Spring Semester: First Week of Classes

The semester has begun. The first week of classes was pretty uneventful...but definitely hit me hard and made me start thinking about getting focused again. All of our classes require no introductions anymore (what undergrad calls "syllabus day") - unfortunately, there are no days like that in pharmacy school. This semester we have started ICARE, which is much dreaded by the P2's. It is more intense than other physiology and pharmacology classes we have had in past and combines all aspects of our difficult classes. So far, it hasn't been too terrible..but there's only been 1 week. The classes are longer blocks of time and more frequent so the material has the potential to build up pretty easily. We will see how that goes!

Another thing that has ruled my time on the first week back is planning for rush week which is next week. Myself and another member of my fraternity, Kappa Epsilon, have been planning both our time for the night of round robin on Monday and for our individual rush night for KE on Tuesday. The purpose of round robin is for those who may be interesting in joining a fraternity to see what they are all about. Each one has a different platform that they suport and it's up to individual preference with which one you think is the right fit. After the initial night of round robin, each fraternity has their own themed party night with dinner provided on the remaining nights of the week. Ours is Tuesday and the theme we chose is Luau. Because I am a new member coordinater, it is my responsibility, along with the other coordinator, to plan this night and all that comes with it. So...needless to say we have been super busy this week designing and printing flyers, handouts and invitiation, ordering food, planning games, and much more.

Other than planning for KE rush, I have been going back to my regular hours at CVS. This semester, my weekday to work is going to be Friday and I also will have to usually work some of Saturday and a few Sundays. Another big thing is next Friday, my husband and I are going to be getting a golden retreiver puppy! We are super pumped and can't wait for this much anticipated addition to our family. My schedule at school will allow me to come home and let her out frequently and my husband also will be working from home some days of the week...so we should be able to manage with everyone else going on as well. Can't wait! Ok, time to get a head start and begin studying for the first ICARE Respiratory exam - its only 10 days away!

Looking towards next semester

It's hard to believe that this semester is coming to an end. I only have 2 more large exams before finals week and the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be growing. That said, it is already time to start looking towards next semester. This past week, our class schedules were posted for next semester. Then today, online registration for classes opened and we scheduled our regular classes which are pre-chosen for us, plus our elective choices. I decided to choose an elective called Drug and Relationship abuse because that kind of material seemed interesting to me.

Tomorrow, we have one of the last 2 big exams in nonprescription products (OTC). Writing this is actually my study break because there's definitely a lot of material that I need to cram in my head for this exam! It is not that the material is difficult, but the sheer volume of it and the number of drug names we have to remember is quite overwhelming.

Another thing that has been going on is that my husband and I decided we were ready for a dog and have decided to get a pup in January of 2010. The whole process has been very exciting and we can't wait to get her.

Speaking of looking forward to next semester...it is definitely going to be a busy one. With getting a puppy, co-organizing rush week and pledge events for new members of KE, and starting I-CARE, I am hoping I will have time to breathe! As a new member coordinator for KE, a lot of work is required between January and March to help teach the pledges about the organization and have them complete the required work for membership. It consists of creating a pledge book, being available for weekly meetings, organizing the rush night, getting together bids, matching bigs with littles, ordering their shirts and pins, having various social events, and coordinating the rest of the fraternity with their iniation and induction. YEAH. Lots of work! But I know it will be lots of fun because I have a great co-new member coordinator to help me. We are really looking forward to working more with the other fraternities as well to promote comradery among us all.

Ok - now time to focus on the more immediate future - OTC study time.