What I wish I knew before P2 year..

Pharmacy school is something that I don’t think any person knows quite what to expect. P2 year can be pretty intimidating. During the second year you start to get into all the different drugs and what they do in the body. Pharmacology and medicinal chemistry alone is worth seven credits, which is scary in and of itself. So the question is, what do I wish I would have known before starting P2 year? This is honestly really hard to form a good answer to since I haven’t completely finished P2 year yet (I’m only half way through), but I’m going to try to give some sort of answer.
First and foremost, always remember that even though P2 year seems scary, it can be conquered. I think we all hear the scary things going into P2 year, but the reality is people have made it through before so we can do it to. Coming in with that mindset will help a lot.
Second, be prepared to possibly not make the grades you are always used to. There are times when your grade will not reflect the amount that you studied, or it will because you didn’t have enough time to study. However, you have to accept that grade and move on. Dwelling on a bad grade is only going to hurt you. The best thing to do is realize that you need help early on. By the third test in it’s a little too late to try to get a tutor or go to the professor for help (not that you can’t get a tutor or go to the professor because sometimes that may help). Basically what I’m saying is don’t dwell on bad grades, just try to do better next time, and if getting tutoring or going to the professor may help you get that better grade then do it early on.
Third, know you have a great support network. The one thing I love about my class, and I’m sure other classes have the same thing, but we have a Facebook page that connects all of us. It’s a great way to get answers quickly to a question you might have right before a test. The people in your class are going through the same thing you are which is really nice to know. Also, students who are in the P3 or P4 years are great links to have. All of them have been through it before and may be able to give some insight that could be helpful.
Fourth, prepare to spend all of your time studying. I know this may sound like common sense, but I think before I actually got into P2 year I didn’t understand just how much studying I would be doing. My family doesn’t even ask me what I’m doing when they call anymore because they know exactly what I’m doing, studying. You’re weekends are no longer a time to take a break from class, but a time to study all day. However, even with that said make sure you take some time for yourself! It is very important to not drive yourself completely crazy with studying. My group of friends try to have dinner every once in a while. This allows us to de-stress and relax for a few hours.
All in all P2 year is a pretty large mountain that has to be conquered before moving on in pharmacy school, but the fact is it can be done. Understand you are not doing this alone. Study hard, but know that you may not always get that perfect grade. The best thing to do is just do the best that you can.