With the peak of assessment period fast approaching, Bana Muhyaldeen reflects on four years of studying Pharmacy at Keele.

It seems like it was only yesterday that I was an eager young first year who was incredibly excited by the prospect of university and starting to learn the practice that I would probably be in for the rest of my life. However it wasn’t yesterday, it was four years ago, and reflecting on the many different things I have learnt about myself in such a long period of time is no mean feat. I hate to come across as nostalgic throughout this article but I am afraid that this is simply going to be the case.

Studying pharmacy at Keele has provided the steepest learning curve to climb but also the very best memories and the most wonderful friends.

I knew certain things about myself before starting university, issues within my personality that needed sorting. I was lazy and unmotivated. I was often too opinionated but didn’t really know how to hold my ground. I was also very easily overwhelmed. I use the past tense when referring to these traits as I really believe that those words no longer refer to me as they did back then.

As pharmacy students we are placed in difficult situations and are expected to find a way to deal with the problems we encounter. We are put in groups and expected to all reach one conclusion when there are nine different opinions to take into consideration. We are given many deadlines with only two weeks between most of them and expected to have our work finished to a high standard because this IS the way it is in real life. We are constantly challenged in the way we think and given tasks that many of us consider past our capability only to realise that we had it in us all along. Pharmacy is not an easy course and to survive it you must instil in yourself a work ethic, a work ethic only to be rivalled by that of a medical student. I am proud to say that throughout the past four years I have become a much more organised person than I was previously.

I now consider myself something of a master at working under pressure whilst juggling many different things. I have learnt to reign in my opinions and see both sides of an argument but haven’t lost the ability to debate myself into the ground. I have realised that I am smarter than I thought and that I can often surprise myself with my capacity to learn. This may all sound like my ego is inflating with each word I type but I truly believe that this applies to almost every student in my year. We have all matured since starting at Keele and this shows in our ability to deal with the difficult situations that are currently facing us in these final weeks.

My goals for these four years have been relatively simple, I wanted to pass my degree and I wasn’t particularly bothered by my overall degree classification. However now that the final push is upon us, I do feel bothered. I want to do well. I haven’t put all of this work in to have others turn their noses up at my grades.

What if I don’t get myself a 2:1? Well, at least I will know that I tried my very hardest. That I put in everything that I had. I will not regret it one bit.

I faced many challenges since starting at Keele, but without them I would not be the person I am today. Today I feel as though I am standing on the peak of a mountain I have been climbing for a while. Yes I am aware that it is not yet over, but it will be soon. Thank you Keele for making me a stronger, better person and providing me with many laughs, triumphs, good memories, great lecturers and the best of friends.

Bana Muhyaldeen
This article has been reproduced the Deputy-Editor Design from Concourse 2011/12. The original author is created above.