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Peer Advice: Taking Care of You Before the School Year

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With pharmacy school fast approaching, it is important to focus on the most important step: YOU. Pharmacy school is a big commitment, so starting the school year feeling refreshed and prepared is essential. To help with that, I have provided a concise and informative list of tips.

Hang out with family and friends.

Do not be scared! I am sure you have heard different variations of “saying goodbye to your social life,” but that is not the case. If you are great at scheduling and balancing your responsibilities, you will still be able to maintain a great social life while being a successful student.

Start organizing.

It would be really helpful to gather the items that will help you succeed, such as planners, notebooks, folders, and other school supplies. Being organized from the start can make a huge difference throughout the school year.

Get involved!

Your peer advisors (like myself) will reach out to you about summer events, group chats, and other opportunities to connect. Get involved! Remember, everyone here is starting this journey together, so do not be afraid to talk, ask questions, and bond with your future pharm-ily.

Take time for yourself!

Before the school year starts, take time to focus on hobbies that bring you happiness. The first quarter will be a big change, so you might not have as much time to read, play basketball, or do other activities you enjoy. That is why it is important to utilize this time doing something you love before the school year begins.

Incorporate healthy habits.

As a person who drank about two Red Bulls a day plus coffee during finals, I would highly suggest finding and incorporating healthy habits early on. It can also be difficult to find the time and energy to make healthy meals during the school year, so I would recommend meal prepping when possible to avoid constantly relying on fast food.

Review the basics.

Before starting pharmacy school, you will be sent to the Top 100 Drugs list. I would highly suggest:

  1. Making sure you have the correct and most updated version of the list, since it is constantly changing.

  2. Starting to learn the drugs early. You will be quizzed weekly, so reviewing them little by little before the quarter begins can make a huge difference. As the quarter progresses, the workload can become overwhelming, so getting ahead early will help have a successful first quarter.

I am so excited for your journey!