{"id":180648,"date":"2025-09-01T10:47:52","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T08:47:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/de-fleste-tror-at-farmaceuter-bare-arbejder-paa-et-apotek\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T09:21:37","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T07:21:37","slug":"student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/","title":{"rendered":"Student of pharmaceutical sciences: \u00bbWe\u2019re not just training for the pharmacy counter\u00ab"},"content":{"rendered":"

I always thought I\u2019d end up studying economics, but when I realised what kind of jobs it led to, I changed my mind. A master\u2019s degree in economics is basically a one-way ticket to a desk job, and I wanted to be able to try out different things \u2014 office work, working with people, travelling for work, and working in a lab.<\/p>\n

I asked my friends what they imagined I\u2019d study, and they all said something science-related \u2014 medicine, biology, that sort of thing. That was a real eye-opener, and after that I did all the research I could on different subjects. I actually made pros and cons lists<\/em> for every degree that seemed interesting.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO<\/strong>: Starting at the University of Copenhagen? Here\u2019s what I wish I\u2019d known<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Before I made my decision, I got a job as an office assistant at a pharmaceutical company where I worked with loads of pharmacists. They all spoke really highly of their degree, so in a way, that helped me make my choice too. They just seemed so happy with their jobs.<\/p>\n

\n

First-year reflections<\/p>\n

University Post has spoken to a handful of students now starting their third semester. In this series, they look back on their first year at the University of Copenhagen and share some of their highs and lows.<\/p>\n

Read the other portraits in the series:<\/p>\n

Student of social sciences: \u00bbI honestly wish I had 48 hours in a day\u00ab<\/a><\/p>\n

Student of physics: \u00bbI was surprised by the high level from day one\u00ab<\/a><\/p>\n

Student of German: \u00bbI\u2019ve found joy in following my true calling\u00ab<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I adjusted my whole mindset to figuring out whether the degree was right for me \u2014 and it meant brushing up on chemistry and physics at B-level. It was a kind of test to see whether I could handle it, and luckily, I could.<\/p>\n

Much more than working in a pharmacy<\/h3>\n

Pharmaceutical sciences are about drug development \u2014 how do you invent a drug? How do you develop it? That was the focus during the first year.<\/p>\n

As the programme progresses, we also learn about what happens afterwards \u2014 how you test drugs on the population, examine side effects, and how to market and distribute medicine. Most people think pharmacists just work in pharmacies, but you can work across the entire pharmaceutical industry.<\/p>\n

Lots of people say university is completely different from high school \u2014 but I haven\u2019t felt that<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A lot happened during the first weeks of the programme, but I only remember it as a positive time. Of course I was nervous, because I didn\u2019t know anyone, but already after the first day I felt calmer, because I\u2019d met the people I\u2019d be in class with.<\/p>\n

On the Pharmaceutical Sciences programme, there are loads of tutors and mentors ready to welcome new students \u2014 tutors organise the intro cabin trip, and mentors give presentations and plan events. They did a lot to make us feel included.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve actually spent part of this summer being a mentor myself, because I wanted to give something back to the new students.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO<\/strong>: Save more, live more: Student budget hacks for Copenhagen<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Like secondary school, but more advanced<\/h3>\n

Before I started, I\u2019d heard that university would be really tough, so I was surprised to find I could actually keep up. It\u2019s been challenging, but more manageable than I expected. I also found some good friends to study with, and the social side has really kept me going.<\/p>\n

Lots of people say university is completely different from secondary school \u2014 but I haven\u2019t felt that. It\u2019s secondary school 2.0, just at a higher level. We have a lot of teaching hours and tons of group work, so it feels like being in school five days a week.<\/p>\n

Because we do so much lab work, we don\u2019t have as much independent reading as you hear about in other programmes. I\u2019m really grateful for that.<\/p>\n

Some subjects are more interesting than others. We just had Pharmaceutical Physical Chemistry, which I didn\u2019t find very engaging, so I had to push myself a bit. It\u2019s about mathematical calculations of physical processes \u2014 it sounds complex, and it is.<\/p>\n

But we just had Organic Chemistry, and I was hooked. That\u2019s where you really see what the programme is all about \u2014 we were in the lab trying to develop drugs. That\u2019s when it all felt real. I thought it was insanely cool.<\/p>\n

It only finally clicks for you at the exam<\/h3>\n

There are definitely things I\u2019ve had to get used to. Lectures go really fast, and we\u2019re sitting in a hall with 250 other students, so you can\u2019t just ask the lecturer to explain something again. You have to take initiative and figure out how you learn best.<\/p>\n

Pharmaceutical Sciences isn\u2019t a programme where people are obsessed with grades and student jobs. The tutors are good at reminding us to take it easy, because the first year is overwhelming. The exams are tough, and for many it takes a few tries to pass. It\u2019s more about getting through the degree than getting top grades \u2014 and we\u2019ll still land good jobs afterwards.<\/p>\n

My best advice to new students? Come in with an open mind \u2014 you\u2019ll be well received. And give it time. Six months or a year. It\u2019s a demanding and overwhelming programme, but talk to your fellow students about it. I didn\u2019t really start understanding the subjects until the exams. That\u2019s when it clicks. I\u2019ve heard nearly everyone say that.<\/p>\n

You can sit in class thinking, none of this makes sense \u2014 what does it have to do with Pharmaceutical Sciences?<\/em> \u2014 but it will all make sense at the exam.<\/p>\n

This article was first written in Danish and published on 19 August 2025. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.<\/em>
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Intro week is great, lab work is fun \u2014 and a lot of what you learn only really makes sense when you get to the exams. Here’s what Maria Wolf Frandsen has learned from a year of studying pharmaceutical sciences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":179989,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3792],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-180648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-life","expression-news_article"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nStudent of pharmaceutical sciences: \u00bbWe\u2019re not just training for the pharmacy counter\u00ab \u2014 University Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Student of pharmaceutical sciences: \u00bbWe\u2019re not just training for the pharmacy counter\u00ab \u2014 University Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Intro week is great, lab work is fun \u2014 and a lot of what you learn only really makes sense when you get to the exams. Here's what Maria Wolf Frandsen has learned from a year of studying pharmaceutical sciences.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"University Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uniavis\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-01T08:47:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-16T07:21:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1752\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Maria Brus Pedersen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Uniavisen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Uniavisen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Maria Brus Pedersen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Maria Brus Pedersen\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b7dd1ffcbe0d2c4ea49ef92a35a7b7eb\"},\"headline\":\"Student of pharmaceutical sciences: \u00bbWe\u2019re not just training for the pharmacy counter\u00ab\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-01T08:47:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-16T07:21:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1000,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/dsc_1360-scaled.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Student life\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\\\/\",\"name\":\"Student of pharmaceutical sciences: \u00bbWe\u2019re not just training for the pharmacy counter\u00ab \u2014 University Post\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/dsc_1360-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-01T08:47:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-16T07:21:37+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b7dd1ffcbe0d2c4ea49ef92a35a7b7eb\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/dsc_1360-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/dsc_1360-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1752,\"caption\":\"Maria Wolf Frandsen studerer farmaci p\u00e5 3. semester\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Student of pharmaceutical sciences: \u00bbWe\u2019re not just training for the pharmacy counter\u00ab\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/\",\"name\":\"University Post\",\"description\":\"Independent of management\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b7dd1ffcbe0d2c4ea49ef92a35a7b7eb\",\"name\":\"Maria Brus Pedersen\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/40ecc6e938eb818f39c144a5345e5caeee6436bb9bd5537ee4b719f2d5591fdb?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/40ecc6e938eb818f39c144a5345e5caeee6436bb9bd5537ee4b719f2d5591fdb?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/40ecc6e938eb818f39c144a5345e5caeee6436bb9bd5537ee4b719f2d5591fdb?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Maria Brus Pedersen\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uniavisen.dk\\\/en\\\/author\\\/maria_brus\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Student of pharmaceutical sciences: \u00bbWe\u2019re not just training for the pharmacy counter\u00ab \u2014 University Post","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Student of pharmaceutical sciences: \u00bbWe\u2019re not just training for the pharmacy counter\u00ab \u2014 University Post","og_description":"Intro week is great, lab work is fun \u2014 and a lot of what you learn only really makes sense when you get to the exams. Here's what Maria Wolf Frandsen has learned from a year of studying pharmaceutical sciences.","og_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/","og_site_name":"University Post","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uniavis","article_published_time":"2025-09-01T08:47:52+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-16T07:21:37+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1752,"url":"http:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Maria Brus Pedersen","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_image":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-scaled.jpg","twitter_creator":"@Uniavisen","twitter_site":"@Uniavisen","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Maria Brus Pedersen","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/"},"author":{"name":"Maria Brus Pedersen","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#\/schema\/person\/b7dd1ffcbe0d2c4ea49ef92a35a7b7eb"},"headline":"Student of pharmaceutical sciences: \u00bbWe\u2019re not just training for the pharmacy counter\u00ab","datePublished":"2025-09-01T08:47:52+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-16T07:21:37+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/"},"wordCount":1000,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-scaled.jpg","articleSection":["Student life"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/","url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/","name":"Student of pharmaceutical sciences: \u00bbWe\u2019re not just training for the pharmacy counter\u00ab \u2014 University Post","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2025-09-01T08:47:52+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-16T07:21:37+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#\/schema\/person\/b7dd1ffcbe0d2c4ea49ef92a35a7b7eb"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1752,"caption":"Maria Wolf Frandsen studerer farmaci p\u00e5 3. semester"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-pharmaceutical-sciences-were-not-just-training-for-the-pharmacy-counter\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Student of pharmaceutical sciences: \u00bbWe\u2019re not just training for the pharmacy counter\u00ab"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/","name":"University Post","description":"Independent of management","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/#\/schema\/person\/b7dd1ffcbe0d2c4ea49ef92a35a7b7eb","name":"Maria Brus Pedersen","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/40ecc6e938eb818f39c144a5345e5caeee6436bb9bd5537ee4b719f2d5591fdb?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/40ecc6e938eb818f39c144a5345e5caeee6436bb9bd5537ee4b719f2d5591fdb?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/40ecc6e938eb818f39c144a5345e5caeee6436bb9bd5537ee4b719f2d5591fdb?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Maria Brus Pedersen"},"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/author\/maria_brus\/"}]}},"advancedCustomFields":{"expression":{"term_id":15,"name":"News Article","slug":"news_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":15,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":11485,"filter":"raw"},"enable_comments":true,"align_content":"alignleft","feature_color":"","article_updated":"","layout_group":[{"acf_fc_layout":"Headline","use_post_title":true,"headline":"","style":"default","highlighted_words":"","text_size":"small"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Image","image":{"ID":179988,"id":179988,"title":"DSC_1360","filename":"dsc_1360-scaled.jpg","filesize":681156,"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-scaled.jpg","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/de-fleste-tror-at-farmaceuter-bare-arbejder-paa-et-apotek\/dsc_1360-2\/","alt":"Maria Wolf Frandsen studerer farmaci p\u00e5 3. semester","author":"109","description":"","caption":"","name":"dsc_1360-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":179980,"date":"2025-08-18 13:53:11","modified":"2025-08-19 08:47:19","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1752,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-480x328.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":328,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-768x526.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":526,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-1280x876.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":876,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-1536x1051.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1051,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-2048x1402.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1402,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-290x198.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":198,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-700x479.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":479,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-990x677.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":677}},"style":"extended","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":false,"alternative_caption":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"First-year reflections ","text":"Introugen er fed, det er sjovt at v\u00e6re i laboratoriet, og meget af det, du l\u00e6rer i l\u00f8bet af et semester, giver f\u00f8rst rigtig mening til eksamen. Her er alt det, Maria Wolf Frandsen har l\u00e6rt af at studere farmaci i et \u00e5r.","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":false,"contributors":[{"use_registered_user":false,"user":false,"contributor_name":"As told to","contributor_title":"Maria Brus Pedersen","contributor_image":false}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>I always thought I\u2019d end up studying economics, but when I realised what kind of jobs it led to, I changed my mind. A master\u2019s degree in economics is basically a one-way ticket to a desk job, and I wanted to be able to try out different things \u2014 office work, working with people, travelling for work, and working in a lab.<\/p>\n<p>I asked my friends what they imagined I\u2019d study, and they all said something science-related \u2014 medicine, biology, that sort of thing. That was a real eye-opener, and after that I did all the research I could on different subjects. I actually made <em>pros and cons lists<\/em> for every degree that seemed interesting.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/starting-at-the-university-of-copenhagen-heres-what-i-wish-id-known\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Starting at the University of Copenhagen? Here\u2019s what I wish I\u2019d known<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Before I made my decision, I got a job as an office assistant at a pharmaceutical company where I worked with loads of pharmacists. They all spoke really highly of their degree, so in a way, that helped me make my choice too. They just seemed so happy with their jobs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\">\n<p class=\"factbox-header feature-color\">First-year reflections<\/p>\n<p>University Post has spoken to a handful of students now starting their third semester. In this series, they look back on their first year at the University of Copenhagen and share some of their highs and lows.<\/p>\n<p>Read the other portraits in the series:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-social-sciences-i-honestly-wish-i-had-48-hours-in-a-day\/\">Student of social sciences: \u00bbI honestly wish I had 48 hours in a day\u00ab<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-physics-i-was-surprised-by-the-high-level-from-day-one\/\">Student of physics: \u00bbI was surprised by the high level from day one\u00ab<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/student-of-german-ive-found-joy-in-following-my-true-calling\/\">Student of German: \u00bbI\u2019ve found joy in following my true calling\u00ab<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>I adjusted my whole mindset to figuring out whether the degree was right for me \u2014 and it meant brushing up on chemistry and physics at B-level. It was a kind of test to see whether I could handle it, and luckily, I could.<\/p>\n<h3>Much more than working in a pharmacy<\/h3>\n<p>Pharmaceutical sciences are about drug development \u2014 how do you invent a drug? How do you develop it? That was the focus during the first year.<\/p>\n<p>As the programme progresses, we also learn about what happens afterwards \u2014 how you test drugs on the population, examine side effects, and how to market and distribute medicine. Most people think pharmacists just work in pharmacies, but you can work across the entire pharmaceutical industry.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Lots of people say university is completely different from high school \u2014 but I haven\u2019t felt that<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>A lot happened during the first weeks of the programme, but I only remember it as a positive time. Of course I was nervous, because I didn\u2019t know anyone, but already after the first day I felt calmer, because I\u2019d met the people I\u2019d be in class with.<\/p>\n<p>On the Pharmaceutical Sciences programme, there are loads of tutors and mentors ready to welcome new students \u2014 tutors organise the intro cabin trip, and mentors give presentations and plan events. They did a lot to make us feel included.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve actually spent part of this summer being a mentor myself, because I wanted to give something back to the new students.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/save-more-live-more-student-budget-hacks-for-copenhagen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Save more, live more: Student budget hacks for Copenhagen<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Like secondary school, but more advanced<\/h3>\n<p>Before I started, I\u2019d heard that university would be really tough, so I was surprised to find I could actually keep up. It\u2019s been challenging, but more manageable than I expected. I also found some good friends to study with, and the social side has really kept me going.<\/p>\n<p>Lots of people say university is completely different from secondary school \u2014 but I haven\u2019t felt that. It\u2019s secondary school 2.0, just at a higher level. We have a lot of teaching hours and tons of group work, so it feels like being in school five days a week.<\/p>\n<p>Because we do so much lab work, we don\u2019t have as much independent reading as you hear about in other programmes. I\u2019m really grateful for that.<\/p>\n<p>Some subjects are more interesting than others. We just had Pharmaceutical Physical Chemistry, which I didn\u2019t find very engaging, so I had to push myself a bit. It\u2019s about mathematical calculations of physical processes \u2014 it sounds complex, and it is.<\/p>\n<p>But we just had Organic Chemistry, and I was hooked. That\u2019s where you really see what the programme is all about \u2014 we were in the lab trying to develop drugs. That\u2019s when it all felt real. I thought it was insanely cool.<\/p>\n<h3>It only finally clicks for you at the exam<\/h3>\n<p>There are definitely things I\u2019ve had to get used to. Lectures go really fast, and we\u2019re sitting in a hall with 250 other students, so you can\u2019t just ask the lecturer to explain something again. You have to take initiative and figure out how you learn best.<\/p>\n<p>Pharmaceutical Sciences isn\u2019t a programme where people are obsessed with grades and student jobs. The tutors are good at reminding us to take it easy, because the first year is overwhelming. The exams are tough, and for many it takes a few tries to pass. It\u2019s more about getting through the degree than getting top grades \u2014 and we\u2019ll still land good jobs afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>My best advice to new students? Come in with an open mind \u2014 you\u2019ll be well received. And give it time. Six months or a year. It\u2019s a demanding and overwhelming programme, but talk to your fellow students about it. I didn\u2019t really start understanding the subjects until the exams. That\u2019s when it clicks. I\u2019ve heard nearly everyone say that.<\/p>\n<p>You can sit in class thinking, <em>none of this makes sense \u2014 what does it have to do with Pharmaceutical Sciences?<\/em> \u2014 but it will all make sense at the exam.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article was first written in Danish and published on 19 August 2025. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.<\/em><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with upcoming events and top University of Copenhagen stories","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":3792,"name":"Student life","slug":"student-life","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3792,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":160,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":15,"name":"News Article","slug":"news_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":15,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":11485,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[{"term_id":5468,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5468,"taxonomy":"translation_priority","description":"","parent":0,"count":671,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dsc_1360-1280x876.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/109"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180648"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":181238,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180648\/revisions\/181238"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}