Cory's Blog

            It seems like just yesterday I was telling y’all about my week of tests coming up. However, today I speak to you because I have another marathon week coming up. Well, I won’t say “marathon” because that implies grueling. Let’s go with, 200 meter dash, you know, more of a really long sprint that will take a lot out of me, leave me out of breath ,but will be over before I know it. The tally: three or four tests in seven days, depending on if my organic teacher decides to postpone our second exam until after spring break. Yes, spring break, I can almost taste it, but first I have a physics, sports psychology, and anatomy test to storm through first. The good news is that I did well on all my first tests, so it kind of takes the pressure off the second round.

            To get ready, I have been studying, obviously, but I still was unsure of a couple of physics concepts. Luckily, like a lot of professors here, my teacher has office hours on Monday. Basically, with office hours, if you have a question from class, you can go visit your professor to get clarification of something.

            Today was like many other times I have visited my professors: I came in with a couple of questions, and my teacher took ten minutes to answer them for me. Pretty simple right? Well, one thing he told me was that many students forget that while our professors do teach, the majority also do research and work on grants. This is one of the biggest adjustments to college from high school where your teachers are there for only one reason: to teach you. Here, professors will teach a couple of classes in between their research. So, remember when you get here it is a great idea to go and visit your professor if you need help, but just know that they have a multitude of other things going on themselves, so be patient with them, and they will usually help you.

            Now I have to cement the physics in my brain for the test tomorrow, but also be preparing for my sports psychology test on Wednesday. On the bright side, spring break is right around the bend, so just a few more days of really focusing down and doing the work, and I will get a well deserved rest. Until then, I have to wait for the starting gun of this particular “sprint.” Take care!

Posted by Cory at 05:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            The sea of fresh cut grass, the aroma of hot dogs, and the taste of a thrilling Gamecock victory. What do all of these things have in common? Well, they are all characteristics of USC baseball. The home opener was Friday against Eastern Michigan, and I went and saw them play yesterday. It was a perfect day for a ballgame: 70 degrees, sunny. I met my friend Tim ’10 at Bates House, and walked over to Sarge Frye Field, also known as “The Sarge.” The Sarge is in its last year because next year we are getting a new stadium, so here is a picture so you know what you are missing. I just happen to be in the foreground in my Carolina jersey.

            The game itself was a nail biter, but before we get into the excitement of the game, there are more pressing matters.

            What’s more important than the game itself? I have to say the sunflower seeds of course. I couldn’t believe that I had waited all year for baseball season, and when I got to the “Sarge” I remembered I forgot the seeds. How was I to watch a game without the tiny little morsels that make baseball great? Luckily, I had some cash on me, and I was able to buy a bag from the concessions stand. They held me over throughout the game, as you can see from the nice pile by my feet in this picture.

            I was proud of my seed spitting spectacular, but even though I was looking down to get rid of a shell every few seconds, I didn’t miss a moment of the game. We didn’t play great, and Eastern Michigan was ahead 5 to 2 in the last inning. That is when the fireworks started: we won when our catcher, Phil Disher, hit a walk off grand slam after we had scored a couple of runs! Final score: USC 8 Eastern Michigan 5. Another Gamecock crowd sent home happy. That is all I have for you today. Hopefully I will have more stories of USC baseball victories to come. Until then, take care, and don’t forget the seeds!

Posted by Cory at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            I think we all would like a glimpse into the future of what we are going to be doing with our lives. Yesterday, I was able to take a “sneak peak” into what the future may hold for me if I choose to pursue hospital pharmacy. Allow me to explain: the organization I am in, the Carolina Association of Pre Pharmacy Students (CAPPS for short) organized a trip to a nearby hospital to take a tour of the hospital pharmacy.

            When I heard we had the chance to go, I was very excited, as hospital pharmacy is an area that had interested me since I decided to go into pharmacy, and helped by the time I spent volunteering in a hospital in high school. I was finally going to be able to see what life as a hospital pharmacist was like.

            So, yesterday me and three other members, Elliot, Amanda, and Ryan, (all members, like me, of the South Carolina College of Pharmacy class of 2011!) rode over to the hospital. We were happily greeted by several of the different pharmacists on staff, and were given a tour of the bottom floor where the IV preparation room is located. We also saw the “unit dose” area, which is basically typical mediation that you may pick up from a drugstore. From there, we went up and observed how a pharmacist, nurse, and doctor all work together to treat patients. We saw the observations about one patient, and the course of action of medication that had been taken since they had been admitted.

            Overall, it was quite eye opening to see all of the different options available to hospital pharmacists alone. Everything from IV preparation, patient consultation, and even OR (operation room) pharmacists are needed within the hospital setting, and I am sure I am missing a few in there as well. The future really is wide open in the field of pharmacy to pursue what you really wish to do.

            So, if you are considering pharmacy as a career path that you wish to pursue, remember that there is much more to being a pharmacist than just counting pills in a Walgreens. You have a wide array of career choices, and many of the pharmacists I met had worked in multiple settings, so there is no need to worry about getting stuck in one place. Pharmacy is a career that is in demand, and with so many options to choose from, I am not sure exactly what I want to go into. Luckily, I have four more years to figure that out. Until next time, take care!

Posted by Cory at 09:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge. These are the five “D’s” of dodgeball, made famous in the movie Dodgeball. Why do I list these essential elements of this sport you ask? Well, today my honor society, Alpha Lambda Delta, had its first intramural dodgeball game. I wish I could say that we added a sixth “D” to the list, as in domination, but unfortunately, we were not so lucky.

            The game was played in the South Center of the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center. Basically, it is an extra basketball court on the bottom floor where the racquetball courts and swimming pool are. It is used for basketball, but also for indoor soccer, floor hockey, and in today’s case, dodgeball.

            I was very happy with the turnout we had of players for our team. Sometimes it is hard getting enough players for the honor society teams, as many students already have teams with their friends or other organizations, but we had enough to play, which is always a great start. Another great part of today was that we just had induction on Friday, so some of the new freshman members came and got to participate.

            Now, the match itself was an all you can play 35 minute free for all of throwing, catching, and, of course, the five “D’s”. Judging by the looks of the other team against my team, I felt like we had a pretty good chance at a win. However, it seemed that I blinked, and in a furry of dodging and throwing and getting hit, we had lost the first four matches! I can’t say I was upset with the outcome, we were just there to have fun, but there is that little bit of competitiveness that lives in all of us, and for pride’s sake we needed to win at least one match.

            Luckily, that time came, and even though I had gotten hit and was out (I have a tendency to get a little too aggressive, and I get hit a lot), the team came through and we got a win under our belts. It was 4 to 1 with about twenty minutes left, and the other team went on a three game run. It was then that we really started to play great. In the last ten minutes we won four out of the five matches that were played. Even though we ended up losing 8 to 5, and we got pelted by dodgeballs, it was still a lot of fun getting out of the dorm, getting exercise, and meeting some new people. So, there is a lesson in this: playing intramurals is a great way to get out and meet some great friends when you get here. I know that my softball team freshman year was how I met some of the best friends I have here. That is all for you now, because I need to go ice my sore throwing shoulder and bruised ego. Take care!

Posted by Cory at 07:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            The first day of Organic Chemistry class this semester, our professor made an analogy of the class to a 600 pound gorilla. What did he mean by that? Well, aside from slightly scaring most of us in the room, he wanted to convey that Organic can be a challenging class that requires a lot of effort, and if you don’t keep up with the material, it can feel like a big ol’ gorilla is hanging on your back.

            Well, the gorilla is off my back, at least for now. We had our first test on Tuesday, and I had my first organic lab today. The lab is kind of a “baby” gorilla in that each week requires us to study for a detailed quiz on the particular lab that we do that day. Today’s quiz and lab was “Identification of an unknown aldehyde or ketone using a derivation of 2-4 Dinitrophenylhydrazine”. Sound complicated? It sort of was, except that my lab worked well this week, which is more than I can say usually happens. Most of the time, instead of talking about my results in my lab report , I discuss what went wrong and what I could do better. Now, don’t get me wrong, it is ok if your lab doesn’t go perfect once you get here. The most important thing is understanding the reason, or reasons why it didn’t work. If you can explain that in your lab report, you usually don’t get hurt in the grading.

            In any case, I did my lab, and took my quiz, and now the baby and big 600 pound “mama” gorilla are off my back. I can now relax over these last two days of the week, and, my goodness, I am NOT going to study at all this weekend! Life is pretty sweet. You learn to appreciate the “down” times, especially after a busy time like I have had. Anyways, I am off to celebrate my Valentines Day, not with a special someone, but with a whole bunch of special someones, aka, my friends! Take care!

Posted by Cory at 12:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            I am pretty sure that someone stole my shoes. Yes, that is my best explanation; someone had to have stolen my basketball shoes and filled them with cement, because there is no other explanation for the way I played this past Sunday on our intramural basketball team. This week, we played a bigger and stronger team, but we were able to prevail and win by 20 points. My personal performance, however, seemed to be lacking by my own “Cory” standards.

            The problem may have come in the first couple of minutes of the game when I went for a loose ball and caught the back of another players head in my eye. That little incident left me pretty dazed for a few moments, but we only had five guys, so I had to tough it out and play the whole game. Have no fear, I am alright. The only problem is this nasty shiner I have on my right eye. I feel like it makes me look like a “tough guy,” and I keep explaining to people who ask me how I got it about how “bad” the “other guy” looks.

            Anyways, back to the basketball action, or, in my case, lack of action. The entire game I felt tired and slow, like my shoes were filled with cement. I could not get open from the guy who was guarding me, and the only shots I got off were pretty ugly. Luckily, Brad 09’ had the hot hand, and helped us pull away. Even though I couldn’t do a thing offensively, I did play some solid defense against a few guys who were much bigger than me. So, I guess all was not lost for me at least.

            Even though I did not play my best, they say that you win and lose as a team, and I can definitely say that the whole team played great, and we got the “W”, which is all that really matters in the end. I also got this cool black eye to show off and brag about. Now all I have to work on is getting rid of this nasty cement that is in my sneakers, then maybe I’ll be the one with the hot hand next week. Anyways, basketball shoe conundrums aside, I must be off; it’s time to review some anatomy and study for my organic chemistry lab quiz tomorrow. Take care!

Posted by Cory at 08:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            The equation for the torque of an electric dipole, the force of an electric field, the 6 functions of the liver, and where I left my car: all things I needed to know for this week. One of which I forgot. Can you guess which one it was? I will tell you in case you couldn't guess from the title: it was where I left my car. In all of my studying to prepare for my “trifecta” of tests this week, I forgot where in the Bull Street garage I had left my car!

            Let me set the scene for y’all: I had my first softball game tonight, and I needed to drive down to the field where we play our games. The last time I used my car was about a week and a half ago when I took Brad 09’ to have his car fixed. I kind of remembered where I had parked in the Bull Street Garage, but I wasn’t sure if I had used my car since then. Well, after about ten minutes of wandering aimlessly searching in vain for my car, I called Brad to ask where I had parked. He told me it was out in the open area, which was where I had looked. I still couldn’t find it though. So, I called Jenna 09’ and was going to have her drive me around the garage to help me find my car. She responded with a resounding “WHAT!?” She couldn’t believe I was struggling to find my car, and thought it was pretty funny. I didn’t think it was so funny though, because time was running out of time to find my car and get to the game in time for the start.

            Well, after about ten more minutes of wandering, I ventured out farther from where there are covered spots, and, lo and behold, there was my white Pontiac Sunfire, complete with Cubs license plate and Arizona plates. Relieved, I called Jenna and told her the search was off, I had found my set of wheels. She chuckled and congratulated me on my find. Then, it was off to the field and on time for my first softball game.

            In all honesty though, I am pretty embarrassed at myself that it took almost a half an hour to find my own car. I guess I will try and make a better mental note next time I park, but I think having all of that class knowledge crammed into my brain didn’t help matters. So, that was my absent minded moment of the week, and I prefer it came trying to find my car than during one of my exams. After all this week, I am ready to go to bed. Now I am off to catch some shuteye. Y’all take care!

Posted by Cory at 12:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            It needs to be a short one tonight folks. I don’t know if you have heard about the cycling experience that is college, but allow me to explain it to you. The basic idea is that you will have nothing due for two weeks, and then over a week and a half span, every teacher has a test, or a paper, or both on their syllabus. This phenomenon is known as a “test cycle,” at least in my vocabulary. What this means for yours truly is that over the next seven days I have four tests, a quiz, and a paper due. Yikes, right? Wrong. The key is to prepare ahead of time, and that way things don’t sneak up on you and make life a burden.

            Here’s how the schedule breaks down: Physics tomorrow, Sports Psychology Wednesday and Anatomy Thursday. Then, next Tuesday, is the first Organic Chemistry exam. Stuck in the middle are an Organic Lab quiz, and a sports psychology paper. “But Cory, won’t you lose your sanity?” Thanks for the concern, but I have been studying for my three tests I have this week since the beginning of last week, so that the night before I have time to take a break and blog for my faithful readers. In all reality, it is a lot of work, but as the former USC football coach Lou Holtz once said, “It’s not the load that breaks you down, but how you carry it.” The moral? Break up what seems like an insurmountable task into smaller chunks earlier, so that when the time comes for your test, you have been studying for so long that you don’t need to cram the night before, which is good, because believe me, you won’t have the time.

            Speaking of Lou Holtz reminds me of that fact that there was a little football game called the Super Bowl yesterday, and while my beloved Bears did not pull it out, watching the game was still enjoyable. My roomies and I had our friends over, and everyone brought a special dish to eat. I haven’t eaten that much in I don’t know how long, but it wasn’t just the food that made it fun, but the people I shared it with. So, overall, even though the Bears lost, and I had to worry about these tests this week, it was still a fun time. Speaking of those tests, I better be off to refine my Physics skills. Take care y’all!

Posted by Cory at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            Back in my high school baseball days, “getting the call” meant having my baseball coach call me in to pitch. This week though, I got a much better call. Tuesday morning, as I was leaving my 8:00 AM Organic Chemistry class, I noticed a missed call on my phone that was “unavailable”. I did not think too much of it, maybe just a wrong number. Later that morning, at around 10:30, my phone rang with the same “unavailable” number. I picked it up, and to my surprise, it was the assistant dean of the pharmacy school, Dr. Fuhrman. He was calling to congratulate me on my acceptance into the South Carolina School of Pharmacy! That’s right, I am in!

            The surprising part about the call was that it came so early in the process. Typically, from what other students who have gotten in to pharmacy school tell me, they got their calls in February and even into March. In all honesty, I felt that with my GPA and PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test), I did not need to worry about getting in too much. However, I am not one to count my eggs before they hatch, so to speak. So, until I was officially accepted, I did not want to take anything for granted, but now I am, officially!

            My biggest responsibility now is just to finish strong with the classes I am currently taking. I have to sign a contract that says I will finish what I am deficient in, which are just the classes I am taking now. When I finish this semester with the good grades I expect of myself, it will be a done deal for sure. As of now, it feels like a load is taken off my back, as the desperate need to get the grades relaxes a bit. When I graduate from pharmacy school, my degree won’t say what my GPA is, just that I am officially a pharmacist. Does this mean I will slack off? Heck no! I will keep on doing what got me in this position, but it does feel nice to have some slack in the grade department.

            As for now, a wonderful night of TV awaits me for relaxing after this week (it feels like I am done because I only have one class tomorrow): The Office, my favorite show on television, Scrubs, and ER beckon me…after I finish my anatomy flashcards from today’s lecture. See, I am still the same studious, hard working Cory. The same Cory who is now in the South Carolina College of Pharmacy class of 2011!

Posted by Cory at 09:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

            A common worry among freshman this past summer at orientation was finding something to do when they got to campus. Everyone wanted to stay busy and get involved on campus with something. An easy answer to this was to say to join one of the many student organizations on campus. We have 13 different kinds of groups, ranging from social fraternity and sorority, to honors groups, service, and club sports. While having all these options is nice, it can still be kind of daunting to try and sift through the crowd of them and find one to your liking.

            There is, however, one event that can dramatically help to sort things out for you at the beginning of school. I am talking about the student organization fair. There is one held at the very beginning of school in the fall, and then again in the spring. Today was the spring organization far. I helped staff the Alpha Lambda Delta table for my honor society. I was only there to help set up out in front of the Russell House on Greene Street, but it was still quite a job with the cold and the wind that we had today. All the other organizations were having issues keeping their pamphlets on the table. Despite the weather issues early on, the day went well, with a lot of interest from many students.

            Walking up and down Greene Street, I saw the Women’s Rugby team tossing the ball around, the alumni association giving away free coffee and donuts, and my own professional group, the Carolina Association of Pre Pharmacy Students, giving out candy and pharmacy information. Overall, if you wanted to find an organization to a part of, the fair on Greene Street is definitely a prime place to look.

            That is all I have for y’all today. Just know that when you decide to come to Carolina, you will have the organization world at your fingertips each semester. It is up to you to take the steps and get involved!

Posted by Cory at 12:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)