Unlocking College Life

By Ilona Phillips and Joy Pehlke

Welcome to Unlocking College Life!

Real talk about all things college -- the good, the bad, the messy, the complicated, all of it. And you get to participate! Our show incorporates what you have to s... more

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FAQs about Unlocking College Life:

How many episodes does Unlocking College Life have?

The podcast currently has 35 episodes available.

Unlocking College Life episodes:

March 01, 2022Ep24: A Connector for Students - Dr. Makeda Turner
Ilona and Joy welcome Dr. Makeda Turner to discuss the role of an academic advisor and mentor in the college environment. Students may not be aware of all of the types of helping professionals in their college or university. Makeda highlights how to find advisors and mentors who can help students thrive amidst challenges.

Key Takeaways:
Impact of “gatekeeping” in high school
There is not always a seamless transition from high school to college
Students of color may feel set-up at a PWI
Advisors are in a unique role to help students find their way
What to do if you don’t connect with your academic advisor
Why Dr. Turner showed up at one of her student’s math classes
There are lots of helping professionals - how to find yours
Broadening students’ ideas of how an academic advisor can help
How to advocate for yourself if you want to switch advisors or mentors
Finding a sense of belonging and community as a key to success
Makeda specializes in coaching graduate-level and doctoral students through their educational journeys. Find her at Essence4success

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24min
February 22, 2022Ep23: Finding Your Way To Your Dream School - Barrett Bongiorno
Ilona and Joy are joined by Barrett Bongiorno, a sixth year senior who began his college career at Miami University and transferred to the University of Michigan. Barrett talks about getting denied from his dream school and eventually finding a way there through determination and a laser focus on his end goal.

Key Takeaways:
Considering varied paths to your dream school
The big school vs. small school experience
Advantages of being a transfer student
Imposter syndrome - the transfer version
Building friendships one-on-one
Using the challenges of a shared class as a way to connect
Approaching fear instead of avoiding it
“There is no course hard enough to deter me from my end goal”
No shame in having to use the all of the resources
Seeing college as a great place to fail
Plans, regrets, and not giving up

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24min
February 15, 2022Ep22: Journey Of A Business School Student - Eric Hopfenbeck
Ilona and Joy welcome business school student, Eric Hopfenbeck, to discuss life in an MBA program. Eric shares his perspective on connecting the for-profit and nonprofit world and his thoughts on social impact. He also discusses leadership values of humility, empathy, compassion, and collaboration as keys to success in current the business world.

Key Takeaways:
Top things to consider if you’re interested in business school
Ups and downs of an MBA program: “Highs, Lows, and Buffalos”
How imposter syndrome can impact MBA students
Business school resources that help students prepare for recruiting
Emotional intelligence as a critically important trait as a leader
Which business students tend to succeed longer term
How business and public policy can work together for the greater good
How to have social impact using private-sector tools
The intersection of business and democracy

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30min
February 08, 2022Ep21: Fueling Your Flame - Ishita Shukla
Joy and Ilona talk with Ishi Shukla, a junior at the University of Michigan, who is one of the co-founding members of a non-profit called the Lunar Doula Collective and a current president of a reciprocal student organization - the Luna Doula Support Network (LDSN). Ishi refuses to wait until she graduates to put her passions into action. She is driven by her passion to make a difference in her community and discusses how to keep moving forward even when it’s hard.

Key Takeaways:
Engaging and impacting change (even) as a freshman
Putting theories learned in the classroom into real-world practice
Addressing stigmatized sexual health & reproductive loss
Support for reproductive health, choice, and abortion
Paying attention to current times & needs – how to adapt your vision
Expecting change as part of growth
Holding onto hope and leaning on the strength of community
Taking student leadership to the next level, advocating for change
Choosing mentors who will fuel your flame
Lunar Doula Collective
All Options Hotline

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24min
February 01, 2022Ep20: Finding Voice And Being Seen As A Disabled Student - Carina Burgher
Joy and Ilona talk with Carina Burgher, a social work student who discusses her experience growing up as a disabled person. Carina is passionate about advocating for others who may not understand their mental health or physical health diagnoses. She believes in living a life as a disabled person that is full of joy.

Key Takeaways:
Questioning and second-guessing persistent symptoms
Being gaslit by health providers
The exhaustion that comes with having to be resilient all the time
Learning self-advocacy from college mentors
The importance of support groups and social support through social media
How participating in college sports helped with connection
Exploring services for students with disabilities and adaptive fitness in college

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31min
January 25, 2022Ep19: Becoming Unapologetically Yourself - Morgan Brown
Joy and Ilona talk with Morgan Brown, a freshman at the University of Michigan, who shares her experiences with anxiety and social anxiety in college. Morgan is passionate about destigmatizing mental health and being open about her story of childhood trauma and the path that brought her to where she is today.

Key Takeaways:
Navigating a college campus and life with anxiety
Making friends in spite of self-doubt
Fear of failure/fear of the unknown
Control the controllables
Do the things that make you nervous
Find out what happens with Morgan’s social media experiment
Importance of asking for and accepting help

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27min
January 18, 2022Ep18: Prison To College: Journey Of A Student In Recovery - Taylor Gayle White
Ilona and Joy talk with Taylor Gayle White, a nontraditional undergraduate student at UNC Greensboro who is a mental health first aid instructor and also a recovery program assistant. Taylor has a powerful life journey that is informed by the tenet: “how can I be the best version of myself’ every single day.

Key Takeaways:
Reframe on what it means to be in recovery
The power of education about mental illness and addiction
Cultivating a community of friends who support you no matter what
Navigating reentry from prison back into the free world
Reaching out before a crisis sets in and having coping skills at the ready
What to do without access to phone or social media
Continual reflection on self-worth and self-compassion
“I’m worth it if I work it.”
Collegiate Recovery: https://collegiaterecovery.org/

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29min
January 11, 2022Ep17: Spin On New Year’s Resolutions
This episode tackles the concept of New Year’s resolutions, and the pros and cons of focusing on them. Joy and Ilona encourage students to broaden the concept of setting goals, and to start with values first. Resolutions and goals are not end points to be achieved or accomplished. What matters is what each student learns along the way.

Key Takeaways:
Why resolutions don’t always stick
How your values are connected to your goals
Before you abandon a goal or resolution, try this idea instead
How to utilize a vision board or a journal to stay on track
Refining goals around friendship and connection
What to do when things start to get in the way of a resolution
The power of re-evaluating goals
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16min
January 04, 2022Ep16: What Does Socioeconomic Status Have To Do With It: The Unconventional Student Journey - Alyxandria Ransom
Joy and Ilona talk with Alyxandria Ransom, a student majoring in chemistry and sociology at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Alyx discusses her experience of finding belonging and purpose as a disconnected transfer student.

Key Takeaways:
What to do when you feel like “just a number” on campus
The realities of needing to work two jobs on top of getting a college education
Alyx’s advice for unconventional college students
How do you find the people who say YES?
It is not a failure to take a semester off
Finding purpose isn’t always a linear process

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32min
December 28, 2021Ep15: Women In STEM, Priorities & Boundaries - Sami Alves
Joy and Ilona talk with Sami Alves, a senior studying physics and computer science at Yale University who doubles as a flying trapeze gymnast.

Key Takeaways:
Learning the skill of saying “no”
Finding communities of women in the sciences
Real friends who challenge you when you’re spread too thin
Reframing unrealistic expectations of oneself
The importance of hearing others’ struggles
The group Sami joined that made a difference

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27min

FAQs about Unlocking College Life:

How many episodes does Unlocking College Life have?

The podcast currently has 35 episodes available.