Sacrifices

Sacrifices.

 We all have to make them at some point in our lives.

 But how do we know what to sacrifice and let go? 

We have to decide what is going to benefit ourselves in the long run and then continue on that path.

Still, the decision sometimes is a hard one to make.

If pharmacy school has taught me one thing so far, it is that I am constantly having to make sacrifices.

I never realized how much time I would spend in class, nor how much time I would spend out of class working on stuff for class! 

The way my school is set up is that I attend class from 9AM to 12PM. 

Three hours I sit in one classroom for ONE class.

From 12PM to 1PM is lunch time.

You would think one hour is a lot of time for lunch.

No, not at all.

Especially when you live 30 minutes from the school.

Basically my lunch hour consists of me eating a turkey and ham sandwich (everyday) with a cup of jello and a few baked lays. 

While eating, I normally work on assignments for class! 

Occasionally I get to search facebook or pinterest for a few minutes if I complete my assignments or just to give my brain a break.

From 1PM to 4PM is class time again.

Another three hours that I sit in the same classroom as before for ONE class. 

By the time 4PM rolls around, my brain is fried and I just want to go home and nap.

Oh, but no.

Normally, at 4PM it's time to meet up with your group and work on "group assignments" for another 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the type of assignment.

Finally around 5PM, I get to head home.

The 30 minute drive home gives my brain a break, however, I am normally thinking about all the stuff I have to do for school that evening to prepare for the next day. 

When I first started pharmacy school, I didn't add the gym into my schedule because I wanted to get used to routine of going to class and coming home to study.

For the last two weeks, I have added the gym back into my schedule because, let's face it, if I don't go to the gym regularly, I am going to gain weight!

Especially when I'm sitting on my butt all day everyday in class!

So from 5-5:30PM to 6-6:30PM I am at the gym lifting weights and doing a 30 minute cardio workout.

After my workout, I head home and cook dinner.

Prepping dinner, cooking dinner, and eating dinner normally takes about an hour.

Finally, by 7:30PM I am finished with my day.

Or so you would think...

No, now it is time to go upstairs and begin studying for a pop quiz that could happen the next day or for an exam that is over a TON of information. 

I usually spend from 7:30PM to 10:00PM studying or working on homework assignments. 

Then I shower and get ready for bed. 

My goal every night is to be in bed by no later than 11PM. 

Especially when I have to be up at 6:45AM every morning. 

I am the type of person that needs a minimum of 7 hours of sleep to function!

I try to take off Friday evenings to give myself a break.

However, the more I get into the curriculum, I'm finding it harder and harder to take a break.

Sundays are my day for grocery shopping, cleaning the apartment, and washing/folding all the laundry - along with continuing the studying.

Pharmacy school is hard.

But if it was easy, everyone would do it.

Pharmacy school is time consuming.

But I guess that's what I signed up for when I chose a 3 year accelerated pharmacy school program.

I have had to make a lot of sacrifices so far since I started pharmacy school on August 7th.

But, I can tell that my sacrifices and hard work is already paying off. 

So far I have received all A's and B's on my exams.

I'm proud of my performance so far.

My success so far is all due to sacrifices.

These sacrifices are going to pay off in the end.

It's hard to see that now and I may complain a lot along the way, but I know deep down these sacrifices are going to be worth it.

I have my family to thank for supporting me through each hard time and motivating me to continue on this path.

Everyday, someone in my family tells me how proud they are of me and how they can see the hard work I am putting into my studies. 

It might seem small, but that support is what motivates me to keep pushing through each day. 

I am beyond thankful for my support system.

Until next time...