A Week in the Life of a USC Pharmacy Student

Beginning my week, every Sunday I go through my schedule to look at the week ahead. I pick out important tasks and set deadlines for myself. This helps me eliminate stress by creating a plan of action. Additionally, on Sundays, I have a chapter meeting with my sorority Alpha Delta Pi. Going into my freshman year of college, I decided to participate in sorority recruitment so that I could meet new people, and join an organization that valued philanthropy, academics, and leadership. Being involved in ADPi has shown me the importance of being an active member in organizations instead of simply joining to say that you are a member. This organization is such a blessing, and through my sisters’ support I have been able to grow inside and outside my sorority.

The most valuable advice I can give for anyone looking to be involved is to take advantage of opportunities! I know that a common reason people do not get involved is a fear of limiting their free time. However, getting involved in something that interests you will make being an active member a breeze. Through the College of Pharmacy I was presented several different opportunities with pharmacy organizations.

Whenever I look to get involved in a leadership position, I take my talents into consideration. If you align your personal skills with a specific leadership role’s requirements, you will be more passionate about what you are doing. In addition, you, along with the organization, will benefit in the long run.

As a USC College of Pharmacy Ambassador, I give tours to prospective pharmacy students. I absolutely love this position. It gives me the opportunity to advise students who are making the important decision of which pharmacy school to attend, while also being reminded of why I chose to attend pharmacy school here.

Another important, but scary thing is to try things that make you uncomfortable. Joining anything new is a little nerve-racking, but there is no reason to stress over this discomfort because it is temporary. Do not hesitate to put yourself out there for anything- the absolute worst case scenario is being told no, which in reality is not a big deal. I am currently pursuing two different research projects that interest me. I have the opportunity to do one of these projects because I emailed a professor expressing my interest in her leukemia research. I then asked if there was any way I could be a part of it. Getting involved can really be that simple!

I am also in another organization called Student National Pharmaceutical Association, or SNPhA. The association actively serves the community by hosting events to educate the public on important health topics like HIV/AIDs or kidney disease. Within SNPhA, I am a leader for Carolina Cares for Kids, a student-run program that teaches local underprivileged kids about health and self-empowerment.

The most valuable advice I can give about being involved in organizations along with being a busy college student is to keep things in perspective. Trying to not get caught up in things and realizing that you will get through whatever is going on has been so helpful for me. Things always seem impossible until you accomplish them. Just stay positive and know that whatever is happening will soon pass!

As an active University of South Carolina student, I can assure you that there are so many different things that you can get involved in on campus and everyone can find an organization that fits their interests. Being engaged on campus is so important and can be intimidating at first. To all who are looking to be involved- I promise that everyone who joined any organization was a little scared at first, but the friends, connections, and experiences you gain are so rewarding. All my involvements allowed me to meet many different people, which allowed me to make my best friends along the way. These friends showed me that everyone in college is struggling in some way. Having each other to rely on and encourage one another is comforting because I know that I always have someone to help me whenever I need it. Above all, I quickly realized that all students here at the University of South Carolina are part of one big family. We all look out for each other in difficult times and the students always make you feel so welcome. The Carolina community is a tightly knit support system for every student here. I guarantee that if you put the time and effort into becoming an involved student here at USC, you will find your home here at Carolina just as I did.