Question:
I feel like I don't belong in this school. It seems like no matter how hard I study, I always get a bad mark. It's demoralizing, always being below average, especially since I've always been able to excel in my undergrad.
I don't know how to feel better about myself. I feel like I study more than many people, but I still do worse than everyone.
Is there any study method that is useful, especially for the night before a test? How do you find time to review classes when there's so many assignments? Also, how do I become okay with my bad marks, knowing that I've been putting in a lot of work with no good outcome?
Response 1: Hey there! I remember having very similar feelings in first year. If you take a look at previous questions submitted, most the questions we get are very similar, you are definitely not alone! I think group studying was my saviour beyond first year and I wish I did it earlier. Find a group, join a peer study session, talk to people about the different topics you are having difficulties with or reinforce the ones you already know. Night before the test is tricky as some people like to study till seconds before the test and some don’t. I think a good approach is to focus on the big picture and your weaknesses on the night before, get good rest and even review the most important points for a little bit before the test. And about feeling better about your grades, I just want to remind you that you that grades aren’t everything. We know for a fact that people write tests differently, but that doesn’t mean that you're not learning. I would say really focus on what you think is relevant to what kind of pharmacist you want to become and how you will use that to help your patients, that for me is a great way to learn! It is indeed hard in first year because there are limited relevant courses but once you get passed that hurdle and reach your first co-op, things usually fall into perspective. Response 2: The transition to pharmacy school was daunting for me too, and I saw my marks slip compared to how I did in undergrad, even though I studied twice as hard. The amount of material in first year is a lot more than we’re used to, and the type of learning we’re doing is so different than undergrad science courses. Remember you aren’t the only one going through this tough transition! If you’re feeling this way, a lot of your peers are going through something similar as well. It might start off a bit rocky, but definitely keep going forward, and eventually you’ll find your pacing and get to fine tune your studying habits for pharmacy. Make sure you have a balance between studying and breaks, I found sometimes it’s counterproductive to keep at something if I’m hitting a wall and can’t focus. A quick coffee break, a walk, a work-out, something to change up the routine before tackling the notes again can give you a refreshed energy and be a more effective use of time. Personally, I like to review my notes by myself the week leading up to the exam, and the night before do a run through of the notes with my roommate (also in pharmacy) and sort out/fine tune any concepts that might be a bit confusing. I find talking it out loud and bouncing those ideas off each other helps solidify those ideas. Find a routine that works well, and stick to it. Although it was a bit of an adjustment to see my marks slip from undergrad, I tell myself that I got into pharmacy school, and that the most important thing for me now is to learn the material (as everything is a lot more applicable now!) and to find a good balance. I found that later on, when I learned to adjust to the learning curve that is pharmacy school my marks slowly reflected that, and don’t be too hard on yourself during this transition period!