P3 Year in Kalamazoo

Here we go again. Another disgustingly hard year as a pharmacy grad student. Blah.

I'm pretty much all moved into my new apartment. It's not too shabby for just me. And I finally have cable and internet! I felt like an idiot trying to order it over the phone because I've never done it before, but I must have done it correctly because everything works! Yay! Just having some background noise is wonderful because I lived in a deathly silent apartment by myself for almost a week. All better now! I'm currently at home because I forgot a few things that were too big/expensive for Mom to mail (like every single jacket I own and my official white coat I need for lab and work...), but other than that I have my apartment set up the way I like it. I should put up pictures later...

I had orientation yesterday morning at Spindler Hall on Western Michigan University's campus, which is the building where almost all of my classes will be held. We also have our Therapeutics class across the street at MSU/KCMS, which is a clinic-type place affiliated with Michigan State and Ferris. And it's also (conveniently) the location for my Community IPPE! I'm relieved because it'll help me get familiar with the building for when I have classes there, and it's right across from Spindler so I won't ever get lost trying to go to work! If you know me, you know that I'm a nervous driver and terrified of driving around newer, bigger places. So I was obviously not looking forward to the prospect of getting lost in Kzoo. Right now I'm sticking to the few places I know - my apartment, Meijer, Spindler Hall, MSU/KCMS, and Sarah & Kevin's apartment!

The professors and older students kinda freaked me out at orientation as far as the curriculum goes. I'm easily stressed out, so getting this flood of information was overwhelming and made me wanna hide under a rock. I'm not as mature as most people think. I hate change. Hate it. And I freak out inside about every single little new thing I have to experience. All of these changes in such a short period of time are scaring me, but I really need to learn to just suck it up and deal with change. I'm ashamed that I get this worked up about it when I'm supposed to be a grad student and a medical professional. I don't feel professional in the least. Maybe after this year is over. We'll see. I really envy some of my classmates' ability to go with the flow and take charge in situations that make me really nervous. Hopefully I can learn to become better at adjusting and adapting this year. Pray for me!

That's about all for now. Once classes start up I might write again just to vent or de-stress.

what!?! summer is 1/3 over already!?!

Wow, June has gone by ridiculously fast! Not quite sure if that's a good thing or not.....probably not because I want my last free summer to be looooong and full of fun stuff! Here's what's been up so far:

Can't remember if I wrote about this before, but the Fay's wedding was beautiful! I had fun being a bridesmaid and I think that everything went off without a hitch and it was pretty darn drama-free. The location was absolutely gorgeous, and so was Sarah!

I did my Institutional IPPE during the first 3 weeks of June @ Saginaw Covenant Cooper Pharmacy. It was....interesting...I guess. Well, my preceptor was a nice guy, but he pretty much ditched me after the first 3ish days. Not cool. Why would you sign up to be a preceptor if you don't even teach the student anything? But the rest of the staff was very friendly. This one tech named Wende was super nice and kinda became my mentor while I was there. She showed me the ropes of what a tech normally does, and she answered all of my stupid questions. Hehe. But the pharmacists were kinda too busy to teach me anything. I did some "observing" where I watched them click around on their computers while they entered orders and checked on patient stuff, but nobody really explained much and I felt really in the way. So it wasn't a hard IPPE, but I did spend a lot of time standing around being useless because nobody bothered to keep teaching me after the first few days. But at least it's over with, so now I don't have anymore major responsibilities for the summer.

My job this summer is just to do yard work and housework for my parents...and they're paying me for it! Silly people, but I'm not complaining! I need to step up my game though. It's easy to get stuff done when my parents aren't around cuz it feels more like my house, but when they're home I feel less of a responsibility to clean up around the house. Oh well, I'm trying to be more of a help than I have been recently.

Kelly and I went to Big Rapids this past weekend!!! It started out kinda sucky. We couldn't get ahold of anyone, it was so frustrating! But we ended up having a fun game night on Saturday, and Sunday was a blast with church, tubing, movies, etc. I LOVE MY FRIENDS! Yep. I get sooooo lonely here in Midland because I have basically no best friends here. I have close friends, but none that I can really tell everything to. So it was really exciting to see my besties in BR and do some catching up. I'm hoping to go back REALLY soon.

I was guaranteed the apartment I wanted for my year in Kzoo coming up! Yay! I think I put up some pics in a previous blog post, go check it out. I haven't gotten to put down a deposit or sign a lease yet, but they're holding one for me that has all of my preferences (2nd/3rd floor, woods view). Yay! If you're reading this you should plan on coming to visit me so you can see it in person!

That's probably all for now.

Does anyone actually read this? Just curious. Sometimes it's good to just write and get stuff out of my head, but I never know if it matters to anyone else. Lol.

OK, buh bye!

summer kickoff

My first blog of the summer! Haven't updated in a long time, but here it goes:

First of all......I PASSED ALL OF MY CLASSES!!! Heck yes! I'm basically freaking out because I was so close to failing and having to repeat an entire semester and join the class below mine. That would have been so humiliating. But anyways, I passed! I am, however, the master at cutting it close. Haha, technically I failed Chemotherapeutics by 0.1%, but of course they let me pass. And I only passed Medicinal Chemistry by 0.6%! Good lord, I'm talented. But my other two classes went well and I'm officially a P3!!!

I'm doing my IPPE (Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiential) this summer to get it over with early (it would normally be done next summer, after my P3 year). I'm super nervous and I don't even start for about a week and a half! I'm hoping they realize that I've never worked in a pharmacy before and that I'm doing it without the knowledge I'd have after my P3 classes/clinicals. Hopefully it won't be too scary, wish me luck!

My job this summer is just to do the housework and yardwork around my house because my parents needed help. My dad works a ton and my mom works a weird night schedule and just had surgery, so I'm just trying to keep everything in order for them. And I'm getting paid to do it! Yay! lol.

Still haven't found a place to live in Kzoo yet. I'm on two waiting/priority lists and I've actually gotten an offer from my 2nd choice place, but I did turn it down because I really want to live at the other place! It'll be quite awhile before I hear back from them though. Grrrr.

Upcoming Plans: Off to Sterling Heights on Saturday for Kelly's college graduation party! Yay! Haha, she's one of a very small handful my friends who are actually graduating in 4 years like normal people. Proud of her though, she's already got a job at DFAS in Columbus, OH! Then the next weekend I'm off to Grand Rapids, OH for Sarah's wedding!!!! It'll be my first bridesmaid duty of the summer, and I'm really excited. Been tanning on my deck in preparation. lol. Can't wait!

Well, that's all folks! Write back later with more exciting news (hopefully)!

*please excuse the weird layout...i needed a change, but i haven't had time to perfect the color scheme yet*

finals week

Taking a quick study break...not because I particularly need a break, but because I'm pretty much panicking and trying not to cry while studying. I can't believe I'm still failing 2 classes. It's beyond upsetting that I might have to repeat a whole semester! Seriously, I'd just feel like dying if I didn't get to be a P3 with the rest of my class. So basically I have to study like a maniac this weekend or I'm screwed. I have to get a 75% on the Chemo final and a 66% on the Med Chem final to pass those two classes. It's much harder than it sounds seeing as how I've been getting in the 40s and 50s on most of my tests. There is no curving, so it's all up to me and God. It's so hard right now to just trust that He'll get me through this. It seems so much easier to just panic and cry, but I know it's no going to get me anywhere. Time to pray hard and study hard and not let anything else get in the way.

Update on apartments for next year: My 2nd choice called and asked when I wanted to move in, so basically I'm set if I wanted to sign a lease right now. But I still would rather live at the other place I applied to, so I'm holding out until mid-summer to see if a spot opens up for me there. That is all.

OK, back to cramming my brain with as much info as possible before Monday afternoon.