Keep touch with school after graduation?

[Reirrac]

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I occasionally get mass invitations to apha and other meetings and sometimes solicitation for a scholarship donation from my old school. How do you all approach this?

For me personally, let's just say my social skills are stunted and therefore my time at school was the most challenging time in my life. I just want to move on and never look back.

 

[lord999]

I give my alma mater the VA incinerator address at Hines to send the alumni mailings. You're far from the only one with the relationship of what's past is past.

 

[owlegrad]

Yup, next time they call tell them they have the wrong number and ask them to update their records. I actually LIKE my alma mater but once they stopped providing me credits/degrees, I stopped providing them money. Simple as that. It is a total mystery to me that any of my classmates think they should give the school more money after they graduated.

As for the meetings and social side of it, sounds like a decent way to build a network or make friends but obviously if you have no desire to go...then don't.

Actually am I missing some subtext to your questions? Your college experience was the worst time of your life and now you want to know if you should go back for social gatherings or send them money because they ask you to? Do you have Stockholm Syndrome?

I will use the immortal words of Kylo Ren:

 

[Modest_anteater]

Yup, next time they call tell them they have the wrong number and ask them to update their records. I actually LIKE my alma mater but once they stopped providing me credits/degrees, I stopped providing them money. Simple as that. It is a total mystery to me that any of my classmates think they should give the school more money after they graduated.

As for the meetings and social side of it, sounds like a decent way to build a network or make friends but obviously if you have no desire to go...then don't.

Actually am I missing some subtext to your questions? Your college experience was the worst time of your life and now you want to know if you should go back for social gatherings or send them money because they ask you to? Do you have Stockholm Syndrome?

I will use the immortal words of Kylo Ren:

Didn't know you are a big Starwars fan Mr. Owl

 

[Reirrac]

I would hardly even call my school "Alma mater". "Saeva Noverca" would be a more fitting title. Suffice to say, I find Kylo Ren's approach quite appealing. Excuse me for a bit while I get my own red lightsaber.

 

[gwarm01]

If I receive a call that starts with "Hello, Dr..." then I know it is my school soliciting donations. Considering I am still paying off the six figure debt I got into receiving this education, they can go stuff it. It was a great school, but it is not a charity and they have more than enough funds coming in through the next generation part-time floaters.

 

[mustang sally]

It's probably not a bad idea to keep in touch. Having said that, I don't.

I also have a strict rule that I am not donating to scholarships or otherwise until all of my student loans are paid off (so probably never).

 

[JustFillIt]

Pshhh... screw that.. do you think if you got laid off and was out of money - and if you called the school looking for a donation that they would help? Please.....

 

[projektreverb]

I only keep in touch with people from school that I want to. I just started getting calls from my school about donations. Last person that called, I straight up said: “Does it tell you how much I paid in tuition in that file of yours? Yeah that was my donation.”

 

[DrVader]

I occasionally get mass invitations to apha and other meetings and sometimes solicitation for a scholarship donation from my old school. How do you all approach this?

For me personally, let's just say my social skills are stunted and therefore my time at school was the most challenging time in my life. I just want to move on and never look back.

I think that we will see many of these colleges of pharmacy go belly up in the next few decades, so I wouldn't get too attached. Much like high school once you are out of it for a couple of years, you simply just don't identify as the person you were in college. People change so radically, you really don't know them anymore.

 

[Momus]

No.

 

[BC_89]

I occasionally get mass invitations to apha and other meetings and sometimes solicitation for a scholarship donation from my old school. How do you all approach this?

Well, thanks to my school(s) (Undergrad and when I graduate current program), I'll have the ability to give more of my money to Bass Pro Shops and their everyday products. I guess I'd say "thanks" to the schools for supporting my current hobbies...

 

[beautifulrobot]

I have never donated money to my alma mater but i have gone out of my way to donate my time as a preceptor for them. In regards to socializing, on the rare occassion I find myself at an ASHP or APhA conference I will stop by school-specific social events. But I liked my school and enjoy reminiscing with the faculty.

There's no reason to feel obligated just for the sake of it. If you don't feel any kind of connection or need to stay in touch, then it's fine if you don't. I wouldn't go out of my way to burn bridges (you never know when you'll need to leverage your relationship with the school if you ever decide to retrain or work in academia), but it's also ok to not actively put in an effort to stay connected.

 

[Rouelle]

After the first call asking for donations, I saved the number to my contacts. They haven’t changed the number they call from, and I haven’t answered another of those calls.

I occasionally run into a professor or classmate at a meeting or other event. It’s generally nice to catch up a bit. I have nothing against any of them. I keep in relatively close touch with a couple classmates.

 

[Sparda29]

Only way I'll keep in contact with them is if they pay me to precept.

 

[radio frequency]

I very rarely get hit up for donations, amazingly. I’ve kept in touch with who I want to keep in touch with, inside and outside school. Don’t worry about what you should do; do what you want to do.

School was challenging personally on many levels, but I am grateful for much of it.

 

[lord999]

Although I have the same wicked stepmother relationship with my pharmacy school, I do keep in contact with the local community college, because they allowed dual enrollment (without costing tuition) in a way that I was able to get into pharmacy school post high school. I made it a point to give the amount needed for tuition each semester until I made enough from a job to do a one-time endowment that the tuition would be paid perpetually through government bonds. I now have it at two full-time tuition waivers and make it a point to visit every so often. There's something like 4 rad techs and 2 nurses who that's benefited so far, and considering the cost-to-performance ratio, I'm always been very happy for the tuition and job efficiency of the community college (as well as their instructors not having the same personality defects as any of the research-intensive universities I knew afterwards).

I do have a communicative relationship with some of faculty from pharmacy school, but that's completely separated from the school.

 

[Rxaunt]

Honestly I was so bad that I didnt even chip in for the class gift at graduation for three reasons. Reason number 1 I thought whatever they picked was stupid, I can't remember what it was so dont ask but they had like 3 choices and they were all stupid things the school didnt need. I believe they all revolved around updates to the classrooms we used most often and all of those rooms were newly renovated within the 4 years I attended there. Reason number 2 because I was like I am broke and I will be paying off my loans for years to come no thanks. And reason number 3 because our class representatives sent out an email that I thought was in poor taste basically demanding money like it was a bill we owed and had to pay. And I knew I wasnt the only one that didnt give for those reasons because I talked to other classmates and they all said they didnt give money either. I do always want to offer up my time for interviews or precepting but I live about an hour from the school in a smaller town and work in retail so most of the students wouldnt be interested in traveling that far in a town there is nothing to do just to do a retail gig.

 

[Carboxide]

When I get to chat with my fave professors: for sure, love it.

When they call for money:

 

[gwarm01]

Well, thanks to my school(s) (Undergrad and when I graduate current program), I'll have the ability to give more of my money to Bass Pro Shops and their everyday products. I guess I'd say "thanks" to the schools for supporting my current hobbies...

Now that's my kind of donation. I've been itching to get back out there and catch a fish, but the weather has not been favorable lately.

 

[BC_89]

Now that's my kind of donation. I've been itching to get back out there and catch a fish, but the weather has not been favorable lately.

I hear ya...This pic was my fishing for rainbows in 8 degree weather before getting sick up til couple days ago (here in Midwest). Im gonna wait ‘til I recoup and “donate” more money to Bass Pro when the weather gets above freezing lol

 

[KidPharmD]

I am a preceptor and Adjunct Faculty member, so I get lot's of e-mails from my school. However since I am marked as Faculty and not Alumni, I never get the usual solicitation calls. I do get occasional request for scholarship endowments which I have donated to when it is honoring someone who meant something to me.

 

[JustFillIt]

When I get to chat with my fave professors: for sure, love it.

When they call for money:

Ok.... lol! I just watched that video. I am one planet removed from anything pop culture in this world so I gotta ask - is this for real? Is there really a guy who sings this song in front of an audience of children?

 

[beautifulrobot]

Ok.... lol! I just watched that video. I am one planet removed from anything pop culture in this world so I gotta ask - is this for real? Is there really a guy who sings this song in front of an audience of children?

Dude... I'm totally judging you right now. This is parody - how do you not recognize Andy Samberg?

 

[JustFillIt]

Dude... I'm totally judging you right now. This is parody - how do you not recognize Andy Samberg?

I have no idea who Andy samburg is

 

[beautifulrobot]

I have no idea who Andy samburg is

That's unfortunate. If you like watching TV, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a pretty solid show.

(The Youtube video @Carboxide posted is apparently a deleted scene from a comedy movie called "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping." I haven't seen it and probably won't, but yeah, to your question, it's not real.)

 

[owlegrad]

That's unfortunate. If you like watching TV, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a pretty solid show.

(The Youtube video @Carboxide posted is apparently a deleted scene from a comedy movie called "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping." I haven't seen it and probably won't, but yeah, to your question, it's not real.)

Your loss, it is a very funny movie, especially if you like that actor’s brand of comedy.

 

[beautifulrobot]

Your loss, it is a very funny movie, especially if you like that actor’s brand of comedy.

If it makes it to Netflix I'll hit it up.

 

[JustFillIt]

If it makes it to Netflix I'll hit it up.

I watch Big Brother and The Drew Carrey Show... that’s it

My wife watches this show about naked people stranded in the wilderness so now and then I see naked man a$$ climbing up a hillside On the tv but that’s it

 

[BenJammin]

If I receive a call that starts with "Hello, Dr..." then I know it is my school soliciting donations. Considering I am still paying off the six figure debt I got into receiving this education, they can go stuff it. It was a great school, but it is not a charity and they have more than enough funds coming in through the next generation part-time floaters.

I used to work with a pharmacist who wanted to donate to her college of pharmacy but when they called her for donations they say "Miss so and so" rather than "Dr so and so".

 

[JustFillIt]

I used to work with a pharmacist who wanted to donate to her college of pharmacy but when they called her for donations they say "Miss so and so" rather than "Dr so and so".

Sounds like a deal breaker to me

 

[lane one]

I watch Big Brother and The Drew Carrey Show... that’s it

My wife watches this show about naked people stranded in the wilderness so now and then I see naked man a$$ climbing up a hillside On the tv but that’s it

Your life sounds exhilarating.

 

[JustFillIt]

Your life sounds exhilarating.

Better than yours.... what can I say..

 

[Reirrac]

If I ever spend money on schools, I would happily support community college students working on real functional degrees leading to jobs.

 

[Momus]

The first 9 yrs out of school, they kept husstling for donation. I don't know what made them stop recently.

 

[Modest_anteater]

....

 

[Modest_anteater]

Your loss, it is a very funny movie, especially if you like that actor’s brand of comedy.

I remember when my foster family had a TV growing up. There was always so many shows. Like literally hundreds. And tons of channels. I was amazed. So there is a whole group of people that watch shows and have favorite channels and such. Very interesting subculture in the US. Did you know there are even people that know tens of celebrities? I was watching tv at Walmart one time and a young girl was watching it with me and she could name a lot of the actors in the television show. Very amazing. It just seems so boring; watching television but to each his or her own!

 

[BC_89]

I remember when my foster family had a TV growing up. There was always so many shows. It just seems so boring; watching television but to each his or her own!

That’s why I’d try to go hunting and fishing when possible (early mornings are the best) and keep what money I would’ve donated to School X and spend it on gear I’ll use throughout my lifetime (or a season...depending how cheap I buy).

That said, I do have a 65” Hisense tv lol

 

[beautifulrobot]

That’s why I’d try to go hunting and fishing when possible (early mornings are the best) and keep what money I would’ve donated to School X and spend it on gear I’ll use throughout my lifetime (or a season...depending how cheap I buy).

That said, I do have a 65” Hisense tv lol

I used to be fairly anti-TV, and still dont watch much actual TV on the TV. But the internet tricked me into watching TV again.

 

[Modest_anteater]

That’s why I’d try to go hunting and fishing when possible (early mornings are the best) and keep what money I would’ve donated to School X and spend it on gear I’ll use throughout my lifetime (or a season...depending how cheap I buy).

That said, I do have a 65” Hisense tv lol

What do you watch on it? movies? television?

 

[BC_89]

What do you watch on it? movies? television?

Call me the lazy parent, but these days I play a cartoon series on amazon prime for the kiddos or even YouTube / Netflix series.

If I do watch, I like judge Judy and a new series called “The Passage.” If its Amazon Prime : Why I shouldn’t Be Alive. If Netflix : Longmire (just finished last season). Football season is over so..

Wife watches Hallmark when I’m out and about so there’s that

 

[rph3664]

I get a quarterly magazine from my school, and while I do see familiar faces from time to time, the last time one of my classmates was in it, it was a death announcement. 🙁 I didn't remember him.

It does include a donation envelope and a section listing recent donors.