I love wandering through stores that offer a large selection of school supplies. I would say I'm an old fashioned kind of gal; I love writing things down on paper. You should see my growing collection of empty journals on my bookshelves! Even though I bring my laptop to school, I still rewrite my notes afterwards... I feel that I learn and absorb the material better using this method. This school year may prove to be different. During our second year of pharmacy school, we take classes with medical students which are primarily podcasted.  This means that I'll have the opportunity to listen to these lectures within the confines of my room and write notes at my own pace.

I compiled a list of back to school goodies in this post that I believe every student pharmacist should own before starting pharmacy school. Sure you need your basics (i.e. pencils, highlighters, multi-colored pens, white-out, etc) but I think these extra things make life that much simpler. Oh, I took the picture above when I went in after class to study for Histology (also the same room used for Gross Anatomy). This is what the room will look during exams so you guys definitely have an edge already! I didn't know the layout of the test until a few days beforehand. For any future Tritons out there, make sure you don't touch anything in the room before you eat... you might accidentally eat a piece of cadaver or fluid from them!

The one thing I cannot survive without in a good ole fashioned paper agenda + calendar. It holds all the details of my life and keeps me sane. With the amount of classes I have to take, it's the only way I can keep track of important dates: when projects are due or when exams or presentations occur and other activities. I typically need a lot of space underneath each day and the planners I linked above and below give you a generous amount of room

Yes, I'm aware many of the cases I included in my list below are actually makeup bags but I always like stuffing my pencil case with every possible colored pen, highlighter and other necessities! Since I love taking notes on paper, I always make sure I'm equipped with everything I need in case I want to take notes at school or highlight something important.

We spent a ridiculous amount of time at school during our first year of pharmacy school. The best way to stay hydrated is to bring a refillable water bottle. I personally own a hot pink one very similar the the one above for my cold drinks but I also own an insulated mug for coffee and tea!

You'll definitely need your laptop at school. Whether it's taking notes or taking an exam, you'll need to carry it around pretty much everyday. Now of course you'd also want to protect it, right? Laptop sleeves are cute but I never have any room to stuff them in my bags or backpack. I find holding them a nuisance so I opt for laptop bags with a strap - those smaller thinner ones... not the bulky ones entrepreneurs carry. 

It was pretty crazy last year since us Southern Californians experienced a tremendous amount of rain. Not exactly a bad thing since it eventually brought us out of the drought. Anyways, those retractable umbrellas are very versatile since you can stow them away in your bag however, if the wind picks up, your umbrella will probably be inverted and it'll no longer retain it's purpose. Those classical umbrellas with the  curved rubber gripped handles, especially those with the birdcage silhouette, are so much better. You'll be protected from heavy rain and harsh winds. Plus, whenever the rain decides to pour down diagonally, you'll be able to keep your makeup and hair dry! What other essentials do you guys bring along with you to school?


I plan on making more pharmacy related posts during my second year in school! I cannot believe I'm already a P2. A lot of my potential pharmacy student readers email me with questions and concerns about school. The most frequent question? What does a typical day look like? Unfortunately, no two days are alike. However, I'll be making a new post about my average week once school resumes! See what my typical week looked like during my first year of pharmacy here! Until next time!

XO,
Adrienne