Hey guys!  How are y'alls summer coming along?  I've been having a blast even if it's been a lot of working for me, as y'all may have noticed in my most recent entries.  I have been putting in some down time, especially over the past week.  My boyfriend and his mom came into town midweek, last week, so I got to spend some time with him.  It was a much needed visit  as we haven't seen each other in two months!  (Can y'all believe that I've been home for that long?!?  I sure can't!)  Then, I had some friends sleep over at my house for the weekend, and we got to hang out.  Over Sunday, I got to spend some time with relatives as it was Father's Day, and well rounded it all off with hanging out with my cousin shopping!  So, all in all, it's been fairly good here in the good ol' town of Greenville for me.  I have been doing some talking with incoming freshman of the Class of '11 lately, and they have raised some great questions.  I thought that I would share some of the answers that I have given them.  So, here it goes...

Question 1:  Can I talk to upperclassmen who have the same major as I do, so I can get some of my questions answered?

Definitely!  All you have to do is ask.  I would say that the easiest way would probably be to ask people from your major's office.  If you don't know where that is or a way to look for such people, you may want to try checking out the sc.edu website and enter a search.  Another great way would be to go through the Academic Success center, just click on this link.  Lastly, if that is too much work (which it might be), just leave me a message, and I will ask my friends.  My friends come from a wide range of majors!

Question 2:  How do I go about getting a loft for my room?

As far as I remember from the summer before my freshman year, there were several flyers in the mail that came advertising about lofts that could be purchased from the Russell House.  I think that that is the easiest way to purchase one and have it moved into the dorms.  The loft beds from the Russell House are also obviously approved by USC Housing.  I'm sure you can bring your own, though.  You can check with Housing about all of this and any other concerns you may have about housing matters.  They have an AIM screenname that you can contact them by:  USCCHOUSING.

 Question 3: Will I have enough room in my dorm for my things?!?

The common outcry of ladies.  Heh!  I also found myself asking this same question and my answer is...YOU SHOULD!  In theory, that is.  My roommate and I had the smallest room in Maxcy, and we managed to fit twenty million things in that tiny room!  My roommate moved in with 83 boxes, and all throughout the year I would always take at least 2 suitcases and bags and bags of groceries everytime I would go home.  We always still managed to get everything in some order...I'm sure y'all will, too!

And well, yea.  Anymore questions, just drop 'em on by, and I will have them answered.  For now, this will all be it for now folks!  Good summering to y'all and catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!!!

Posted by Kriska at 08:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Woo-hooh!  I've found my new favorite day of the week...THURSDAYS!!!

Last Thursday was actually the first occurence of this favorite theme.  (I've just been busy lately, so I've not been able to Blog.  Sorry 'bout that!)  Anyways, I got my first paycheck from my job last week, and boy did it feel nice!  I've had a couple of jobs before, but that fact didn't make that "first paycheck" any less exciting.  Apparently, checks come in every week on Thursdays, so I'm pretty excited about that.

It's been a crazy few weeks working at the Pharmacy.  Lots of ups and downs...some nights of even crying!  This whole "pill-counting" is not easy at all!  Thoughts of switching majors have been coming back again, but I've been told time and time again to just take it easy and well...give it some time.  Everyone's been saying that their first weeks at work were also rough.  Some of them also had those tearful nights.  It's just that the first weeks can prove to be so overwhelming.  It has really been a tough time this past weeks to adjust at the work place, but I guess no new job is easy.  I bet that flipping burgers for the first time can't be all that easy either in the get go.  All I seem to be hearing these days are "Keep holding on and try," "Don't give up just yet," and "Think of where you want to be 10 years from now."  It's kind of scary to think that decisions I make now really do affect the rest of my life...I really am a grown-up now.  Hehe!

Well, I hope y'all are making some great summer decisions.  Like, take for example a trip to the beach, a hike through the woods, or simply just a day at the pool.  Enjoy being home for the summer and out of school, and definitely enjoy it well!  Y'all take care, and keep in mind that y'all can still comment if y'all have any questions or comments about Gamecock Livin'.  I'm still here and most definitely available to answer any of y'alls concerns.

For now, catch y'all later on the flipside future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 08:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, I've been finding myself working late night shifts and sleeping in until 11ish in the morning.  Tiredness from work has got me putting in about 10-11 hours of sleep a day.  This, of course, is a definite change for me who has been used to getting only 4-5 hours due to some homework and lots of hanging out back in Carolina...heh!  But besides the change in sleeping patterns, working in a 24-hour pharmacy at one of the busiest locations of town has definitely taught me several things about the field of pharmacy retail and about myself even if I have only been working there for a week and a couple of days.

1.  Pharmacy retail is no joke.  Even if it is the easiest path to take after earning a pharmacy degree, the ins and outs of pharmacy retail is no walk in the park.  The experience has been definitely a challenge as I'm finding out the true inner workings of how the people behind the counter work. 

2.  Late night shifts at a pharmacy spells C-R-A-Z-Y.  First of all, if you're willing to go ahead and stay up to put in hours for any job at night, YOU, yourself, have to be pretty nutty.  Secondly, the rest of your co-workers will be just as nutty if not nuttier as you.  Lastly, people who are willing to go out at midnight or so to pick up prescriptions definitely have to be NUTTY!  I can't believe how people can get addicted to prescription drugs...It's really actually sad when you see a person come in for drugs that they probably don't need but have become addicted to and dependent on, especially some of those controlled substances.  Yikes!

3.  You'll never know how a job really is like until you get dirt on your hands as well!  I practiced filling prescriptions last night, and let me tell you..."Counting pills" is no easy task!  Even if counting from 1-1000 may not prove to be such a hard task for any 5th grader and anyone else older, when the responsibility of counting a precise and accurate number of pills (especially those narcotic drugs) is in your hands, it makes counting from 1-10 a definite challenge.  It seems so scary to have such an important task!

4.  P-R-I-O-R-I-T-I-E-S.  Learning what tasks are most important and which ones must be taken care of first is a definite skill needed by all especially in the pharmacy.  More importantly, knowing when to execute such a skill without the direction of anyone else is a must!  Sometimes I have coworkers who aren't able to prioritize and it does not only affect their jobs but mine and all the other workers and also the patients we are serving.

and lastly...

5.  Still have fun...I'm slowly finding out that some aspects of pharmacy retail may not necessarily be my cup of tea, but at the same time, I'm still trying to find the positive aspects of the field that cater to my tastes to really see if the field is for me.  I'm still trying to have fun...I mean, what kind of life would you live if you didn't like what you were doing, right?  I really don't want to end up after six years of schooling not liking what I'm doing...that would just be tragic!

Well, for all of you other summer workers out there, I hope your job experiences are teaching you lots about anything and everything.  Pharmacy retail is really testing me, and as difficult as some days may be, I think it's making me be a better person!  Make sure to still put in some down time since it is the summer.  Don't work too hard!

Catch y'all later on the flipside, future Gamecocks!

Posted by Kriska at 07:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)