For as long as I can remember, I have always dreamed about a class that taught about animals. It wasn’t until I came to NorthStar Academy that I realized this dream is a reality! NSA offers a semester-long “Veterinary Science: The Care of Animals” course that is well worth taking if you’re interested in that field of study. All of my classes have been great, but this course was definitely one of my favorites. I was able to learn about various animals and how to identify common diseases.  

Unit One of the course started with an overview of veterinary science, explaining what it is and why it’s important. Following the introductory unit, I learned about small animal medicine, which I found not only interesting but helpful as well. As a dog owner, it’s nice to know the basics when something goes wrong and how to handle it.  

The third unit was my favorite. It focused on large animal medicine, which mainly included horses and cows. I am constantly around horses, so it was really exciting and helpful to learn about potential diseases in horses. This class actually came into practical use while I was taking the course. My favorite horse suffered from colic the day after I learned about this life-threatening problem in “Veterinary Science” and I was able to use my knowledge to help in the situation!  

Prior to the week nine midterm, the course covered exotic animal medicine. For me, this was a bonus because most science classes don’t teach much about animals, let alone exotic ones!  The four units following the midterm were all about toxicology, parasitology, zoonotic diseases, and holistic veterinary medicine. Toxicology was interesting because there are common, everyday foods and materials that are actually extremely toxic to animals.  I also didn’t realize how many zoonotic diseases there are! 

The end of the class was accompanied by a final exam and an overview of the material that we had learned over the course of the semester. Aside from the overall content, I also appreciated the way that the course was constructed. Every day of the week had the same type of activity, so I knew what to expect going into every new week. The textbook was also easy to follow and corresponded well with the quizzes. 

I think perhaps the most helpful part of the course layout for me, though, was the option to listen to the lessons instead of reading them. I’m more of an auditory learner, so this feature helped me to better absorb the information and gave me time to write better notes. All in all, this class really was one of the best I’ve taken at NSA. Whether you’re an animal enthusiast, a pet owner, or are looking to go into the field of veterinary science, this class is for you! To find out more about our Veterinary Science course, click here.