Tips and tricks for being successful in pharmacy school
At the beginning of my pharmacy school career, I had so many what ifs. “What do I wear?”, “Where do I sit?”, and “How am I going to make friends?”, along with so many more questions that I didn’t know the answers to. Today I am writing this, so you don’t have to go through the same what ifs that I did.
Attire
Generally, everyone wears casual clothes. You can more often than not see people wearing jeans around campus which is nice. There are professional dress days where you will need to dress business casual/professional. For professional dress days it is appropriate to wear slacks and a nice shirt. If you are planning on wearing a skirt or dress it should be at least at the knee.
Seating
You will be in the same classroom for the entirety of your first year, so choose your seat wisely! If you know you don’t focus well or want to be able to interact with faculty during lecture, then sit in the front. I have sat in each section of the classroom and can say they all have their own benefits, but the front is probably the most beneficial area you can be in.
Friends
You will be with your classmates every class, every quarter, every year, in the same classroom, so trust me when I say you will make friends. The best advice I can give you is to be kind, considerate, and be open to reaching out to people that you may not have spoken to throughout orientation week. I am more shy and reserved so I understand this may be hard, but the sooner you meet people the sooner you have friends to go get lunch with, to study with, and to hang out with if you’re new to the area. Having friends that you can trust and rely on makes school much more enjoyable.
Study tips
Even though your first year will not be as challenging as other years, it is important to incorporate study habits early on. All the information you are learning in your first year is a foundation for the years to come, so take it seriously. The first step to studying is finding out the best study method for you. Do you study better in groups or alone? Do you remember information better when you type or physically write it out? Do you prefer to talk out loud about the information? I included a link below that will help you determine what type of learner you are. Take the quiz determine what type of learner you are and find the best study methods for those types of learners. It is all trial and error, but the sooner you figure it out the better! https://arden.ac.uk/what-type-learner-are-you
Take care of YOU
I know this is cliché, but I have to say it. One of the things I didn’t do in undergrad was prioritize my mental and physical health. It is great to take advantage of opportunities, but you can’t give 100% in these opportunities if you are not okay. One of the biggest things I had to learn and be comfortable with was saying no and this allowed me to get out of the burn out I was experiencing coming into pharmacy school. Prioritize your health and wellness so you can be a great student, intern, friend, etc. while still avoiding burnout. Pharmacy school is a lot of work but making sure you are okay can make it a lot more manageable.
