Lost and confused

[SeekerofTruth]

---

Members don't see this ad.

..

 

[delano2000]

I thought I was very prepared for anything this school would throw at me but I am not. I am constantly stressing about one class or another. I am not doing poorly, not even close but I am worrying about not having an A in each class and keeping my A's in biology and chemistry. It's always one thing after another, I simply didn't expect this workload.

All of the students here hate it, the low morale makes me feel depressed. I worry about tomorrow, and when I'm not doing that I worry about what I'll do next year when the classes are even more difficult. More than that, I don't even think pharmacy is right for me. I chose this before there are no other subjects I am good at other than chemistry and biology and I don't feel cut out for 24/7 lab work..

Maybe this is just the fear talking...who knows...all this negativity about the profession going down the drains makes me feel worse, what will I do when this bull**** is over? I don't understand how all of these upperclassmen at this school stay up all night studying, I drop at around 12-1.

Moved to the appropriate forum.

 

[SeekerofTruth]

..

 

[owlegrad]

Thank you everyone for the help

I don't even see a question buried in there. No one here can tell you if pharmacy is right for you.

Do you want some encouragement? Go see an academic adviser or councilor or make some new friends! College is tough, but it can also be fun. Or so I have heard. 😉

You should really try to enjoy undergrad as much as possible though. 👍

 

[SeekerofTruth]

...

 

[owlegrad]

It's normal enough to not be sure what you want to do yet. But no one here is qualified to help you with that choice. The best thing you can do is get experience in those fields and see which one you like best.

Other than that, keep in mind that most people do not love their jobs and that there is no real "right" answer. You could end up hating any field you go into. Just pick the one that feels the best and go for it!

 

[Strategist]

Well first off, getting enough sleep is of upmost importance. Lack of sleep affects memory retention, quality of studying, and outlook on life.

My undergrad blows too, so I feel you. It's difficult to compete on these damn curve systems with people who either have amazing memories or study all day every day, or sometimes both. The photographic memory people are insane to compete against in many science subjects unfortunately, though I do tend to do better than them in problem solving subjects (genetics). My memory is very average, and I have to work extra hard to memorize things I do not view at important (such as random insignificant details on a slide that actually come up on exams).

I noticed that I have felt a whole lot better about my classes lately after I no longer stress over getting an A. I have come to terms with not being able to compete with the memorizers, since I cannot bring myself to retain meaningless details that serve no purpose afterward. Instead, I have gone back to studying to learn, rather than studying for the professor's exam, and I often get a bit above average score (~B-, B with curve).

Anyway, the economy is in shambles right now and everyone is having difficulty finding work. There are many people asking the same exact questions you are. Your Churchill quote sums it up pretty well.

 

[kcwang]

I never took a class with an intention to get A or B. For me, it is all about learning and applying what I learned into my life. I don't know if this would help you, but I was always less stressed than my classmates.

From your post, it seems like you lack a goal or you don't know what to do after you gradaute. You need to start joining clubs that interest you and participate in community acitivies. Hopefully, exposing yourself to different enviroment will help you find your goal or your career.

You can also try combining your hobbies and course material together (it takes creativity in this one =])

While getting good grade looks good on you, but it is more important you enjoy what you are learning.

 

[SeekerofTruth]

..

 

[kcwang]

Hmm General Chemistry shouldn't be too difficult, which is why your test is not curved (same with my University's General Chemistry course). Sounds like you have not figure your best studying habit. You might want to look for extra helps from professor, classmates and other free resources. I learn best with numbers too, but it is important you understand the concept for a fundamental class. Does your professor has office hours or discussion sections? I would go to those for help. It will only be harder at Pharmacy School, so you need to learn to study efficiently. (Maybe form study group with other students, it can be fun and less stressful)

I assume you are in your first year college. You got plenty of time to explore and decide what you want to become, and you want to think this through carefully. Pharmacy is a great career, but there are also a lot of other options in bio and chem field. If you are better at Math than other subject, then you can look into Engineering. Plently of job opportunities in that field.

Cheer up, it is really not that bad.

 

[SeekerofTruth]

..

 

[SeekerofTruth]

One side feels like I should stop caring so much but then what? How good will I do in my classes then? I think I have lost my way. I've never felt this way before coming to this school.

 

[Strategist]

Well don't stop caring completely for sure. You're just having a bit of a low right now is all, and it happens to all of us. I went through this a little over a year ago (though I had other family health issues going on at the time). Sleep and exercise do the trick for me personally, but as kcwang has suggested, activities and clubs would be excellent. Just having other people to interact with, talk/vent to is extremely vital to sanity. An internet forum does this slightly, but is not a worthy substitute.

You doing well in these classes is vital to your future in general. The economy will eventually pick up and your grades, degree, and more importantly knowledge (understanding, critical thinking, work ethic, etc) will be helpful for any career you may pursue. The future will always hold at least a bit of uncertainty (though seemingly much more lately). However, we must remain positive and push through, for it is far better than the alternative future of simply quitting. If you build it, they will come.

 

[xtsukiyox]

I just wanted to add - you're not alone. A lot of people when first adjusting to undergrad get depressed, for a variety of reasons. There are a lot of new stressors. Being cut loose like you are in undergrad can feel like nobody cares about you. You're outside your support network. It's work to form a new network of quality people, especially since everyone around you is learning to be themselves.

It's important to stay in touch with your old support network and find opportunities to interact with your peers in your new environment. Make sure you find time to do whatever you find fun. Be kind to yourself.