Personal Reflection

After reading my blogs it feels like I lost my "triflin" ways and learned that I need to stop procrastinating and get on my "a-game". I'm pretty amazed about all the things I was able to talk publicly. Some topics we went over never even came up in conversations with my close friends! 1. I think I grew in terms of being more knowledgable in how to be more leadership material in the real world. As everyone probably already knows I want to become a pharmacist and eventually a pharmacy manager. This field requires major leadership skills and with the topics, books, and discussions we had I think I will do a better job. 2 My thinking has changed in many ways. For bigginers, the thought of my future has become so much clearer. What I mean is my goals and how and what I need to do to achieve them. As far as possibilities in the world, my mind set was always that anything and everything is possible. 3. I've never engaged in hard times with students, barn stormed, nor did speed interviewing like we did in class. These were the best activities because it expanded my horizon so much and I got so much insight that I never had. It helped me get more connections and information that can potentially help me later on. 4. I liked how we got to speak our mind about sensitive topics, blog about our goals and progress, and lastly how our professor is the coolest professor eva!!! 5. No complaints, honestly. And no I'm not sucking up :)6. Maybe make it 3 times a week for 1 hour 15 minutes each?

Sound Bite

The most important thing I have learned this semester is RESPONSIBILITY. The requirements of this class and course outline was basically to help us, the students, know what we really wanted to be in life and what paths to take to achieve it. Far most the most useful class I've taken in my college career.

Sunday Meeting

As I stated in my Business meeting, Sunday was a hell of a day for me. I woke up Sunday morning at 8am and didn't go to sleep until Monday at 6pm, yeah monday at 6pm. The only thing I had on my mind was all the things that was due the next day and how worried I was. As far as the planning went, the only thing I planned for the week was all the things that were due Monday. As for the rest of the week, I planned it all yesterday. For example, I have this homework that is due tonight then Wednesday I have a presentation in my other class and have a paper due as well. I'm trying to knock everything out and pacing myself so I dont get an anxiety attack and end up popping xanax pills. LOL JK.

Business Meeting 2

Once again, my buddy and I met this morning to discuss my completions from the prior week. It only last about 15 minutes this time because we both ended up coming late. I told him how I began to study for the test (pCAT) and how I finished all the work that was due yesterday and late last week. Monday was hell of a day for me because I had so much due so I had my hard times with him as well. How was it a hell of a day you ask? Well, let me tell you too. So yesterday I had an Organic Chemistry lab practical, lab notebook due, and a genetics lab exam! Ugh I did not sleep sunday night at all...it was horrible. I ended up getting a B on the genetics test, but dont know about orgo yet. BUT i did end up completing the lab and it worked so I'm not too worried. After that I told him I might or might not see him next week because I have exams so we might just talk over phone.

More first steps...

Another one of my steps was to begin studying for my pCATS. It was a busy ass week for me, but i managed to start reviewing the bio section on Friday because it requires the least amount of time for me (since i took so many freaking bio classes!) I started to go over the stuff I learned in Bio 101 and wow was that hard. It felt like I never learned it so I kind of skimmed through it and moved onto the more advanced stuff, which I was more familiar with :) All in all it took me about an hour before I got hungry and ended my studying for the day.
As far as the other subjects go, I don't think I will start in depth studying because I have finals coming up and thats my top priority as of now. Once school ends more time will be dedicated towards other subjects.

The Buddy System (Buddy: Tim)

During one of my classes last Thursday, I asked one of my friends if they could be my buddy. At first he seemed pretty confused, but then i explained to him that its an assignment for my other class so it can help me focus on the things i need to get done. This couldn't have been a better time because I have so much stuff due in the next week. Basically, we decided to meet today morning at 8am for no more than 20-30 minutes. When we spoke on Thursday, I told him that I needed to get a certain list of things completed and you are suppose to be my "inspiration". As directed, he made a list with the most important duties on top. My duties included things such as starting research, revising a paper, and writing a paper for another class. To my suprise Tim actually texted me during the weekend and was like "hope your on top of your shit home boy" lol. So even with his sarcasm, he was somewhat dedicated to this duty of basically making sure I did my work. So today when we met, he pulled out the list and asked me which tasks I completed and which ones I left blank. Out of the 5 things we jotted down i completed the top 3 and the fourth one, but not the 5th one which was to look for a new laptop. I was quite happy with myself and he congratulated me too. After checking in was done, I told him I had a rough time revising my paper because the TA made so many damn comments that it became irritating. So I guess I threw in some hard times in there. He told me about the writing center and how they are a great help so i kept that in mind. Lastly I told him we should meet again next week at the same time and day so I can check in with my other tasks I need to complete. That was all we basically spoke about and it took around 25 minutes for the whole meeting.

First Steps Exercise 1

In class and on my planner wall I planned to purchase books and review material for the pCAT exam. Instead of purchasing them, I asked my friend who already took the pCAT exam if he had purchased the books. Luckily, he did and of course he agreed to let me borrow them. I haven't started to really do hardcore studying due to current school work, but that is my number one goal during the summer. The pCAT book basically consists of all material that was covered during the pre-requisite classes, so yes a hell of a lot! I'm definetly freaking out, but hopefully everything will be ok...? Wish me luck..:(

Reflecting On Fear (part 2) /Hard Times (not as funny as Juicy's)

The type of resistance I felt had to do with all these stupid lab reports that are constantly due, but this week its different. Since the end of the semester is slowly approaching, the lab TA's think its a good idea to bombard us with tedious reports that should have been spread out during the semester instead! I just found out today that not only do I have a research presentation next week, but a lab report due the same time. Besides that, for my other 2 labs I have reports due the same week. I'm starting to get stressed out, but luckily not feeling the way I used to during organic. I think this would also be stage fright because I'm feeling nervous and worried if I will finish in time. With that much said, I plan on starting today and just hauling ass all week so I dont spaze out during the weekend. Usually, if i didnt have to do all the other reports, I keep the one thats due every Monday until Sunday. Now that i think about it, this week isnt the best time for that.

Reflecting On Fear

Barbara Sher claims that when you come across any experience or task that may be new to you, the feeling of uncertainty and self-doubt begins to take its toll. This feeling is nothing new to me and to be honest, there have been numerous occasions when I felt this way. The most common types of resistance i have felt is thoughts of failure and thoughts of giving up while I still can. A perfect example was during last semester when I was taking Organic Chem 2. Everyday I walked in with moist palms and a queasy feeling in my gut because I kept thinking to myself "I'll never get through this, I'm going to fail, what am I doing here, etc..." The main reason for these resistances was due to rumors about the class and how hard it is in general. I hated Tuesdays and Thursdays because I knew I would have to go to class and be taught something that I might not be able to understand for a long time and something that needed constant practice. The type of fear this was was Stage fright because its feeling of uncertainty and self-doubt. I was completely uncertain how I was going to do, but ended up sticking it out until the end. When we face our fears and take a deep breath and start working on it slowly, it is possible to overcome it. As time passed, the feelings of uncertainty didn't go away but they decreased. As Dr. Rock said in class, vomiting/diarrhea suppresses and the queasy feeling is the most you will get. Fortunately i didn't experience the first two but the queasy feeling depressed slightly. So the underlying message would be to take things slowly and step by step to avoid feelings of giving up and self-doubt. I moved through this by doing exactly what i mentioned, taking deep breathes and taking the course step by step and not jumping into the lake before pointing your toes to check the water. I asked for tutoring, made study dates with friends, made note cards, etc... It wasn't enough so I will take the course again :(, but at a community college.

Moving and Shaking and Interviewing Dr. McCurdy from Ohio Northern University

Another step that was outlined was to contact a Pharmacy Dean of any pharmacy school and ask them important questions about my concerns and questions. In class, Angela Dade had mentioned to me that she knew a pharmacy dean in the University of Ohio Northern because her daughter was enrolled in the program. I requested the deans information from her and made sure to give him a call. I had called him late in the day on Friday, but obviously he was gone for the weekend. However, I left him a message explaining the reason for my call and if he would be able to call me back. Today around 2:30pm he returned my call. Dr McCurdy was a very pleasant individual to speak with and he clearly answered my concerns about his school and how the program works there.

I mentioned Angela's name and he was very delighted that he was recommended to help out future pharmacy students. I asked him questions about the requirements needed for his school and if he was kind enough to mail me a brochure. He told me that he would basically summarize the brochure over the phone so i didn't have to wait a week for my questions to be answered, which again was very helpful. The main question i had for him is how admission was conducted in Ohio Northern and he told me that this university is more for students who enroll into the 6 year program straight out of high school. It was sort of a disappointment to hear that out of state students have a 1:20 chance in getting in. However, even though i didn't hear what i wanted, he did give me an insight on which schools to apply to since I am a biology major and what pharmacy schools look for in their applications.

Overall, this step turned out to be two things. A step towards my goal on being accepted into pharmacy school and becoming a pharmacist as well as an interview. I believe that this was way out of my network since the contact information was given to me by another individual who just got involved in my network. I was very proud of myself that i finally took the initiative and gave Dr McCurdy, or any other dean, a call to get my answers clearly resolved. A special thanks to both Angela Dade and Dr. Robert McCurdy.

Get Into Action.

My two tasks that I wanted to complete was to create my account for the PharCas program and seek volunteer oppurtunities for students who are inspired pharmacists. When i mean volunteer oppurtunities, I mean in hospitals, retirement homes, etc... The PharmCas program is basically a website where a student uploads all the classes they have taken with their grades so it can be sent out to any pharmacy school. In other words, its an online application that is sent out in bulk. I successfully registered, but did not upload any of my classes because I'm not done with school yet and dont know my grades. Once again, I was really prolonging in doing this task, but finally did it.
Another task that I wanted to accomplish was to set up some volunteering to do in the summer during my free time. So, I called up my old pharmacy manager who also works in a hospital to see how I can go about doing this. She told me that she would speak with her boss and set up an interview sometime in mid april. She told me that only few students are chosen due to the type of environment the pharmacist there work in. She also explained to me that there is no interaction between patients and employees because they work in a seperate section of the hospital and this is where they gather the drugs to dispense.
The main idea behind volunteering in a hospital is to get another feel of the duties of a pharmacist other than just retail. In retail, pharmacist apply their education, but in hospitals my manager told me its at a complete different level of application. I believe that if someone puts on their application that they had both experience in retail and in hospital, it would look very good. Hopefully I hear back from them soon so I can begin as soon as possible.

Interviewing Professor Rockquemore...and her interviewing me.

Almost 2 weeks ago, I requested to interview Dr. Rock, but it was more about her interviewing me and getting to know me on another level. There were a few reasons I requested this, one important reason is because I wanted her to understand my goals in life and how serious I am in achieving them. With her knowing this, maybe there might be someone who is in my field and my name would potentially come up? Also, there were many questions Dr. Rock had and I was delighted to answer them. Questions about how I got into the field and why.
Another reason behind this 2-way interview was because I requested a letter of recommendation from her. The story behind this is that most professors usually write the same thing about each student because sometimes all they know about the student is their grade. From the way i see it, grades is a plus, but when the professor knows you on a better, personal level...it beats any generic letter. The professor can realize what type of individual you are, your personality, and your dedication. Hopefully Dr. Rock saw a little of each.
Finally, the reason why I chose to have this meeting/interview was to somewhat get to know my professor better. Usually professors dont interact with the students on a level more than just teaching, but i saw that in Dr. Rock's case it was different. She gave me and any other student a chance to understand her personality better. I greatly appreciated that oppurtunity and hope more will come.

***My Goal Poster***

Another Interview/Network expansion

Yesterday, after the longest time of putting off and being lazy, I decided to visit a professor my classmate had recommended for a summer independent research class. The reason why I decided to do this is because it was brought to my attention that it looks very "attractive" on a resume when applying for grad-school. The instructors name is Dr. Bushse and he was a very pleasant individual. When i first was introduced to him by my friend I was very nervous and self-consious on making a great first impression. After a few minutes of name exchange and personal information exchange, I fell into my comfort zone.

Dr. Buhse informed me about the research project and I was immediately interested. I began to ask questions to show my interest and he responded politely. Moreover, the other reason why I decided to do research is so more doors can be opened and more important people can be met in case I decide to further my education in Biology and become a professor. What would be better than having letters of recommendation from a research professorsof Biology? NOT THAT OTHER LETTERS ARE NOT IMPORTANT =). Basically, he took down and my information and said welcome on board!

Overall, I look forward on working on this independent research study and starting my journey in getting my name in the department. This was the one thing i've been trying to accomplish and if it hadnt been for my classmate that i met this year, it wouldnt have been possible. So i cant blow this!

Fourth Interview

A dream of mine that was on the list was to become a famous international singer, even though I cant sing at all it is something that is a constant fantasy. A close friend of mine were talking earlier this week and I told her about my dream and how I needed to interview someone who could possibly be my role model. She told me about a student that went to her school that she somewhat knew through her other friends. I asked if I was somehow able to contact him to ask questions about his ultimate goal in life dealing with his music.

Almost three days later I get a call from the guy that my friend was talking about and he was somewhat skeptical about the reason he was told to call me. His name was Siraj and I explained to him that my dream is to become a famous international singer and was told that you already sing for school events and other private gatherings. The first question I asked him was how am i able to improve my singing skills and he said that classes with a professional vocal coach is the best method. Siraj did admit that singing is a talent that can be achieved through practice with professionals and long hours of practice.

While on the phone Siraj explained to me that singing for him is almost like a stress reliever as well as a self esteem booster. He told me that people listening attentively when he sings gives him a sense of fulness. I can understand what he meant by that because not only is my dream to become an international singer, but a dancer. When i dance in front of people it also gives me a sing of fulness and self esteem boost. I explained that to him as well. Siraj told me that school always came first for him, but singing was also a big part in his life while growing up. He said his ultimate goal was to get a singing contract and that long hours of practice projecting high and low notes will put him in that position. At the end of our interview, he said he would like to meet me and if I was interested he would help me get started with singing drills and practice. Of course I agreed and cannot wait.

Third Interview

Since becoming a pharmacist is my ultimate goal, I decided to interview an individual that was very much outside my network and the method I used to contact him was through my direct network. His name is Paul Simons, PharmD. and he is the Regional Pharmacy Supervisor for my district. The duty that Paul posseses is to pick and chose locations where Walgreen's Pharmacies are needed to be open throughout the Northeast suburbs and downtown chicago areas. His career is somewhat similar to what my dream in life is and that is to open clinics in India. This is one of the main reasons I went about to interview him. I spoke with my pharmacy manager and told him the situation and he basically said here's his office number. I gave him a call and told him the reason for my call. Paul was very surprised because he said no one has ever called him for a favor like this. He asked me when I worked next and that he would stop by my store and give me some of his time. I was very delighted and he did actually coming the following weekend.

I started off the interview by introducing myself and once again reminding him of the purpose for the interview. When i asked him what was the biggest motivation that put him in the position he is in now, he responded by saying "stick to your dream and dont let anything get in the way". This felt like a very vague response so I asked him what kind of things shouldnt get in your way. Paul simply said academically you will sometimes not recieve what you think you got, but dont let that discourage you from excelling the next time. He also spoke about certain individuals who will not believe in you and will sometimes pass that negative energy onto you. "The way to overcome that is to stay close to people who truly believe you obtain those skills to achieve your goal". Paul was very positive and even though we had about 15 minutes to talk, he truly protrayed himself as someone who believed hard work and dedication was the key to reaching any dream.

During the end of the interview, he asked me what my ultimate goals in life were and I first told him to get admission into a pharmacy school. Besides working as a pharmacist I told him my dream about going to India and aiding poor neighborhoods by helping to build clinics and medical service buildings. He was very impressed and told me anything is possible as long as you stick to your plans. I somewhat made "brownie points" with Paul because he never knew who I was until this interview so I guess if I ever wanted to move forward with my company I would know who to contact.

Interviewing my friend who is a dance instructor

A friend on mine is a private dance instructor for high school students close to where i live and I figured that since she is able to instruct, she has travelled quite far in achieving her dream of becoming a great dancer. When i spoke to her about what encouraged her to become a dance instructor, she responded by saying that her dream is also to become a famous international dancer and by instructing, it will help her reach her goal. Moreover, we spoke about how the passion alone about dancing in general can help anyone reach their goal about being a great international dancer. The love for music is a start, but the love for being able to express your feelings about that song through body movements is even more addicting. Sonali and I both agreed on that concept. I asked if she was ever discouraged because of an obstacle that came in her path and she said no. "The idea is to keep practicing because dancing isn't easy for everyone, it takes time, patience, and concentration." I would have to agree with her because being able to learn a new dance move or improve doesn't require extra effort in the sense of book smarts, but actual mind and body acceleration. As far as advice, I asked her how I can improve to be at a spot where I am able to instruct and she simply said "dance until people go...sh*t, teach me how you did that"

Interviewing Pharmacy Manager

When i spoke with my role model, the pharmacy manager, he told me about how much time and effort he put in to reach his goal as well as obstacles that needed to be crossed to make sure he ended in the spot he wanted to end in. His theory like many others is that whatever your dream or goal may be, you need to put your complete mind and heart into it. This may be in the sense of having a passion or love from the beginning for the particular success you want to achieve as well as the mental ability. Mike spoke about sleepness nights studying and constantly reviewing for exams and tests that come with being enrolled as a pharmacy student. However, he did also mention times where giving up and hopelessness becomes an issue. These are thoughts where things don't turn out as we all expect. In his case, he told me that failing an exam or not understanding something for the first time can really affect your outlook. Mike mentioned a time in pharmacy school when discouragement took over his life and it was due to an exam he did not do so well on. Once receiving his grade, he became very worried and hopeless for further exams in that particular class. This relates much to the story of my life because i become the same way. To compare, i questioned how he overcame that because consequently he had no choice if he wanted to continue being a pharmacy student. Mike said that, "if you sit down, clear your mind, and actually think optimistically with a game plan...you are able to overcome anything that may set you back." When i thought about it, his response was similar to mine except the fact that i usually go to my close friends for help and he doesn't. His overall advise was to concentrate on what you want in life and how to go about achieving that goal. He stated that having a game plan helps, but if you know that your dream is hard to reach, you shouldn't be slacking and be on top of your game constantly.

Interviewing Pharmacy Manager

Map my Network

Pharmacy Manager: Ron Schachtel (847) 673-6812

Doctor: Dr. Osinki (773) 308-3518

Singer: Usher (www.usherworld.com)

Dancer: (www.myspace/jabbawockies.com)

Company Ceo: Ashok Gandhi (AmitTravelInc@yahoo.com)

Flow Chart of My Life

Flow chart to my goal

Take pre-requisite classes needed for pharmacy school ---> Maintain a decent G.P.A while doing so ---> Obtain bachelors in Biology ---> Maintain GPA ---> Study for PCATs ---> Keep getting promoted at work to higher levels of Pharmacy Technician ---> Acquire recommendation letters from professor and boss ---> Take PCATs and hope for a good score ---> Apply for pharmacy school ---> Get accepted ---> Graduate and become licensed ---> Begin working wherever you desire (CVS/Walgreens/Hospital) ---> Get promoted to Pharmacy Manager ---> Try to be a great manager ---> Get promoted to corporate ---> Help build more pharmacies around nation ---> Be Successful!

Doing another activity I love (2-9-09)

While growing up I always had a passion for swimming in pools, beaches, etc... I remember i used to go all the time during the summer with one of my best friends when i was around 13 years old. He had a summer pass for Oakton Pool in skokie and always managed to get me in for free so I first tagged along because it was free, but then i learned how to be a better swimmer and from that I gained a passion for it. Its been quite a while since i went swimming in a pool or beach so this weekend when i went to a party out of town and stayed at a Holiday Inn, I decided to go swimming in their indoor pool. It was a great feeling of rejoice and many memories came back from back in the day when i used to go swimming with my friend. After that experience, i think i will go back to the pool by my house or the beach more often this summer.

What is my personality type?

Your Type is ESFJ
Extraverted
Sensing
Feeling
Judging
Strength of the preferences %
67
25
38
56

ESFJ
Warm-hearted, popular, and conscientious. Tend to put the needs of others over their own needs. Feel strong sense of responsibility and duty. Value traditions and security. Interested in serving others. Need positive reinforcement to feel good about themselves. Well-developed sense of space and function.

MY INSIGHT:

While reading what personality type is, I realized that it really does describe the type of person I am as well as how my personality is. I do have a huge caring side for others and their feelings and do feel like i have responsibilities in life, with my family, and with my friends. As far as being popular, i feel like i know a lot of people but not in the cocky sense.

What is my Touch Stone?

My dream in life is quite simple and anyone who knows me would have to agree. It is to become a pharmacist and work as a registered pharmacist for my current job. The touch stone would be the credit i recieve from my family for achieving that dream as well as the satisfaction of helping people who need assistance with any health issues. My role model would certainly have to be my uncle who became a pharmacist under hard times and hard work. I believe he had similar "touch stone" aspects and not just wanted to make money. As far as my target goes, it would be to open pharmacies in rural parts of the world and provide medicine at a cheap cost to people who are not financially stable.

Insights:
My target for my dream was not the same as i listed, it was after I thought about the touch stone that brought me to my target. Thinking about my touch stone gave me better ideas than just working for corporate, which was my initial target thought.

Homework #2

1.) When i asked how i was the first 5 years of my life, my parents responded with one word.."quiet". I was not much of a cryer, winer, nor loud according to them. I can see that because even today many people say i'm soft spoken, not with my friends but with relatives and older people.
2.) They told me i loved playing with toy cars and still do but now they are real cars. :) I remember that i liked playing hide and go seek with my cousins and friends so they didnt have to remind me that. They found my quietness pretty unique from what they tell me.
3.) " A doctor". I dont necessarally want to be a doctor, but i guess a pharmacist should be good enough?

ASKING FRIENDS

1.) "Humor, caring individual, loving, loyal, intelligent."

2.) Since i loved to perform and dance as a child and still do, i decided to go to my friends dance studio where she teaches dance and just check it out. Not dance, but to learn new steps and keep up with the moves. I found it to be enjoyable and reminded me of those times i watched shows about dance artists practicing.

Email family member

I emailed my brother letting him know I'm in this class and to follow it.

Childhood.

1. Mostly exotic cars, motorcycles, videogames, cartoons, and the wierd classes they made us take in elementary school. :)
2. My sight as a child wasn't the best so I couldn't enjoy that, however I have a curiously strong sense of smell and that helps a lot!
3. I loved to daydream I had the nicest toys, cars, and accessories as a boy. Even today I always daydream about being rich and a great singer.
4. I used to fantasize I was the singer when a good song came on the radio performing in front of a large crowd..haha.
5. Since I cant sing, I can only daydream. As far as performing in front of people I do that by joining dance groups and things of that sort.
6. Not being able to sing help me become a better dancer because I love to perform in front of a crowd, mostly a big crowd.

What I hope to get out of this class.

Basically, I want to be able to share ideas with other individuals on topics that are not always discussed in other courses. I want to be able to learn what other people have to say about things, whatever they may be, and not have to hear the same bias responses we recieve in everyday life.

Leadership for Change

The main reason why I am taking leadership for change is because I'm the type who disagrees with a type of system, method, and/or way of life that has been constant for a prolonged period. In other words, there is always room for improvement and improvement is change. However, an individual can't just step up one day and claim he or she wants to make a difference. Like we discussed in class, Barack Obama didn't wake up one day and said "I want to make change". He went to school, did his research, made plans, and then shared his ideas. I feel like if I ever felt that I needed to make some type of change wherever it may be, I would need to follow those cruicial steps plus more.