Adjusting to Pharmacy School

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i'm a first year pharmacy student and I'm having a really difficult time adjusting to life here. I moved across the country not knowing anyone, not having a car, not having a lot of money, to attend school. It's really hard for me to make friends when all i want to do is study. All my classmates are out having fun enjoying themselves, joining frats or hanging out.

I received my first exam back and even though i got a B, I studied really hard! It's beginning to feel really lonely here and there's no one i can talk to who understands..I'm not sure what I should do...

Well, which school do you go to? Maybe someone here goes to the same school and can help you out. Make time for studying, but leave some time for enjoying yourself, otherwise you'll age far faster than you would wish. Just get out there and be yourself. You're only, what, 4 weeks in? Give it some time, and you'll adjust.

Pick up an MMORPG and meet some people. Even if they're 'online personas', at least you can get SOME interaction.

And a B, as I understand it, is not a bad grade at all in pharmacy school.

Lipitor,

I agree with apteryx - you're only 4 weeks into adjusting to a locale and schedule that you'll be spending the majority of your life for the next four years. I think you're off to a good start by taking your studies seriously. Once you feel more comfortable that you can fit in a little socializing, you will. I'm not one for big groups myself so my best advice is to start with finding someone you connect with. Once you have a good friend, the rest is so much easier. Hang in there - next year you'll look back and wonder what you were so worried about!

By the way, where do you go to school and where are you orginally from?

Join some sort of pharmacy organization! You will have less free time as the years go on. You will want to be involved in community outreach activities, and you'll meet other students this way too.

Originally Posted by Monalyce

Join some sort of pharmacy organization! You will have less free time as the years go on. You will want to be involved in community outreach activities, and you'll meet other students this way too.

joining organizations definitely helps you meet people. you can sit close to people in your class and get to know them well. from that, you can study together and sometimes they'll ask you to hang out with them on the weekends. like you said, if you don't have a car, this would be a great way to get around the city and go sight seeing and see the night life.

from community activities, you'll see upper class students who will very likely be helping you if it's your first time doing something like a health screening in public.

i also spent a lot of time during my first few weeks of pharmacy school studying every day and i didn't do very much on the weekends. i would always see different people from my class in the library and knew that they would talk about how i study all the time, but in pharmacy school, you're not really competing with anyone. your own personal experience and what you learn from school is all that matters. when you graduate, you'll have a degree and become a licensed pharmacist after passing the naplex.

Originally Posted by lipitor20mg

i'm a first year pharmacy student and I'm having a really difficult time adjusting to life here. I moved across the country not knowing anyone, not having a car, not having a lot of money, to attend school. It's really hard for me to make friends when all i want to do is study. All my classmates are out having fun enjoying themselves, joining frats or hanging out.

I received my first exam back and even though i got a B, I studied really hard! It's beginning to feel really lonely here and there's no one i can talk to who understands..I'm not sure what I should do...

I know how you feel, I currently have a B in one of my classes as well... But just think of it this way....it doesn't matter if you are an A student or B student you are going to graduate and make the SAME amount of money no matter what!

Can you try studying with other people? You usually end up taking a few breaks and talking about things that don't pertain directly to your classes. Before you know it, you have friends. Once you get to know them, maybe you can invite them to see a movie or get a quick bite to eat. If you are especially shy, you can at least call them up and ask them questions about class and then proceed to friendlier conversation. First year of pharm school is a great time to meet people. Remember that there are lots of people who are looking for friends just like you are so they will be open to invitations to study or do something fun.