Make your free time count

Megan Godfrey is a third-year PharmD candidate at the Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy and the 2023–2024 Region 8 regional delegate.

I believe that to be the best student pharmacist you can be, it’s important to make time for yourself because pharmacy school, although very rewarding, can be very time consuming and demanding. Each day, I try to prioritize at least 30 minutes toward something that I enjoy. These 30 minutes allow me to remove myself from the thought processes of school, clear my head, and look at my future schoolwork with more clarity.

My destress activities

I understand that there’s a list of “to-do’s” waiting to be completed, and it feels like my life is going at 1.5x speed; however, as much as I love being challenged with new tasks, I have to understand how important it is to focus on my well-being. To reward myself after an exam, I love to read a new book. This allows me to creatively think and stimulate my brain differently than I do with school.

Living in sunny Las Vegas, I’m lucky to be able to get outside and enjoy the sunlight. To destress, I love to walk my dog, Luxor, and watch him play, or take him to a nearby park and enjoy the company of other dog owners. I believe that getting outside and soaking in vitamin D during the day or experiencing the night sky is therapy itself. If the day has gotten away from me, I walk on the treadmill for at least 30 minutes at night, as I also believe that physical exercise helps me to feel better in general. In addition, I try to go on our rooftop deck to eat dinner, study, or just stare at the Las Vegas strip to see the latest Sphere creation.

Before heading to pharmacy school, I like to take a few minutes for myself to decompress by drinking herbal tea and listening to music. This helps me start my day off with an open mind and allows me to organize my day.

On the weekends, I love to explore the city with my boyfriend. There are beautiful mountain ranges under 30 minutes away from us that we hike and explore. Las Vegas has also supplied me with so many unique endeavors that have provided us with a wide selection of different  adventures.

I also love to plan fun events for my fellow student pharmacists, which allows us to spend time together doing carefree activities, such as going to local markets.

Be true to yourself

These days go by fast, so it’s important to take care of your well-being. When you think back to pharmacy school, it’s vital to not only have the memories of being a student, but also the memories of being you. I believe that it’s a good idea to block out times on your calendar that you can dedicate to yourself. Be creative, exercise, relax, and—most importantly—be true to yourself.
I encourage every student pharmacist to get creative and spend each day doing something you enjoy! Whether it’s 30 minutes like me, or even if it’s just 5 minutes out of your day, make those minutes count.