Podcast SCRIPT:

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Mea- Hi, my name is Mea Griffin, and thank you for tuning in. Today I am here with Lauren Polio and Soham Santikary, both freshmen at Arizona State University, to discuss what and how their real-life experience was moving across the country for college during a global pandemic. Both Lauren and Soham come from different backgrounds and both had to adjust and make the move to an unknown place without the guidance of their parents. How are you guys today?

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Lauren- Very Good.

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Soham- I’m doing very well, thank you.

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Mea- Good, good. So my main question today is, how was the overall experience of moving across the country in the middle of a pandemic to come to ASU for college?

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Soham- It was definitely very difficult and very strange, but also extremely hard. I come from Massachusetts so, it’s very far away and there was definitely a major culture clash that I had to adapt to, but everybody was very kind and accepting at school so, it made my transition a lot easier than expected.

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Lauren- Yeah, it was very different. My parents didn’t actually go to college, so we did not know what to expect. And especially moving to another state that I have never visited, it was very different, and just very, very different.

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Mea- All right so, both of you come from different backgrounds. To my understanding, both of your parents are from countries other than America and they didn’t necessarily experience college here. Now, would you both mind elaborating on the countries your parents are from and if them being from other countries really had an effect on your personal experience moving away from them and going off to college.

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Lauren- Yeah, so both of my parents are from Honduras and they moved here when they were around like 22. So, they didn’t really know what college was like over here or what that was like. Like, we didn’t know what it was going to be like. We had no experience. I don’t think it really affected my college or anything like that, but it was definitely just the unknown. We didn’t know how college was going to be like because they didn’t experience it over here.  

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Soham- So for me, it is kind of similar, both my parents are from India. My father came to the U.S. when he was 24 to study at the University of Michigan for his Ph.D. and it was kind of his ticket out of India for a better life. So, education has always been a big factor in my life, ever since I can remember. So, I knew the importance of it and I have an older sister who is at a university so I had some ideas but it was definitely very different coming to ASU and experiencing it first-hand.

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Mea- Was there any like major challenges that you guys faced or obstacles that you had to overcome when you guys were moving?

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Lauren- Not necessarily moving, but like more of the process of just applying to colleges. Like, my mom didn’t go to college until, I think she went in 2015, I think she was 35, around there. She didn’t go to college until then, so like, when I was applying, we didn’t know what FASFA was, we didn’t know what the application was. It was all like it was new to us. That was like really the only obstacle that we had to face.

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Soham- A couple of challenges I had, were that I only really knew Massachusetts, and that’s all like my family ever knew, and it was very tough leaving my family. They were very important to me and motivate me for everything  I do. But also, all the great friends I had back home, and then moving across the country, knowing nobody, knowing nothing about the new culture, but what motivated me to do it was that my dad was able to do it. In the greater scheme of things, because he moved countries not knowing the language. I didn’t want to be scared and let that alter my decision for a great opportunity.

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Mea- And that never deterred you guys from coming to Arizona, because here you are now. And so, when you did come and you got through those challenges to come here in the first place, what were things that helped you overcome the challenges that you did face? Did anything help you be comfortable?

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Lauren- One of the things that actually did help me be comfortable was actually you. Having you, like you were from Arizona. Like I had never come to Arizona, I didn’t know what Arizona was like. I’d never visited. So, having you, someone who’s grown up in Arizona her entire life just like, tell me what the heats like, like the climate, just knowing where everything is.

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Soham- For me, it was kind of the same thing. I was able to meet Lauren and Mea and our whole friend group very early on in college. Also, joining a fraternity really helped me. It brought me closer to a lot of great guys of different ages that opened up a lot of doors for me, like job opportunities which I’m seeking out right now. But also, different cultures and just a great group of people I can rely on if I need to.

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Lauren- Yeah, joining a sorority also really helped me. It gave me a chance to like meet a bigger group of people and also meet people who are going through the same struggles I was as leaving home and coming to a different place that was just unknown.

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Mea- So both of you guys did decide to rush and join a sorority and a fraternity. After you guys decided to do that, have you guys realized or maybe even thought deep down that in any way COVID has actually affected your social or academic experience in college?

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Lauren- Yeah. Especially after joining a sorority like the process was already different. The rush process was different because of COVID like we couldn’t do it in person. I had to meet everyone online, and even being in a sorority I haven’t even been able to meet most of my sisters because of COVID. I think I have met maybe like ten of them, We haven’t really been able to do in-person events just because of the whole pandemic and all of the restrictions.

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Soham- Same thing, for the most part with me. COVID definitely affects social gatherings and what we can do outside of school but academically it's affected me because personally, I just feel worn out, being online, being alone, kind of. It makes me feel more alone because I'm not in the classroom I don't have all the people to motivate or educate me but it's also another big thing focus-wise, it's very hard for me to focus just sitting on the computer. I need that like face-to-face interaction really thrive.

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Mea- And are you guys hopeful that next year actually you might semi get that normal college experience? Because for you Soham, it will help you academically and socially, and then Lauren, I know socially you’re doing okay, but still, you haven’t met your sisters. There’s stuff you’ve missed out on. Do you think next year you guys will be able to fill those gaps?

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Lauren- Oh absolutely. Especially when Arizona is starting to open up, the vaccine is coming out; yeah, I do think they'll still be some restrictions and there will still be some mandates, but I will definitely think it'll be easier to just go out and meet more people.

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Soham- I’d agree with Lauren. It’s something far out of our control so, just have to play it by ear but definitely very hopeful to get back out onto campus and kind of experience the college life.

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Mea- Even with not knowing, because your parents never really had that true experience themselves to tell you guys, still?

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Lauren- I think it made it better that my parents didn’t have the experience because although I did go in like blind, I got to experience everything for myself, like I get to have my own experience and figure it out like myself.; and they also like, get to ride along on the journey of what is college and yeah.

 

Soham- Going off of what Lauren said,  I feel like moving away was definitely very difficult, but was a risk I needed to make to allow me to grow into my own person and experience the real world for myself because as sad as it is to say, people come in and out of your life, and at the end of the day, it's really just you. So, if you can’t live on your own, there’s not really a point.

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Mea- Alright, and now you guys have almost gotten through a whole entire first year of college, you guys are both members of your fraternity and sorority, and you have gotten through COVID this far. Thank you, guys, so much for talking with me today.

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Lauren- Thank you!

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Soham- Thank you.

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Lauren- Love you.