James Loy 

The views and opinions expressed in this podcast by the hosts and guests may or may not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Miami University.

Student 

I'm a senior, I'm about to graduate, and I've done a lot of cool things in college.

Student 

I never thought that I was gonna be an intramural curler. I never thought that I was gonna be the student body president.

Student 

These four years have been the biggest amount of growth I've seen in my entire life.

Student 

It's not just about the academics, but like what kind of person you turn into, which is super cool.

Michaela 

What has been your favorite memory at Miami so far?

Aaron 

I think it has to be when I was part of the broom ball team, and the first, like, house party that got hosted by the seniors was like kind of a welcome to college moment, like a bunch of different classes getting together, just set up, just at a house to just relax, enjoy the night together, and I think this was like, damn, this is college.

Michaela 

Totally

Aaron 

I'm having, I'm having a great time.

Michaela 

I love those moments. Then you like look around, you're like, oh, I feel so much like a college student.

Aaron 

Exactly.

Michaela 

I don't really know how to like do this, like should I just like rip into this intro? Should I be like, I can't believe we're seniors, but like not all of us are seniors.

Aaron 

You got this, You got this.

Michaela 

I got this. Okay, I'm just saying, I can't believe we're seniors, and how crazy it's been that we are now at our fourth year, and we have Aaron.

Aaron 

Hi guys.

Michaela 

He still has two more years, I'm sure we're all a little bit jealous. I just can't believe what a journey that we have all had, and it's so crazy, but now I feel like we are experienced enough to answer all sorts of questions that people across campus have had, and anyone who's asking a question, we assume other people have that same question, are just a little bit afraid to ask. So we collected questions all across campus from a bunch of different students, and today we are going to try to answer them to the best of our ability. We are not experts by any means, but I would consider us, maybe kind of, maybe a little bit.

Aaron 

I might be a half expert.

Michaela 

Yeah,

Aaron 

I've got two years out of my belt.

Michaela 

Your perspective will be nice, because, like, you could maybe you'll be a little more optimistic, maybe you'll be a little more cynical. We don't know, we'll see,

Aaron 

Maybe we'll see, we'll see what the questions are.

Michaela 

Let's see how you're feeling. So, yeah, this is a special episode of Major Insight, where you guys ask, and we hope to answer. So, today I am here with ...?

Gianna 

Gianna,

Katie 

Katie,

Aaron 

and Aaron.

Michaela 

Woo hoo! All right, good. Let's go to question one. Question one.

Student Q: Sarah 

Hi, I'm Sarah. I'm a history major, and I'm wondering, what's something you stressed about freshman year that now feels so silly, in that you're wondering why that was ever stressful, or something you thought about that I should be getting over, but just feels really terrible and scary right now.

Michaela 

I like that question. I think I have my answer.

Katie 

Yeah, go ahead.

Michaela 

I would say the future, that was such a huge.. like, I thought about my future more freshman year than I, I mean, not that I do now, obviously, but definitely I was so concerned with what I was going to do with my life, because I think that's the pressure that's put on you when you're a first year, especially like, what's your major going to be, what's your job path going to be, what are you going to join to make sure you accomplish that, and I was always very focused on what was going to happen instead of what was happening, and I wish I gave a little bit more focus to the present, and joining more things, and being more just kind of where my feet were, because I think it gets away from me a little bit. So, I think enjoy the years that you do have, and really maximize all the opportunities, meet all the people you can, and your future will figure itself out if you are open-minded enough throughout the college process.

Aaron 

I do think that's fair. I think, especially people get bogged down, of like, I need to lock in a major freshman year instantly, right from the get-go. But I mean, I've already - I mean, I wanted to come in as a games designer, and then I switched to MAC, and then I switched to ETBD, all in two years, so nothing's really kind of locked down that freshman year. So explore a little bit, see what classes you like, and then move on from there. Find your niche and continue with it.

Katie 

I guess it's not really a fear I had, but I know freshman year I stress so much about, like, I want to get out of the dorm, I want to get out of like using a meal plan, and I want to get out of, like, I want my own place, and I want to, like, do that junior senior lifestyle. And the moment I hit junior year, and halfway through, I was like, get me back to people making food for me, and not having to clean more than, like, 100 square foot room,

Katie 

And getting to live with, like, my friends, being like, I could touch them from my bed. That was fun, and I feel like I took it for granted too much, and I like spent all the time being like, "Oh my god, I can't wait to get out of here," and now that it's over, I'm like, "Please take me back.

Aaron 

Yep

Michaela 

Yeah,

Katie 

And I just took it for granted a little too much, and I feel like I rushed through it.

Michaela 

Yeah.

Katie 

Too much.

Michaela 

You're like rushing it away, yeah

Gianna 

Yeah. I was gonna say, and I feel like we talked about this on my episode a few weeks ago, but I think I was so concerned with finding friends and finding like my people on campus immediately, because I'm very much a people person, but I'm not an extrovert, and so I came to campus knowing literally nobody, and I don't know, I was so worried about being like, I don't know how I'm gonna make friends, because I need, like, a buddy, like, I need somebody else to make new friends, or, like, I don't know, go out of their way to, like, be extroverted for me, like, I just cannot do that, and I don't know, I was so worried about it, but I think once you start putting yourself out there a little more, I think you kind of surprise yourself with the organizations you join, or I don't know, I feel like when I did get to campus, I was a little bit more outgoing than I would have thought, and I don't know, I stressed about that for months before college, I was so nervous about it, and I got here and it was fine.

Michaela 

Yeah, most things I feel like you're worried about freshman year just to round it out will not even cross your mind when you are a senior, even when you're a sophomore, but like most of all, now looking back, I'm like, why on earth was I ever concerned about that? Because as long as you're doing your best, like, it will work itself out. Question 2 y'all.

Student Q: Ben 

Hi, I'm Ben. I'm a chem major, and it kind of looks like everyone magically finds their people in the first two weeks. I know that always can be true, but how long did it take you to really make solid friends, and what if you're not super outgoing?

Michaela 

We kind of just talked about ...

Aaron 

I think, finding your interests, finding people in your interests. College is a place where you can really explore those interests, and I know I found some great friends in esports, which is what I do, but definitely go find your niche, go find your people in those interests, and maybe you find people you wouldn't really have connected with before. Maybe there's some other thing that you just happen to run across, talk to people in your class, see what's going on.

Michaela 

Yeah, definitely.

Gianna 

I feel like, like you said, kind of joining those organizations and stuff like that, like it's not even just the people in your classes, I feel like some of my, like, I'm in media and communications in CAS, and some of my nearest and dearest people in my life are in Farmer. Like, it just becomes so small over time, but I think when you get here, there's so much pressure of like everybody needs to have their people right away, and I definitely felt that too. But I think it's different for everybody. I feel like everybody kind of finds their groove and finds their people in time.

Michaela 

Yeah, and I think comparison is probably the worst aspect of that, especially now when we have things like social media. It looks like everyone found their best friend, is having the best time, is doing college better than you, and is like just having the best time of their life. And I think it's, you need to remember that, like, that's probably not the case, but I also will say something. I'm so glad I did throughout my college experience was, like, I prioritize the quality of my friendship over the quantity. I have a lot of acquaintances, but I don't have a lot of friends, you know what I mean. So, making sure when you do find those people, that you're like, "Oh my gosh, we just clicked, and I want you to be in my life," that you're nurturing that relationship, and like, you are super focused on being there for them as much as they are for you, because that's when, like, the term "I found my people" I think, comes in, because those are the kind of people that, like, you know, they're always going to be there, whereas, like, some of my other friendships are a little bit more casual, and, like, we know the expectations for each other, if that makes sense, but I didn't find, like, my people until all of our watering of our relationship happened, you know. So, if you find someone that you really want a friendship with, I just encourage you to really seek out that friendship and don't give up on it too early, because then, yeah, you will look back on senior year, and I've had the same six best friends since I was a sophomore, and that's because we really committed to each other.

Katie 

I tell people all the time, the girls that I've met, and the people that, like, are going to be in my wedding, I met this year. I changed so much as a person from the time I was a freshman to the time I was a senior, that I'm like, they would have thought I was weird and would not have liked me if we met freshman year, like I was a completely different person. So, even though, like, I had a couple friends freshman year, but I remember going through it and feeling like I had nobody, and feeling like I did not have any connections that I really genuinely cared about, like that, like I had all these acquaintances, but like nobody that I felt like I was gonna leave college ever talking to, and the more that I grew as a person, the more that I got to meet other people, like roundaboutly, like some of my best friends I met in October, because we got like shipped to the woods for this leadership retreat thing, and then senior year, October, so it's different for everybody, but don't be discouraged if you get all the way through your first year and don't feel like you have those people, because it doesn't mean anything's wrong with you, it doesn't mean you shouldn't be at the school, but a lot of times it just takes some time, especially as you grow as a person. Person, it takes time to also find friends that are going to connect with that person that you've become.

Michaela 

Yeah, and grow with you. I think that's really big too.

Katie 

Yeah.

Student Q: Michelle 

Hi, I'm Michelle. I'm Business Undecided. It always feels like I could be doing more, like there's another club I should have joined, or like an internship I should have applied for. Did you ever have that constant feeling of like I'm behind. How do you figure out what was actually enough to be doing?

Michaela 

Yes, I still feel like that. I don't think that's ever gonna go away. I think that's something to note. I always felt like there was more I could be doing, even when I was the most busy person possible. Like, I think involvement is so stressed when you get to college, that is like the one thing people tell you, it's like join this, join this, join this club, go to the mega fair, and go to every single table, and find something that interests you, and then find another thing, and find another thing. Like, I think there's a huge expectation to like have your whole Google calendar filled out, that I think you're never going to get rid of, but it's important to know, like, when your max is, like, I knew once I was host and I was president of the sorority, that, like, that was going to be my time dedicated, and, like, even though it felt like I could still be doing more, like, I knew that I didn't want to do more. So I think it's just setting a standard for yourself. If someone else is in seven clubs and they're loving it, that's great, that doesn't mean that you should be too. So, I think just knowing kind of what your cap is, and like what you really want to do, like what do you want to spend your time doing? Like, that's kind of when all that self-exploration comes in too. Like, okay, I really, really like this club, so maybe I'll become a leader of it and be a part of Exec, because I want to dedicate more time to it. I don't know. I think everyone kind of has to find their own way of filling out their time and making sure, like, what they're doing is important to them and not to everybody else.

Katie 

Yeah, I remember somebody had told me sophomore year when I really started getting involved in things because I felt that way. I felt like I was behind and I felt like I hadn't done anything my freshman year, and that I just kind of like wasted it. So I felt like I had to catch up with everybody, and somebody had told me, like, you're always going to find someone that's doing more than you, and you're always going to find someone that's doing less than you, and it really helped me kind of think, like, okay,

Katie 

What, what am I trying? I'm not trying to be that person who's so over committed that they have no time for anything at all, but also I don't want to be the person who has nothing to do when they get out of class, so I had to get myself out of that situation to feeling like I wasn't doing enough, even though I was same way and was involved in a concerning amount of things. I go back and look at my schedule, and I'm like, did you sleep, did you eat, but you definitely have to think of like someone's always gonna be doing some crazy amount of things, and then there's somebody that's going to do nothing, so, like, like you said earlier, comparison is comparison is what kills.

Michaela 

Always

Michaela 

Find your medium of whatever that is.

Katie 

Absolutely,

Student Q: Caroline 

I'm Caroline. I'm an entrepreneurship major, and my question is, do you just sit in the same seat you picked on the first day of class, and why is it so jarring when someone randomly takes it? Is it like an unspoken rule that I get to sit in my unassigned assigned seat?

Michaela 

I love this question.

Aaron 

This is awesome.

Katie 

I actually get so peeved if somebody takes my spot. I'm like, that's mine,

Michaela 

Totally.

Katie 

So, yeah, Gianna and I are in a class together, and we had to switch like halfway through the year, and I started feeling really unwell about it.

Gianna 

I've been so unwell about that, because I liked my little spot in the right corner. Do you know what I'm talking about?

Katie 

Yeah, 22 years old, and her making me change my chair is making me feel gross right now. I have a problem.

Gianna 

It was like Lauren was to the right of me, Sean was to the left of me. You were across that way. I was like, I can see all of my favorite people in this class, and then she was like, get with your groups and you need to sit there for the rest of the semester. And I was like, oh, oh, okay, nice

Michaela 

Thank you for killing my vibe.

Gianna 

Right? Like perfect.

Michaela 

It kills the dynamic, though. Like, even like my professors get thrown off if someone sits in a wrong seat. Wait, what? And then they like forget your name, because there's like name association with location. I swear, I sit in the same exact seat in all my classes. Like, even one in one of my classes, specifically this semester, I became like closer with one of the girls in the class, but she sat like way across, and I like didn't still didn't change. And today she literally goes, "Do you want to come like sit by me? I'm like, "Sure, yeah, this corner over here.

Aaron 

The same thing with the projects, our professor just made us do the exact same thing, and I'm thrown off because I usually like to sit against the wall up closer to like the front of the class, and now I'm like all the way on the back towards the middle of it, and I'm so thrown off.

Michaela 

Yeah, it's like an unspoken rule, like don't mess up the juju the classroom. I don't like that

Aaron 

It's some sort of like normalcy,

Michaela 

Yeah,

Aaron 

In like our world of chaos,

Michaela 

Bar! Love that.

Student Q: Leah 

I'm Leah Dressler. I'm a graphic design and entrepreneurship major, and I was wondering, what your first real failure in college was, or an experience that didn't go as expected, and how you dealt with that, and what you learned from it.

Katie 

I remember so vividly, I took a chemistry class to finish one of my requirements for my major, and I got a B minus at the end of the class, and that was the first time I had gotten a B, let alone like basically a C. I think she rounded it up because she felt bad for me. I, you would have thought the world was ending the way I reacted to it, like I felt like I was never gonna get through college, I was like, I should just drop out, because I'm never gonna make it through if I can't pass the.. and this is like Chem 101 like this isn't even like the Chem for the Chem majors, this is the Chem for the non-majors, because Lord knows I couldn't do anything else.

Michaela 

Me neither, Queen.

Katie 

I'm not, I'm not built for it, but I just remember being so frustrated and feeling like I had just like failed at everything I ever did in life, and like having a whole mental breakdown about it, when it just, it was not that serious. It's really okay. And now I'm like, at the end of the day, like, nobody's gonna look at it and be like, "You get a B plus in chem,

Michaela 

Right

Katie 

Because I'm a Mac major, like I knew I wasn't cut out for chem, I just had to take it. So there were a couple classes like that that I really felt like it was just like shot to the heart, like I'm never gonna make it through, and at the end of the day, like, it doesn't define who you are and doesn't define the kind of job you're gonna get either.

Michaela 

No, and like, here you are doing great, thriving.

Katie 

I have a job,

Michaela 

You have a job.

Katie 

I am employed. Someone was commented, they were like, and she's employed

Michaela 

Pinning that, thank you!

Katie 

Best compliment I've ever gotten.

Michaela 

Yeah, I know, I can't really pinpoint like an exact memory. How about you, Gianna? Anything

Gianna 

I feel I don't know why this is coming to mind, and why it's the only thing that's coming to mind, but like my freshman year, I took an acting class because I was a theater major, and for our final, we had to do like the scene, and for some reason mine was 10 minutes long, it was longer than anybody else's, and I cried in the bathroom before it because I couldn't remember it, and my professor walked in on me, being like, like sobbing full body, like tears, just it was bad, and I was like, I can't do this, I'm a terrible performer, like I can't full crash out, and she was like, Gianna, I don't think anybody has ever failed this class, like it's acting one on one, yeah, she was like, you're gonna be fine, like it's okay, so I don't know why that's like the first thing I can think of, but yeah, I remember that was not good.

Michaela 

Yeah, and good reminder that it's like not that deep, like,

Gianna 

It's not that deep

Michaela 

are going to give you grace. I think that's a good thing to know in this episode, specifically. It's like, you know, that meme that's always like, this isn't gonna fly in college, everything flies in college. Just throwing it out there, like, if you, as long as you're putting a conscious effort in to be a good student, and be a good person. Most times, things are going to be just fine, especially if you're one to talk to your professor, or reach out, or just explain what's going on in your life. They will understand, again, like you said, they are people too. They've been through whatever life challenges something similar, or will have sympathy for anything that you're going through. Again, this is a generalization, so don't take my word for every single professor, but every single one I've had knows what it's like to just be a human being, so keep that in mind when you are going through these failures or going through some of these challenges, that if you just take the time to reach out and explain your situation, they will say, 'Come into office hours, we can go over that assignment, or 'What can I do to help you? or 'Do you want an extension on this paper, and I think it's just important to note, like, you're going to be okay, and like every challenge that you face, you will overcome, so long as you try to.

Aaron 

Nobody wants to fail you, nobody's gonna try to fail you on purpose.

Michaela 

No, no one wants to fail you. Yeah, it's good point.

Student Q: Kennedy 

Hi, I'm Kennedy. I'm a marketing major, and my question is about office hours, like people always tell you to go, but how do they work? What kinds of questions should I ask, like how do you just show up, how what happens, how do they work?

Michaela 

Okay, I'm not an office hour warrior, I'm more of like an in-class warrior.

Gianna 

Me too. I've actually never.. I don't think I've ever been to an office hour.

Michaela 

Really?

Michaela 

I recommend, if you have friends in the class, to go with your friends, not like you're going to hang out with your professor, but sometimes it helps a little bit. It's like a buffer, like if you're one of those people that's a little bit nervous to talk to a teacher, like it helps to have someone who's there with you also taking the class, also who asks questions. I remember sophomore year chemistry, me and three of my friends were in the same class, and we were struggling, and so we would always go to her office hours, and then finally she knew our names, and then the last exam I beat my friend Ryan, sorry Ryan, the tie said she announced it to the class, and it's lit. So those are like some of the things I think the benefit of office hours is getting to know your professor, and then they have so much more grace and leniency with you, like if you build a relationship, they're going to want to work with you, and I would say office hours help if you have like an assignment to go over, but it also doesn't hurt to like just go say hi and like just be like, oh, I just wanted to introduce myself, my name is Michaela, like I'm taking this class, or hopefully they know what class you're in, and just so like they can kind of put a face to your name, because I think that helps me a lot when I'm in class, knowing that the teacher knows who I am as a person, like, helps with some of, like, my academic anxiety, like, okay, well, they know I wouldn't try to do bad on this, you know what I mean. So, yeah, that's my two cents. Anyone else?

Aaron 

They also, I mean, they also have personalities, they also,

Michaela 

Totally.

Aaron 

have lives, they are people, after all, getting to know your professors is kind of like one of the benefits of college. I feel I've gotten to know so many of my ETBD professors, just because I mean we're interested in similar things, so learning their interests outside, getting to just talk with them outside of class, office hours, sure it's about assignments and stuff like that, but just getting to know the professor just makes a whole class just a better experience.

Michaela 

Yeah, and then you can also similarly put, like, a personality to them as well. Like, I have so many professors this semester I love, and like, it's really cool to, like, just be able to say that you have a relationship with them.

Katie 

I wish I did with some of my, like, major specific professors. Like, I wish I would have gotten to know them a little bit more, especially when you realize that you need a rec letter from everyone and their mother.

Everyone 

Yeah. Yep.

Katie 

Its really helps to have more connections places and have more people that could like speak to your character, because yeah, I could go to them and be like, look at my GPA and I'll send you my resume and like write me a rec letter, but they can't speak a lot of my character just because I don't know them very well. And then I have to ask the same three people, one of them being James, to write all of my rec letters for me. Yeah, so I definitely would, if I could do it again, I would have gone solely to like get to know them a little bit more and feel like I had more of like somebody who knew my personality and knew my character.

Michaela 

Who can speak to who you really are. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah,

Gianna 

You can go to Dr. Hardin's office hours, she would eat that up, pick her brain about Real Housewives.

Katie 

Have you ever had her? She's my favorite professor.

Gianna 

I'm so mad I didn't meet her sooner.

Michaela 

Wait,

Gianna 

I love her.

Michaela 

What does she teach?

Gianna 

She does. She used to do smartphone in society, and then she does the MAC Capstone.

Michaela 

Okay,

Gianna 

But she's teaching a class about reality TV next.

Michaela 

I'm obssessed.

Gianna 

She brings up the Real Housewives at least every other class.

Michaela 

It's perfect.

Katie 

She's so good.

Michaela 

I would definitely take that if I was here next semester. She's awesome.

Katie 

I'm she's one that I'm like, I wish I would have met you sooner, because you would have been such a good, like, my favorite professor. She's so good.

Student Q: Molly 

I'm Molly. I'm a marketing major. And is it like super weird to eat alone in the dining hall, because I would absolutely overthink that. Do people even care, or is everyone just like too busy worrying about themselves?

Michaela 

No. And yes, I loved eating in the dining hall.

Katie 

I did too.

Michaela 

I think there's definitely like a stigma around it, but like if you don't care, who cares? I would always like, I would go there in the morning, like when before my 10:05's, I would go get breakfast at Maple, because I just loved that place so much, and I would sit alone. I would take out, like, bring something to entertain you, if that's kind of what concerns you, is like how you're being perceived, like, bring a book, bring your laptop, bring some headphones, do something that makes you happy. I've never once looked at someone weird that's eating alone in the dining hall, that thought doesn't even cross my mind. So, your question is, are people too worried about themselves? The answer is yes.

Gianna 

Yeah,

Katie 

I remember I'd call my mom while I was like at the dining hall by myself, and she'd be like, "Are you okay? Why are you by yourself? Like, "Mom, I'm around people 24/7 Like, this is my one chance to breathe. Like, my room has people every space I walk into, there's multiple people, like I don't get to turn it off until I get to like sit alone in a corner of the dining hall, that was like my favorite place to be for the whole two years that I was in the like had the dining plan and was able to go to the dining hall, I only went by myself, I would tell people, like, do I go, no, I want my time by myself, actually, thank you so much, like that was my favorite, my favorite time ever.

Aaron 

It's such a good place to just zone everyone out, to like just sit after going to like classes, go sit, eat, zone out, go relax. It's such a great place. No one's gonna care if you're alone, because they're probably alone by themselves too. Like, everyone's probably in the same boat, even if they're with friends, they just want a place to relax, get some food, just not think about the day.

Katie 

Yeah, I honestly don't think anybody cares or pays attention. Yeah,

Michaela 

That's with everything in college too. No one's ever, no one cares about you,

Gianna 

And ... quote that.

Katie 

That's all.

Michaela 

Don't cut that out of context.  All right. Does everyone want to take a break?

Everyone 

Yeah

Michaela 

We hope you enjoyed part one of this cool, fun, special, unique little Q and A we are doing. On major insight, we have more great questions that we want to incorporate into another episode. We have so many that we want to answer and share our experiences and our thoughts. So, next time, we'll answer even more questions from students across campus - funny, unfunny, serious. So, if you're wondering about something, just know that you are almost always not the only one. And until then many more episodes are available wherever podcasts are found.