I'm in pharmacy school and it's intense. The material isn't necessarily hard, but it's just that sometimes the volume of information is presented to you in a way that you feel like you're drinking out of a fire hydrant. It's very much, with very little time, and is overwhelming to me. Usually, we have our test either every week, or every other week, with intense classes like therapeutics. Half the time when I'm studying I find that not only am I overwhelmed, but since there's 8-10 Power-Points each with anywhere from 2-50 slides I am having a hard time with narrowing down the information to what is important. There's no way I can memorize everything. And most of the questions on the exams seem as though they're from blunt memorization rather than understanding. I need a new game plan cause obviously the one I currently have isn't working at all. They say insanity is doing the same thing over time and time again and expecting different results, so I'm trying not to be insane anymore, haha. Help!

I meant to say 25-50 slides. Some have been even more than that. But I am speaking on average.

You would be surprised what is obtained by osmosis and there when you really need it.

It is what is. And most of us here have been through that same situation with various courses and subjects. I know it takes a lot of discipline which you are finding you don't have. Stick with it though, there is no easy way or easy answer.

I remember from my psycho-pharmaceutical classes in grad school that we too were overwhelmed with details that had to be memorized. I made up flash cards and reviewed them constantly, alone and with other students. We students also got together several times a week to have Detail Duels.

You are going to have to find the best way that works for you whereby you memorize and are able to recall all those minute points of drug names and their interactions and side effects and contraindications, plus whatever else is going to be on the exam. I never found a way to reason it all out -- much of it is simply rote learning, like the times tables.

Thanks for your response tickle. Yeah it's always been intense. Therapeutics is whooping me. I just wish I wasn't always in a do or die situation at the end, which I'm in now. I can't remember the last time I've even gotten an A this year (its my p2 year).

Thanks Wondergirl. Yeah, it seems like that's the only way to do it. It's unfortunate but I think there isn't really another alternative. I haven't been able to find one at least. My only difficulty is the lack of time. We are on a block system, and I just feel like there isn't enough hours in the day. My school quizzes us on new material before we've even had the exam for the older material. It's pretty crazy. I don't know if I'm imagining things but it seems there's a select few people who consistently get A's on these tests, while the rest of the class varies in their grade range. I just thought I was doing something wrong. I have a hard time to rote memorize information. It's just like, within a minute, it's gone. But when it's something to do with conceptualizing or understanding, it usually clicks for me and will stay with me past the exam time. The only issue is a lot of this material doesn't have any sort of way to conceptualize it, lol.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rackcity

The only issue is a lot of this material doesn't have any sort of way to conceptualize it, lol.

---

I'm a conceptualizer too, but there is no way to do that at times. Make up 3x5 flash cards as you are given new terms or med names and review them constantly (I have to see them in print, am a visual person) -- don't wait for an exam to cram (hey! that could be your new motto!).