Physiology is without a doubt one of the hardest classes in pharmacy school. It is one of the last weed out classes until you reach the point of no return: modules. "Physio" as pharmacy students playfully deem this demon of a class, has all the makings of an extremely difficult course. First off it spans an entire year. On a single quiz, there could be four chapters of material. In power point terms that could mean over one hundred slides for just one quiz. It is safe to say that the lives of pharmacy students revolve around physio, which makes it hard to focus on other classes.
The five emotional stages of preparing for a physio quiz or exam goes as following.
1. Calm before the storm. This is the first stage and it starts about two weeks out. Right now you are in a stage of ignorant bliss ignoring the fact that the next two weeks will consist of sleepless nights, gallons of coffee and even a few ice-cream breakdown moments.
2. This isn't so bad. This stage lasts for about a week. In this stage you read the textbook and listen intently to lectures and absorb all the preliminary information. You are confident in your ability to take fantastic color coated notes. Everything is great and your pages of notes and notecards are beautiful.
3. The triple espresso shot. This stage is the day before the quiz or exam. At this point you have been through the material but those dang details keep surprising you and remind you that you actually don't know anything. This is the time to shove all your anxiety and panic down, drink that triple shot of espresso and get your butt to the library. Contrary to what professors say about studying weeks in advance, we all know that the day before is the crucial study period.
4. The world is on fire. This stage occurs in the final hours of day before the exam or quiz. At this point you have been studying for eight plus hours and you know (most) your stuff. You can recite your notes from memory. You feel pretty good, but you can't stop studying for fear that if you are not going you'll somehow forget everything you know.
5. Let's freakin' do this. This stage is the day of the exam or quiz. At this point you are just begging to take the test, either wanting to just show your stuff or to put you out of your misery. Regardless of how you did, the relief of taking it feels better than anything else.
Some final tips about making it through the dreaded physio:
1. Put in the work! It takes hours upon hours to get all that info into your brain. It takes time.
2. Rely on friends. They are your support group. They can help you study or simply keep your head on straight.
3. Take breaks. Please do this for your own mental health. Being stuck in a small library room for hours upon hours can put you in a dark place.
GOOD LUCK! YOU CAN DO IT!
