A Day in the Life

Hi everyone! It’s still hard to believe that we’re all back on campus, taking in person classes, and seeing friends and faculty again! I’ve been loving classes so far and I can certainly see a difference in my motivation and concentration when I’m physically attending class. It’s amazing how connected one can feel by simply attending class in person. I’m currently taking four courses this semester: Pharmaceutics 1, Pharmacology/Medicinal Chemistry 1, Biochemistry, and Healthcare Systems. I’m still adjusting to my schedule and slowly developing a routine, but here is a current day in the life of a P1 PharmD student! For those who are new to the pharmacy program, students are required to complete two years of pre-professional studies (PP1, PP2) and four years of professional courses (P1, P2, P3, P4). I’m currently in my first professional year, taking classes during the fall semester and going on my second Co-op in the spring.

I normally wake up around 5:40 am and head to the gym for a quick morning workout. Before Co-op, I was most definitely not a morning person, but because I had to wake up early for my shifts, my body got used to me waking up earlier. I find that working out in the morning gets me motivated to stay productive for the rest of the day! After my workout, I’ll head back to my apartment, take a quick shower, and make breakfast. I used to skip breakfast growing up either because I was running late for school or because I simply lacked an appetite in the morning. I realized that once I started eating breakfast, I focused better in class and was much more energetic. My go-to breakfast meals include Greek yogurt with fruits, avocado toast, and pancakes! After I eat breakfast, I normally like to preview the lecture slides for my first class. I find that doing this gives me clarity during class since I’m already familiar with the material.

I have around 2-3 classes every day, which usually end around 3pm. Depending on the day, I’ll go back to my apartment for lunch or I’ll head over to the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC) to study! With lectures being very content heavy and fast pace, I’ve been trying my best not to fall behind.

Here are some of my study tips that I found to be super effective!

1. Preview the material: Downloading and reading through the lecture content will save so much time!

2. Be present during the lectures: I used to be so busy copying every word on my professor’s PowerPoint that I would miss important information that weren’t directly stated on the slides. Understanding the material will help you memorize and learn the content faster!

3. Make study guides: Making study guides such as a terminology list or a simple outline of the lecture helped me be more organized and understand what topics I need to focus on.

Depending on the day, I’ll either attend a couple club meetings, intern at the Asian American Center, or work per-diem at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. As an intern at the Asian American Center, I mainly write blog posts and work on their newsletters that are sent out weekly. My day usually ends after I come home, eat dinner, and study a little more!

Some days are definitely slower than others, and I make sure to give myself breaks once in a while. If I feel that I’ve been staring at my laptop for too long or feel burnt out, I’ll go on a walk, get groceries, or simply take a nap. While being productive and diligent are great skills to have, giving yourself some time to relax and do nothing is just as important!