Becoming a Pharmacy Technician

Hi fellow bloggers and readers! To go along with the website I am creating, this semester, I am going to be talking about something I know a lot about, becoming a pharmacy technician at CVS. *I also did a podcast on this very same subject for my website! Click here to check it out!* First off, to apply for a job at CVS, like most any other jobs, you must apply online under the careers portion of their website. This process can take anywhere from usually 30 minutes to an hour. The application process takes a little time only because you are applying for a pharmacy tech position and it requires you to complete a few extra steps in order for your application to be reviewed for employment. After a manager views your application and loves it, you will then be called in for an interview with the pharmacy manager and sometimes the general store manager. This is like any other usual job interview, with mostly the same type of questions. After reviewing your interview and test scores from the online portion of the application, you will hopefully be hired. After officially being hired, you should now go to the Alabama Board of Pharmacy website, which is albop.com, or if you are applying in a different state whatever their board of pharmacy website is, and follow the links to apply for a tech license. This process usually takes only a few minutes. Now, one thing to keep in mind is that getting a technician license to work in a pharmacy requires a fee of $60 that must be renewed every odd year. After applying and paying for your license, you must go through company provided training on what to do and learning how to be a tech. This process comes in two waves of training, the first wave, which is called phase one, is where you will do register training and learn how to work production, a.k.a filling prescriptions. The second wave, which won’t come until you’ve been working in the pharmacy for a few months, is called phase two. In phase two training, the tech will learn how to do inventory, and how to take and put in prescriptions. Along with each of these training classes, the tech will go to an on the job training day at other stores to be evaluated on their performance of what they learned. After a period of time, for some people it’s a year, for others it’s only a few months, you can choose to take the National Certification test to be able to be a pharmacy technician in any state, not just the state you got your initial license in. Getting nationally certified can also lead to pay raises and promotions within your home pharmacy. Keep in mind while being a pharmacy technician “seems like fun”, it is not a game. You must take your job very seriously; after all, people’s health and livelihood depend on you and getting their prescriptions correct. If you do not like a lot of responsibility at work, maybe you should consider a different field of work. However, if you love working with people and helping make lives better, or even if you want to get a head start, because you want to be apharmacist, then consider applying and becoming a pharmacy technician today!

Trick-or-Treat?

Ah Fall. It's that time of year again. It's once again time for Halloween! In this weeks blog post I will be giving some tips and advice on how to have a great Halloween in 2015. 

Step 1. Find an event and/or party to attend. Some think, "Oh Halloween is for little kids", but what they don't know is that college students love a good party, and this is a holiday that offers some really good ones. You will want to know where you are going ahead of time so that you can prepare your "proper" outfit. For example, our school does a haunted sorority hill for families. Therefore, the people in attendance would not want to wear the same kind of attire they would wear to a party at the frat house or bar. Also, around Alabama in particular, there are many haunted houses, hayrides, and trick-or-treat spots to enjoy. 

Step 2. Pick out the perfect costume. This year there are some great costumes up for grabs. In my opinion, the best ones are the ones made by hand. This way the costumes are more original and are less likely to be copied by someone else. Group costumes are popular with greeks and clubs on campus because all the friends in the group can dress up together and be something really clever. For example, this year so far I have seen a group become the girls of "Mean Girls", and the Dalmatians for "101 Dalmatians". 

Step 3. Decide whether you are going to trick-or-treat. Many people in college live either on campus or in a campus related apartment complex. However, if you live in a house around town, you may get some unexpected visitors on Halloween night. Remember the "rule", if you have candy to pass out leave your porch light on, if not, please be courteous and turn it off. If you are going to pass out candy, please remember a few things. Kids will be kids, if they take a few extra pieces don't get too mad. Be very polite when you come to the door, please do not be rude. Lastly, remember some kids are allergic to certain things such as peanuts, chocolate, etc. so try and have some back-up items for those children. *Pretzels and little bags of chips are a good idea.*

Halloween can be a great time of year, but following these simple tips and tricks can make it even better! So remember, Costume, Candy, Consideration! 

Managing Stress

So my topic this week is one that I myself probably really need to focus on. This week I will be blogging about stress in college and ways to make it less.

*Class Load: One thing in college that is usually the main thing students stress about is the amount of hours they take trying to graduate on time. Usually freshman take about fifteen credit hours at Troy. I usually tend to not take more than fifteen just becasue I know how stressed I get during the semester and I do not want to overwhelm myself. If you feel like you can't handle the 18 credit hours that some students take, don't stress. Keep calm and take only what you can take and do well in. 

*Home sickness: Some students tend to get homesick, mainly as freshmen, and this keeps their stress levels high as well. Missing mom and dad can make you lose focus on class and cause your grades to drop, adding even more stress. To resolve this issue take at least one weekend every month, if possible, to visit with family. Even if only for a few hours, seeing them for dinner or just doing something fun can make the rest of your month a happier one. If your family lives far away or you can't get home much, try skyping or calling them on a regular basis. This helps keep the home sick blues at a minimum.

*Partying: I have talked about partying in recent post(s), but I can tell you that the fear of 'not' being a party animal can cause a lot of stress also. In college, one thing that you are looking forward to is being away from mom and dad and getting into the best parties. However, do not be afraid to say no to going out. If you have to study, stay home and study, there will be other parties. If you want to, do your homework ahead of time, that way when you get asked to go to a Friday night party, you can go and have fun without stressing about having to do your homework.

*Jobs: The last stress factor you might face as a college student is money and having a job. Many students today can not afford to go to school and not have a job. If you can, more power to you, if you have to have one, don't fret. There are ways to manage having a job, paying bills, and still staying sane. If your job has long hour shifts, let them know you can only work a few days a week, becasue you ultimately need time to study and go to class. If you have shorter shifts, go ahead and work like 4 or 5 days, but still make time to study. Let your boss know you are in school and that it is your priority. If you can, jobs around and on campus are the best college jobs to have in my personal opinion. This is becasue they will definitely work with and around you and your schedule, so that you can still keep up with your classes. 

Following these easy tips can ultimately help with your college stresses. There are many other ways to keep stress down as well though. Click on the link below to find some simple and easy tips! 

Happy De-Stressing!!! :)

Who's Dirty Now??

The Materials

The Location

      So this week my tip is going to be on giving your pet a bath. I am going to tell you the process, however, through pictures mainly, instead of lots of words. Maybe seeing the images will help you achieve the dog cleanliness you desire. :) 

Get Them Good and Clean

      It is important to keep your first mate clean and flea free on a regular basis. This keeps them and their skin smooth, shiny, and healthy; not to mention they smell good after baths. The materials you will need is some good flea shampoo, and I like to use a scrubby brush. *Dawn dish detergent kills fleas like nothing else!* 

My little dog, Max, is a Maltese. He

is very spoiled and as you can tell in some of these photos getting a bath is not really his thing. 

Make Sure to Wrap 'Em Up Tight 

Show 'em Some Love in the Process

      The whole process of giving your pet a bath requires one main

ingredient, patience. Most animals, unless you get lucky, hate getting wet unless they like to swim, so be patient and gentle with your pet during this process. Make sure you scrub them really well and get in all those hard to reach areas as well. *I promise, your pet may not like you right after the bath, but they will lick and thank you later. 

      Now that we are all clean and all wrapped up you can now send your best friend back outside to get dirty once again! :) Have fun with bath time! 

**One last tip, I mentioned that Dawn works really good on fleas, it does! It will kill them all right there in the tub. However, it is known to dry their skin out, so make sure that after you use the dawn you also use a regular doggie/pet shampoo. This will make sure you have no fleas and your dogs skin is still smooth and healthy!**

Phones, they are taking over!!!

So this week, I am taking a more serious approach with this topic. Cell phones, I have noticed, are taking over our lives, not only with everyone I see on a daily basis, but also with my own life. We are constantly checking, tweeting, and posting. We are in a "I must have the information now" age. Before smart phones were so big we didn't receive some news until we watched it at six o'clock on the local news. Now, we can get the news from a notification on our phones the minute it happens. 

In a study done by Sarwar and Soomroo in 2013, they stated, "The prominent areas, where impacts of Smartphones are obvious include business,  education, health, and social life" (Sarwar and Soomro, 2013). They went on in their study to show that all of these areas have good and bad impacts when it comes to smartphones. 

Of course, this statement is true with just about anything.  However, my biggest personal problem with smartphones becoming so important to society, is the health-related impacts. According to Sarwar and Soomer, their targeted users checked their phones 34 times per day on average (Sarwar and Soomroo, 2013). Some health problems that come with this number can be a really big impact on social and mental health. We need to teach children to interact with others personally, not just through a screen, or text message. We need to feel secure enough with ourselves that we can put the phones down and just have normal face-to-face conversations. Unfortunately this can lead to all kinds of social anxiety disorders and even some major mental disorders. 

Ask yourself, when was the last time I had a conversation with someone and technology was not, in any way, involved. This is probably a hard question to answer, huh? For today's generation, this is pretty much all they know. My two year old niece, along with many other small children I know, can already use a smartphone to play games, watch videos, and take photos. This says a whole lot about our technology age. 

Todd Starkweather, a program director with South University said it is even affecting his college students. He said, "I see it frequently in my classes" (Jerpi, 2013). He goes on to talk with the author about how even though it is definitely affected his students' grades negatively, smartphones are a big part of him staying in contact with individuals in his life, even students. As we all know, we all want to get that morning e-mail saying, "Class Cancelled Today". 

As a whole, yes, smartphones can be very useful in keeping up with news, family, or even our teachers, but I want to give you all a challenge. Try to go one day where you only check your phones once every hour. This may seem like a lot still, but for some this will be so difficult. 

Make time to make "real" conversations! 

Feeling Hungry??

We all know college students like to eat, right? Well, in my post this week I am going to give the students at Troy University a few good places around town to go and chow down. 

1. Sweet Rack Rib Shack

*Downtown, on the gorgeous Troy square, there is a little, "hole-in-the-wall" place to eat that the locals just simply call Sweet Rack's. This is a bbq place that is so wonderful. They have a full menu of wings, ribs, pork platters, etc. The smell as soon as you walk in the door will melt your tastebuds. They also have live music on certain days of the week to accompany your meal. Sweet Rack's is reasonably priced, and even if you're not a college student it is a good family place to grab a bite. Also, on Thursday nights, students and residents of Troy can catch head football coach, Neil Brown, participate in his weekly "Trojan Talk" live. 

2. The Dirty Pearl Oyster Pub & Grill

*Located straight off of Highway 231 near the Kangaroo, The Dirty Pearl is a great place for live music, karaoke, and of course, oysters! They have a great outdoor space lit up with party lights and a quaint little indoor area as well. The Pearl is a great atmosphere for grabbing drinks and eating some famous "shrimp and grits". So if your in the mood for music and oysters, the pearl is a definite must try. 

3. Mama Goldberg's Deli

* If you don't want bbq or oysters and you're just looking for a great sandwich, check out Mama G's. Also located on the square in downtown, Mama G's is the best place in Troy for grabbing a delicious deli sliced sandwich. From the "Big Mama" to the "Camel Rider" the names alone will make you want to try one out. 

4. Sips on the Square

*Last, but certainly one of the best is "Sips". If you are in the mood for a quiet, small, and secluded atmosphere to have a nice meal, Sips on the Square should be your number one choice. They have the best wine selection in the area, with their weekly "wine tastings", and they have some of the best pizza in town. They are also located in good distance to the college. Sips is located on the square along with Sweet Rack's and Mama G's. This is the perfect place for a first date, or just going for a nice glass of wine with the girls. 

So whether it's bbq, seafood, or just a really good sandwich, Troy has some really great choices. There is always a place to grab your friends or family and just have a great meal. 

Safety First

Okay guys, it's time to discuss a very serious problem that faces many college students today, safety. From walking to class, to walking home from that sorority swap, I want to give you a few tips to make your college days fun instead of awful. 

* Walk with a buddy! Always make sure you never walk anywhere alone, especially after the sun goes down. This helps to make you look less vulnerable for someone wanting to take advantage of or attack you. This also helps you defend yourself just in case something does happen. (If you both drove but are parked in different areas, walk to one car first and then give your buddy a ride to theirs).

*Always carry your keys! Always carry your keys in your hand and have them ready in case someone tries to grab or attack you. This will also help with getting into your car quicker without having to dig around in your purse or pocket. 

*Make sure someone knows where you are! Always let someone know where you are going, what time you are leaving, and what time you should be home. Keep in touch with them. Always carry your phone also. This way, if something happens and you are not where you said you would be someone can get help. (This is why your mom always told you to call her when you got where you were going.) 

*Learn some self-defense! It is always good to know a little bit, if not a lot, about self defense. It could save your life in certain situations. Go and check out your campus self defense classes or places around town and see if you can sign up for a few lessons. 

*Learn good places to walk! As most of us know, there are the safe places on campus and the ones that could use some work. Places that are good to walk at night would generally be places that are well lit and have lots of people around most of the time. The darker corners of campus, however, could lead to bad things happening. This doesn't mean though that the good places to walk will keep you safe, it just means that people are less likely to try and harm you if you are in direct view of a bunch of people. 

Learning these few tips could possibly save your life or the life of someone you care about. So please share these tips with your friends. If something does happen to you or someone you know, call and report it immediately if possible. 

Getting Involved, Good or Bad?

In high school my social life came very naturally, this was mostly because the people I was friends with had been with me since kindergarten. However, in college, social opportunities presented themselves but I didn't take many of them; now I wish I would have.  There are many opportunities to get involved on campus and many reasons you should. In this post, I will give you a couple of examples of social opportunities you should look into at your particular school, and I will also tell you a few reasons as to why it is a good idea. 

Sororities and fraternities are a good start to getting involved as a freshman student when coming to college. They provide many social and academic opportunities for you to get involved with. With going greek, as they say, you can make a ton of new and lifelong friends that can be there to support you along your journey that is college. Going greek also provides students with academic support systems, or "study buddies". This will help you get good grades in your classes as well. 

Other than going greek, you can always just join a group or club on campus. There are always lots of clubs to join and activities to sign up for. With this type of involvement on campus, you can not only make friends and be involved on campus, you can make friends in the same field as your major and join together with people who have similar interests or convictions as you. 

Reasons to join groups and organizations are different for everyone. Some join just for the social aspect, but some people join for the academia and/or resume building aspect of it. Being involved can also be a confidence booster for those who feel shy or uncomfortable in social situations. You will need to be able to function with others in the real world after graduation, so why not start now?

Whatever reason you decide to become involved on campus, make sure it is a good one. Do not join an organization just for the credit or alcohol, this will only lead to false friendships and a boring time. Make the most out of college and get involved. Sign up for the next group or club that seems intriguing to you and see where it leads you. You never know, you may have just stumbled across your new niche. 

Where, O Where?

Need something to do for a coming up break in classes? Wanna spend more time with your new friends you have made so far this semester? Well, you can always go on an adventure. No, I am not talking about going on a budget draining vacation to France or Europe, but I am talking about taking a road trip to somewhere exciting with your new pals. In this post, I am going to tell you about a few places not too terribly far from Troy that may interest you and your crew. 

1.  Panama City Beach- Hello, who wouldn't want to go have some fun in the sun? Well, it just so happens that a 3 hour drive down Hwy 167 South will let you enjoy the beautiful scenery that is PCB. While you are there, there is plenty to do. You can choose to just chill and relax on the beautiful, white, sandy beaches or jump in the pool at the hotel. You can also go shopping at the famous pier park strip mall, there is also lots of great places to eat while there. Renting scooters and mopeds is also a popular activity to do while in PCB, along with playing a nice friendly game of putt putt golf. *Just be sure to pack your sunscreen and swimsuit.*

2. Gatlinburg, TN - If the beach is not really your cup of tea, or maybe the beach weather has come and gone, you can also make a simple trek up North a small piece and visit the beautiful mountains of Gatlinburg. There is plenty for you and your friends and/or family members to do here as well. You can go hiking on the numerous trails, or just have a picnic and take in the breathtaking views. If you are feeling more adventurous you can always go visit some of the major tourist attractions Gatlinburg has to offer. There is the Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster, the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museums, the Space Needle, and many more fun attractions. A quick 20 minute trip to Pigeon Forge and you and your gang can visit the fantastic Dolly Wood Amusement Park and make a fun filled day out it. At night, you can relax by the fire in one of the mountains beautiful log cabins for rent. 

3. Atlanta, GA - A measly 3 hour drive, not counting traffic, a little ways North of Troy is the beautiful city of Atlanta. This city is so amazing! You can visit the massive Georgia Aquarium, visit and shop at Underground Atlanta, and even visit the World of Coca-Cola. If you are in the mood for sports, you can always drive to Turner Field and watch the Braves play in an MLB game. Atlanta also has some wonderful restaurants, places to shop, and a very happening night life. So if you are up for partying the night away, this may be a good choice for you and your friends. 

So, if you are just dying to get out of Troy, but don't know where to go, try one of these places on for size. There are also many other places to visit in the surrounding states, all you have to do is get in your car and go find them!!!

Making the Dough & Making the Grades

So your parents cut you off...now what? The only option now is one that many college students struggle with, finding a job. At this point you may be thinking to yourself, "How am I going to get a job and work during the week while still taking those 15 hours of course work?". The answer is unfortunately not going to be that easy to swallow.

Working a job and going to college full time is, in itself, like having two jobs. You must work so many hours a week to pay your bills and buy food, but you must also have time to study and attend your classes. So how do you do it? 

Speaking from experience, I have had a part-time job since I was sixteen, holding down a job and attending college full time is not an easy task. However, maybe I can give you a few tips that will help make it a little less stressful. 

1. Don't schedule your work during class time. Let your scheduler/manager know before you start your job that you have classes at a certain time on certain days so you will be free to attend them. If your job can not work with your class schedule it may not be the job for you. 

2. When you are at work, work. Unless your boss just doesn't care if you study and do homework on the job, just focus on work. Then, when you leave your job, leave your job. When you get home it is time to get focused and do your school work. This will help you keep the two tasks separate. *This tip will also help you ensure good time management skills.*

3. Limit the amount of time you work during the week. Unless you have no choice financially, do not overload your work hours during week. See if your manager will let you work more on the weekend than you do during the week. This will keep you from being so drained during the week, and will give you time to do homework on the week nights. If you need the extra hours, try picking up most of your shifts on the weekends. 

4. Give yourself time during exam time. Keep in mind when your midterms and finals are. Ask for a couple days off during these times to make sure you have time to study. *This will also give you time to catch up on resting your body and mind, to prepare your body for your exams.* You need to be well versed in the material as well as being well rested so that you do the best you can on the tests. 

While working a job in college may not be ideal or "fun", it is possible. Follow these few key tips and maybe your twenty hour work week won't be so stressful.

Getting That A

In my last post I gave you tips on studying effectively, but then I realized something very important. If you don't have the tools to study by, then how can studying help you at all? Therefore, in this post, I will be sharing with you some of my favorite tips to help you ace that history class you've been worried about.

> Get a good calendar at the start of the semester. Before school starts, get a good calendar/planner that you love and that can keep you organized all semester long. *My favorite right now is the Lilly Pulitzer agendas.* Make sure you write down anything and everything that is due in class and any out of class plans that you may have. This will help you keep up with deadlines and due dates and it can keep you from turning anything in late. You can also use your calendar to plan out your time for studying, doctor's appointments, etc. This will keep you on track for the semester and you won't get behind or forget any important dates. *TIP: Use different colored pens for different classes within your calendar. This will make it easier to read and to decipher what is due for what class.*

>Take good notes in class. Pay attention in class. Take good notes while the professor is lecturing, and write down anything important he/she says more than once or writes on the board. (This information will probably show up on a future test/quiz.) Use highlighters to note important information and things to do and/or remember. If your instructor uses powerpoints, print them off and bring them to class. You can take notes on the individual slides as the professor goes over them. 

If you have sloppy handwriting don't worry about it. You can take the notes in class quickly then go home and re-write them neatly and in an organized fashion. *This is also a good way to study your notes.* Always remember, if you miss class, get the notes from a friend that was there so you always know what to study for when the test comes around.

> Get to know your professor and classmates. This tip will come in very handy throughout the semester. If you know people in your classes you can get together and study for the tests, compare notes, and as I said before, if you miss class you will need someone who was there to help you catch up. Get to know your professor too, this way they can help you out if you don't understand something in class, and some professors remember if you have talked to them throughout the semester. This can affect your final grade at the end of the class. 

Following these simple tips, along with showing up and paying attention, will help boost your grade in each class and ultimately help your GPA climb to a 4.0.

Who Has the Time?

So you wanna know how to study for that big test coming up? In this blog post I will be giving you a few simple tips on how to use your "study time" effectively.

1. Pick a quiet space. Whether it's in your room, the library, or maybe a common room in your dorm,  pick a place where it is quiet and the lighting is good. Pick a place where you can think and concentrate, but not somewhere that you want to sleep. *I do not recommend studying in your bed (unless that is already a good spot you study in) because you could get too comfortable and fall asleep.* 

2. Give yourself a couple breaks. While it is important to stay focused and on task, if you are studying for hours give yourself time to regather yourself every once in a while. Take a bathroom break, eat a healthy snack, etc. Taking a break is important, but don't forget about studying! You only need to take a few minutes (10 max), then get right back to work. *This will help you stay focused, yet you won't get bogged down in work.*

3. Let the party go on without you. If you need to study but your friends want to go out, just remember, there will always be parties, but that deadline will come and go. Let your friends know that you have to study. If you happen to get done early, then you can go have a little fun. :) *Reward yourself, if you finish all of your homework throughout the week then you can go out on Friday and/or Saturday without the worry of that approaching deadline.*

4. Find good ways to retain the information. Every person learns differently. Use the first couple of times you sit down to study to find what way(s) work best for you personally. Whether it's note cards, reading out loud to yourself, or just re-writing your notes, find the way that you can easily remember everything you study. *The easiest way for me to remember definitions is by using note cards.* 

So, while these are not very hard tips, studying sometimes can be. It is something we don't really like doing, but maybe these four tricks can help make the time go by a little faster and you'll end up acing your test! 

HAPPY STUDYING! 

Let's talk Laundry

So, if you are an upperclassmen, laundry may no longer be a big deal, but for college freshman this may be a new concept. Therefore, this post is going to be a how-to on doing laundry and some tips and tricks to help you save those quarters. 

First, let's start with the basics. The first step is sorting your laundry. Sort your clothes into a few different loads. Separate your clothes into white/lights, towels/bedding, darks, and delicates. NEVER MIX REDS/PINKS WITH YOUR WHITES, unless of course your goal is to dye your new white t-shirt a nice shade of pink. :) 

Next, pick a laundry detergent you like, which for college students is usually which ever one is on sale. Load one load, adding in a small amount of detergent. Remember, do not add too many clothes to the load or the washing machine will not get them as clean as it should. You should always wash your clothes on COLD water, unless the garment tag specifies otherwise. If you put it on hot water, it could potentially cause the colors of your clothes to run together, also another reason you should separate loads. 

*Note: Do not do your laundry when you are about to go to bed bed, because you could possibly forget about them and they could get stolen or mildew if left in the washer too long. I find that the best time to do laundry is when I am studying so that it gives my mind a small break when switching them to the dryer.*

After the washing cycle finishes, put your clothes into the dryer. Most dryers have simple knobs that are easily understandable, so you can probably determine where to turn it to for proper drying time. Remember, with some delicate clothes, you are not supposed to put them in the dryer, you are suppose to hang dry them, so pay attention to the tag!

Some extra tips just for knowledge:

-You can avoid washing your towels everyday if you hang dry it after you shower. (Please keep in mind, however, that going weeks without washing it causes mold and mad roomies.)

-Use only as much laundry detergent as needed, I find the pods are the easiest to use. (This keeps you from flooding the laundry room.)

-Put your laundry hamper/basket in a spot in your room that is convenient. Put it where you always pull off your clothes to avoid a messy floor. 

-You don't have to do laundry every single day, but don't build a mountain.

Follow these simple tips and doing laundry should become second nature to you! Plus if you ever have questions, just feel free to ask your roommate or RA!

Just to get things started...

Hi! My name is Nicole Barnhill. I am a senior communications major at Troy University. I have started this blog for my JRN 4440 class. This blog is going to be all about life tips, tricks, and just some everyday, good-to-know information for college students everywhere. 

Some of my topics may interest you and some of them may not, but they are going to be things that I think every college student should either know how to do or just be aware of. I plan on utilizing this blog not only to help out those struggling with college life, but also to give my personal view on the topics as well. You never know, some of the things I write about could just make your life a whole lot easier!

"No life is so hard that you cannot make it easier by the way you take it." 

 -Ellen Glasgow