Applicant FAQ

CREAM has for sure reinforced my desire to work in the animal field. It has made me more aware of all the opportunities there are in the animal world - don’t feel like you have to stick with your decision, it definitely helps to be open to all the possibilities there are out there! Even if you don’t want to work with cows in the future, this class still allows you to gain useful working skills, such as business techniques, having to work with peers in a working setting and being independent but also being able to collaborate with others. (Emma Jette, 2021-2022)

In my experience, Drew and the previous CREAM class were very up front about what this class entails. It was a bit daunting at first coming in with such a big time commitment. However, I found that it was a pretty smooth adjustment getting used to doing chores and getting up early. I was able to get to know the cows and feel more and more comfortable with them. There is a lot of group work and you learn quickly that it is true how important it is to get involved and volunteer. Something that I wasn’t expecting was how much the students are in charge of making decisions for our herd and diving head first into the committees. (Sarah Lombardi, 2021-2022)

Waking up at 3:30 am for the 4:15 am shifts. Realizing that your whole class is relying on you. This isn’t a class you can just decide to skip one day. Every single member is expected and needed at every meeting and shift they are assigned to. (Kelsi Devolve, 2021-2022)

For me, waking up early was not necessarily a problem because I had been doing research with Dr. Nancy Whitehouse for a full year and her shifts are just as early, if not earlier. I think the hardest adjustment was being at the barn ALL the time and having to adjust my schedule around CREAM and research. With both of these on my plate I was at the barn every day and although I love the cows it was quite the adjustment compared to my junior year where I was there only 2-3 times a week. The time commitment is huge in this class especially with committees such as production and subcommittees so learning to balance everything was definitely an adjustment. (Erica Oliver, 2021-2022)

CREAM has been one of the most exciting things that I have done at UNH. It is not like other classes with exams and homeworks and you get what you want out of it. There are so many opportunities to start your own or join subcommittees (whether it is apparel or herd health), or scheduling opportunities with guest lecturers. I came into this class not knowing ANYTHING about cows and I have learned so much about their overall care and calf care. I want to be a Veterinarian in the future and this program has allowed me to gain a lot of experience with an animal that I have never worked with to see if I would like to work with large animals. It has definitely helped to shape my path towards Veterinary school and to guide me to where I want to focus my future endeavors towards. I do recommend this class to people who want experience with animals, whether you want to work in the dairy industry or in the Veterinary industry (or anything else). You may realize you like to or do not like to work with cows through this and you learn so much about proper care from feeding to breeding and overall production. To succeed in this class, you need to be able to go with the flow of things and work together as a group to solve problems whether during chores, making sure cows receive the best care or scheduling events. Waking up for chores can be difficult and may cause you to change your plans for the week, but it is important to attend all of them so you do not affect the chores for the rest of the individuals on shift. This class will teach you so much and you will experience amazing things as well. Take this class if you want to experience a challenge in a different way! (Julia Terrel, 2021-2022) 

I think the most enjoyable aspect of CREAM was the wide array of creativity possible. In this class, there’s not a specific rubric or semester-long schedule you are expected to withhold. Instead, there are many places for you to explore your interests and expand the program through subcommittees, on the planning committee to plan class periods, as well as choosing your own dairy cattle topic to elaborate and present on to the rest of the class. (Kelsi Devolve, 2021-2022)

I found it enjoyable to get to know all the cows in our herd by name. As the semester goes on you start to recognize all of them and know them by name and I think that makes your time working with them so rewarding. I also loved to see how we grew as a class from the first few weeks until now we all had different skill levels coming into CREAM so seeing everyone get more comfortable with chores and working together for our herd was very enjoyable. (Madison McEachern, 2021-2022)

Personally, I think the most enjoyable aspect of CREAM was working directly with the cows. While it can be challenging at first, you quickly get to know each and every CREAM cow. You learn their names, personalities, habits, etc. You get to name, take care of, and watch their calves grow from the moment they are born. These are all things that make getting up at 3:30 AM extremely rewarding! (Cheyenne Elliott, 2021-2022)

Although CREAM took up time when it comes to attending shifts, having CREAM as one of my courses also helped take off some stress. It was calming to know that CREAM does not have any exams or finals, so it almost felt at times to be a more laid back class compared to those that I had to memorize lecture material for. CREAM also helped me learn time management and setting my priorities during the semester. (Kelsi Devolve, 2021-2022)

The major ways that CREAM has impacted my daily schedule was making time to attend shifts. Often I had to fit in afternoon shifts around classes or work. If you want to have a variety of shifts both morning and afternoon, it can take some planning and effort. I also had to make time to meet with other CREAMers to get things done for our subcommittees. Like Kelsi said, it was definitely a relief to not have exams in this class. It allowed us to focus our efforts on the things that interested us and set our own pace. (Sarah Lombardi, 2021-2022)

There have been moments of tenseness, especially around peer-evaluation times. I think establishing a close CREAM class is essential for members to feel comfortable around each other and not be nervous to say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing because their grade is at stake. (Kelsi Devolve, 2021-2022)

I do believe it is possible to avoid CREAM drama, because at the end of the day, it’s a class. Any criticism given during peer-evaluations is supposed to be constructive and for the sole purpose of growth, not to make another CREAMer feel bad. In this class, we are all in the same boat. We are all tired. We are all over worked. We need to have each other's backs, not be each other's enemies. (Kelsi Devolve, 2021-2022)

Get involved, but only get involved in things you are interested in. Don’t join a subcommittee if you don’t want to be involved, because then you’re just adding another thing on your plate that you don’t enjoy. Add something to the class that you do enjoy to make the work feel like a hobby, not a job. (Kelsi Devolve, 2021-2022)

CREAM is a class that you truly get out, what you put into it. Get involved early and take initiative! You will hear that word often, but it is so accurate. There are several ways to get involved more with CREAM, whether that be in a subcommittee, during business meetings, etc. You can truly tailor your experience to what you are interested in, which is the great part about this course! (Cheyenne Elliott, 2021-2022)

The thing that I think is lacking most in CREAM that could be added for future years would be a focus on further guidance in regards to handling cows, milking, feeding, and caring for calves. While a lot is taught by CREAM advisors and farm staff, I think increasing the guidance for how chores are done correctly would benefit all involved with the herd. Additionally, making a point to teach and learn more about the reasons behind our practices would give CREAM’ers a greater understanding of the dairy industry, rather than just learning about the Fairchild Farm specifically. (Joe Garcia, 2021-2022)

To go along with what Joe said, I think it would be beneficial to have more guidance on the committees. I always felt like it was a steep learning curve for each one and it would have been made easier if we had more information behind the things we were looking at. For example, I think it would be helpful to have more information about how we evaluate cows and choose bulls on the breeding committee. (Sarah Lombardi, 2021-2022)

CREAM has been the most unique class I have taken at UNH. I think it has been one of the most valuable classes I have taken. I have learned important skills like communication, time management, and collaboration. This class teaches you how to work together and problem solve just like you would in a work environment. No matter what career you are looking to go into, these are important skills to learn to be as successful as possible. (Madison McEachern, 2021-2022)  

CREAM has been the most rewarding thing I have done at UNH. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the different aspects of the dairy industry. Another great thing is that you are surrounded by like-minded and motivated people who want to see each other succeed! You learn valuable life and career skills that no other class teaches you! It was refreshing to take a course that was more hands on and student led, especially when taking 20 credits. (Cheyenne Elliott, 2021-2022)

There is a lot of networking available in this class. Not only can Dr.Conroy write you a more descriptive recommendation letter for a job or higher-education opportunity, but it is common to have panels and speakers come to CREAM meetings on Thursdays to share their work and experience. We have had UNH graduate students come and talk about their research projects, a veterinary panel, and even past CREAMers have contacted Dr.Conroy about job opportunities for CREAMers. (Kelsi Devolve, 2021-2022)

I think we are all pretty understanding in our peer evaluations. We are all going through the same experience and know how tiring it can be. I think everyone in the class contributes where they can and feel comfortable. It's important to let your classmates know what you are working on because they want to be able to give you credit for your efforts to better the class. People won’t hold small issues against you and mostly just want to see you try your best! (Sarah Lombardi, 2021-2022)

Peer evaluations can be a stressful time during CREAM; not only does it take a lot of time to evaluate all of your peers, but you can worry about what people are saying about you. I feel people are very fair and honest in their evaluations. As long as you get involved and let your classmates know what you’ve contributed, you’ll be fine! You will not be criticized for small wrongdoings/issues, because everyone is pretty understanding! Everyone is in the same boat; we are all tired, stressed, and know how large of a commitment this course is. (Cheyenne Elliott, 2021-2022) 

You can always ask your fellow classmates for a ride, especially if they are on shift with you! Otherwise, you can call campus police and they will give you a ride if needed. 

As someone who did not have a car all throughout college, this was one of the biggest challenges….simply getting to shift. I highly suggest making a contact list and noting who has a car and is willing to give rides! This has saved me a numerous amount of times. Ask your peers, and NEVER WALK TO SHIFT AT NIGHT. (Nicole Milos, 2021-2022)

Initially I found it difficult, as we were not given specific instructions on how to do anything. Through time though, you all sort of adopt the role of a leader, especially when you have a strong President to facilitate meetings and keep us on track. Sometimes it was hard to manage disagreements and problems in the class without having a non-student involved, but Dr.Conroy was always there to help and assist when needed. (Kelsi Devolve, 2021-2022)

Sleep!!! Do not think it’s a good idea to spend an all nighter prior to a CREAM shift, you’ll fall asleep in classes and won’t retain any information. Instead, use a planner. Plan your time wisely, and don’t stretch yourself too thin. It’s okay to say no. It’s expected to say no. (Kelsi Devolve, 2021-2022)

Plan your schedule ahead of time! If you know you have a busy week coming up with early shifts it helps to get your homework done as early as possible. It helps me to write everything down in a planner so I can look at what I have coming up. Also, communicate with your classmates ahead of time if there has to be changes made to the schedule. (Madison McEachern, 2021-2022) 

That is dependent on the person. There is some prep work for CREAM such as filling in slides, holding an executive position if you wish to, and knowing your shifts and schedule, but as long as you can stay on top of everything and are motivated, I don’t see why not. Just make sure your self care doesn’t drop on your priority list. If you aren’t taking care of yourself, you’re not going to be able to take care of the cows or your classmates. (Kelsi Devolve, 2021-2022)

I took five classes during both semesters of CREAM and I was definitely tired, but it is possible! I think it depends on what you think you can handle. Some people work great with a really tight schedule and a lot going on, while others work great when they have a light schedule and plenty of downtime. I agree with Kelsi, that you should make sure to take care of yourself and make sure that you are able to do things to the best of your ability. Quality over quantity! (Ava Andreozzi, 2021-2022) 

I definitely think it is possible! Only commit to what you can personally handle; which is different for everyone. I took 20 credits during both semesters of CREAM, as well as worked 30 hours a week. There were moments where I knew I needed to slow down and take time to catch up on sleep. Listening to your body and mental health needs is extremely important! (Cheyenne Elliott, 2021-2022)

I have not had CREAM disrupt my academics. The only impact it may have had was decreasing my sleep considering the long shifts and manual labor. On the other hand, I would wake up early to go to shift and then would be ready to be productive in classes and do homework in my dorm. (Kelsi Devolve, 2021-2022)

I don’t think CREAM has ever disrupted any of my courses or academics. There are usually no issues with class scheduling concerns because class meets T/TR 6:10-8:00PM. One nice aspect of CREAM is that it is not your typical course with assignments, exams, deadlines, etc. It is refreshing to not have as much academic pressure from a course. Scheduling shifts around your course schedule can be difficult, because they are at the same set time every day. But 4:15AM shifts are a great way to solve this problem! (Cheyenne Elliott, 2021-2022)

Class is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8 pm. For the first hour on Tuesdays, the class breaks up into their committees to calculate or discuss the required information to present during the business meeting, which occurs in the second hour on Tuesday. During the business meeting, committees and subcommittees will present their information and any updates. Business meetings only occur once a week. On Thursdays, educational activities, such as panels or demonstrations, are coordinated by the Planning committee. Mini lectures are held on this day as well. (Nicole Milos, 2021-2022)

During early morning and afternoon shifts, there are 3 students working together to send up cows to the parlor and back down to the tie stalls, feed, and milk. There is a student working each responsibility or chore! (Nicole Milos, 2021-2022)

During mid shifts (5:30AM & 4:30PM), there are 2 students working on shift. On 5:30 AM shifts, one person will be responsible for feeding the heifer barn while the other person tackles the maternity pens, calf room, and superhutches. On 4:30 PM shifts, both people work together on the maternity, calf room, and superhutches. Usually, one person will work in the calf room doing stalls, feeding milk, water, and grain. The other person will be responsible for cleaning out and rebedding the maternity pens and superhutches. However, it is totally up to the people on shift how these chores are split up! Classmates from the early morning and afternoon shifts will often stay later to help the mid shifts out! (Cheyenne Elliott, 2021-2022)

If there was anything that I wish I could have done differently during my time at CREAM, it would be to join more subcommittees and to participate in these subcommittees more. With other classes it can be hard to juggle life however, the more that you work with and involve yourself with the class, the more you get out of the class. Whether it is participating in herd health, apparel, or outreach (there are other subcommittees). It is important to connect and even just to hang with students outside of class to connect and to get to know others better. This way, you become more comfortable with the class and gain a lot of knowledge and experience. Do not be afraid to try new things such as milking or feeding. Overall, CREAM has been an amazing experience but do not be afraid to try new things! (Julia Terrel, 2021-2022). 

My willingness to learn and adapt definitely best prepared me for CREAM. Having limited large animal experience and no cow experience challenged me in the beginning, and I definitely felt as if I didn’t have the best footing in comparison to my peers. I pushed myself to understand and ask questions in class to clear any confusion, and making friends along the way helped a lot! (Nicole Milos, 2021-2022)

Prior to joining CREAM I had some large animal handling at Fairchild through working there directly for a month as a farm hand in January of 2021. On top of this, I am also heavily involved with research conducted by Nancy Whitehouse and was able to be comfortable around cows. On top of these hands- on experiences I also took a few dairy classes which helped me with general knowledge on cows such as diets, common diseases and the economics behind the dairy industry. With this combination of hands-on experience and prior general knowledge I felt relatively confident going into CREAM! (Erica Oliver, 2021-2022)

Besides working with the animals, CREAM teaches you so much about working with others and problem solving. Since it is a flipped class, we are expected to work through problems together and essentially learn to run a business. All of the committees give you a little insight on how dairy farms operate and many of these skills can be transferred to other careers. The subcommittees are also a great way to work on leadership skills. You also work on presentation skills during the business meetings and mini lectures. (Madison McEachern, 2021-2022) 

Besides working with the cows, the most beneficial part of CREAM was the variety of life skills and level of knowledge you gain. You learn effective communication, time management, public speaking, problem solving, teamwork, and so much more. Another great aspect is the level of knowledge about dairy cattle and the industry you gain. You learn about the production, breeding, finances, herd health, nutrition, etc. surrounding dairy cattle. (Cheyenne Elliott, 2021-2022)

Absolutely! You learn a lot of terms throughout the year that are applied not only in practice at the barn, but also during business meetings. Safety around cows is demonstrated, welfare is adhered to through discussion and change, anatomy and physiology is observed through herd health checks and disease management, and other relevant information is presented by invited speakers and within subcommittees. (Nicole Milos, 2021-2022)

Yes! I have learned so much throughout the year. You learn more about safe handling, nutrition, breeding, herd health and welfare through committees, business meetings, subcommittees, and education nights in CREAM. You also learn more about your herd as you get more comfortable working with them and spend more time in the barn with them. I would recommend going to herd health checks with Dr. Elder if you are interested in learning more about breeding or the herd health side of things. (Madison McEachern, 2021-2022)

Although I’ve already been accepted into vet school and did not have this on my application prior to applying, I did not have a lot of large animal handling experience and because of this was not 100% confident around the cows or my ability to work with them. With this class I was somewhat forced to face my fears and have since grown to become slightly obsessed with them and extremely comfortable around them. I know in vet school we will be working with cows a lot so becoming confident around them will benefit me greatly in the long run. I also have enhanced my team working and time management skills which are essential for the rigor of veterinary school. This class has provided myriad skills for me and I feel more prepared and excited for not only my large animal rotation but have bettered my time management, teamwork and leadership skills. (Erica Oliver, 2021-2022)

The greatest thing that I have personally gotten out of CREAM is that things are always changing and you can be the change. Sounds cliche, but when you look at it from the perspective of the animal field, it helps you better care for animals. Animals depend on us to change how they are cared for to better their needs. Every new class can add something completely new for the animals because there is always new research out there of things that humans should do and how humans can treat animals differently. Don’t be afraid to want to change things, things are bound to change and if they didn’t there would be nothing new to learn about! (Emma Jette, 2021-2022)

There are no REQUIRED classes in specific needed before taking CREAM. It is recommended to take some cow classes prior to CREAM to increase your chances of being accepted. (Kelsi Devolve, 2021-2022)

While there are no required classes, it may be beneficial to have taken certain courses before applying to CREAM. There are several large animal and dairy cattle courses offered through the university, any of which would be helpful for this course. However, there are several people who have never taken any dairy cattle courses and they have succeeded!! (Cheyenne Elliott, 2021-2022)