Yo First Years...

[freshbeatschris]

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How's it going?
How are classes?
How is the work load?
What's working for you?
What sucks?
What organizations have you joined?
How are your tests?
Do you miss your undergrad school?
How have you adapted?
How's the new campus?
Are you working?
How is the pharmacy school/social life/family/sanity balance thing working out for ya?
How much sleep do you get a night?

I'll start...
I miss small class sizes. Going from 20 to 200+ people is a HUGE bummer.
17.5 hours is not an easy ride.
Grades went from straight A's to some A's, some B's, and UGH some C's.
Joined APhA... will be doing immunization clinic next month.
YES, I miss all of my undergrad schools.
New campus is nice. Gated community. Don't feel like I belong there... like who mistakenly let me join this priviliged group.
Two jobs on campus. Not a lot of hours, but enough stress to almost make it not worth it.
The balance? Off-kilter quite a bit.
Sleep? Not Enough.

Chris

 

[TheChemist]

Yo


You have the craziest avatar. Is that some kind of surgery? I just finished midterms myself. I'll find out what the damage is sometime next week. I haven't got a job yet. I'll probably start looking sometime soon. Honestly it doesn't feel like I have time. I guess I'll fit it in somewhere. At least it seems like things are moving quickly. In no time it'll all be over.

 

[ethyl]

How's it going?
How are classes?

It's like taking another bunch of undergrad, 4000 level courses.

How is the work load?

I've never taken more than 13 credit hours. This is a pretty big shock for me. Living 70-80 minutes away from campus doesn't help matters either.

What's working for you?

Studying all the time by myself. I'm too far away from everyone to study in a group. I haven't crammed for an exams yet.(quizzes, yes) I usually study for an exam about 3-4 days beforehand and things turn out ok.

What sucks?

My biochem course's exams are horrible and pretty unpredictable. It also sucks to drive to campus for trivial, mandatory things and missing valuable lecture watching time. We also have like a 2-3 week delay on getting any exam grade back.

What organizations have you joined?

ASP, FSHP... not much time to be active in them though.

Do you miss your undergrad school?

Damn I miss being an undergrad freshmen. But that was 5 years ago.

How have you adapted?

Study all the time. Don't slack and watch tv or go out with family or friends. I've been trying NEVER to miss an online lecture. I pulled a Saturday lecture watching marathon and I was NOT happy.

Are you working? Hell no

How much sleep do you get a night?

Plenty of sleep. 😀 At least 8-9 hours a night. My lectures don't come online till around 11 oclock.

 

[freshbeatschris]

Yo


You have the craziest avatar. Is that some kind of surgery?

That's my leg... 3 1/2 years ago. My last of four surgeries

 

[ndearwater]

Wow that is gross!

Anyway....
How are classes?
One integrated science course eats up all my study time. The other stuff is just sort of filler. Except maybe PharmCalc. But classes aren't bad at all! Especially since we all use laptops and talk on AIM to uh... share notes, right! 🙂 We have tests/quizzes constantly but it keeps the material load small!
How is the work load?
Not bad at all... yet!
What's working for you?
I study alone mostly but get together right before exams and quizzes to go over last minute stuff. I try to do most of my studying during the week and catch up on Sundays if I need to.
What sucks?
Some of the random lectures that are kind of pointless.
What organizations have you joined?
APhA, class office
How are your tests? not really very hard, and they are almost all online so you get your score instantly!
Do you miss your undergrad school?
not really- I brought all I needed from undergrad: my man! haha
How have you adapted?
I'm buying winter clothes! aaaahhhhh
How's the new campus?
small but pretty nice
Are you working?
yeah about 10 hrs/week on average (as little as possible)
How is the pharmacy school/social life/family/sanity balance thing working out for ya?
much more manageable than I thought it would be; I couldn't do that without the love and support of my DVR. 🙂
How much sleep do you get a night?
usually like 7 hours but I really do try for 8

Chris[/QUOTE]

 

[Rxbound]

How are classes?
Okay. Love Pharmaceutics.
How is the work load?
19 hours. Not too bad.
What's working for you?
Studying by myself, and studying every freakin' day.
What sucks?
How people don't understand that this is professional school, and that we are now being asked to step up the game.
What organizations have you joined?
APhA, and I will so be joining SSNP and ASHP.
How are your tests?
Well, 85 people (out of 130) made a D or lower on the last biochem test, so...🙁
Do you miss your undergrad school?
That was 4 years ago, so no.
How have you adapted?
OK
How's the new campus?
Construction everywhere.
Are you working?
18 hours a week.
How is the pharmacy school/social life/family/sanity balance thing working out for ya?
Pretty good. Not ever been much of a partier, so no problem with coming to class wasted...
How much sleep do you get a night?
5-6 hours, except on weekends.

 

[rxlynn]

How's it going?
How are classes?
How is the work load?
What's working for you?
What sucks?
What organizations have you joined?
How are your tests?
Do you miss your undergrad school?
How have you adapted?
How's the new campus?
Are you working?
How is the pharmacy school/social life/family/sanity balance thing working out for ya?
How much sleep do you get a night?

Classes are (mostly) very good. I was a chemistry major, so I'm finding that a good bit so far is review.
Work load is significant - 18 hours, and I'm not doing a lot else but school (of course, I have 2 kids and a husband to contend with also).
What's working for me is going to class and keeping up with studying - no cramming for me. Also, my commute has been much better than I anticipated.
What sucks - not having time to do all the fun things on campus
large classes (my class is roughly 150 students, and I was used to much, much smaller in upper level chem classes).
Having classes with mandatory attendance policy that are mostly review material - it's almost like we have to attend the easy classes, and the really hard ones are the optional attendance policies.
Tests are all multiple choice - I've been told it will be this way all the way through. Lucky for me - I test well in that format.
Orgs - APhA, CPFI, ASCP
New campus - lot smaller than what I was used to, but it's kind of nice to have a 2 minute walk from the car to the classroom.
Working - mostly just 4 hours per week, but that's a lot of fun because I get a bit more leeway to talk to customers now that I'm not a tech
Balance - well, so far so good.
Sleep - 8 to 81/2 hours - I get grouchy fast if I don't get enough sleep!

 

[DownonthePharm]

How's it going?

Pretty good.

How are classes?

I have two that are kicking my butt, and the rest are pretty easy.

How is the work load?

18 credits but it doesnt feel like that much time actually in class. But I feel it outside of class.

What's working for you?

Still trying to figure that out.

What sucks?

Feeling guilty on the few occations I get to socialize. Having at least one test every week.

What organizations have you joined?

NCPA, ApHA-ASP, ASCP, and Kappa Psi. Im also a class officer.

How are your tests?

Mostly multiple choice. But that hasnt helped me.

Do you miss your undergrad school?

No. Especially since its in snow country, and it was in the 80s here until this week.

How have you adapted?

New clothes. Less internet, more email.

How's the new campus?

I go to a "Health Science Center" university. So its neat that everyone you see walking around is somehow involved in health care. We have dental/nursing/MD/PA/pharmacy students all around, plus all the hospitals and other medical clinics on campus.

Are you working?

No. Holding out as long as possible.

How is the pharmacy school/social life/family/sanity balance thing working out for ya?

I was having horrible heart burn every night for about the first month. But my stress level is coming back down as Ive gotten used to having no "life".

How much sleep do you get a night?

6-7 hours. I dont function well when Im tired, and Ive learned that caffeine jacks up my tummy.

 

[michele_107]

How are classes?
Classes aren't that bad so far, not nearly as bad as I was expecting!
How is the work load?
I have never taken 18 hours before, but like I said before it's not been that bad.
What's working for you?
I usually do most of my studying on the weekends, and then review everything the night before quizzes, exams, etc. It seems to be working so far.
What sucks?
Being too far away from home to go back anytime I want.
What organizations have you joined?
So far just APhA
How are your tests?
They are multiple choice mostly, and online... so you know your results immediately, which can be good... or bad🙄
Do you miss your undergrad school?
I do miss some aspects of it, such as the professors and classmates, but I was ready for a change 🙂
How have you adapted?
I brought my husband with me, so there's not been much to adapt to.
How's the new campus?
Only one building, but very nice.
Are you working?
I haven't been, but I start this weekend.
How is the pharmacy school/social life/family/sanity balance thing working out for ya?
So far, so good.
How much sleep do you get a night?
Usually about 7-8 hours.
😀

 

[klebsiella]

How's it going? Good so far
How are classes? Much easier than I had expected
How is the work load? 17 credits, it isnt bad
What's working for you?Having faculty that actually cares how I do
What sucks?dealing with people who didnt think they were entering a professional program, I hope none of you are asking your profs for EXTRA CREDIT. Just to forwarn you if you want to ask this, your prof will look at the entire class as if to say WTF is wrong with you guys??!!
What organizations have you joined?ASP and KY
How are your tests?Easy so far, we take most of them online which took a little time to get used to, but nothing like some of my other grad courses where the class average was 35%
Do you miss your undergrad school?No
How have you adapted?Im learning to just accept the things I can not change....
How's the new campus?I LOVE the facilities. Beautiful, new and everywhere on campus is wifi
Are you working?Yes, first time in a pharmacy environment
How is the pharmacy school/social life/family/sanity balance thing working out for ya?So far so good. Im glad that we have fall break so I have the next week to settle down and catch up on biochemistry
How much sleep do you get a night?Enough to keep me from getting grouchy

 

[Moxxie]

How are classes?
Okay. Some of them are mind-numbing (see below), but others have been a lot of fun. Some of the professors are really excited about teaching us.

How is the work load?
16 hours. I was able to get out of biochem because I'd taken it earlier, so things are a little easier than what the majority of my class has to take. Still more work than I thought it would be.

What's working for you?
Not sure yet. I've been trying to stay caught up with the reading, but it's been difficult. The best thing that I can do is to re-write my notes and ask questions on stuff that isn't clear. I tried group study, but we talked too much and didn't get anything accomplished.

What sucks?
FREAKING PHYSIOLOGY. The lectures aren't very structured at all, and I end up just writing notes on the figures in my book as he talks. Only one person out of over 70 finished the first exam before time was called, and the class average was a 50. Glad I was "above average," but I wasn't happy with a D, either. With the curve, it was a B 😳 .

What organizations have you joined?
PPSA (combo of APHA, ISHP and ISPA), Phi Delta Chi, class rep, member of another couple of committees - I'm an overachiever and my grades are showing it.

How are your tests?
Other than physiology, they haven't been that terrible. One of our profs likes to put a lot of trick questions on her tests, so we have to read and re-read test questions carefully. I've decided that I will be happy if I'm a B-student now 🙂

Do you miss your undergrad school?
Not really - I graduated in 2002.

How have you adapted?
Eh - I could be doing better (study-wise), but so far I really love the program.

How's the new campus?
It's nice - smaller than I'm used to. Very pretty.

Are you working?
12 hours a week plus all my EC's.

How is the pharmacy school/social life/family/sanity balance thing working out for ya?
Could be better. My husband couldn't get a job in our town, so he's living 3 hours away with family in Boise (where there are jobs). We see each other on weekends, but it's still rough. Luckily, 1/2 of our class goes to Boise for the last 2 years, so this is temporary. I'm joining PDX, and that's been a good outlet for stress and a chance for socialization.

How much sleep do you get a night?
Probably ~6 hours/night. I really should be getting closer to 8. I try to nap when I get the chance.

 

[b*rizzle]

How are classes?
Semi-interesting, sometimes mind-numbing. Most days it is a struggle to pay attention. I enjoy lab quite a bit though.

How is the work load?
15.5 hours. Physiology, pharmaceutics, biochemistry, health systems, prelab/lab, and some random professional experience course that only meets a few times a semester. I do more work outside of class, I usually study a little bit every day.

What's working for you?
Re-writing (or reviewing -- if there's no time) class notes on a daily basis. I tend to procrastinate with the homework for my classes, but I always do it. I only read for biochem, if I'm not too clear on what's covered in class. Most importantly, I don't stress over exams or assignments, and I make sure to get sleep. I take naps when I need them. I go for a walk to clear my head if my productivity is stagnating. I refuse to do work 24/7. I think the not stressing thing has been the biggest factor in my success so far; that's not to say I am not concerned about my work, because I am, but I did enough stressing as an undergrad for the rest of my life. This approach is working pretty well for me -- I currently have A's in all my classes.

What sucks?
Hmm. The fact that all my professors READ OFF OF POWERPOINTS. It's nice to have all the notes in black and white, but it gets a little dry after a while.

What organizations have you joined?
CAPS (Carolina Association of Pharmacy Students), CDG (Clinical discussion group), Community Pharmacy Special Interest Group. I don't want to overdo it yet, since I lack the funds for dues to many different groups and I still work too.

How are your tests?
Physiology exams are a bit tricky, but I feel that the tests for all classes are fair with respect to the materials taught in class.

Do you miss your undergrad school?
Nope. I'm at the same school I was for undergrad 😛

How have you adapted?
Wonderfully; it hasn't been too stressful. I presently have A's in all my classes.

How's the campus?
I absolutely love Chapel Hill but sometimes I wish I'd opted for a change of scenery.

Are you working?
7.5 to 10 hours a week. I may increase this slightly during non-exam weeks. I don't work the weekend before an exam week, generally.

How is the pharmacy school/social life/family/sanity balance thing working out for ya?
Doing pretty well, generally. I graduated from undergrad in three years while working close to full time and serving on an exec board for the fraternity I was in, so pharmacy school (even with work and ECs) feels like a bit of a break, at least for now. I still get home to see the folks at least once a week. Social life is pretty chill, I have a small circle of friends that I get to spend time with on the weekends. I have to have time to decompress or I'll go crazy.

How much sleep do you get a night?
Probably about 7 hours a night. I shoot to be in bed by 11:30 pm, but that doesn't always happen. I've had a few nights where I've gotten less than 6 or 7, but that is not because I've been up late studying (I used to do that in undergrad and I just can't do it anymore)...it's usually because I was procrastinating earlier in the evening (i.e. watching House or CSI).

 

[twester]

How's it going? Really well. I'm loving pharmacy school. CU is really hands on. And that's the best learning environment for me.

How are classes? Good, nothing too alarming so far. Some things seem a little disorganized. Pharm law bores me to tears. But most of the instructors are really into what they're teaching and are equally into the students.

How is the work load? 18 credit hours, but four of our classes are half-semester classes. That means they go really fast, so time management is key. It's not as bad in reality as it looks on paper.

What's working for you? Setting aside the school day and a few hours afterwards exclusively for classes/study really frees up my evenings and weekends. Next week is a little hairy, but there's plenty of time this weekend to study.

What sucks? It was hard to adjust to the large class size. Sitting in the same, jam-packed classroom for several hours a day is kind of hard for this borderline claustrophobic (not borderline personality-haha). I hate having to dress up for Professional Skills every week - but I like wearing the white coat.

What organizations have you joined? APhA and SNPhA. I'm more involved in SNPhA.

How are your tests? They're alright - the class average has been really high - but that doesn't stop everybody from sounding like they're on the verge of flunking out at any minute. I've stopped listening.

Do you miss your undergrad school? I did at first. I like pharmacy school better, though. I'm thinking about dropping by to visit some professors just to let them know I still remember them.

How have you adapted? I've adapted really well. I'm taking off in pharm school. I've made a lot of friends - I always find someone to talk to. I'm not a terribly social person, so I'm kind of surprised by how I've adapted.

How's the new campus? I love the environment. Three hospitals are on campus along with the SOM, SON, PT, PA and Grad schools. It's seriously academic, but it feels good to be in the heart of medicine in Denver.

Are you working? Not yet, but I'm starting to think I'd like to get out there and use my license.

How is the pharmacy school/social life/family/sanity balance thing working out for ya? No worries at all. There's plenty of time for outside activities. I'm usually too tired during the week to do much, but weekends are almost always free.

How much sleep do you get a night? 7 hours - religiously

 

[Smilescali]

How's it going?

I am just trying to master the family/school/EC juggling act!

How are classes?

Classes are not really that hard(so far), but the amount of material is often overwhelming.

How is the work load?

The work load is heavy at times, but doable.

What's working for you?

I am still trying to find the "balance"🙂 I really don't study a lot during the week, due to family and other school realted functions.


What sucks?

Nothing so far. I love USN and their block program. My classmates are awesome and I really love being involved with campus organizations.


What organizations have you joined?

Officer for the NCPA😍 ...Kappa Psi😍 ... APhA/ASHP and we are trying to start up a student chapter of the ACCP (no student chapters anywhere yet!)

How are your tests?

Our assessments are challenging, but if you study and understand the concepts you should do well.

Do you miss your undergrad school?

No. Except for the COFFEE CART!

How have you adapted?

I am still in the process...I should ask my husband this!

How's the new campus?

Small and there are some issues I have with it...NO COFFEE MACHINES or CARTS!

Are you working?

Yes, I am a mom.

How is the pharmacy school/social life/family/sanity balance thing working out for ya?

This month has been crazy...especially with all of the NCPA functions(especially with the National Convention that was here in Vegas last weekend....it was so AWESOME though!)

How much sleep do you get a night?

5-6 hours😴

 

[HollyP]

Can't stand it. Thanks for asking though.
I'm too much of a slacker for this kind of madness; 26 hours a week, + 2 hours travel a day. Which accounts for my average of 5 hours sleep (doesn't seem that bad i know, but this is coming from an ex-religious surfer type bum, barely thinking 12 hours was enough and hitting the good old Nanny Nap in the arvos). While we're on the bitching bandwagon my campus is terrible. Just terrible. Oh... it's just a shocker of a place. Couldn't even describe it. And it's kind of lame not having a social life, friends or employment.

On the upside! I like this forum. Nice people. It's cool. Makes me feel slightly more normal. And my grades are spot-on; I reckon I'm hitting between 53 and 57%. exactly the way things should be. 👍

 

[All4MyDaughter]

How are classes?
Some are ridiculously easy and some are very hard.

How is the work load?
A lot of busy work.
Assignments on how to use the library, and homework assignments worth 10 points that require 3 hours of group work keep me from focusing on the stuff I really need to study.

What's working for you?
I'm driving in from Louisville only two mornings a week and staying in Lexington three nights a week. I can study while I'm here and be with my family when I go home.

What sucks?
Busywork.

What organizations have you joined?
Kentucky Alliance of Pharmacy Students

How are your tests?
Mostly fair, I think.
I got 3 A's and 4 B's on our first set of blocks and was above the class average on 6/7 tests, so I'm OK with them.

Do you miss your undergrad school?
Not really.

How have you adapted?
I'm doing all right. I don't have time for much besides work and my family. Non-family social life is long gone. Not that I had a huge one before.

How's the new campus?
It's huge, spread out and people ride their bikes on the sidewalks.

Are you working?
Four hours every 28 days to stay in the system at Walgreens.

How is the pharmacy school/social life/family/sanity balance thing working out for ya?
It's OK for me - ask my husband who gets to be in charge of our house, our daughter, our dog and our three cats.

How much sleep do you get a night?
6-8 hours. Sometimes more if I am tired. I don't function well with less. OK - don't function at all with less.

 

[aznboyee]

How are the classes?
I can't stay awake in any but the Communication class.

How is the work load?
Taking 18 hours. I loaded on the electives.... next year I'll take it easy. So far, nothing like engineering. But I heard P2 is a different animal.

What's working for you?
I'm adjusting faster than undergrad.... but I'll think it due to my age.

What sucks?
No time to watch Lost/House or even football!

What organizations have you joined?
APA, APha and Kappa Psi

How are your tests?
Some really good and some average.

Do you miss your undergrad school?
Not really.

How have you adapted?
Yeah... I'm getting used to studying everyday and I think I know quite of bit of people.

How's the new campus?
Eh, it's ok. At least Chinatown and Greektown is near by.

Are you working?
Nope... Leave of absence.

How is the pharmacy school/social life/family/sanity balance thing working out for ya?
Pretty good. But just hella-tired.

How much sleep do you get a night?
5 hours a day... even on the weekends.

 

[freshbeatschris]

aznboyee - You must be at UIC. I opted for Midwestern. Polar opposites from what I hear. That large, windowless building scared me. I couldn't imagine being in there everyday for that length of time.

Good luck with your studies.

Christina

 

[tivon]

bump