Hello and welcome Class of 2028!
My name is Daniel Oronoz and I am currently a second-year pharmacy student at Marshall B. Ketchum University (MBKU). Coming into pharmacy school, one of the skills that you will need to gain, if you haven’t already, is time management. Balancing school, work, social life, personal life, and relationships can be tough to manage but I believe that it is very doable. Here are 3 tips to help you manage your time efficiently as a pharmacy student.
- Prioritize and Plan
Since pharmacy school may seem a bit overwhelming with all the lectures and exams, I believe it is important to mark down each assignment deadline and exam on your calendar to help you prepare in advance. This helped me know what assignments and exams I needed to prioritize. Each professor will provide you with a syllabus on the first day of classes so I highly recommend marking down each assignment and exam on your Google calendar. It helped me start studying for an exam the week before, whether that was creating a study guide or reviewing notes, plan so you aren’t cramming to finish assignments or studying for exams.
- It is okay to say “No”
This was a very hard pill for me to swallow. It is so easy to get caught up in plans and daily life happenings, but you need to prioritize yourself. There would be times when my friends would ask me to hang out with them, but I knew I couldn’t because I would have to study for an exam that I had that week or the following. Your priorities will shift, make time for school, and don’t feel guilty about it. This is an investment in your future. There will be plenty of times that you will be tempted to hang out with a friend, go to the gym, or stay up late watching a show, but remember it is okay to put those things off for a different time.
- Balancing School and Life
Assuming you have marked down each assignment/exam in your calendar, you should now come up with a plan of when you will study and get those assignments done. Be sure that in between those study and homework sessions, you also schedule breaks as well. Yes, school is a priority, however, don’t forget to live your life. For your mental health, be sure to do something that brings you joy, such as enjoy a meal with a friend, go to the gym, or enjoy outdoor activities. Just be sure that at some point during those study sessions, you do something that you love to do because the last thing that you want to experience during pharmacy school is feeling burnt out which can be detrimental to your mental health. Thus, doing something that doesn’t involve school in between those study sessions is crucial to maintaining a healthy school-life balance.
Ultimately, managing your time in pharmacy school is crucial to becoming a successful pharmacy student. By prioritizing and planning, learning to say “no”, and maintaining a healthy school-life balance, you will be able to handle anything that comes your way in terms of school, as well as your career. Again, Welcome to MBKU and I wish you the best of luck during your journey in pharmacy school!