Must-Haves to Make Life Easier As a Pharmacy Student

The minor upgrades that will make all of the difference in your daily routines.

I’m going to break down some must-have items you need in your life right now to make daily life easier as a busy pharmacy student (or for anyone at any moment in life for that matter).

They’re all going to make sense, be cost-effective, functional, & easy to use!

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1. Reliable Reusable Water Bottle: OWALA FreeSip

My other medical professional friends recommended it to me recently and I wish I had known about it sooner. I thought I wanted a Hydroflask all this time due to their popularity but I could never justify the price. I’ve had the look-alike version from Costco, called ThermoFlask, but Owala FreeSip is more useful, hygienic, and cost-effective.

Compare:

The Owala FreeSip features a lid that protects the mouthpiece from being exposed to the environment. All you need to do is press the button and it opens the lid very easily.

The design lets you sip through a big straw which allows for an easy flow OR there’s another opening next to the straw that allows for tilting back of the bottle for even bigger gulps.

The Owala FreeSip comes in 3 sizes:

There are 14 different colors. This Dreamy Field (light purple) is one of the new colors released that is so unique. A color drop with even more options is occurring on their official website soon.

Double insulation also means the drink stays cold for up to 24 hours! (That’s a need here in Arizona for me!)

Of course it’s BPA free and easy to wash!

The only downside is the 32 oz. and larger bottle might not fit in standard size cup holders, but it’s not going to stop me because I have other places to put the bottle in a car.

The ThermoFlask bottle from Costco wasn’t very convenient to handle while working in the pharmacy as I had to manually pull the lever for the mouthpiece to go up. Plus, part of the mouthpiece for the straw was exposed to the environment the entire time to bacteria and dust particles in the air. The seal inside of the lid had also come undone before and my entire bottle spilled in my car recently even though the lid was on.

2. Glass Tupperwares and Glass Food Storage Containers

I have used plastic Tupperwares and plastic food containers for the longest time (years!) to store my leftovers. I barely made the switch to the Snapware Pyrex glass storage this year and it has been life-changing. Everything is so easy to clean and there’s no lingering food odor!

Did you know it can also keep fruits and vegetables fresher and longer? That means less food waste!

(Check out The Cross Legacy food blog to learn how to properly store fruits and vegetables to extend its shelf life and save money).

The downside is it will be heavier to carry, but the ease of cleaning any food grease and stains is worth it. I also feel more comfortable heating my food in glass because the heat had previously caused the plastic containers to melt and warp.

Pro tip: do NOT microwave with the lid completely locked and sealed because it will warp the seal around the lid and it won’t close or seal properly afterwards.

I carry my personal items and glass lunch containers to work in the pharmacy using a clear backpack to help distribute the weight instead of straining one side of my shoulder with a traditional bag. The clear bag also allows me to follow work policy for bringing in personal items.

3. Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer)

Cooking is not always fun. In fact, I prefer the eating part versus the cooking part. If I could go back in time as a student, I would opt to get one sooner because cooking does get a bit easier and faster.

I discovered pressure cooking and got the Instant Pot Duo (which you can change out the lids to make it function as an air fryer versus a pressure cooker) during the Coronavirus Pandemic in 2020.

I’ve learned to make dishes that I wouldn’t have otherwise attempted because it would’ve taken too long the traditional way (i.e Pho, Bun Rieu, Bun Bo Hue). I’m Vietnamese and these soup dishes would traditionally take anywhere from 2-5 hours to make! Instant Pot pressure cooker would bring the cooking time to 30-60 minutes for a completed broth.

From personal experience though, I would recommend getting an air fryer and an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker as separate components instead of as a DUO. The DUO works fine, but the air frying lid is very bulky to maneuver and store. I would also prefer for the air fryer to look more like an oven for ease of cleaning. The frying basket with the Duo requires using it with the outer layer pot in addition to using the frying basket so there’s multiple bulky pieces to wash after each use.

In the end, I would potentially try the Instant Pot Ultra and Ninja Digital Air Fry Pro Countertop.

4. Protein Shakes & Powder

A lot of people need coffee to function, but I need breakfast every morning to function. More often than not though, I don’t have the time to make a full blown breakfast, like an egg sandwich or even doing an overnight oats bowl. The main problem is I don’t have time to eat it prior to leaving the house and also, it would be really inconvenient to try to eat and drive to work.

I remember it was very hard during pharmacy school and rotations for me to figure out what to eat to keep me full enough until lunch each day. I was stuck with having to wake up extra early (which made me more tired) to make and eat things like eggs and toast and the occasional oatmeal.

I’ve only discovered my love for easy-to-put-together protein shakes that I use my Ninja blender for in the morning when I started floating as a pharmacist. I used to commute on average 45 minutes per work day so I needed something to shorten my getting ready time in the morning & this was the solution.

It only takes like 5 minutes for me to blend it all together and go. I’ll continuously take sips of my shake on my drive to work and while I’m at work if needed! It also keeps me pretty satisfied until my lunch so it’s perfect.

The taste is pretty great to me! I never get tired of drinking it and surprisingly, I crave it sometimes. Chocolate is my go-to flavor for protein because it doesn’t have some strange artificial taste and it’s not too sweet. Weirdly, I prefer vanilla ice cream over chocolate ice cream any day, but chocolate works better as a protein flavor.

Just account that there might be more bathroom breaks needed due to the liquid consumption.

5. Organizational Items

Keeping a tidy place all around you makes everyday life easier to work around. When everything is organized, it just feels good; therefore, you might perform better. Just a theory.

Here are a few organizational products that I find functional and aesthetically pleasing.

I hope you find this post helpful and that it can be applied to help with your daily routines!

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