This post may contain affiliate links. For more info, please click here.

For more writing samples, please visit my Muck Rack portfolio.

Based on the feedback that I received for my last couple of posts, I decided to address another education-related topic. Let’s continue to go back in time from pursuing advanced education and training to surviving the undergraduate life.

Since mid-Spring semester is already here, some high school students are eagerly submitting their college applications and anticipating their acceptance letters. Dear [future] pre-health undergraduate student, little are you aware of the many difficulties that lie ahead.

As you can probably deduce, this article will pertain to pre-health students, whose undergraduate education is merely the initial step towards the pursuit of their healthcare careers. Since high school was a piece of cake, college should also be a stroll – right? Unfortunately, success in high school does not always equate to immediate and ongoing triumph in college. This post, however, will attempt to touch on some of the struggles that a pre-health student might encounter; and I hope that the pertinent readers will find the article useful towards their long and arduous journey.

To the Workaholic….

So, as a high school student, I worked around thirty hours per week. Since I excelled in high school with a full-time job, I decided to continue working similar hours, which occasionally turned into overtime. Although I was able to pull off the above stunt during my freshman year, trying to balance school and work as a college sophomore was a different story.

Unfortunately, I fell into the trap of scheduling class and study time around my work schedule. As a result, my overtime hours increased; but I had less time to study for challenging science classes, such as organic chemistry.

To the Dutiful Child….

As many undergraduate students can relate, college can be a challenging time. In addition to realizing that independence can be a double-edge sword, family drama can add more weight onto one’s shoulders.

In my case, my godmother passed away from cancer; my godmother was also my aunt. Then, a few months later, my dad was laid off from his job during a time when money was very much needed for a house that my parents recently purchased.

Therefore, I increased my monthly financial contribution to my mom to lessen some of her burden; and as you can deduce, I started to lose sight of school and entered the vicious cycle of more work hours and less study time.

To the Dedicated Volunteer....

In addition to unsuccessfully balancing work, school, and family, I added organization participation and volunteering experience to my agenda. Since I was very involved in high school, I wanted to continue doing so in college; but compared to high school, there are so many more organizations at the university. So, let’s join everything; nothing can possibly go wrong! Famous last words....

[My] Two Cents to You....

I presented a difficult balancing act to you; but successfully addressing all of the above is actually possible. Although everyone is different, the following steps or outline helped me; and I hope that considering or implementing some of the following suggestions will also assist you. Best wishes towards obtaining amazing grades, which will undoubtedly help you excel in the application process of your healthcare professional schools!

Schedule work around school

• I scheduled most of my classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

  • Afterwards, I went to straight to work.

• As for Mondays and Wednesdays, on the other hand, I only scheduled one class.

  • Then, I studied all day on those two days.

• As for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, I also worked; but I would only work the morning shift on Sundays – in case I needed to study for Monday exams.

• As you can see, I was still able to work thirty to forty hours per week; but I rarely picked up any over-time hours after I decided “school first.”

  • I will only pick up over-time hours during school breaks, such as winter or summer breaks.

Reasonably help your family

• Since I was still working full-time hours, I was still able to financially help my family.

  • However, I placed a limit on my monthly contribution. I tried to not exceed the limit; and by doing so, I did not fall into the trap of overworking and limiting study time.

Place a cap on organization participation

• Instead of joining every club in sight, I attended the first meetings of organizations that piqued my interest.

• Afterwards, I decided on only a couple of organizations that truly captured my attention.

Coming up soon....

I am almost halfway through the Quantic Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program! I bet that some of you are eager for an update. So, stay tuned for a future blog post!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ross earned her doctorate in pharmacy (PharmD) at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). Her years of experience practicing in various pharmacy settings also lead to multiple board certifications, including ambulatory care, geriatrics, and pharmacotherapy. She currently serves as the director of the PharmacyChecker international verification program.

Ross also founded Off Script Consults, a pharmacy consulting business. She strives to combine her passion for pharmacy, education, and writing to improve the quality of life and financial outcomes for people with chronic medical conditions, caregivers, and healthcare providers.

She particularly enjoys creating relatable and helpful content for her readers and viewers. For writing samples, please visit her Muck Rack portfolio. For videos, please visit her “Off Script Consults” YouTube channel.

Ross currently resides with her husband and two dogs in her home state of Texas to be closer to family. She also tries to find time for hobbies, which include rock climbing, running, and playing pickle ball.

Find out more about Ross via phone, e-mail, or social media (LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest).