Question:
Hi
I am first year student, and I have been studying really hard from the beginning but my grades are not what I would like them to be.
I am really stressed because I am not doing anything else but studying and still results are not showing that
I know that I need to change something but don't know how.
Response:
Hi there,
Your concerns resonate with me strongly as a student who was standing in your shoes not too long ago. This is going to sound counterintuitive, but I highly recommend setting aside time to take it easy and relax. Parking yourself in front of your notes for the majority will not do you any good. Join a club, meet up with friends, call home, play video games; it doesn’t matter what it is as long as it takes your head out of studying for a little bit! I found that I was able to focus better when I returned to my desk and had much better time management.
I spent most of my 1A studying by myself without any improvement. I usually hate studying with others, but decided to step out of my comfort zone and study with a few others. This improved my knowledge and grades drastically. We share tips on how to study, quiz each other before exams, and help each other with anything we don’t understand. Most importantly, the stress of studying becomes less of a burden with them.
Also, take a moment to see the big picture. I have no idea where your grades are sitting, but I can tell you that in the long run it does not matter. I know outstanding pharmacists and pharmacy students who barely passed their courses, or even failed. The courses we take in school are not indicative of our therapeutic knowledge, communication skills, or all-around ability to be a great pharmacist.
I have a pretty soft spot for your question on RxPRN, so please feel free to message me (Injeong Yang on Facebook) if you would like to discuss this further, or anything else!