Even So, Choose Life
(though despair and suicide may loom)

For some gloom, despair, and agony are the companions of late. Yet, it’s a new academic year and hope is fired up. Many of us are enthused with the fire of devotion to new learning and hoped-for, meaningful careers. Even the woods seem aflame with color, and the time of harvest is at hand. Maybe the brightness and hope of the season makes that despair for some more apparent, more hopeless. For whatever reason, far too many people suffer from significant depression, from bipolar despair, and suicide. In Arkansas, among people in the 15 to 34-year-old age bracket (which includes the overwhelming majority of you, our UAMS students), suicide is the second leading cause of death. In addition, the overall suicide rate in Arkansas is slightly more than double that of the homicide rate.* Suicide is a significant public health issue for us as medical professionals and for us as stressed, driven, self-demanding individuals.

In the Student Success Center and among the staff of Student Wellness, we are concerned with your academic and personal well-being, and we would wish that no one of you despair to the point of considering suicide. Certainly we wish that you not engage in planning such an outcome, and even more that you not act toward that end. Knowing some of the common danger signs (indicators) is a first step:
• Mental health factors such as major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder.
• A person’s previous history including-
– The experience of childhood adversities.
– Previous experiences of suicidal behaviors (suicidal ideation in the past or previous suicide attempts).
– A family history of suicide.
• The experience of recent stressful events (especially when multiple stressors are present).
• Substance abuse behaviors.
• The absence of significant social support.

If you find yourself experiencing these kinds of symptoms, particularly if you are experiencing more than one or if your experience of even one symptom is intense and overwhelming, recognize the signs and take steps to seek out help. Student Wellness is an invaluable resource, available to UAMS students and spouses. Their services are also confidential and do not become a part of your official UAMS medical record. See the text boxes for contact information on this and other resources.

For some of us, the danger is not our own health, but that of friends, family, or colleagues. We may serve that role of significant social support for another. Pay attention and assist your struggling colleague.

Listen to,
encourage,
notice.

We are in this university together; we walk through this life together. As John Donne, the English poet, observed, “The death of any person diminishes me.” We are not islands unto ourselves, but each a part of the mainland. If you see fellow-students who are struggling, reach out and help them get the help they need. Suicide has been described as a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Without making light of the darknesses that some of us face, a new, better dawn can lie ahead. Let us help ourselves, and let us help each other. I have found meaningful the reminder from the song by REM,

“Sometimes everything is wrong
Now it’s time to sing along
When your day is night alone (hold on)
(Hold on) if you feel like letting go (hold on)
If you think you’ve had too much
Of this life
Well, hang on”

“Everybody Hurts” by Bill Berry, Michael Stipe, Peter Buck, Michael Mills, Warner/Chappell Music, inc., on the REM album Automatic for the People, https://www.remhq.com/music/automatic-for-the-people/.

* See the “Suicide Prevention” webpage at the Arkansas Department of Health, https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/suicide-prevention.

Thanks to Dr. Jasna Vuk and Dr. Purushottam Thapa for contributing to this post.

Meet Boom Shocka Locka, therapy dog and friend to UAMS students—Boom for short.  Boom is looking forward to his/her upcoming visit to support you during your days of final tribulation and stress.  Recently Belinda Rogers, Circulation Coordinator at the UAMS library, had a chance to visit Boom Shocka Locka and ask him some probing questions.  We thought you’d enjoy a therapy dog’s perspective on the world, and we know you’ll enjoy visiting with him in person when he comes on December 11¾ .

Thanks to Belinda Rogers, Boom Shocka Locka and Vanessa Crossfield (Boom’s mommy) for help with this blog.

It’s hard to believe, but finals are just a few short weeks away! which means you are probably buried in papers, projects, presentations, and unit tests. Don’t let this sneak up on you! Planning for your finals doesn’t have to be difficult. With just a few steps you can go into finals focused and prepared. Make a plan now so you are ready when the time arrives.

Focusing on Finals

Focusing on finals means that you know what you plan to accomplish. One good way to approach this is to make two sets of goals: what you need to do, and what you want to do.

Need to Do. Think of these goals as your minimums. Look at your class performance over the semester. What scores do you need to make to achieve satisfactory performance in each of your classes? Distinguish the classes that will require more effort from those where you already have high scores.

Want to Do. These goals are what will please you. In answering this, make sure you keep these goals realistic. Don’t set impossible goals for all your finals. Set these goals class by class to help keep them achievable.

Balance the two sets of goals and determine a goal for each class. This will help you focus your time management and study strategies to achieve your goals.

Preparing for Finals

Preparing for your finals involves more than just going over notes. It’s strategic. It starts right away with time management. Clear your calendar as much as possible and set a study schedule. Then find out whether your finals are comprehensive. If they are comprehensive, then you will want to begin reviewing past material right away. What do you know and what do you need to study? You can’t prepare for a comprehensive final by reading a semester’s worth of notes two days before the final.

Find a way to create notes that allow you to test yourself, especially in content  where you are weak. The more you practice retrieving information, the better your test performance will be, whether you are trying to remember information or applying your knowledge. Self testing will reassure you that you know what you think you know.

Ready for Finals

Being ready for your finals means you have learned as much as you can and have set goals for each test. You’ve stuck to a study schedule, and carried out a study plan. It doesn’t mean you won’t be anxious. Ready means that you have done what you need to do, to the best of your ability, for the goals you set.

Take control and plan for your finals now. Don’t wait until the last minute. If you need help getting started, use the Academic Coaching Request make an appointment with a Learning Specialist in the Student Success Center. Beginning now will help reduce your anxiety and make you better prepared when the time arrives.

Many of you at UAMS are on Spring Break! It’s the perfect time to relax, have some fun, and rest before the push to finals and the end of the semester. Everyone needs a chance to slow down, catch their breath, and enjoy some of the good things life has to offer. For me, Spring Break is the perfect opportunity.

There’s something about spring that calls me outdoors. I’m not generally one who craves time with nature, and spring does tend to bring a lot of pollen, but there is just something about the first few tentative weeks of spring when I can’t wait to be outside. Maybe it’s the first softening of the temperature, the slight warming, before the mosquitoes become active. I don’t know what it is, but whether I leave on vacation or remain here in Little Rock, I try to get outside.

Spring Break in Central Arkansas

There’s a lot to do if you are staying local this week. The weather looks like we will have a few days with mild temperatures and without rain so you might consider visiting some of the nearby places to enjoy the natural beauty of Arkansas.

• Pinnacle Mountain State Park is a great day trip. The park is free, and offers some great hiking trails and beautiful views. It’s a family- friendly outing that everyone can enjoy.
• The Arkansas River Trail is a well maintained place to walk, bike, or run along the Arkansas River. You can even rent bikes from a shop downtown. The trail covers a lot of ground, so you can choose how far you want to go.
• Riverfront Park offers both an opportunity for the kids to run and play. It is also a great place to take a romantic stroll through the sculpture garden and watch the flowing current of the Arkansas River.
• Big Dam Bridge is the perfect place to take a walk and watch the sunset. Whether you start your crossing in Little Rock, or across the river in North Little Rock, you will be able to see some great views, and maybe even some boats in the locks.

You can find more fun places to go in Central Arkansas at https://www.arkansas.com/places-to-go/central/. So take advantage of the time off and mild weather this Spring Break to get outside and enjoy the natural beauty of Arkansas.

Welcome to UAMS, and specifically welcome to the College of Pharmacy. Soon enough you will learn the shortcut abbreviations: COP, PDA, Pharm for Pharmacology. You’ll know Rahn and I Dodd Wilson and Shorey as the names of buildings. You will be able to decipher office numbers like 3/118 in the library (my number; drop by sometime; I’m your contact in the Student Success Center). You’re in store for a lot of changes along the way. You’ll pick up new information, and you’ll also develop new ways of thinking and living in a new profession you are learning.

A Gateway to Change

13 years ago this summer I moved to central Arkansas from the Saint Louis area. That city skyline is easily recognizable with the soaring Gateway Arch on the western banks of the Mississippi River. That arch signals the passageway to great change for so many people in the history of our country. You are walking now through a sort of doorway into your own new frontier with changes in your circumstances, changes for your loved ones, changes for those whom you will assist as a pharmacist. Change can be unnerving. Change can call forth nervy excitement. Certain it is that change is inevitable.

Managing Change Well

Know that the change is coming; that recognition is the first important step in managing well. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and other counsellors suggest some additional strategies:

1. Do change when change is required. Some of us approach our lives in over-simplified, tried-and-true, usual procedures. You will do well to know early on that this academic experience is not the same as undergraduate study. You will be required to know much more information, and you will be required to practice more sophisticated kinds of reasoning and problem-solving. You will need to make the necessary changes. By the way, we can help with some of that.
2. Do not change what does not matter or is inevitable. The world, you and I, your fellow-students, and your professors, for instance, are imperfect. We will be forever frustrated and ultimately defeated if we try to turn this existence into a utopian perfection. As a friend of mine said, “Aim for perfection. Settle for excellence.”
3. Put into effect the kind of change needed. Some changes are simply at the level of detail. For example, you will be required to memorize a considerable amount of information about various drugs. To learn more information like this is a first-order change, more of the same. Some changes are second-order changes. You will likely be learning about new approaches to medicating, new ways of delivering medications and so forth. These second-order changes involve not merely more of the same, but shifts in the framework and the basic structure. So it’s important to make first-order changes when more of the same is needed, and we should change the whole framework when that is needed. Of course, wisdom lies in knowing which level of change is required when. Again, maybe we can help with that.

Once again, welcome to the training program here. As you change for the better, we’d like to help you succeed in this new life . We wish you all the best and look forward for you and with you to a good journey.

Dr. Bob Musser
Student Learning Specialist
College of Pharmacy
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Did you know that sleeping is important for academic success? Me either. It turns out that sleep is vital to forming long-term memory. Getting a good night’s sleep lets the brain move information from short-term to long-term memory. So, while you may think staying up late to cram is going to be helpful, you’re actually better off going to bed and getting up early to review.

The Benefits of a Good Night’s Sleep, from TED-Ed, explains how sleep “resets” the brain. The video also explains how our brains form and retain memories.

Think about it before you stay up all night cramming for an exam. Give your brain the sleep it needs to form the long-term memory you’ll need to be both academically and professionally successful.

To learn more about how learning takes place check out the resources under the Learning tab on the Learning Support page.

I talk a lot about organization and time management, but the fact is that success at UAMS is dependent on organization and time management. It’s hard to keep up with multiple courses, projects, exams, and family, friends and, often, a job.

Staying on top of your workload doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, it usually centers on three parts; a calendar, a to-do list, and cloud storage. Some people like to use a paper, but more often, students prefer to use a smartphone and a couple of apps.

Keep a Calendar

Get a calendar. Use your calendar. It doesn’t matter if it is a traditional hard-copy notebook, or an online calendar you have on your phone or mobile device. Just make sure you have some place to keep track of your assignments, projects, tests, and deadlines for all your courses.  Add your personal stuff too. The busier you get, the more you will appreciate how your calendar is helping you manage your time.

If you like hard copy calendars, then use them. The point is to find a calendar you will use. If you want to use your smartphone, either use the calendar on your phone or try Google Calendar.  I like it because I can move easily from my phone, to my tablet, to my laptop, to my desktop. Most of the scheduling is done on my laptop or desktop, but I use my phone to stay up to date and to check for conflicts. As you see below, I really like Google.

Use a Task or To Do List

Using a task or to-do list helps you break down big projects into manageable chunks and work on them a little at a time so you aren’t overwhelmed when the deadline is upon you. Make a to-do list daily or weekly, and prioritize your tasks according to importance.

Keeping a to-do list is easy on paper. Just grab a note-pad and go. If you like more structure to your list, and if you like to look back over what you have accomplished, consider keeping a Bullet Journal. The Bullet Journal is a customizable and adaptable organization which involves a notebook and a pencil or pen. Learn more about it at bulletjournal.com.

With my mobile devices, I like to keep it simple, with two free apps. Any.do is a super-simple, easy to use, and you can create subtasks, move tasks between lists, and share tasks with others. Todoist  is a more robust to-do app, which syncs across devices, and comes with a bunch of features in the free version. Both apps have iOS and Android versions.

Find Cloud Storage Platform

The advantage of having a copy of your files in a cloud storage system is that you can access them anywhere on any device. The three below offer storage and the ability to share and collaborate with others.

Google Drive is my personal favorite. They give you 15GB of free storage, the ability to work both on and offline, realtime editing and sharing, collaboration, and a host of great apps, like Docs, Slides, and Sheets.

Box gives you 10GB of storage, syncs across your devices, and allows you to share with others and edit documents. It connects to a lot of other apps you are already using, like Office 365 and Google Apps. It works well with Windows, Apple/Mac, iOS, and Android.

Dropbox gives you 2GB of free storage. You can’t do realtime editing with Dropbox, but your files sync across your devices so you can access them anywhere.

Whether you prefer analog with paper or choose to go digital, choose a system and stick with it. Organizing and managing your time will reduce your stress level and make your semester much smoother.