My Final Blog...

I've learned that in order to achieve your goals, it is very important to set time limits for them.

1. I think I've become more determined as this semester passed. When I started this class, I knew I wanted to become a pharmacist but i wasn't sure and i didn't know how to get my ways around so i was always doubtful about it. But as i did different exercise for this class, i learned how to get what i want, reach my contact and also what to do if one of my plans don't work out.

2. I think i've become more open minded as i took this class. Before, i used to think that there's only one way trip to everything. But after talking to my sources, i realized that if you want something and its not directly written down, there are still high chances that you can get your way around as long you know exactly what you want. Also, I realized that in my future, I don't need to do things to make other people happy. Instead i need to do something tha will make me happy and as i'm happy those that care about me willl be happy for me and that's all that matter.

3. I've become more organized after taking this class. Also, i've started to write down everything that i need to get done. I've becoming good at e-mailing/calling and getting in touch with people. Also, i stopped watching tv that much. I mean watching it for three hours was kind of hard and now that rule is gone, i watch it for more than three hours but, way less than what it used to be.

4. a. I liked how the class was organized
b. I liked the blog, it helped us to reflect back on everything that we did
c. I liked the home/support groups. It really helped us with getting us contacts

5. a. I didn't like how we had so much reading.
b. I didn't like the Daily Chart, thank god we stopped that!
c. I didn't like how the class was only 100 points, it was very easy to lose points

6. a. I would change the timing of the class.
b. I would sign less amoung of readings every week.
c. I would try to make this class worth more than 100 points.

Work the Plan

Exercise #1

My first step was to have atleast half of the rough draft done for my AAST 245 Research Paper. I'm not really on top of that right now but I still have time to finish it and right after I finish this blog, I'm going back to the research.

Exercise #2

I held my Weekly Business meeting with my friend today. We planned out a schedule for next week. She has an exam and a presentation coming up so she made sure she put in enough time in her schedule for that. Also, we decided to go work out for an hour on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Since I had to do the Sunday meeting by myself, I didn't really mind not being specific on my business meeting with my friend. Well to be honest, I don't really understand the difference between having a business meeting with a buddy and a sunday meeting by myself. Because from what I understand, you plan out your weekly schedule according to what you are going to get done each day at both meetings..?

Exercise #3

At the Sunday meeting by myself, I wrote down all the things that needs to get done this week and this weekend and then broke it down to each day. For Monday, I wrote down:
Work out, Economics HW, AAST 245 Paper, Watch Gossip Girl and One tree hill, Prink KN 260 and Nutrition slides, Shower, dinner. (Order doesn't matter as long as everything gets done)
For Tuesday: AAST 245 Paper, work out, call 'accelerated', Read Biomechanics, laundry, Law and Order SVU, shower, dinner. For Wednesday: Finish AAST 245 Paper, CSI:NY, set up the diet analysis slide, review Nutrition slides. For Thursday: start diet analysis, work out, shower, read biomechanis and AAST 245 article, go out!

The Buddy System

I was supposed to shadown a pharmacy student this Monday, but she cancelled out Sunday night because she had a huge paper due. So she said we'll reschedule it and hopefully we can find another time that works for both of us. I also went to two interviews today and one of them went well and the other one was looking for full time so I didn't really stay for the entire meeting. However, I'm not sure if I should take this job or not because it is commission based and I have to pay 600 dollars to get the license and I won't be able to work a lot of hours once school starts in August so I'm not sure if I should take this offer or not.

For the buddy system, I chose my friend and room mate, Geethi as my buddy. I chose her because I figured I would see her every night and it will be hard not to stay on track. So we decided that we'll make a schedule every Sunday night after church. So for this week my schedule looks like this:

Monday: Work on KN 260 hw, Go home and print out resumes for the interview, Read the Sudan article for AAST 245

Tuesday: Go to two interviews, Read the second article for AAST 245 and look over the notes.

Wednesday: Do laundry, research for 245 paper.

Thursday: Continue researching for 245, have atleast three sources for the paper, work out

Friday: Go home, go hang out with friends

Saturday: work, finish half of the rough draft for 245 paper.

Moving and Shaking pt. 2!!

Okay so I just talked to Lisa Mitchner from Glenbrook Hospital and she said that we could work something around for shadowing/volunteering at the Pharmacy Department!!!!! Internship would've been so much better but at this point, I was willing to take anything..and I really think this will be a good experience and really hope it will help me. I also talked to a P2 Pharmacy student at UIC College of Pharmacy and set up to shadow her on Monday. I just got two steps done on my flow chart on the same week!!!

Moving and Shaking

So I just finished this week's reading and I'm not trying to be disrespectful or anything but what 8 and 5 year old goes to supermarket by themselves to shop and makes dinner and set the table?(pg 225). I thought that was a little too much to be real then again, you never know..

One of my goals from the flow chart was to find an internship for pharmacy. Well I was all set for a summer internship at Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview till I got an e-mail from Lisa Mitchner(Director of Pharmacy) that the program is being cancelled due to cut backs! So I was back at ground zero, so i called her couple of times, couldn't reach her, e-mailed her but the responses weren't straighforward but i finally got to reach her on friday and asked her if I could volunteer or shadown atleast twice a week or something. She said she'll get back to my by monday if not middle of the week after talking with management and hopefully she'll say yes!

I also set up two interviews for summer jobs this coming tuesday (April 14th) I'm hoping it will go well and I can finally get a job.

For exercise #2, it was a bit hard to do it, I didn't get any resistance from people that I know because I live here, not home and I didn't really get into an argument with my parents this weekend(hahah suprisingly). Therefor, the only form of resistance that I faced is when the director said that I might not be able to be in the program and she was kind of hesistant to the idea of shadowing or volunteering since no one else has done in the past. I was a bit dissappointed, actually a lot when i first heard that because i was really really looking forward to this experience and when it got turned down, I was upset. I think it revealed more of a survival fear because I've been having a hard time getting a Pharm Tech job as well and I started to think that these are signs for me saying that pharmacy is not for me and I should do something else. And usually I give up when something gets in the way, but this time, I didn't and I kept calling/e-mailing her till I got a hold of her and kept pushing for some kind of oppurtunity to experience working in a pharmacy. This is new to me and to be honest it felt weird. Because I don't insisit on the same thing with strangers or directors/boss etc. I usually settle in for what I got even if I'm not happy because I'm too scared to say what I want and disappoint them. But this time, even when the program got cancelled and had a hard time reaching the director, I kept trying and really didn't care if I came off as "annoying". I really wanted to get some sort of experience because I was sick of hearing no! This also motivated to get my lazy butt to make a resume and start applying for jobs for the summer. (Trust me, this is the first time I didn't just get upset and depressed..I mean I did, but i'm very proud that I didn't stop there). I usually give up pretty easy in life when i face obstacles and I'm starting to realize that is not a good/healthy way to deal with problems. I think i've heard plenty of NOs especially when it comes to finding a job and I was always so scared to go out of my circle and keep trying. I'm not sure what the underlying message is, but I think I dealt with it pretty good (it probably could've been better) and I really hope that I get more optimistic about things and stop giving up right away and stay motivated!!

Chart!

I wasn't able to upload my chart for last week, so here it is:)

I know its not clear, I took it from my phone and its the best out of all..

Get into Action!

Exercise #1

I wasn't in class last wednesday but my two steps to reach my goal was:
1. Call neighborhood pharmacies to see if they are hiring
2. Meet with counselor, sign up for summer school and plan out rest of the classes I need to take, when I should take it and when I should take my PCATs.

I did my second step first. I met with my academic counselor during spring break and planned out the schedule with her. I'm also planning on taking PCATs next fall semester after studying for it this summer. I signed up for summer school today.

However, I didn't have any luck with the first step. I called 1 Wal-Mart, 3 Walgreens and 1 CVS and none of them are hiring. I was pretty disappointed after that so I didn't really call any other places. I guess I shouldn't have given up but I was discouraged with all the NOs!!

Exercise #2

I already finished all of my interviews. However, I e-mailed one of the contacts that I got from one of the person I interviewed and she've been giving me information about Pharmacy schools.