinking about my future and everything I couldn't find any info pertaning to a question of mine, so I thought I'd check here.

Say I decided to go to school to be a Vet Tech. Then I got a family and all and decided I wanted to be a Vet. Since I already went to school for 5 semesters for Vet Tech would that go toward being a vet at all? Would my credits transfer? Or would I have to go through vet school for eight whole years plus the 5 semesters for Vet Tech?

Most classes will transfer as long as you take them at a credited school. The classes like; college algebra, microbiology, and college English will go towards your vet license. The courses that you take for the vet tech probably wont, but the help these classes will give you in understanding the vet classes is un-measureable. so say you have 2-4 years of general classes or aka prerequisites, some or most of those you will have to take for your vet tech anyway, you wont have to take them later. A lot of people going into a college program don't understand that even if you only want to take the classes for the vet tech, you still have to take close to a year of classes BEFORE they can even start the program.

-Melissa

Another poster said it, but I would like to second the suggestion to volunteer at a shelter - dog/cat or horse recue. It really doesn't matter, you will build some credibility and gain some experience and possibly a good reference. At our local vet's office, they have a dog, cat boarding operation - they always need people to walk the dogs, clean up and feed. This would be perfect for you as it would get your foot in the door w/ a vets office and let you get a look at how things work. There are a lot of options - especially for volunteers, and as soon as a "for hire" job opens up you will be ready. Also, in your spare time you may want to take on a bum calf, bottle feed it etc, and grow it out for sale. I don't know if you belong to 4H but many kids around here make great money doing this (county fair sale) and the proceeds go into their college fund.



Good luck,
Anne

I am pre-veterinary student working on my undergrad degree and have been meeting with the Vet school admissions people from Washington State U. (where I want to go to vet school) and their preparatory tips for me have been:

Obviously take all the math, science, writing etc. courses you can - not just the prerequisites. If you take any AP coursework in high school, don't use that just to fulfill a requirement. For example, if you pass the AP Chemistry exam, don't use that just to get out of your chemistry requirements in college - take upper level Chemistry, like Organic Chemistry, since you'll have the extra room in your schedule

Also, while volunteering at a shelter is certainly a beneficial experience, my advisor said it doesn't give the same veterinary perspective as interning at a veterinary office. He said it's even better if you get paid because it shows more responsibility on your part.
Whether you get paid or not - KEEP TRACK OF YOUR HOURS - when you apply to school (vet or tech) you will have that record of your regular attendance that will surely impress.

Also, do some work that will develop your understanding of and appreciation for (not that you already don't!) the human-animal bond. For example, I do animal-assisted therapy through the Delta Society (www.deltasociety.org) and take my trained animals to hospitals and nursing homes, etc. and I have had some amazing experiences there that will show the admissions people I understand the human-animal bond (which is a big deal in veterinary medicine today, from what I hear)

Finally, work in as many diverse fields of veterinary medicine as you can - paid or not. I want to go into large animal practice, but I intern at a dog and cat clinic so I can experience that side of it as well. I'm also about to start an internship with the USDA, focusing on agriculture and public health (Mad Cow disease, etc.) Show the admissions people you know about darn near every aspect of veterinary medicine.

With your grades and determination, you're sure to impress.

Best of luck.

One of my friends who raises goats sometimes has 4H kids out to help with her goats. They trim hooves, feed hay, bottle feed kids and do other chores. She sometimes pays cash, but the kids also earn goat kids for their 4H projects and they learn alot about caring for animals.