Question:
I came out of the PHARM 124 final and felt like I failed it. I feel like I’m the only one that had a lot of trouble with the course. The concepts just don’t click for me. Will PHARM 125 be the same? What are strategies that I can try to do better?
Response:
Hey there! Let me assure you that you are definitely not the only one who felt that way about Pharm 124. It was a difficult course with some tough concepts to grasp and I am sorry to hear that you felt discouraged coming out of the final.
My first suggestion for you would be to get in touch with Dr. Foldvari and ask if it you could see your exam. You might be surprised to see that things went better than you thought! If you can see your exam, look for patterns in which questions you answered correctly and incorrectly; this will help you to know which concepts are your strongest and which ones are more challenging and might need some extra review as you go into Pharm 125.
As for study strategies going forward, I found my study group to be a huge help for 124. We set up a group chat and as we each reviewed the material at our own pace, we would post mock exam and practical questions and allow other members to answer. I liked this format because it allowed me to study independently but also to check my knowledge as I went through the lectures. I also found that I understood topics better after I had helped “teach” my friends by coming up with questions.
Although I can’t speak to the similarities/differences between 124 and 125 yet, remember that 125 is a clean slate with a new instructor. Also, you’ve made it through your first semester of pharmacy school (hooray!) and are hopefully starting to see what works and doesn’t work for you when it comes to studying. And if you’re feeling stressed about the material, remember that you’re not alone! Your classmates are right there with you, so reach out to them and learn from them too. All the best with second semester and especially Pharm 125!