10 Finding Your Place College Podcast Series Episode Transcripts
Finding Your Place Episode 1: Welcome to the Podcast
(Marco) All right. Ready?
(President Obama) College graduation has never been more valuable than it is today.
(Student voice) I would say it’s like crossing the whole Amazon River. You know? You are going on this beautiful river. The nature is beautiful. You see every animal. You see the sun, you see night, the sounds. The scent is amazing. So going to school is just like that. But you also have to know there’s snakes, there’s bugs, and there’s poisons. You could drown, or there’s all these things that could happen to you. So you have to be prepared for that.
(President Obama) College is not the only path to success, but more than ever, a college degree is the surest path to a stable, middle class life.
(Marco) Hi, everybody. Welcome to the first episode of Finding Your Place Podcast.
(Ana L.) A podcast for college students by college students.
(Marco) Throughout this podcast series, current college students are going to be sharing their journey with you, serving as mentors and guides to help you make your way.
(Ana) In the first episode, we’re going to introduce the student producers who will be offering their insights on college throughout the episodes. Thanks for tuning in and welcome.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hey, you. guys. My name is Sontiana Brandts. I go by Sonti for short. And I’m conquering campus life from a wheelchair. I’m the first person in my family to go to university.
All right. Hello, everyone. My name is Ana Leyva, and I’m just another first-generation Hispanic student who didn’t know what she was getting herself into when I decided to go to college. However, I’m glad to say that four years later, it turned out to be the adventure of a lifetime.
Hey, everyone? What’s up? My name is Marco Milosevic. I spent 14 years active duty in the United States Army and was honorably discharged under medical conditions. And I’m really eager to participate in this podcast project.
Hey, everyone. My name is Emily Albright. I came from a small town and went a large college not really knowing my place or who I was going to be. But along the way, I found people and opportunities that helped the transition and really shaped my college experience.
Yo, yo, yo. Hey, everybody. My name is Monte Brown. I’m an African-American male studying to be a teacher right now.
Hello. My name is Tanita Cronk. I want to show my kids that you can do anything. Anything is possible. I’m not going to give up on life. I’m not going to give up on learning. I’m going to keep going.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(President Obama) The premise that we’re all created equal is the opening line in our American story. And we don’t promise equal outcomes. We strive to deliver equal opportunity, the idea that success does not depend on being born into wealth or privilege. It depends on effort and merit. You can be born into nothing and work your way into something extraordinary. And to a kid that goes to college, that means everything.
(Marco) You’ve probably heard a lot about college, but you might not know a lot about college or how to make the most of it.
(Ana) So we’re going to take you into our lives.
(Ana) We arrived home officially.
(Ana) Yeah. Let’s go say hi to the pups.
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
(Marco) We’re going to offer you our best advice.
(Monte) My first year starting college, I really had to learn how to be the book instead of just read the book.
(Ana) And we’re going to explore with you some of the challenges we faced in college so that you might be better able to manage your own challenges.
(Sonti) For some reason, when I get to school and I’m in the classroom, I become quiet and reserved, and my personality shies away.
(Marco) If you’re a professor, college counselor, or academic advisor, or anyone in higher ed interested in resources for new students, we’ve heard from you about what you want from this, series and we intend every episode to be something you’ll want to use in your work with students.
(Ana) So please click Subscribe on iTunes or follow us on SoundCloud.
(Marco) Share us with friends and family and other students.
(Ana) And join us for the next episode, where we’ll explore the big question– why does college matter, and why are you here?
(Marco) Keep listening. It’s going to be good.
Finding Your Place Episode 2: Why Are You in College?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Monte) What’s good, everyone? Welcome back to the Finding Your Place podcast series.
(Emily) We thought we’d start with a big question, a question you probably get asked a lot already, or one that maybe you’re asking yourself too– what in the world are you doing here in college?
(Monte) Producer Ana Leyva gave this some thought on a recent drive home.
(Ana) All right. Hello, world. It is Saturday, September 1st, the first of the month. And today we’re going to head back home.
(Ana) I think originally, college mattered to me because I saw my parents struggle a lot growing up. And so initially, that was kind of like college was the point for me to go, and it just assured me a job. But I think now that I’m already in it, and it’s already my fourth year– I’m about to start my fourth year in college– I’ve realized that it’s just such a center for knowledge. It sounds super cheesy, but it’s kind of the truth.
(Ana) College is a place where you have all these scholars who have such an amount of information about literally anything– and not only knowledge about it, but they have practice in these places, and they have experience working in these areas. And then they have other people they know. It’s just such– it’s just such a great place to go if you want to learn, if you want to expand your horizons, like some people say, and just grow as a person. So I think that’s why college matters to me.
(Ana) All right. We arrived home officially. Yeah. Let’s go say hi to the pups.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[SPEAKING SPANISH]
(Monte) The student producers you’re hearing in this podcast have all been surviving, even thriving in college for several years now. Most of us have gone from being scared or confused about college to a stronger sense of why we’re here.
(Emily) Here are a few thoughts from our producer team on why college matters.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Marco) Coming from the military, there’s this thought that you need to know yourself and always seek self-improvement. And that’s something I used to tell my guys a lot. There’s no such thing as staying the same. You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse. Stagnancy is not a thing. It doesn’t exist. So college for me is the answer to knowing myself and seeking self-improvement at this point in my life.
(Tanita) I’m in college because, well, I was– to be honest, I was tired of not being able to do anything besides say would you like fries with that.
(Sonti) I’m in college because I strive to push and challenge myself to become the best version of me.
(Monte) The first year, you will be– you will have lot anxiety. But that’s normal. That means– one of the best things I ever heard was when you’re in a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable, that’s a growing lesson. You’re about to grow. And me personally, I think life is all about growth.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Emily) Now we want to dig a little deeper into these big reasons for college.
(Monte) Producer Ana Leyva sat down with Dr. Brenda Flannery.
(Emily) Dr. Flannery has served as the assistant vice president for undergraduate studies and international education at Minnesota State University Mankato and is currently the dean of the College of Business at MSU.
(Monte) Listen in on their conversation.
(Ana) Work more directly with students. Why do you think students should attend college?
(Dr. Flannery) One of the great things about colleges is it introduces you to new ideas, new people, and new places. And I was blown away when I was a freshman my first year in college, and I took a psychology course, or I took a sociology course. And it was just like–
(Ana) Right, mind-blowing.
(Dr. Flannery) It was mind-blowing. It was so exciting. I just think for so many students, college is an opportunity for firsts. It’s the first time to have a conversation, maybe, with someone from Nepal. You know? It’s the first time to go hear an acapella concert, what you’re doing tonight. It’s the first time to go to a pan-African conference, which we have on campus today. You know? It is such a robust, amazing community where it’s all about the expansion of one’s mind.
(Ana) Exactly.
(Ana) Well, and now that I’m also talking to you, it kind of makes me reflect too about how it also connects– I don’t know– at least personally, I don’t think it’s very often for, I guess, people to connect with people of different ages as much. And that’s not only with students. But also, for example, I’m even thinking about this conversation right now, faculty with the student. Our age is different. But I feel like you wouldn’t really have these conversations outside of college as much, maybe, with another adult. You know what I’m saying?
(Brenda) I hope that’s the case. And sometimes I wish students would take more advantage of that, because we do– I can tell you, the faculty and the staff, they want to. We want it. And also, many of us choose this work because we love being around the students. We love the energy and the youthfulness and the– yeah. We all know it’s a privilege to also be in this journey with you.
(Ana) What do you think is something that students overlook the most about college?
(Brenda) I think many of them think of college as the courses that they take. And so they’ll go into a classroom, and they’ll be quiet. They’ll go sit.
(Ana) Take it all in.
(Brenda) They’ll take it in. They’ll think their role is to come in and be that passive sponge to the information. And I think that’s like 25% of college.
(Ana) I agree fully.
(Brenda) I mean, there is so much to learn that it is– it’s just like– it is so exciting, the curiosity that is embedded in every fiber. Be curious. And the university has so many ways for you to grow and develop and learn.
(Ana) Right. Well, thank you, Dr. Flannery, once again, for your time with us. I appreciate it so much.
(Brenda My pleasure. Best wishes with your project.
(Ana) Yes, thank you. I appreciate it.
(Monte) That’s it for this episode. Thanks for listening, everybody. Don’t forget to subscribe to Finding Your Place on iTunes or to follow us on SoundCloud.
(Emily) What topic are we getting into next episode?
(Monte) We’re going to talk about finding your major.
(Emily) Just one major?
(Monte) We’ll see. Stick with us, and we’ll get you there.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Finding Your Place Episode 3: Choosing a Major
(student on campus) I find it confusing whether or not I’m supposed to be deciding my future right now, because a lot of people say, it’s OK if you don’t know yet. But I just feel like it’s a waste of time if I don’t make a decision. So that gets confusing.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Ana) Look at this list– communication studies, music education, chemistry, pre-law, political science, agricultural sciences.
(Marco) Yeah, I mean, it goes on and on– PE and health, nursing, sports management, business marketing, or interdisciplinary studies.
(Ana) So how are you supposed to know which major is right for you?
(Marco) Absolutely it’s hard to choose. And it seems like everyone wants you to know right away.
(Ana) On this episode of the Finding Your Place podcast, we explore the challenging process of finding your major. We’ll begin with a story from producer Sonti Brandts. It’s a tough story and one that probably resonates with many starting out in college.
(Sonti) What am I going to go to school for? And I had my dad talking to me in my ear, always just in my head, like, what are you going to do with your life? What are you going to do with your life? Because that seems to be the main question, especially at your graduation.
(Sonti) What are you going to do next? What are you going to do with your life? And I feel like most people expect the answer of I’m going to college to be– fill in the blank. But I had no idea.
(Sonti) I knew it liked computers, so I was like, I’ll go for IT. So then also, I finally just had an answer to give to people. To be honest, I had to Google what IT even stood for– information technology. And I was like, OK.
(Sonti) So orientation came. It was time to break apart into our areas of what we’re going for. So I followed all of the IT people to this back room, back classroom, and I sat there for maybe three minutes. And the teacher made a joke referring to IT and computers.
(Sonti) And everyone else laughed. But I didn’t, because I didn’t understand the joke. And that is when I was like, this is not where I’m supposed to be, because I don’t even understand the joke that is happening right now.
(Sonti) So me and my dad snuck out of the classroom. And my dad’s like, what are we doing? I’m like, I’m not going for IT. And he’s like, well, what are you going for? You need to know. You need to figure it out.
(Marco) Many of us are just like Sonti. We need some guidance.
(Ana) One of our producers, Emily Albright, found somebody who can offer that guidance– Gina Maahs-Zurbey. Gina is an academic advisor at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and she completely understands the struggles of finding a major.
(Marco) Let’s hear what Gina had to say about finding your major and your path through college.
(Emily) So this is the studio we’ll be in.
(Gina) OK. Awesome.
(Emily) Pretty cool.
(Gina) Check that out.
(Emily) And I think we’ll be over here. So when students come to you and are absolutely unsure of what major would be right for them, what advice would you give to them?
(Gina) Something that I like to talk to students a lot about is what do you enjoy doing? It’s more about skills and less about a particular major.
(Gina) Do you like to create? Do you like to analyze things? Do you like to research?
(Emily) After hearing Sonti’s story, what is your reaction?
(Gina) My heart breaks a little bit. It oftentimes does happen at the point of orientation. But whether students are so overwhelmed or scared, don’t necessarily act in the way she did. So then it becomes after the first semester or the first year.
(Emily) Yeah, I agree. I had a friend who recently, actually, second year as an engineering major, which he was getting through. But really he had this passion for music. And so finally, after having some conversations with his parents, he took that step and is now a music industry. major.
(Emily) And he just loves it. And I can tell he’s happier. And maybe his parents felt a little, like, OK. This is not going to be what we wanted it to be. But in the end, I think that’s what he needed to do. And that’s what’s going to be best for him in the end.
(Gina) Yeah.
(Emily) And there is this pressure to choose a major. And so I’m curious, do you ever come across students who are feeling pressure from home, maybe from their parents, to be in a major even though they don’t enjoy it?
(Gina) Yes, I see a lot of this. And I think particularly in the area that I work in, we see this when students are transitioning away from the major that maybe they started in.
(Gina) And so talking with them about, well, first of all, what is it that you want? I fully understand that your support network is an important piece of your academic success, but at the end of the day, you’re in the classroom.
(Gina) Let’s talk about how we can make this a good transition for not only you, but then your external support network to help support you in that decision. And sometimes it’s helping students approach those conversations with family members to help explain those pressures. And that’s where I think it comes into helping explain the career piece.
(Gina) That’s oftentimes, I think, where those external pressures, they come from a concern of, what are you going to do when you graduate? What is that major going to lead to? And so being able to help the student articulate for that support network what the possibilities are– does that help?
(Emily) Yeah.
(Marco) Can I just add, don’t go it alone. Talk to your academic advisors and your counselors. These people are here to help. It’s their job, and they’re good at it.
(Ana) Agreed. But what about the story we started with? What about Sonti Well, let’s finish listening to her story.
(Sonti) I realize that I’m running late for graduation.
[BAND MUSIC PLAYING]
(Sonti) I started with IT. We all know how that worked out. It didn’t. It didn’t work out. And then I think I went into administrative assisting. That didn’t pan out. I failed almost all of my classes.
(Sonti) Finally, I was talking to my mom, and she’s like, well, what do you want to do, Santi I was like, I don’t know. And she’s like, well, you’re good at talking to people, interacting with people. And I was like, OK. Well, let’s see what I can do and what degrees there are that have to do with interacting with people.
(Sonti) I fell under the communication studies area. So I was like, OK, I’ll check it out. I looked at the classes, and I was like, I could definitely do this. And the classes looked interesting.
(Sonti) And it went fantastic. It was the first time in a classroom that I felt like I belonged, which I hadn’t had in any of the majors that I had previously wanted to be in.
(Sonti) So I’m sitting here, and I’m just like, oh. my gosh. You’re done with school. You’ll have your bachelor’s degree in communication studies with a minor in psychology. Don’t forget that.
But how I got to my degree choice was a crazy ride.
[BAND MUSIC PLAYING]
[name called out at graduation ceremony] Sontiana Brandts.
[CHEERING]
(Marco) Thanks for tuning in, everyone. Remember to subscribe to Finding Your Place on iTunes or to follow us on SoundCloud.
(Ana) Join us again on the next episode, where we’ll face one of the hardest realities about college.
(Marco) Sometimes, you don’t want to ask for help.
(Ana) But sometimes, you just really, really need it.
(Sonti) Until next time, guys.
[DRUMLINE MUSIC PLAYING]
Finding Your Place Episode 4: Getting Help
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Emily) Hey, everybody. Welcome back to the Finding Your Place podcast, a podcast series produced for college students by college students.
(Monte) You know, too often, new college students look at the people around them– students, faculty, staff– and they think those people always had it figured out. But most of them didn’t. Most of them faced struggles and challenges along the way.
(Emily) Things like self-doubt, frustration, fear, and confusion are all a part of college. But the resources and experiences in college can help you through.
(Monte) Today’s episode is a little different. We already met Gina Maahs-Zurbey in the last episode.
(Emily) She was the professional academic advisor who shared some good advice about the challenge of selecting a major or degree program. But Gina also had some challenges of her own in college. And she knows firsthand how it can be hard to ask for help when you need it.
(Monte) Gina’s got a story to tell. And recently, she told it at a Finding Your Place storytelling event held on campus of Minnesota State University. This is going to sound a bit different, because we brought the microphone into the audience to record Gina’s story.
(Emily) Imagine you’re in the audience watching Gina take the stage.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Gina) I hated school. I always did. So when it came to college, well, to be honest, it never even occurred to me. It certainly was not something that came up around my family dinner table. And I most definitely never thought that I would be smart enough. The only reason that I learned about the college process was as my high school boyfriend was applying to schools and was visiting colleges, his family would ask me what my plans were after college as though it was the next logical step. And I felt like I had to have an answer.
(Gina) I would be the first of my family to go to college. So although my family was very supportive, this was all brand new territory. Paying for college was a huge stressor for us. Along with this hefty bill, preparing to move away from home also came with a variety of other fears and anxieties, mainly surrounding my disability.
(Gina) I had a porencephalic cyst in my brain which ruptured when I was born, which is kind of like having suffered a stroke. As a result, I have cerebral palsy. This means I have a great deal of pain and spasticity on the right side of my body, leaving me with little use of my right arm, hand, and a weak right leg.
(Gina) So basically, things that most people do with two hands, I do with one– like tying your shoes, zipping your jacket, cooking a meal, or styling your hair. Thank god for short hairstyles. But some things are still just really hard. And at home, I had people to help me with those kind of things. But what was I going to do when I was by myself at college?
(Gina) I was so hell bent on being normal that when I arrived on the University of Wisconsin Whitewater campus, I refused to work with disability services, because someone might notice that I had a note taker or that I took my test in a different location. Instead, I thought it would be better to muddle through this on my own.
(Gina) So, for example, trying to fill out a Scantron exam with one hand. I would run out of time just trying to fill in those frickin’ little bubbles. Or during a science class, trying to complete a lab assignment while trying to hold two test tubes and measure. Instead of just asking for help, I’d lose points on the assignment.
(Gina) Also, every 10 weeks, I’d have to miss two days of class to receive Botox injections to help deal with the pain and spasticity that I have. And yes, I am referring to the same Botox that people put in their face. However, I receive about 25 to 35 individual injections starting in my neck, working down my arm, in my hand, my calf, and my foot. The difference is, I never talked to my instructors about this. So to them, I’m sure they thought, Gina is just flaking out.
(Gina) So looking back, it should have been no shock when my first year sucked. So there I was, having less than a stellar first year at college, thinking I had made the biggest mistake. This is when I decided I needed to transfer. By the following fall semester, I transferred to the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. I was closer to home, paired with roommates who were also transfer students.
(Gina) And one of the very first things I did was I connected with disability services. I finally realized, after my horrible first year, to say [BLEEP] it. It wasn’t worth sacrificing my grades if someone knew that I had a note taker or that I needed extended time on my tests. I was paying way too much for this. And let me tell you what a difference it made. I mean, OK. Let’s not get carried away. I didn’t go to being a 4.0 student or anything. But disability services helped me navigate conversations with my instructors about accommodations I might need or developing plans for when I needed to be out of class for Botox injections.
(Gina) But then came my CJ 202 Fundamentals of Speech course with Dr. Judy Sims. Like many people, I was terrified of taking this class. I didn’t want to get up in front of the course and give one speech, let alone a series of speeches throughout the semester. I went to Dr. Sims, and I begged and I pleaded not to have to give speeches, asking if I could tape them or if I could give them individually, because when I get nervous, my disability becomes much more noticeable, distracting, and quite honestly very painful.
(Gina) Dr. Sims was very empathetic, but given that this was a speech class, she explained I must give my speeches in order to meet the requirements of the course. She was willing to allow me accommodations such as a podium or note cards if it would help to have something to hold. As my first speech approached, I remember crying, losing sleep, calling my mom and saying, how am I ever going to do this? Everyone is going to stare at me. And if I use a podium, which no one else had the option to do, everyone is going to judge me. I worried day in and day out, practicing, thinking that there is no way I’m ever going to get through this class. This class would keep me from graduating from college.
(Gina) The day came. I got up to give my speech. And I freaking rocked it. It was amazing. I mean, yeah. I was nervous as hell. My arm was tweaking out. But I knew my stuff. And not only did I have the attention of the room, but they were actually engaged in what I had say. I remember walking back to my room that day thinking, holy shit. This is pretty cool. And I think I’m actually pretty good at this.
(Gina) As the semester went on, I realized, heck yeah. And I changed my major to organizational communication– major number three, I might add. And I applied to be a campus ambassador. And I got it. Wait. What? Me? The girl who cried and begged, pleading with my instructor not to give speeches was now electing to lead prospective students and families around campus, all while walking backwards. All I have to say is thank you, Dr. Sims.
(Gina) Being a campus ambassador was just the start for me. It led to an internship in the admissions office where I found my passion for higher education. I loved talking to prospective students and families about college and all of the possibilities it has to offer– but remember, not necessarily because I loved school, but because things finally just clicked, and I had found my place.
(Gina) I graduated from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and started working in the admissions office here at MSU and completed my master’s degree while working in admissions. Now, I serve as the student relations coordinator for the College of Arts and Humanities.
(Gina) Looking back, had someone told me I would go to college, I would have laughed. And had they said I would go on to get my master’s degree, I would have told them that they were crazy. But it goes to show– the people that you meet and the experiences that you have all matter. And I guess it’s true what they say– everything happens for a reason. But really, who would have ever thought? Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Emily) The lesson there was simple but kind of profound. There are lots of people, thoughtful people, whose job it is to help you at college. And often, they really like doing it. And it helps to have good people on your side. But you have to allow yourself to be helped. Whether it’s with a disability or with a struggle in class, it matters if you can help people help you.
(Monte) And that’s it for this episode. What’s next?
(Emily) We’re talking about fear– fear of starting college, fear of failing college, fear in college, and what to do with it.
(Monte) That sounds awesome. So join us next time. And do not forget to subscribe to Finding Your Place on iTunes or to follow us on SoundCloud. Don’t try to do college alone. Take us with you.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Finding Your Place Episode 5: Managing Fear in College
(Tanita) Hey, mom. What do you think took me so long to go to college?
(Tanita’s mom) I think fear. I really think that. Because it wasn’t the ability. You certainly have the abilities. You certainly are competent enough to succeed at anything you choose to do. So it’s not that. I really think it was fear, just fear of– of the unknown, I guess. I don’t know.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Tanita) This is the Finding Your Place podcast. I’m producer Tanita Cronk, the daughter in that clip. And my mom was right. I really was afraid. Maybe I shouldn’t have been, but I was.
(Tanita) There are a lot of unknowns about college. How will people see me? How will they treat me? Am I too old? Am I behind on what’s going on now? What will happen when I get there? I know I’m not the only one who has these fears about starting college.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(student on campus) I didn’t think that I was mentally prepared for this. I hadn’t taken math in, like, four years, so I was really nervous about that.
(student on campus) I guess my biggest fear was that I was– it was going to take me– I was just going to be studying every single day, every single moment.
(student on campus) Like I said before, a lot of my family members didn’t go to college. And going to college by myself was kind of scary because I didn’t know what to do, who to talk to, if I’m going for the right thing.
(student on campus) You go from high school where– especially your senior year, the senior slide, you didn’t really do much your last semester, and then jumping right into full-blown college courses.
(student on campus) I didn’t have very good study habits in high school.
(student on campus) Do I have to go every day was probably my only fear.
(student on campus) I didn’t have the greatest work ethic, except for sports. So I was not really knowing what to expect.
(student on campus) Honestly, I didn’t reach out to any support or reach out to my professors.
(student on campus) I didn’t really talk to anyone. I didn’t know anyone here. So I was very quiet.
(student on campus) After about halfway through that semester, definitely realized that it’s something that you have to take serious.
(student on campus) I think I had some fears that I would fail the first time, and I did.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Tanita) We all have these fears, and they don’t just stop. Throughout college, there is anxiety over exams, assignments, internships. It all adds up. And we’ve got to figure out what to do with it. Producer Ana Leyva reflected on these fears recently and how she learned to work with them, and in the process, to overcome them.
(Ana) One of the biggest fears that I had coming into college was leaving home. I mean, I had traveled before. I had been before outside of my house for long periods of time. But maybe the most that I’ve ever been away from my house was probably two months. So coming into this, I feared that, oh, my god, everybody is going to know each other, or everybody is going to become friends with each other, and I’m just going to be the loner.
(Ana) In my case, I know that was big for me. Because when I’m new to a setting, the first few days– or first few weeks, I guess– I become shy. I become introverted. And I don’t share anything, absolutely nothing, because I don’t know how things work. So I’d rather stay in my cocoon and just not come out.
(Ana) So knowing myself being this way, I thought when I go to college, everybody who was super out there, and not scared of trying new things, and just talking to people out of the blue is going to make friends automatically. And I’m going to be shy, and people are not going to like me, and they’re going to hate me. And oh, my god, this is scary. But as it turns out, in every single situation, there comes a point in which you become comfortable.
(Ana and friends walking on campus) Incredible.
(Ana and friends walking on campus) Yeah.
(Ana and friends walking on campus) She shook it.
(Ana and friends walking on campus) She shook it.
(Ana) All right. So we’re currently walking on our campus. It’s 8:00 AM or 9:00.
(Ana) In a way, you really can’t explain. I ended up meeting the people that I had to meet. I ended up making friends in the most random, weird ways. But now they turn out to be my strongest friends. Now they turn out to be those people that I really wouldn’t be able to live without them here in college.
(Ana and friends walking on campus) About that, Randy?
(Ana and friends walking on campus) About the acorns?
(Ana and friends walking on campus) Yes.
(Ana and friends walking on campus) Why?
(Ana) And it’s just so crazy to trace back the dots and think about how we met in the first place. And sometimes, it’s like– sometimes you meet people in such a cool, creative way. But some other times, really, a friendship happens through just sitting next to someone in a classroom, and then after times of sharing experiences together in that classroom, crying together through homework and assignments, a friendship and a bond starts creating itself.
(Ana and friends walking on campus) We’re all green.
(Ana) true that. See? We should be– the motto of this story is we need to be more like acorns. Bam.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Tanita) Thank you, Anna, for sharing your story with us. But let’s acknowledge this. Sometimes fear is more than just about meeting new people or being in new spaces. Anxiety and depression are on the rise in college students, and sometimes it’s more than we can handle on our own. So this why I sat down with Frank Schultz. Frank has always given me the permission to not be perfect, and he’s helped me in a lot of sticky situations where my anxiety was just too high for me to manage. So I wanted to get his thoughts about anxiety in college and what kinds of help is available to students when we need it.
(Frank) My name is Frank Schultz. I’ve been working at Century College for 35 years, 22 years as a teacher and 13 years of being in the Counseling Department.
(Tanita) Thank you for being here with us today. In this episode, we’re talking about fear. Can you maybe let us in on some of the fears that first-year students commonly have?
(Frank) From my experience, first-year students may have a lot of stress and anxiety. They might be the first generation in their family to come to school, so they don’t have any people that have done this before them. So I’ve always taken the approach not to overwhelm them with all the details, but then keep a rapport going with the student to give them the information they need.
(Tanita) I like that. Take it one step at a time, one semester at a time.
(Frank) Right. And the biggest thing is just let them know you’re there for them if they want to call, email, or make an appointment.
(Tanita) One of the main aspects to my story is fear. And I remember having so much fear about being a parent and coming to school, being gone for so long. I hadn’t been in school in 20 years. And one of the things I’m trying to impress is letting students know that they’re not the only ones. Is there a way that counselors can help students process fear?
(Frank) Well, obviously, we try to find out what the source of the fear is and then respond with how to deal with it. But yeah, fear is usually brought on by the unknown. And if we can help students financially, academically, personally with those fears, reduce them, and try to eliminate them.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Tanita) In my family, especially in my culture, it’s not OK to talk to counselors. It’s especially not OK to talk to somebody about your family business, especially men. They’re taught not to talk to anybody about their troubles. If you have– it’s a sign of weakness. So for students who feel this way, feel this pressure– and maybe they’re standing outside the counseling center, and they’re like, I shouldn’t go in, because that’s a bad thing. It’s a negative thing. What would you say to those students?
(Frank) I’d say it’s completely confidential. And just go in and see a counselor, let them get to know you, maybe build a little bit of trust there. And you don’t have to pour out everything the first time you meet, but you might bring up some of the things that are bothering you or that you’re concerned about, and start with little steps, and go that direction.
(Tanita) What would you say that you think students– after meeting a counselor, what do you think they’ll get from it?
(Frank) Well, typically, I’ll end the session with how do you feel now. Are you more comfortable with whatever the situation is? Is the flag to the top of the pole, or is it halfway, or it’s laid on the ground? And if they need more, either academically or personally or career-wise, we’ll make another appointment.
(Tanita) Well, I would like to say that even though I did have all of that fear and anxiety, and it was so overwhelming, you did help relieve that for me. And I wanted to say thank you for that. And I wanted to say thank you for sitting down and talking with us today. And I also wanted to ask if you had anything else, or advice, or just anything that you would like to say to our first-year students.
(Frank) Well, my mantra has always been when in doubt, seek us out. We’re here to help. That’s our job. We want to help you. We want to make it as comfortable and as good an experience coming into college as possible.
(Tanita) All right. Thank you.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Tanita) If you need help, get the help you need. We’ll probably say that a lot in this series. It’s not always easy. I get it. It’s not easy for any of us.
We have fears every semester. And when we transition, when we transfer, when we graduate, all of those fears come back. But it gets better.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Tanita) So what’s ahead for the podcast, you ask? Next time, it’s all about the money– financial aid and how to handle the costs of college. Thanks for listening to Finding Your Place. We’ll see you here next time.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Tanita’s mom) You know, sometimes that can be a little overwhelming. But never give up, and never doubt your ability, and never question why you’re there.
(Tanita) A lot of our podcast listeners are first-time students. Do you have any advice for first-timers?
(Tanita’s mom) The exact same thing. Never doubt your ability. Never doubt while you’re there. You have a right to be there. You deserve to be there. And it definitely will be worthwhile. Hang in there.
(Tanita) Awesome. Thanks, Mom.
(Tanita’s mom) All right.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Finding Your Place Episode 6: Seeking Financial Aid
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Dave Engen, faculty supervisor of podcast) If you were to come up with three words about financial aid right now, what would those three words be?
(Mareese Bown, student helping with this episode) Complicated, mystery, and for the last word I’ll say horror.
(Emily) Of all the confusing things about college–
(Monte) And there are a lot of confusing things, trust me.
(Emily) perhaps nothing is quite as confusing as financial aid.
(Monte) In this episode of the Finding Your Place podcast, we’re going to look more closely at money and financial aid.
(Emily) You’ve probably already heard a lot about financial aid in orientations or letters or emails.
(Monte) But it doesn’t always make sense, right? Sometimes, we just need someone to explain it.
(Emily) Not long ago, Dave Engen, one of our faculty members helping us with this series, met a first year student who expressed some confusion and concern about financial aid.
(Monte) And together, they decided to walk on over to the financial aid office to get some answers.
(Mareese) Hello.
(Rachel Tanquist, Financial Aid Advisor) Hey, I’m Rachel. Nice to meet you.
(Dave) Hey, how’s it going?
(Rachel) Nice to meet you.
(Dave) Thank you so much.
(Rachel) Yeah, come on back.
(Mareese) Well, my name is Mareese Brown. I’m a first year student. And in my first semester, I was running into a lot of financial aid problems. So this podcast right here is perfect for new students next year. So they don’t run into the same problems that I did.
(Rachel) A lot of times, people misunderstand the word financial aid, because it’s a really broad term. We’ve got grants, scholarships, work study program, and even student loans.
(Mareese) What are some good pieces of advice you could give to first year students on financial aid?
(Rachel) Yeah, so I’d say I’ve got three big pieces of advice. The first one is to apply for scholarships. So make sure that you’re out there at your university applying to whatever they have available as well as searching for outside scholarships as well, so searching out in the community, parents’ employers, really anywhere that you can look. Because obviously, anytime you can pull in free money, it’s less loans that you have to borrow.
(Rachel) The second piece of advice I have is to really set a budget and live within that budget. Because the more that you can be frugal during college, the better your life after college is going to be. Because it sets up so much more disposable income then after college and less that you have to worry about paying back student loans if you’re only borrowing to what you need.
(Rachel) And then the third piece of advice is to always reach out. Because financial aid is so complicated and there’s so much going on. We want to make sure that every student knows where they’re at, how much they’re borrowing, and really has a good grasp on what’s going on financially.
(Mareese) Why would somebody take out a private loan instead of a federal loan?
(Rachel) I always recommend borrowing federal loans first, partially because they tend to be at a lower interest rate. And federal loans tend to have better repayment terms. So if you were to take an unpaid internship after graduation or run into economic hardship, your federal loan servicer is likely to be a lot more flexible with you. Another thing to keep in mind is that financial aid is something that you need to apply for and to apply every year.
(Rachel) How you apply for financial aid is filling out the FAFSA application. So that’s the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and it opens every year on October 1st. And we do recommend completing it as soon as possible. Because that way, you’ll get reviewed for the most possible need based aid. So we’ll review you for those grants. We’ll review you for the work study. We’ll review you for loans to see what your specific financial situation is.
(Mareese) Right. A lot of those things you just said are the reasons why I had problems when I first came here, like the not filling out the form in time. I filled out my FAFSA in March last year, which I didn’t get enough money for my loans. So I had a bill that I had to pay that I didn’t know.
(Rachel) With financial aid, it’s really, really important to get things done early, like the FAFSA, but then also to keep tabs on your email. Because a lot of times, we have to ask for follow up documentation. And hopefully, students get the email right away and send it back to us. But sometimes emails get missed. So just know that you can always reach out to us with questions, concerns at any time.
(Mareese) Thank you. I appreciate you for letting me interview you for this podcast.
(Rachel) That’s why I am so excited that you’re here and we were able to meet. And I just hope any students out there that are in similar situations or confused at all will want to hopefully reach out to us, schedule appointments. We always love talking about this. So I’m so excited that you’re here and that we were able to talk through all these questions.
(Dave) How would you describe how you feel after the interview?
(Mareese) Wonderful. More knowledge than before.
(Emily) Sometimes, it seems like college is really just for people who already come from some money and who just want to make more money.
(Monte) But what about the students who start college with very little?
(Emily) Producer Tanita Cronk caught up with An Bernier, a community college graduate and public policy advocate for college students who are living in the crisis of poverty.
(Tanita) Can you tell us your name and what you’re up to these days?
(An) My name is An Garagiola-Bernier. I am a student at Hamline University. I am also a policy assistant through the Capital Pathways internship program. And I’m working with Second Harvest right now on some food legislation.
(Tanita) Can you talk a little bit about your college journey and how you got started in college?
(An) My partner had just been injured at work. And he said, I never wanted to go to college, but I know you did. And so, I’m only going to go if you go. And so, I started back part time. I had no idea what I was doing. Nobody in either of our families had graduated from college. Really as first generation students, we had no idea.
(An) So I just took some classes. And I guess at that point, I had thought that my family’s experience in poverty while in college was unique, right? Like we had messed up. We had not gone from high school to college. So we were supposed to be poor, right, while we were in college. We were supposed to be struggling. And it’s that same story, right? You work really hard and you struggle while you’re in college for the hopes of a better future.
(Tanita) Tell me some of the things you’ve learned that can help students navigate the murky waters that is known as money in college.
(An) So one, it’s important for students to know that there is support out there, help with food. Housing is kind of tough, right? We’re in a tight housing market. People are trying to change that. But there might be something, gas cards, bus cards, food cards, scholarship help, daycare help. There’s programs out there. It’s just finding them.
(An) So I think the number one thing is, one, the resources exist. Number two, there’s people out there who will help you find them. Yeah, they might not look like you. And it’s hard, right, especially for students of color, for indigenous students who have dealt with racism their whole lives to approach a white person and be like, I need help, and trust that that person is going to be able to help you. It’s faith. You know, you have to have faith in your fellow humans and just believe that people in helping places at your school are there because they want to help you.
(Tanita) Do you have any advice that you can offer to students who are struggling financially in college?
(An) Yeah. Look for food pantries on your campus, apply for scholarships, try to get your cost of living adjusted, especially if you have kids, look for daycare grants. You know, there’s different programs out there. So if we step out of the shadow of that stigma and that shame, poverty is not your fault. And so, we need to stay in school, get to that finish point, so we can change the systems going forward and send that elevator back down to the people who are still waiting to get on.
(Emily) It’s important to remember that when we make it through college, other people benefit too.
(Monte) That’s right. And it’s in the interest of your college or university to help navigate the money side of things. There are a lot of different kinds of support.
(Emily) Scholarships, grants, on campus work, deferred interest loans, all of these things are potential ways to help handle the costs of tuition.
(Monte) Because college is expensive, a little too expensive.
(Emily) But how much does it cost to subscribe to Finding Your Place on iTunes or to follow us on SoundCloud?
(Monte) Nothing. That’s free at least.
(Emily) So check in with us next time when we try to find some good in all of the Gen Ed classes that they require us to take.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Finding Your Place Episode 7: Exploring the Value of Gen Eds
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Student on campus) A lot of the generals that we have to take are generally useless.
(Student on campus) Yeah, I think they’re really dumb. I don’t really get the point of them. I don’t think I ever needed to take Art 100. And I think they’re expensive, too.
(Student on campus) I’m, like, spending a ton of money on something that’s not going towards my degree.
(Student on campus) It literally cost me half of my tuition fund that I had just because I had to take pop music and urban studies. It was a waste of money and also technically a waste of time as well.
(Student on campus) I think they can be useful if you put your time into it and pick the right classes. That could be helpful towards your major.
(Emily) And if you don’t pick the right classes?
(Student on campus) Well, they’re kind of stupid.
(Emily) Thank you.
(Marco) This is Finding Your Place, the podcast series made for college students by college students.
(Ana) Our topic in this episode is general education.
(Marco) Yes, you have to take them.
(Ana) And no, not every general education course is perfect.
(Marco) But the idea is that general education courses provide a broad-based education.
(Ana) There’s many things like critical thinking, civic responsibility, and appreciation of the arts, ability to write professionally.
(Marco) Yeah, Ana, you and I and some of the other producers we’re talking about this, how these courses can change us, why they can matter. Here, let’s listen in.
(Ana) All right, is it recording now?
(Dave) It is recording now.
(Marco) Sonti, you’re too quiet over there.
(Sonti) Yeah, sorry. I was going to say, one class that I took, it was Weather and Climate. And I was not excited to take it because honestly I don’t care about the weather unless it’s nice outside.
(Marco) Did you take it for like goal area, like the science?
(Sonti) Yeah.
(Marco) I did the same thing.
(Sonti) And I ended up really liking it. Now whenever I’m driving in the car and I’m like, oh, these clouds are nimbostratus. And I talked about it. All my friends were like, Santi, leave the clouds alone. We don’t care about the clouds. I’m like, you will. Someday you will care about the clouds.
(Ana) That’s exactly how I feel about my geology class. Every time I see a rock or a mountain I’m like, oh, well this is from the– you know?
(Ana) Well does anybody have an experience with a gen ed you didn’t like or weren’t looking forward to?
(Marco) I think gen eds are like, nobody likes them, everybody’s gotta do them. If you want your four year– with some of them. Some of them are really cool.
(Marco) I took a public speaking course. And the reason I took it is because I do a lot of public speaking as it is. And I wanted to go to develop myself professionally. But after that class and the feedback I got, I though, you know, I really kind of have a knack for this whole standing on a soapbox and sharing my opinion on everything. So public speaking seemed like a natural fit for me. I’m very opinionated, I can string a sentence together. And I like to tell people what I think about them and their whole operation.
(Ana) If I could give advice to someone, it would be to really look into the gen ed options that you have. Sometimes I feel like people don’t realize that there’s so many options within one goal area. They were just like, oh, I can only take this class.
(Ana) But sometimes a class, like, I don’t know, fishing. I don’t know, we had skiing class that made of the general area requirements. I’m like, if I would’ve known, that sounds like so much fun. So that’s what I’m saying. Look for stuff that, if you know it’s going to be gen ed and you’re not so excited about it then look for something that is going to make you more engaged and look forward to it.
(Marco) If you go into it with the attitude of well, I’m never going to use this. This is all BS, nonsense, whatever, then that’s what you’re going to get out of it. You know, it’s going to be nonsense. And you’re going to fail or you’re going to waste your money or whatever.
(Ana) I think it plays a huge key going into gen eds with a learning mindset. Because if you go with a learning mindset and you’re like, OK, how is this going to make me better as a human being? Because like you’re saying, yes.
(Ana) Okay, for example, I’m a music teacher trying to become a music teacher. And I will work a majority of my time on that. But that’s not the only thing that I am. I’m also a daughter, I’m also a citizen, an American. There are so many facets to myself that so many of these classes apply to that.
(Monte) We’re growing now, we’re growing now.
(Ana) And that’s the thing, I don’t feel like anybody really regrets learning something. Again, I know I’m repeating myself. But it goes back to that, yes, it was a struggle learning something new. But do you really feel bad, oh, I wish I didn’t know this? Not really.
(Monte) Not really.
(Ana) It’s always applicable.
[BEAT BOXING]
(Marco) All right, so maybe you need a little more convincing that gen ed courses can be good for you.
(Ana) Yeah, sometimes it helps to hear a story about a gen ed class that turned out to be way more than we thought at first.
(Marco) Producer Monte Brown has one of those stories. And it goes something like this.
(Monte) So right now I just pulled up to my house.
(Monte’s brother) My brother’s home.
(Monte) Hello, hello.
(Monte’s mom) Look at that haircut, OK, OK.
(Narrator) Monte Brown’s family sounds a lot like the definition of support.
(Monte) It’s me, Ma.
(Monte’s mom) Hey, Monty! Hey!
(Monte) My mom’s a very noble woman. She knew how important education was. She knew what education does to our brain. It unlocks it, and allows us to critically think. And that’s something I will never forget that she instilled in me.
(Monte’s mom) Guess what I’m making?
(Monte) What?
(Monte’s mom) Some collard greens, baked macaroni and cheese, some ribs, some chicken, and some brats, and cornbread, and sweet potatoes, baby!
(Monte) That sounds good.
(Monte) I remember my first day of college vividly. I walked in and sat in the front because my mom said, you ever go to college you better sit in front. I remember thinking, like, I hope we don’t have a lot of homework today. Or I hope we don’t have to talk a lot to each other, or what may have you.
(Monte) A lot of thoughts was going through my head because I was just so nervous. And plus, it was a lot of self-doubt in there as well. Teacher walks in, pretty cool guy. And I just thought to myself, like, man, this is a wonderful place to be.
(Narrator) Partly because of his family, and partly because of his outlook on education, Monty’s first year of college went about as well as that first day. In year two though, he began to deal with a more abstract issue.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Monte) I was struggling with who I really was. It was tough because I wasn’t, quote unquote, “the hoodest dude in the world”. I wasn’t the smartest dude in the world. I’m not the most athletic dude in the world. So I was really trying to find my niche.
(Monte) I had stereotypes about my own people. I had stereotypes about myself. Even when I go in a store I had to question, like, am I going to steal something? Like, what am I talking about? Only I know if I’m going to steal something. It’s either a yes or no. But I pin myself in a box that I believe this country puts me in. And I was letting that box consume me.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Monte) I remember opening up the e-services and going to the website and registering for it. And I remember as soon as I hit the Register button, there’s this sense of I don’t want to read. When you say literature, all I think about is books. I don’t want to read.
[PAGES TURNING]
(Monte) This thing is huge. It has about– yep, 2,757 pages. So it’s a lengthy book. And it has so, so many things in here.
(Narrator) Monte is showing me the textbook for the African-American Literature course he took his second year of college. The course he credits with changing everything.
(Monte) I just opened out to one of my favorite parts, Langston Hughes. And I see I got all of these highlights. So I must have been really going at it with this one. I don’t want to offend nobody but I wrote on it the holy book. Because this is kind of like my holy book. And to my defense, there is gospel in here.
(Narrator) Who were some of the writers that really had an impact on you?
(Monte) I really like Ralph Ellison, that “Invisible Man” was a really vivid story that– at one point I was invisible to the general population. I feel like this country tries to make us seem like we’re invisible. And that was kind of like the whole spiel of the story.
(Monte) (reading from Invisible Man) It took me a long time and much painful boomeranging of my expectations to achieve a realization everyone else appears to have been born with, that I am nobody but myself. But first, I had to discover that I am an invisible man.
(Monte) Even though I don’t agree with everything he says, Booker T. Washington was pretty good. Sojourner Truth, she’s awesome. Musicians, Duke Ellington, I thought he was cool.
(Narrator) Had you heard of these people before the class?
(Monte) No, I never heard of these people before the class. That’s why I was in awe because I didn’t know all these people exist.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Monte) For me, before taking this class, I was lost. I was searching. I was– oof. I lacked confidence, I lacked guidance. I lacked self-efficacy. I really lacked a lot of things.
(Monte) But after the class, I became more confident. I became more self-aware. Before that class I didn’t really have an opinion on things because I’m like, it doesn’t matter. My voice doesn’t matter.
(Monte) But after the class I found out my voice does matter. I have power. I feel like I have power to change as well, change lives as well. So yeah.
(Monte’s mom) See you Monty, I love you.
(Monte) I love you too.
(Monte) Bye, Desire.
(Desire) Bye, love you.
(Monte) Love you too.
(Monte’s mom) Drive carefully now.
(Monte) I will.
(Monte’s mom) Take your time, Monte.
(Monte) I will.
(Monte’s mom) Love you.
(Monte) Love you too, Ma. All right, see y’all later.
(Monte’s mom) All right.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Marco) The classes we have to take are not all perfect. But they’re usually there for a reason. So give them a chance.
(Ana) And give the next episode a chance too. We’re taking the microphones home and we’re going to explore the way college can put us right in the middle of two worlds. The world of our credits and our studies–
(Marco) And the world of our friends and families back home.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Finding Your Place Episode 8: Going Back Home
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Ana at home) All right. Good morning, everyone. It’s 6:30 in the morning and I have to get ready for school.
(Tanita with kids) We’re supposed to have been gone by now already. Here we go. Jakob, you got socks on?
(Tanita’s son) No.
(Marco) All right, baby. Well, I love you.
(Marco’s wife) I love you, too. I’ll let you know when we’re getting close.
(Marco) All right. I’m going to stop off at the American Legion then and have a beer since you guys won’t be home.
[KNOCKING]
(Monte) It’s me, mom.
[DOOR OPENING]
(Monte’s mom) Hey, Monty! [LAUGHING]
(Emily) But It is a really empty feeling. I used to have things on the walls when I lived here. So it’s a little weird coming back and having an empty room. Huh.
(Marco) And I’ll blow your house down, said the pig. Good night, son. I love you.
(Marco’s son) I love you, too.
(Tanita) And will you go to college when you’re done with high school?
(Tanita’s son) I don’t know. I was mainly just thinking of doing something like animating so I can make my own video games and movies.
(Tanita) Do you think it’s OK that mom went to college even though she’s old?
(Tanita’s son) I think it’s OK. You’re trying to get a better job so you can help your family more.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Tanita) This episode of the Finding Your Place podcast is not really about college. It’s about the intersection of our home lives and our college lives. For some students, there’s an easy relationship between home and college. But for many students, going to college creates challenges at home.
(Tanita) Sometimes those challenges relate to time and money. Usually there’s not enough of either. And sometimes those challenges are cultural. College changes us and those at home don’t always support or understand those changes.
(Tanita) Unlike nearly every episode in this podcast, this episode is going to focus on the story of a faculty member. That faculty member is Dave Engen, who, along with Robert Jersak, works behind the scenes to help us create this podcast.
(Tanita) We hope Dave’s story might help you reflect on your own college story, especially if for some reason the college experience pulls you away from home or challenges your family identity.
(Dave) My most vivid memories of school are as follows. Being sent home from elementary school for repeatedly and defiantly saying the F word. My high school Spanish teacher informing me that she would pass me for first trimester if I agreed to not take the class second trimester. And lastly, loving the heavy metal band AC/DC so much that I would take my multiple choice tests by simply filling out A-C-D-C, A-C-D-C, A-C-D-C, all the way down the answer sheet.
(Dave) School was like sitting and listening for hours and hours to someone speaking a language I did not know. I hated it.
[MUSIC – AC/DC, “HELLS BELLS”]
I’m rolling thunder, pouring rain. I’m coming on like a hurricane. My lightning’s flashing across the sky.
(Dave talking to students in class) So one quick announcement before we get started. The midterm exam is one week from today. The midterm exam is in this room. We’ll all convene here at the time of your lecture. The study guides for the midterm exam.
(Dave) I grew up in a blue collar suburb of Minneapolis– Fridley, also known as Friendly Fridley. My dad was a truck driver and my mom was a homemaker. My dad dropped out of school in the 8th grade and my mom dropped out in the 12th.
[STRIKING POOL BALLS]
(Dave) I believe it was 1993 when my father and I had our first conversation about what I was studying in college. We were playing pool in our basement. I was working on my PhD and I’d been in college for seven years or so. As I recall, the conversation took place between shots and went like this.
(Dave) Dad. So what are you majoring in anyway? Me. Communication. Dad, chucking his stick. Hm. Seems to me like you communicate just fine.
[STRIKING POOL BALLS]
(Dave) All right. So we’re just going to have some fun here, but I need to know who I’m talking to. Can you introduce yourself to me?
(Dave’s mom) Introduce myself to you? I’m your mother. [LAUGHING] How does that work?
(Dave) I kind of thought that’s who you were.
(Dave’s mom) Oh, good. [LAUGHING]
(Dave) Hey, well, I’m going to ask you a few questions about education and about college and things like that.
(Dave’s mom) First couple of years, you really liked school. But then by about third grade, you didn’t like it anymore. And no, I mean, I’d say, Dave, did you do your homework? Yeah. Of course, I’d get a call or a note from the teacher that you didn’t have your homework done.
(Dave’s mom) Yeah, I think I should have clamped down harder on you. Yeah. But it didn’t, so. I do think that Tom McCarthy at Anoka-Ramsey and your speech class– I really think that that’s when you came alive and interested in learning, was when you were doing your speech classes at Anoka-Ramsey.
(Dave) I’m on my way to Anoka-Ramsey Community College. I haven’t been back for probably 20-plus years. About to go into the left turn lane that I used to go in all the time on my way to school.
[CHATTER]
(Dave) Tom McCarthy. How are you, sir?
(Tom) Good, good. How are you?
(Tom) Good to see you.
(Dave) You too. You too. It’s been fun wandering around.
(Dave) I once heard someone define professors as books with a mouth. Tom McCarthy was no book with a mouth.
[LAUGHTER]
(Tom) (teaching class) So how many of you got more nervous when I pushed the table back in the lectern and you realized you couldn’t use it?
(Tom) I feel very jazzed up what I am teaching, and I want them to think that I care about that. That I care about them and what I’m doing. I care about what we’re doing and why we’re there.
(Dave) Tom was the first person I met who was both book smart and street smart. Intellectual and funny. And he let us get to know him as a human being.
(Tom) I grew up with six older brothers, right? Who beat the crap out of me every day. And not that I didn’t deserve it. But I learned the best way to get away from them was to go through the–
(Dave) Testing, testing, testing, testing. On my way out of Tom’s office, I decided to stop by the classroom where I took his public speaking course some 25 years ago. I’m standing in that room right now and I can see Tom teaching our class. I can hear him joking with us. I can see him taking a shoe on and off as he gives me feedback on my speech in a gentle, mocking gesture of my own nervous tics.
(Dave) And I can see myself in that room. A green, ocean Pacific shirt. Some acid wash jeans. Looking up at Tom and thinking, you know what? I want to be like that guy. And I’m so thankful that he brought himself into that classroom. That he brought his persona into that classroom. That brought his humor into that classroom.
(Dave) Because had he not done those things, I don’t think that I would have continued in education the way that I did. And I don’t think I would have been able to live as full of a life as I’ve been able to live, albeit a life full of tensions and contradictions.
[POOL BALLS STRIKING]
(Dave) Do you remember what you told me about small talk?
(Dave’s mom) I really don’t, but it sounds familiar. Do you remember?
(Dave) Yeah.
(Dave’s mom) Oh.
(Dave) Yeah, I do remember.
(Dave’s mom) What did I tell you?
(Dave) Well, you told me that I was getting– this was pretty much–
(Dave’s mom) That you were getting to think you were too important for small talk? Something like that?
(Dave) Yeah, I think what you said is that I was getting too smart to make small talk.
(Dave’s mom) Yeah, I think that is what I said.
(Dave) Well, in general, what did it seem like I was doing?
(Dave’s mom) I don’t know. I suppose you were talking about school and stuff that was kind of above our heads. I think you were showing off that you were getting an education.
(Dave) My mother was right. I wasn’t getting too smart for small talk or anything else, but there was a time when I found it difficult to bridge my two worlds. The working class world in which I grew up and the professional middle class world into which I unknowingly entered. The world where my parents’ neighbor Paul calls my Sam Adams Democrat beer and the world where my first boss had dogs named Plato and Aristotle.
(Dave) I’d be lying if I said I had it all figured out. Often I feel like an imposter in both worlds. But I did learn a few things along the way. Lesson 1, it was as important for me to understand my parents as it was for them to understand me.
(Dave) Lesson 2, I got lucky. Before meeting Tom McCarthy, I was turning college into a job. And it’s easy to do this, especially for working class kids. Get the content delivered to you. Do the assignments. Get the grades.
(Dave) This may be OK for some, but it limits the possibility of transformation. Tom inspired me. He also got me on the speech team. Had my education taken place only through course content, I don’t think I would have been so fundamentally changed by it.
(Dave) And lesson 3, it’s good to have a foot in both worlds. Tough at times, sure, but good. I’m kind of a mess, if you want to know the truth. I feel out of place in college faculty meetings and I feel out of place at the American Legion. But I’m OK in both worlds, too. And for that, I’m thankful.
(Dave) I used to think my possibilities were limited by my upbringing. And in some ways, I suppose they were. But my possibilities were expanded, too. My dual identity, if you will, let’s me see things that others miss, and I value that. And my kids– well, my hope for them is that they become anything they want to become without ever looking too far up and never looking down.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Tanita) Sure, Dave’s story is particular to him– a white male first generation college student from a working class background. But we hope Dave’s story might help you reflect on the ways that college has changed in your experience of going home and maybe help you reflect on how you might deal with those changes.
(Tanita) We also want to encourage you to go to the Finding Your Place podcast on SoundCloud or iTunes and look for what we call our supplementary episodes. These additional episodes are a bit more focused on cultural experiences.
(Tanita) And in these episodes, students explore such topics as being a Muslim woman in college, returning to college from military service, navigating a degree as a single mom. That’s just to name a few.
(Tanita) That’s it for this episode. Please tune in to our next episode in the main Finding Your Place series where we’ll explore ways to make college more meaningful by getting involved outside the classroom. Stay tuned.
Finding Your Place Episode 9: Getting Involved Outside the Classroom
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Monte) During your college years, you will find yourself faced with a lot of change and a lot of challenges.
(Emily) We’ve covered some of these already in previous episodes, like trying to pick a major, balancing home and school, or managing your fears.
(Monte) But there’s also opportunities at college that can make you realize just how awesome college life can be, especially if you get involved with all college has to offer.
(Emily) On this episode of the Finding Your Place podcast, we explore one of the most important aspects of the college experience, getting involved outside of the classroom.
(Monte) Outside-the-classroom activities can help you build a resume and build a professional life.
(Emily) And they’re often fun and stress relieving.
(Monte) We’ll start this episode with an audio essay from producer Emily Albright.
(Emily) That’s me.
(Monte) Emily’s path might be quite different from yours, but we hope all of you can find some of your story in her story.
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
(Emily) The car ride college was a long one. I sat in the back, quiet, thinking too much. My anxiety was at an all-time high. But still, I think there was some positive anticipation inside of me, an underlying feeling of excitement to start something new– college. Once I got there, everywhere I went I heard things like, get involved on campus, meet new friends, find your passion. Good advice, I suppose, but how was I actually supposed to do those things?
(Emily) I spent hours by myself in my room. I would sit on my phone, scrolling through Facebook and Instagram, seeing photos of students having fun on campus. But I felt too afraid to try to become a part of it. Those lonely hours turned into days of either feeling hollow or full of self-doubt. I made a lot of excuses. I would say, oh, I’m just trying to figure out my schoolwork first, or yeah, I thought about joining, but maybe next semester.
(Emily) In my second semester, I finally grew tired of feeling so empty and alone. There was this one group on campus that advertised itself a lot. I’d see their flashy posters inviting everyone to come to their weekly meetings on Tuesdays at 4:00. It seemed like a fun club, so I decided I’d try to get involved with them. I woke up that next Tuesday, and I felt excited. Sure, I was a little nervous, but I’d finally mustered up some courage, and I was ready to go.
(Emily) I walked in about 10 minutes early. I walked up to one of the people that looked like they were leading the group, and I introduced myself. I received a simple greeting back and was instructed to sign my name on a sheet of paper and take a seat. So I sat, nervous but eager to finally start making connections. As more people came into the room, I watched as they filled tables and carried conversations as if they were all best friends. The meeting started, and still no one had sat by me.
(Emily) I spent most of the meeting confused about what they were talking about and feeling awkward, wanting to leave as soon as I could. My mind flooded with these toxic thoughts. Should I have sat at a different table? Did I do something wrong? Maybe someone else will walk in late and sit by me. Why did I even come? This was worse than being alone in my room. I left the meeting that day feeling more hopeless than ever. I tried. I had finally done what I needed to do, and it didn’t work. For a while, I even thought maybe I chose the wrong school, and I considered my options for transferring.
(Emily) I decided I need to give myself one more chance. There are over 200 clubs at my school. Maybe that first one just wasn’t for me. One day, after a few hours of self encouragement and drafting, I hit the Send button on an email to the president of the Student Ambassadors Organization at my college campus. After only a few minutes, I heard my email chime go off, and I read the response. “Emily, it’s awesome to hear that you’re interested in Student Ambassadors. You should definitely come check us out at our next meeting.”
(Emily) I could tell you about how anxious I was, thinking about having to find the room the meeting was in, or how fast my heart was beating when I finally found it and had to walk into a room full of strangers, or how my hands were shaking when I had to introduce myself in front of everyone as a potential new member. But the more important thing for you all to hear is that when I walked out of the meeting that day, I felt better than ever. This time, I made instant connections with the other students. It felt so good. It felt good to be around people who had similar interests as me, to be welcomed with smiling faces, to be excited about what an organization was doing, and to have taken a forward-looking step towards finding my place at college.
(Emily) And it didn’t stop there. In the next few weeks, I’ll actually be graduating and leaving the campus that I’ve come to love so much. As I look back on my time, the greatest memories I had did not happen in the classroom or in the library, and they definitely did not happen when I was hiding in my room that first semester. The greatest memories came from getting involved beyond the classroom.
(Emily) While I started college feeling too timid to step too far out of my room, I graduate college having served one year as the vice president for our chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary, one year as the senator for student government, two years as a community advisor in the residence halls, and three years as a member and secretary of Student Ambassadors. I’m leaving college proud that I stepped out of my comfort zone and got through the fear and self-doubt. I’m leaving college knowing that I’m a stronger and different person than when I was when I started. I hope the same happens for you.
[END STORY]
(Monte) Wow, Emily, that story was really amazing.
(Emily) Thanks, Monte. OK, if you’re not yet convinced about getting involved, we’re going to do one last thing in this episode.
(Monte) Recently, some of our producers spent an evening with the students who run the campus newspaper at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
(Emily) It’s just one example of what’s probably happening in organizations all around your campus, from your multicultural center to your student event planning team.
(Monte) Let’s go inside and see what’s happening.
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
[PHONE RINGING]
(Student at newspaper) Try that one.
(Student at newspaper) This one?
(Student at newspaper) There you go. Perfect. “Poi-fect”
(Student at newspaper) MSU Reporter, how can I help you?
(Student at newspaper) My role is the sports editor here.
(Student at newspaper) I’m the photo editor.
(Student at newspaper) I’m a staff writer for the news section.
(Student at newspaper) I am the arts and entertainment editor.
(Student at newspaper) Currently, I am the news editor. Next year, I will be the editor in chief.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Student at newspaper) In my first two years of being in college, I didn’t really have a lot of friends. I had friends back home who I’d go home every weekend to see, but I didn’t have friends in school. I just had a boyfriend and then his friends, and that was it.
(Student at newspaper) I was just focusing, I think, too much on trying to live that traditional college life. But I felt like I wasn’t growing at all.
(Student at newspaper) So after my freshman year, I decided, I want to write for something. So I decided this would be the place that I’d write for, and I hated it at first because I didn’t know how to write for a newspaper, and I don’t know. I’m pretty awkward around people when I first meet them, so it was a little scary.
(Student at newspaper) Classes are important. They teach you the tools you need. But I think the Reporter gave me an opportunity to use those tools.
(Emily) I was going to ask, if they do end up using the photos that you’ve worked with, how does it feel to see your work in the paper?
(Student at newspaper) One day, like that, I just saw my pictures on the front page. I was like, whoa. And I still have that newspaper today. And I’m definitely keeping it for years to come.
(Student at newspaper) It’s made me feel like I have a family. I come in, and I know that I get the support that I need. The other editors and staff writers– we can all sit in here and banter. We can help each other with homework. Some of us are taking the same classes. And we can chill and hang out. And I don’t know. It’s really fulfilling to know that I have people here for me.
(Student at newspaper) It’s, in a sense, like being a part of something bigger than yourself and just cooperating with a group of people to create something big or something that can impact people.
(Emily) It sounds like you’ve found your place on campus and in the community. What advice would you give to a student who maybe hasn’t found their place yet?
(Student at newspaper) Oh my gosh, try. Even if you don’t know what you like, try to go to organizations and see what they offer. And if it sounds, maybe, like you want to do that, try to get involved. Ask them. Read the newspaper and see what events are going on. We write a lot of previews of things that will be happening, just trying those things out. Maybe you don’t like all of them, and maybe you don’t like any of them. But I would say if you still really don’t know where you belong, you just have to keep trying. Because it’s hard, and it might seem grueling, and you could give up, but it’s there for you somewhere.
[END PLAYBACK]
(Monte) Sure, not everyone has the time to get involved in the campus, but even if it’s just attending a campus speaker event, a play, a club meeting, you’re turning the college experience into something more.
(Emily) More of what college can be and maybe even what it should be.
(Monte) So what’s next?
(Emily) We’re going to build on this topic and start thinking about how you turn college spaces into your spaces, making college a place for you, where you belong.
(Monte) And remember to subscribe to us on iTunes or follow us on SoundCloud.
(Emily) Agreed. We’ll see you all here next time.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Finding Your Place Episode 10: Creating Your Place on Campus
(Marco) So we’re in the common area outside the little coffee shop here. And it’s usually a pretty popular area. A lot of students mingle here, hang out, drink coffee, do homework. And every now and then, you get somebody here doing some music. And we’ve got a guy here playing guitar. What’s your name?
(Evan, student on campus) I’m Evan.
(Marco) Evan? Right on. What do you got here?
(Evan) Just kind of riffing around, trying to play some jazz.
(Marco) Right on. Well, I’ll shut up and stop talking. Go ahead.
[PLAYING GUITAR]
(Emily) You’re listening to the Finding Your Place podcast series.
(Monte) A college podcast series produced by college students for college students.
(Emily) Speaking of place, do you ever feel out of place at college?
(Monte) It’s hard not to, right? I mean, there are rooms clearly just for faculty, offices for all the deans and administrators.
(Emily) Yeah. And then there’s student places to study or hang out. But when you’re just starting, it seems like there’s no place just for you.
(Monte) So how do you turn college space into your space?
(Emily) Our producer team set out to answer that question by doing some recording right in the spaces and places on campus that are like a home away from home for them.
(Marco)It’s pretty good, man. Thanks for playing for a little bit for me, man. I appreciate it.
(Evan) Yeah, no problem.
(Marco) Yeah, man.
(Ana) Record, record. I’m currently sitting down in one of the practice rooms from the performing arts building of my university. This is one of the places that I definitely feel like I belong the most to because I’ve poured so much of myself in this room. This room has definitely seen me grow. This place has seen me cry, as dramatic as that sounds. So I think at the end of the day, that’s kind of the essence of home that I feel in here.
(Ana) But right now, I’m practicing a Sing Unto God song from Judas Maccabaeus. I don’t even know if that’s how you say it, but it’s an oratorio written by Handel.
[PLAYING PIANO]
(Monte) A place I felt like I could really be myself was down in the– I want to call it the relaxing room. It’s this room where they have video games. You can buy food, ping pong tables. It’s just a fun place to be at. I found myself after a stressful day of classes going there, play video games with some friends for an hour or so, and then get back to work.
[PIANO MUSIC PLAYING]
(Marco) So I’m taking the opportunity to walk around campus and describe some of my favorite places. That will bring me into the vet center. For those of you who don’t know, essentially, in the state of Minnesota, there’s a law that mandates veterans centers on college campuses. And it’s kind of a communal place that veterans can gather and do homework, study, BS, talk without the watching eye of other students.
[PLAYING PIANO]
(Ana) So that was the tricky part that I’m trying to learn well.
(Monte) A place I will consider where I can be myself at Mankato– it’s going to sound crazy, but the library. It’s just– something just felt magical about knocking out a big assignment three days before it was done. That’s the feeling I yearned for, being done early.
[PLAYING PIANO]
(Ana) I guess when I first came into college, I didn’t really think that I needed a place for myself or a place where I felt comfortable, but it definitely is a big deal. One of the biggest circle of friends that I had that first year of college, they happened to be my friends because of a French class that I was taking that first year of college. Then it turns out that we had similar schedules, so we would always see each other at 6:00 PM for dinner in the dining center. It was those big, round tables where it’s, like, 10 people sitting, and you can literally see everybody around you. So that was amazing because then it would be our six core friends, a mix of international students with a mix of Minnesota friends.
(Ana) I had a friend– one of them, who was also my tutor student, was from Japan. Another friend of mine, who actually now turns out to be my roommate, is from South Korea. I have another friend who was from Bangladesh. But then usually, it happened that they would see somebody on the hallway who was like, oh, I know them, because they didn’t have anybody else to sit with. And I would be like, hey, come on over. Stay with us. So then that person would bring another person. And then at the end, we would have, like, 15 people sitting at a table.
(Ana) It was just also a great place to just be myself once again. That first year specifically, they put on so many new responsibilities on you and expectations that sometimes can feel overwhelming. But being surrounded by people who are in the same position as you just makes you see that it’s a little bit more bearable and that you’re not the only one who’s going through that as well. So it encourages you a lot.
(Ana) So you see, finding your place on campus is more than just about the right chair or the best study spot. It’s about a place to feel safe or brave or a powerful, a place to become yourself or to be yourself.
(Emily) Producer Marco Milosevic recently sat down with Maxwell Poessnecker, Associate Director of Student Life and Director of LGBTQ Services at Century College. They talked about all kinds of places on campus where students from all kinds of backgrounds, identities, and experiences can feel like they belong.
(Monte) Let’s listen in on their conversation.
(Marco) Yeah. I’m Marco. I’m glad you came. I’m glad to have you here.
(Maxwell) Yeah, thanks.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Marco) Let’s just get right to it. Why don’t you just tell us your name, and what’s your role here at the college?
(Maxwell) OK. So my name is Maxwell Poessnecker, and I serve as the associate director of student life and the director of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer student services. So it’s probably one of the longest titles on campus.
(Marco) Yeah, I would agree that is.
(Maxwell) I went to a small state school in Nebraska. I came out, I think, as bisexual. And then eventually I was like, well, lesbian. And then I was like, no, I’m gay. And then I identify as queer.
(Marco) That sounds like quite a personal journey.
(Maxwell) Yeah. And that’s the thing, is identity and orientation are all very fluid, just like by my example in that. So I think about my college experience, and I think about the fact that I didn’t really have language. I didn’t have role models. I didn’t have anybody who looked like me and who was experiencing what I was experiencing to be able to come out. So I didn’t actually come out as trans until I was in grad school.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Marco) What advice would you give to students who are facing barriers or obstacles in maybe finding a safe space or feeling comfortable to maybe take the same journey, personal journey like you went through?
(Maxwell) Well, it’s tough because there’s no one right answer. Being at a community college, we are working with students who are oftentimes at the front lines of having marginalized experiences because they’re experiencing homelessness or hunger. They’re a first-generation college student, whatever it might be. So oftentimes, I’m finding students who are telling me that they’ve been outed by a family member, and they’re no longer feeling safe with their family.
(Maxwell) So I’m having to ask basic questions like, do you feel safe at home? Do you feel like if you needed to leave that you have enough financial money to be able to support yourself? But I think I’ve kind of avoided your initial question. I think really, the best thing that I can tell young people or students is you are valid. You matter. Your experiences are real, and there’s people out there who are like you. And when they say it gets better, I can’t honestly say that it gets better, because life really sucks sometimes, to be honest. But to be able to be unapologetically authentic in yourself is a really awesome thing to do.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Marco) I’m going to give you the last word. Is there anything you want to add, anything we didn’t talk about?
(Maxwell) I have a lot to say. One is– for students’ sake is if you’re thinking about how do I make an impact on campus, how do I find community, one of the best places to start is Student Life. I know that we always have an open door if students are just like, you know, I want to start a tree climbing club. But it’s about creating community and helping students find what they’re passionate about. And so I just want to encourage students to never go to college or never set foot on campus and not get involved in some shape or form.
(Marco) Well, with that, I take that as a personal challenge to start a tree climbing club. And I want to thank you, man. Thanks for coming out. I appreciate it.
(Maxwell) Yeah, totally
(Marco) All right. That’s it.
(Maxwell) Awesome.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Emily) All right. So we’ve got the space, but what about the people?
(Monte) Exactly. Good question. Next time on Finding Your Place, we’ll talk about mentors.
(Emily) The people we meet who help us along the way.
(Monte) The people who have been in our shoes and who know what we need.
(Emily) People kind of like us.
(Monte) Yeah. We’re kind of like mentors now too.
(Emily) So take our advice. Subscribe to Finding Your Place on iTunes or give us a follow on SoundCloud, and please join us for the next episode.
Finding Your Place Episode 11: Connecting with Mentors
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Monte) She was actually like a friend, a mentor. I talked about my girlfriend with her. I talked about things that was going on at my family life with her. And she was just so understanding and awesome and really comforting. And from then on, I learned that if I really do want to make it in this life, I need people I can lean on besides my family. Because your family’s a awesome support system. But once you leave the house, it’s kind of hard.
(Marco) And let’s be honest, sometimes you don’t want to talk to your family–
(Monte) Yeah, that’s very true.
(Marco) I’ll be honest.
(Monte) That’s very true.
(Marco) Sometimes there are issues that you don’t want to talk about with your spouse, your mom or dad, or whatever.
(Monte) Yes.
(Marco) Kind of a third party ambiguous sort of person.
(Marco) You’re listening to the Finding Your Place podcast series, a series made by college students for college students.
(Ana) OK, so here’s the thing. Sometimes you get brought up to believe that you should do things by yourself, you know? Be independent. You hear that over and over again growing up.
(Marco) Yeah. I mean, like we were saying earlier, it seems like you’re supposed to do college alone, to be grown up, make your own way, make your own decisions.
(Ana) Yeah. Like the younglings would say, adulting.
(Marco) [LAUGHS] Exactly. But you don’t want to try to do it all alone. Most people who try to do it alone don’t do so well.
(Ana) You need to connect with people and with little luck, find a mentor.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(the group of producers) I think we’re back.
(the group of producers) Oh, yeah. That’s–
(the group of producers) We’re back.
[LAUGHTER]
(Ana) Is it recording now?
(Dave) It is recording.
(Ana) I guess going back to mentoring, what is something that you guys were looking for in a mentor?
(Monte) For me, I think the number one thing I always look for is do they have the ability to be informal with me? Because like I said, I’m big on that. Show me your true self, and then we can make a connection.
(Marco) I try to get it from people who have nothing to do with the military. And the reason why is I joined the Army at 17. I got out at 31. I grew up in the Army. And now I want to learn how to unlearn some of those behaviors and sort of all the quirkiness that go along with being a soldier.
(Ana) Right.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Sonti) Independence was drilled into my brain so hard growing up. And after my car accident, it was like, oh, you have to be independent. So that’s just my thing is just being independent. I can do everything myself. I wasn’t looking for a mentor actually at all. My mentor kind of just was like, Hey, man. Like Sonti you don’t have to do it by yourself. And it was just nice, and it made things smoother knowing I was like, oh, I can bounce this idea on– he became my unofficial advisor.
(Marco) So how do you think your voice in this Finding Your Place podcast series is kind of going to serve as a guide, almost as if you’re mentoring new college students? If you were trying to tell them something, what would it be?
(Ana) I think the biggest lesson to– or I guess main message that we all are trying to share is besides the fact that we all do go through struggles and hardships, first of all, you’re not alone, but also, seek help. You know? Most of the reasons why all of us here were able to succeed through these hardships were why? Because we seeked help.
(Ana) We found somebody who were like, OK, for example, with a food insecurity, where can I go get somebody who can help me with this? If it was, I don’t know, something mentally, where can I go get counseling? If you were struggling with grades, whatever it is, it was because we went seeking for help from somebody whether it was a faculty member, a student, I don’t know, an administrator. But it was the fact that we asked for help that totally made the difference for us. You know? So yeah.
(Marco) Yeah, I agree. Something I’ve seen that’s all too common, and I refer to it as the spiral effect, right? When faced with failure, you will fail. There are some things in college– I’m not saying necessarily a class or something– but there is something along the way in your college experience where you’ll fail at.
(Ana) Right. You won’t always succeed.
(Marco) Yeah. You’ll fail at maybe a paper or maybe an entire class. Maybe you won’t get along with a group you’ve been assigned to work with. Whatever it may be. And sometimes what I see in people is they have that initial failure, and then they just go down this spiral. You know what I mean? It’s just like, Well, I failed that class, so whatever. I’m not going to try that hard in this class. Then before you know it, they’ve dropped out of school, and they let out– it’s almost like–
(Ana) You have two options after you fail.
(Marco) Right. When you’re– right. You can either pick yourself up and dust yourself off and go on with your life, or you can just keep going down the rabbit hole.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Marco) We’re going to turn this episode over to producer Monte Brown. He recently caught up with one of his mentors, Mymique Baxter, another academic advisor at Minnesota State University Mankato.
(Ana) Mymique. Oh, you’re going to love Mymique. Give it a listen.
(Dave) What’s the plan for today? Talk to me a little bit.
(Monte) I sort of planned this to interview one of my mentors, Mymique Baxter. Going to go talk about how she’s been a big help in my life.
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[KNOCKING]
(Monte) Hey, Mymique.
(Mymique) Hello. You’re already recording? Why you got the little thing out there? Knock, knock. Hello?
[LAUGHS]
(Mymique) This is Mymique. Microphone check. My name is Dr. Mymique Baxter. I am the academic advisor on record for all elementary and special education students. I also mentor a bunch of different students and different student organizations, specifically Teachers of Tomorrow, which is a student organization that supports students of color going into the teaching field.
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(Monte) What does mentoring means to you?
(Mymique) Mentoring is more than just being there for somebody. It’s believing in them and their abilities. Not just the abilities they have now, but the abilities they will have in the future, their skills. Guiding them, being a sounding board for their concerns and their needs, being able to reprimand or correct them to tell them this is a learning moment. You should have done it this way. Or giving them guidance on past mistakes that I’ve made saying this what happened to me when I did that. You can make your own choice, but hopefully you make the right choice.
(Monte) Why do you think students need mentoring?
(Mymique) I think students need mentoring because it’s all about the cycle of life. And there’s always more wisdom that comes from the more seasoned people. And as we continue to churn, eventually the young, like you, will become the seasoned. [LAUGHS] And then you will have to mentor others and help them.
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(Dave) Do you have advice for people who are told, Hey, you should find a mentor? How do you find a mentor?
(Mymique) I would say the first thing they would probably need to check into is student organizations. Each student organization has a faculty or a staff advisor. And so if there’s something they’re interested in, that would be the first place I would talk to because that’s generally an adult that has been on campus for a while. I would say start with what they like. If they like bowling, if they like soccer, basketball, if it’s sports, find a sports team first. If it’s ceramics, or if it’s academics, or if it’s a sorority, fraternity, look into that stuff also because there’s always going to be a faculty or staff advisor. And then from there, they can probably connect the dots.
(Monte) Can you describe our relationship in three words?
(Mymique) Respectful, loving, and hilarious.
(Dave) You keep saying that you love this guy. What do you love about this guy?
(Mymique) I would say mostly, I love his sense of humor. I love his work ethic. He has an attitude that’s like I’m not going to give up. He may not be the best at everything, but he continues to try. And you can see that in him. And he’s always trying to help others be successful. Once he’s learned something and he’s mastered or he feels confident in his ability, he’s always willing to share with others what he’s learned. And I really love that about him.
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(Mymique) That first semester is the most telling semester. Do you want to go back home? Are you going to be academically successful? What did you get on that first test? If you’re used to getting A’s in high school and that first test is a D, your confidence is pretty much shattered. [LAUGHS] And so you have to be able to build that back up either with friends, a mentor, or you have to have that inner ability to say it’s OK. I didn’t do so hot on that one, but I’m going to take another shot. And the candy dish. That’s always for students.
(Monte) Oh, yeah. The candy dish.
(Mymique) That’s always for the students.
(Monte) I’m going to take a Last Twix.
[LAUGHTER]
(Monte) All right. Thank you, Mymique, for allowing us to do this. Thank you so much for being a big role in my life.
(Marco) So, Ana, what’s next?
(Ana) We’re actually going to go into an instructor’s office. And wait for it. It’s going to be during office hours.
(Marco) Whoa. You can actually do that?
(Ana) [LAUGHS] Yeah. And we’re going to find out what happens when we try and talk to our professors. Keep listening. You don’t want to miss it.
Finding Your Place Episode 12: Communicating with Your Professors
(Tanita) So I have some questions for a professor. So we are going to go to her office, and hopefully she’s in. I have checked her calendar, so it says she has office hours, but sometimes they’re in the bathroom, or they go and get something to drink, or they have meetings during that time. But usually, if you check their office hours on the syllabus or on their doors, they’ll be in. Knock, knock.
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(Marco) Talk with your professor. Sure, I mean, it’s easier said than done, right?
(Ana) Some professors are intimidating. Well, at least they seem like it. But we’re going to share something in this episode that might surprise you.
(Marco) And may even shock you.
(Ana) This is breaking news, a Finding Your Place exclusive.
(Marco) Your professors– many of them– actually want to talk to you.
(Ana) One of our producers decided to put this idea to the test and recently visited one of their professors during office hours.
(Tanita) Knock, knock.
(Professor) Hey. Hey, Tanita. How are you?
(Tanita) Hi, how are you?
(Professor) I’m good. What’s going on today?
(Tanita) So I just have some questions.
(Professor) OK, class stuff, life stuff?
(Tanita) Both.
(Professor) OK, you want to sit?
(Tanita) Yeah, can I, please?
(Professor) Yeah, of course you can sit.
(Tanita) Oh, geez. OK, so the first time I came to an instructor’s office, it was scary for me, especially as an older student, because if I ask for help, it’s a sign of weakness. And I’m sure that’s not just true for older students but a lot of students, especially first-time students. I know a lot of men that are this way and a lot of cultures, too, is to not ask for help. So thinking back on those experiences and how fearful I was about, would they understand what it is that I needed, are they going to turn me away, and all of these things. And I was hoping you could help with some advice for students who may be going through this.
(Professor) I can talk about that. I think you’re right. There’s pride involved there asking for help. But I think it’s also tough because it’s a change of context. In the classroom, you’re one of many students, and the instructor is there talking to the whole room. And there’s a really familiar pattern of how that interaction works. And even if you pop up before or after class, it’s still in that really familiar setting, which is normally how your interactions go. But now you’re walking into this instructor’s space.
(Professor) For advice, I think check the office hours first, because that’s when that person would expect to see students. So they should do things to be welcoming, like have the door open and be watching for people and have time, so you won’t walk in and surprise someone. So office hours are a really good first step. And then think out your question and bring some things to be ready for that. You can write it down and have it written down, or you can have that exact assignment out or your work and have, maybe, something starred or highlighted or with a Post-it. So it’s always nice to see a student come in and want to work on classwork and seek out a conversation.
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(Tanita) I notice that you have a nice, open environment here. I’m wondering if that is intentional or if you just like to be organized.
(Professor) Thanks for seeing it that way, because I look around and see a few piles. But yeah, I try to keep some open desk space. But also, this tends to be a job that generates a lot of papers and books. So yeah, and I’ve got a lot of pictures up of friends and family and things I like, because students sometimes ask about it, I’ve noticed, like if I need to read something, some student’s work, it gives them something to do, is to look around. And then I feel like it’s less awkward to sit here waiting for me to say something.
(Tanita) No, I appreciate it, as a student, having something to look at or something to read while you’re reading my paper because, yeah, it is awkward. And you’re just sitting here. You have a nice, big, bright poster on the wall that says Celebrating Women in Arts, nice picture of Prince. And some family photos, too, gives me some insight into your personality and who you are. So yeah, that’s cool.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(Tanita) One last thing– I was just wondering, you’re very open and a bright person, but not all professors are as open as you are. And I was wondering if you have some advice for students who may have encountered the more prickly professor.
(Professor) Yeah, that’s true. That’s tricky. The personality– that’s a big factor, too, in some instructors. And to be honest, it took me a while to build my office-visit skills. I suspect some instructors are just introverts and figuring that out. And it’s probably not personal or that they don’t like you, that they’re maybe just trying to figure out how to help and uncertain of what your question is. And sometimes students are uncertain, too. So there’s a little awkwardness there.
(Professor) But yeah, I would also trust your instincts on that. And if you are not clicking with an instructor, or if you’re feeling like you just don’t want to do that conversation in person, then make it happen in the five minutes after class. Make it happen over email. Make a phone call happen. There are other ways to talk to that person without the one-on-one office visit, too, so phone calls during office hours.
(Professor) Go in with a classmate is another strong strategy for just minimizing that discomfort. If you’re just stressing out and would rather avoid, but you’ve got to do it, bring someone along. Lots of students come with a buddy, whether it’s someone from that class or another class. And that’s super normal that you’re traveling with a pal around campus and just want to check in because you’re there. So make that happen.
(Tanita) Thank you for sitting down with me and talking with me about office visits today. I really appreciate it. Office visits are really scary, especially for first-year students. Is there anything else that you’d like to add?
(Professor) You’re the best.
(Tanita) Aw, thank you. You’re the best.
(Professor) Thanks.
(Tanita) All right, thanks, Amanda.
(Professor) All right.
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(Marco) OK, that’s just one visit. But many professors we know really do seem to enjoy talking with students about our lives and our concerns.
(Ana) So speaking of professors, two of them have been helping us with this podcast series, Professor Robert Jersak and Dr. David Engen.
(Marco) They decided to sit down with some of their colleagues and get their opinions about communicating with professors.
(Ana) Why don’t we listen in?
(Professor on campus) Make yourself known to your teachers. Ask questions in class, and then come to their office and ask a question about the homework assignment. Help them connect your face with your name.
(Professor on campus) If you’re going to email a professor, using Doctor or Professor as an address is a good way to go. And I think you should sign off after your email, using your name.
(Professor on campus) Faculty love to talk to students, so the more that you talk to them, the more they will talk to you.
(Professor on campus) Look through your email. And if you can catch grammar mistakes or punctuation mistakes, that’d be fantastic.
(Professor on campus) I think you would walk up to a professor after a class, and you would say, hi, I’m Jenny. I’m in your class, and I just wanted to introduce myself to you and say hello.
(Professor on campus) Be as professional as you can. And then the reciprocal relationship that you build with them is a professional one. And I think that’s actually something you can take from your time as a student into the workplace later on.
(Professor on campus) It’s OK to be scared at first. That’s OK. But then, over time, I think that’ll ease up. And you realize, hey, this could be a good, nurturing relationship that helps me succeed in school.
(Ana) So maybe professors are not as intimidating as you think.
(Marco) And maybe they mostly want the best for us. And if we take a minute here and there before or after class to connect, to find out more about what they do and why they do it, we might add another person to our team, another person on our side.
(Ana) And more people on our side matters. It does.
(Marco) Keep us on your side, too. Remember to subscribe to Finding Your Place on iTunes or give us a follow on SoundCloud.
(Ana) We’ll see you here next time.
(Person on campus) My advice to students in their first year college or fifth year of college– when things start getting hard, you have to find a way to push through. And always, always, always, always, always communicate with your professors.
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