I am the type of person that is very individual, independent and likes to keep to myself. Don’t get me wrong, I do love people and hanging out but if I had to choose between the two, keeping to myself definitely wins! With this in mind, I really did not know what to expect when I found out I would be living in a quad last year (a quad is a 4-person room). I like things a certain way and it is very hard for me to adjust to other people’s lifestyles. So, I was expecting a very unusual experience.
Unusual was definitely the term for my quad last year but to be used in the best context ever! Fortunately, I was placed with three amazing girls (one of the girls I knew prior to college) from three completely different backgrounds–this gave me an opportunity to learn about other cultures and lifestyles. I had so much fun that I have no idea where to begin! My quad was nonstop laughter and fun; we were always cracking jokes, had great gatherings for no reason and even a “door war” with the boys down the hall (we won but the guys backfired when we least expected it 
). I can never forget those late night talks in the dark and playing internet games when we all knew we should have been studying! Also, we did the most random things–like taking trips around Ellicott Complex and making friends with anyone we saw along the way. We also would find things and taped them to our door. By the end of year, our door was completely covered in the craziest items. In addition to this, we all were able to adjust to each other lifestyles for the most part. Overall, I had great room for my freshman year! Half of the friends I have now are from these three girls. Although this was not my typical environment, I definitely am glad that I lived it because I was exposed to another fun side of life.
This year, I am in a room that is more “me”. I am in a double (2 person room) and I knew my roommate (aka my weirdo) prior to this year. We are so much alike from academics to personal life; making it very easy for us to relate to each other. We bond so easily because we both have similar lifestyles. We are both focused and “keep to ourselves” kinds of people. Also, our schedules are opposite so we each have the opportunity to have quiet time to ourselves while the other is at class; oppose to a quad when there is a great chance that someone is always in the room. In all honesty, I cannot see myself living with anybody else; she is my ideal and perfect roommate. I never thought there was someone out there that is so close to my personality. If all goes well, we plan to be roommates again next year in an apartment.
Freshman year in the quad was nonstop fun and games; however, I am more of a focused independent person and this year my double is more of my niche.
Posted on October 19, 2009 in living | No Comments »
So, I have been meaning to register for my PCATs (Pharmacy College Admission Test) since the summer but due to finances I had to postpone my registration. Then, when I did have the money to register, I just could not get around to do it! However, after three months of procrastination, I finally did it today!
Let me take a step backwards for those of you who do not have the slightest idea on what the PCAT is. As stated above, the PCAT is the Pharmacy College Admission Test. It is a standardized test (similar to the SAT and ACT) that is taken by prospective pharmacy school students. It is divided into seven sections-Verbal, Quantitative Ability, Biology, Chemistry, reading and two Writing sections. Like the ACT/SAT, the test takes about four hours to complete.
So, since I registered so late, I have to take the last test available for the 2010 applicants, which is January 23, 2010. I wanted to take the one coming up this month to get it out the way; but now that I think about it, I think the January test would be better. With the test being so far away (time wise), I have plenty of time to study and look back on material during our winter break. That way, I do not have to worry about study for this test during this semester while I have classes to tend to. So, I am going to study hard and hopefully I ace this test!
Posted on October 13, 2009 in school work | No Comments »
Two words: Double Whammy! Last week, I had a pretty hectic week. I usually try to read ahead in all of my classes; that way I will already know what to expect in lecture. Unfortunately, I kind of fell behind in my Physics class due to unexpected events. In result, the material was confusing and I did badly on my homework. Instead of making an appointment with my professor or teaching assistant to review the material, I thought “I am fine, one lesson missed won’t hurt”.
So, here comes next week’s lesson and it builds on top of last week! This means I am double confused! Just my luck, I wait to do my homework at the last minute (and I mean the very last minute as in an hour before the homework is due); and at that point no help is available. Of course, I did badly on my homework once again 
. That makes two really bad homework grades to be averaged in. In addition to that, I do not understand the lessons! A lesson was well learned–if something is unclear, get help right away! Do not wait around hoping the material will just come to you or bypass. If you can’t make your professor’s office hours, see your teaching assistant. And if you can’t make their office hours, there are free tutors on both campuses. Well, I am off to study physics so I won’t have this reoccurring issue this coming week.
Posted on October 4, 2009 in school work | 1 Comment »
Like any other pre-pharmacy major, I want my application to be as strong as possible; so, I thought that having some pharmacy related experience would be a good look. In all honesty, I was not interested where I would work/volunteer; I just wanted to get in a pharmacy! My mom was able to pull some strings at her job, Buffalo Psychiatric Center, and get me a volunteer position in their pharmacy department.
At first, I thought I would be just counting pills all day; however, after volunteering there for a month, counting pills is the smallest task that I perform! I never do the same thing every day so I can’t say what a typical day is like, but I can say some of the many things that I do. Some mornings, I go to a staff meeting with a pharmacist and see what the facility expects from the pharmacy department. Then, I help the pharmacy technicians fill prescriptions. This part is actually more interesting than I thought because I get the opportunity to learn information about various drugs–their generic name, brand name, usage, side effect, etc. Also, I go to presentations with the pharmacy student interns. These presentations usually include information that will be essential when they actually get into the medical field. For example, today the presentation was about medical ethics. Next week, I am going to a meeting with one of the pharmacist to see a presentation on a disease (forgot the name, sorry!) and what drugs are associated with it and their effects.
As anyone can see, this volunteer position has by far exceeded my expectations. I am getting exposure into three areas–life as pharmacy technician, pharmacy intern and a pharmacist itself. I love all three positions; I cannot wait until I am in that position as a career. I have a great time doing this for free so to know that one day I will be getting paid to this is awesome! This opportunity has solidified my decision on going into pharmacy (that and the fact that I wake up at 6:30 am with no problem to volunteer!). I know for a fact this where I want and need to be; and someday I will be.
Posted on October 1, 2009 in work | 1 Comment »
