summer before school

[Cju101]

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For current Pharmacy students.......this question deals with the summer before pharmacy school. Its already june and my summer is flying by. I'll be attending lecom so I wont have the luxary of long breaks during the summer. My question is, would it be better to intern full time (like I have been doing since Febuaray, I have a little over 500 hours so far) around 40-50 hours a week and save up money for school, and get all 750 of my hours in, or take off and try and relax and enjoy the time I have left before school. Thanks everyone

 

[IrishRxMan]

It depends on how much you have saved already. I would try to take it easy, especially if you are going to a more intense program. I worked 35 to 40 hours a week before I started my first year and I wished I had taken a little more time off instead. It ultimately depends on how much you need to have saved up for your comfort level. Just don't wear yourself out before the start of school. You could work full time and then take off a couple weeks before you were going to so you can just relax and do things you want to do before school starts.

 

[omnione]

Yeah, those three-year schools don't offer as much downtime in exchange for one less year in school.

Workload during the school year is proportional to your comfort level and ability to maintain desirable grades. You wouldn't want to be bored or struggling in classes because you want to make an extra buck. Based on SDN testimonies, 15-20 hours per week seem midrange. My school recommends 15 hours per week at most and many of the P2s and P3s have warned me that they have to go below that to keep up with classes.

That being said, your summer decision should consider your finances coupled with your desire for experience. I'd at least take a month off before school starts to make the move and preparations for the new school year at a new school.

 

[Cju101]

I'd like to take a month off to relax and adjust to the move. I hope things work out that way. I also have to take some time and review ochem material. Its been well over a year since I took it and Im scared I don't remember anything. 🙁

Im still debating if Im going to work at all during my first year. I definetly don't have trouble living on a tight budget coming from a poor family, I just hope I can scrap up enough for a place to live and some roman noodles. 🙂

 

[omnione]

I'd like to take a month off to relax and adjust to the move. I hope things work out that way. I also have to take some time and review ochem material. Its been well over a year since I took it and Im scared I don't remember anything. 🙁

Im still debating if Im going to work at all during my first year. I definetly don't have trouble living on a tight budget coming from a poor family, I just hope I can scrap up enough for a place to live and some roman noodles. 🙂

I never really dealt with a college student's financial life before this past year in pharmacy school. I lived at home leeching off my parents' money and the scholarships that covered most of my school bills.

Now, I'm really hurting financially as my parents aren't doing so well financially (dad doesn't follow through on financial planning and mom doesn't understand that money doesn't grow on trees). I've lived on about $25 for food and the rest comes from my trips back home to the parents.

Everyone at my school keeps telling me that P2 is really hard partly because of the demands and rigor of the courses coupled with a ridiculously easier P1 year. Ideally, I don't want to work during the year but I need to because:

1. I've learned the hard way that getting summer intern positions are a b*tch to get if one doesn't secure a position prior to that allowing one to set the summer schedule. Full-time gigs were non-existent in my area.

2. I don't want to be rusty during a summer job by not working during the year.

3. I'm poor.

The moral of this whole tirade is to get as much experience during summer (though that doesn't apply to you after this summer) because getting more experienced can be more difficult during the year.

 

[collegegirl247]

I'd like to take a month off to relax and adjust to the move. I hope things work out that way. I also have to take some time and review ochem material. Its been well over a year since I took it and Im scared I don't remember anything. 🙁

Im still debating if Im going to work at all during my first year. I definetly don't have trouble living on a tight budget coming from a poor family, I just hope I can scrap up enough for a place to live and some roman noodles. 🙂

I think to go from working full time/ overtime to not working at all is a big switch...you should see if you are able to work just a few hours. Plus the more free time you have the more apt you are to spending all the money you have saved! lol

 

[DieHardRX]

I'd like to take a month off to relax and adjust to the move. I hope things work out that way. I also have to take some time and review ochem material. Its been well over a year since I took it and Im scared I don't remember anything. 🙁

Im still debating if Im going to work at all during my first year. I definetly don't have trouble living on a tight budget coming from a poor family, I just hope I can scrap up enough for a place to live and some roman noodles. 🙂

I took Ochem like 7 years ago and not sure if I want to retake it.
Do we really need to know much about Ochem?
How are you going to reviewthe maerials yourself?
thanks