ºÚÁÏÉçÇø

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 ºÚÁÏÉçÇø.

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 going to be an intramural curler. I never thought that I was going to be the ºÚÁÏÉçÇø 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.

Debra Olabode 

I think it's like a hump you have to get over, because especially your first year, you're taking in so much information, like you take a Miami class, you're learning where your classes are, how scheduling works, where to eat, how to make friends, what clubs to join, excetera, excetera, excetera. And it feels like an overload of information sometimes. But then once you get into your sophomore year and your junior year, your kind of able to categorize that information on where you need to go and what to use and things like that.

Maggie 

Yeah, definitely, it's a learning experience.

Debra Olabode 

Yeah.

Maggie 

College is still school.

Debra Olabode 

Yeah.

Maggie 

And that's what this podcast is all about. ºÚÁÏÉçÇø to Major Insight, the podcast where we talk about how to find your place and purpose on campus. My name is Maggie Snee, and who are you?

Debra Olabode 

Hi, I'm Debra, and I am a double major in Social Work and International Studies. And on campus, I'm an RA, and also I'm a member of the urban cohort.

Maggie 

Well, right off the bat, I just want to put this out there. I am also an RA. I'm finally talking to another RA on the podcast. Something that I am super interested in is what drew you to the resident assistant position. You know, there are tons of different ways that people find out. You know, some people like their RA, kind of, you know, inspires them to join, or maybe they talk with someone from Residence Life. So how'd you find out about it? What got you into it?

Debra Olabode 

Summer of my first year, I was in orientation, and that was like my first year, my second year, and then I had a really good relationship with my rd my sophomore year. Noah Montague, shout out to him. You can cut that out if you want to, I don't know but-

Maggie 

We love Noah. I love him so much.

Debra Olabode 

And his dog be shout out to him.

Maggie 

Yes.

Debra Olabode 

So I had a good connection with him. My freshman year Ra, I love her so much, she was a really good RA as well. And I already had prior experience working with ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs a lot-

Maggie 

Yeah.

Debra Olabode 

With, like, orientation, I was a camp counselor for like, ºÚÁÏÉçÇø Admissions Office, so, like, I've done a lot here. So I was like, let me actually support ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs throughout their transition, as they go into their sophomore year, junior year, etc. So I decided to be an RA, and I got accepted, and it's really nice.

Maggie 

Wow, oh my gosh. So would you say that you've seen maybe yourself or maybe, like, some of the values you have surrounding like, community, relationship building, like, have you seen them changed at all by being a ºÚÁÏÉçÇø working with other ºÚÁÏÉçÇøs in Residence Life?

Debra Olabode 

Yes, it's just really nice to like first you start off your first year and second year, and you have people trying to push you to make those connections and make those relationships. And now I get to be that person. So literally, it's been such a blast to see like, the people in my hall get to know one another. We have, like, our weekly RA event, which is, we call it Bishop Cafe. So we have like treats, and we always have like, coffee, tea, etc, and, like, it's only two hours. But some people stay there for like four hours plus. And it's like people from like different buildings, because I'm an RA for like, three buildings,

Maggie 

Bishop Stanton and Elliot?

Debra Olabode 

Yes, yes. Oh my gosh, you know so much. Yes, yes. So like, I just really enjoy seeing like people, like connect with each other who may have not been able to find each other without, like me doing something, or without them being in the same hall. And

Maggie 

Yeah, just like the crazy coincidence that, like you might happen to live in the same building as someone, but you might not even get to see them until this event or the weekly social or whatever have you.

Debra Olabode 

Yeah, yeah.

Maggie 

No, that's definitely been like, I think for me as well, is just really cool, because, like, I'm a people person, and I love my people and like my friends and so like, when I worked with freshmen last semester, as I'm sure, you know, working with second years and above is a little bit different, and it can be kind of disheartening sometimes.

Debra Olabode 

Yeah.

Maggie 

I won't get into it. But last spring, when I worked with first years, even if it was in the second semester of college for them, and they had kind of figured things out, it was still so cool, like getting to see some of them who were still like, kind of just like casual friends, like turn into, like, besties over the course of the semester. And it was like, it is sometimes crazy to think about the fact that you're having an actual, real impact on someone and their college journey like that is just so crazy to me to think about.

Debra Olabode 

I know. And then what also kind of breaks my heart is that I'm a senior, so I'm about to graduate, and, like all of my residents, and I'm getting along, and I'm like, in another life, we could be best friends. I mean, we could still be best friends, but like, I'm literally graduating.

Maggie 

I know it's so much fun and it there is a part of me that I'm like, I wish I could just live here forever, like, I'll take the communal showers, I'll take them just let me stay and be friends with these people for the best of my life.

Debra Olabode 

Yeah.

Maggie 

One thing that I am dying to get into. I have to know more about your experience with studying abroad, because you've done, I think, like, four separate trips abroad.

Debra Olabode 

So I've done, like, it's not technically a study abroad, but like, freshman year, my spring semester, I was able to go to Alabama for spring break, steady away, yes, and it was, it was more like a social justice orientated tour.

Maggie 

London!

Maggie 

Yeah.

Debra Olabode 

And then my first time abroad, the Career Center actually offered an opportunity for me to do like a career academy program. And so for a week, we first landed in Luxembourg, and then we also had like a night in Germany. But when we first got there, we went to France, actually. So we went to France, went to Luxembourg. All of this was like networking with global companies. So we talked to Amazon in Luxembourg. They have a headquarters there we talked to, like, the Luxembourgish ambassador for the US. It was the most random things. And we were like, hey, let's go. And then we went to London,

Debra Olabode 

I know. And it was all in one week. It was like, wow, wow, wow. And I was like, oh my gosh. And then I'm an International Studies major, and so we technically do have a requirement to study abroad. But I came into college saying, like, I want to study abroad, and that's one of the reasons I chose Miami, is because I wanted to study abroad, and I knew they had a Luxembourg campus.

Maggie 

Wow.

Debra Olabode 

And then last spring of 2024 I got to go to a full semester in Spain. Four months. I was there for four months.

Maggie 

I'm over here. Like, I spent two weeks in the Bahamas, and it was insane. And I don't know that I could spend any longer than that abroad.

Debra Olabode 

No, it was like an experience. Almost every day I would wake up and be like, I'm in Spain. Yeah, I'm living in Spain. And then I had an internship there as well.

Maggie 

So like living, learning and working all over the course of four months in Spain.

Debra Olabode 

Yes, yeah. And it was a time there's a certain feeling when you go there, like there was something in the air, like the sights.

Maggie 

Yeah, I think there is, truly, there's something to be said about taking a learning experience out of the classroom, you know. And it's obviously different for every program you know. Like if you go to Luxembourg, you know, you're still, like, going to class in a classroom. But also, like on the weekends, you're taking trains to different countries, like when I went to the Bahamas, we are out in the field looking at a plant. It is a botany trip. We're out in the field looking at plant specimens in person, like holding them and like touching them, smelling them. Like there's something to be said about like, just how much that can enrich a learning experience, simply by just going somewhere else. I guess, kind of looking back on everything. Do you think that if you could go back over your college experience, like, do you think you would have done anything differently?

Debra Olabode 

It's hard to say, because I'm a believer in, like, everything, like, if I move one piece, it's not gonna fall the exact same.

Maggie 

Everything happens for a reason.

Debra Olabode 

Exactly, exactly. But I do think earlier, I was really stressed about, like, making friends. Yeah, like, I'm someone who's, like, an extrovert. I've had a lot of friends in like, high school, but it was really difficult for me to make friends, and I was really concerned about that, because even though I was an extrovert, I felt like my friends were changing semester to semester. That's something that, like college is just because, like, you usually make friends with people in who are close to you, proximity wise, and then in your classes as well, or and things like that. So like, when I had a different schedule, or I wasn't in the same classes as people anymore. I felt like I found like a new set of friends, which was good, but then, wow, my other friends that I had previously. So I think it was really difficult for me to like solidify friends who I wanted to have for the rest of my life.

Maggie 

Yeah.

Debra Olabode 

And it's kind of daunting, because everyone always says, like, college is where you make your lifelong friends. Like everyone says that, or like people who are gonna be in your wedding, and I'm like, oh my gosh, I need to find my the people who are gonna be my wedding. And a lot of people are getting married right now, and I'm like, oh my gosh. And I'm an extrovert, so I'm like, I don't have trouble making friends, but it's just like solidifying them. Like, I have a lot of people who are my friends, but like, who are those people that are really close to? So I kind of had to, like, work through that experience, because it also made me doubt, like, oh my gosh, can I really have friends?

Maggie 

No, seriously, when I got here, I roomed with someone I went to high school with, like, my high school best friend who's still to this day, like, she's one of my very closest friends. Like, I know I could go to her with anything, but definitely, like, after we lived apart our freshman year, because, like, we did kind of realize throughout our freshman year we were like, we're great friends. I love you. We cannot function in a 10 by 12 room together. It is just not possible.

Debra Olabode 

Yeah.

Maggie 

And so after we ended up living apart for that first year, I think both of us could definitely tell, like, with the distance, has come a change, and it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It was just like, our friendship looks different now than how it did when we were 18 years old and in high school. You know? But like, even throughout that, I think that kind of helped me realize, like, even if my relationship with someone changes from semester to semester, it's gonna change in the way it's meant to.

Debra Olabode 

Yeah.

Maggie 

Because I, myself, am also becoming a very different person.

Debra Olabode 

Exactly!

Maggie 

All throughout college, and that can be a really, like daunting thing to grapple with I think. You know? That you're realizing, like, I'm not the same person I was last year when I started college, like I'm not even the same person I was last semester.

Debra Olabode 

Yeah.

Maggie 

Like, it is truly insane how much change occurs. I genuinely, like, I get Snapchat memories, or I get the little apple photo memories or whatever, and I'll, like, get pictures from like, my freshman year, and I'm like, oh, my God.

Debra Olabode 

You're making me like, a reminisce on college and like, friendships and like,

Maggie 

I can't tell you how many times on this podcast I've been like, on the verge of tears, being like, I love my friends so much.

Debra Olabode 

No, like, oh my God. Like, college, just the memories you get with college are like, one of a kind.

Maggie 

Yeah. Genuinely.

Maggie 

Oh, reflecting back on college, I can't think about it too long because I will start crying. I'm in a very emotionally fragile state.

Debra Olabode 

Yes, the last semester, that's what it does to you.

Maggie 

I had to text my sisters. Actually, hold on, I want to pull up the exact text I sent, because I must have been going through some emo type stuff, because the text I sent, I feel like it was insane.

Debra Olabode 

It's like senioritis is twofold.

Maggie 

Yeah, but it's like senioritis, but like, almost kind of opposite. Like after this, it's job and life and taxes. When you're graduating high school, it's like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna be a college ºÚÁÏÉçÇø. Like, I'm gonna go to-

Debra Olabode 

I love your high school voice.

Maggie 

Yeah, thank you. Oh, okay, here it is. I said I feel anxious for no reason at all. Did either of you experience a sinking feeling of dread at the thought of graduating? That isn't-

Debra Olabode 

They probably replied, yes.

Maggie 

Yep, that is an actual text that I sent to my sisters a few weeks ago. Because, like, you know, I feel like after high school you have generally more than one option, but really it's like, college, maybe trade school, maybe just going straight into the workforce. But here it's like, there's a million different career paths just for my major. How do I know which one I want to do?

Debra Olabode 

Yeah.

Maggie 

You know? And like, my idea of what I want to do after college has changed drastically since I started, even from just like last year, it feels like I'm on a completely different track than what I expected. But like, really, what kind of is comforting me along the way is like all my other senior friends feel like this. Yes, every other senior I talk to feels like this. My sisters felt like this. It is a universal experience, of like, no one knows what they're doing when they're graduating. Nobody. Yeah, absolutely nobody. Okay. Well, to wrap up, my final question for you is over the course of college, you know, you're a senior, you've been here four years, you kind of figured your stuff out. You know, what would you say is the biggest way you've seen yourself change since getting here?

Debra Olabode 

I don't know. I feel like there's a certain adult like aura about me where I've grown into being, like, self efficient, yeah, I guess more responsible, one could say, just in a way that I feel like freshman year Deborah, was it? Yeah, I think even though I'm still like, uncertain of all the things, a good amount of things that I'm going to do. I think I'm more comfortable with that just because of the lessons I've learned over the course of these three four years. And yeah, those lessons realm from, like, lessons about how major does it always correlate with the job or versus relationships with friends, versus how to utilize my time and time management and things like that. I think I've learned a lot of lessons that all have added up into, like, bringing me to state where I feel like I can do things on my own, more like-

Maggie 

I feel like a full person.

Debra Olabode 

Yes, like I exactly like, I mean, I still need the help and support.

Maggie 

Yeah, oh yeah. I still need to call my mommy every now and then.

Debra Olabode 

But I think there's like, a part of me that's like, well, I kind of got life. Like I yeah, I kind of can do life on my own, not that I want to, not and not that I will be doing life on my own. Even, like when I went to go study abroad, there's some form of independence where I'm like, I could fly across the world right now. I think those experiences of deciding, oh, I can get up and decide whether to go to class or not go to class, or I can decide.

Maggie 

Yeah.

Debra Olabode 

If I want to take out or eat in and things like that. Those like, autonomy.

Maggie 

Yes.

Debra Olabode 

Like I feel like a person. I feel like I can make my own choices.

Maggie 

Yeah.

Debra Olabode 

And the world won't collapse just because of one choice I made. So it's just been, like, a fun ride to get to that point where I'm like, oh my gosh-

Maggie 

Yeah, there's so much more independence that college brings.

Debra Olabode 

Yes.

Maggie 

And it's not just the independence in academia of like, I get to choose my major, and I get to choose my classes and like, I get to choose what my semesters look like. But also those, like really little, tiny things about autonomy. That's like, do I want to make a meal at home tonight? Do I want to go to the dining hall? Do I want to go out with friends? Like those little, tiny decisions that, like you said, it makes you feel like a person you know, like you are your own person, and kind of like leaning into that, it can be uncomfortable, I think, at times. But what else are you going to do at the end of college? You got to go out and be a person.

Debra Olabode 

Yeah.

Maggie 

So I think leaning into it is so, so important, especially like right up towards the end, because we are mere weeks from graduation.

Debra Olabode 

Yes, oh my gosh.

Maggie 

Well, veering away from that, Debra, thank you so much for coming in and talking with me. This was such a fun conversation. We talked about so many cool things. You've had such a cool experience here.

Debra Olabode 

I have, I have, yeah, oh my gosh.

Maggie 

So thank you so much for coming in.

Debra Olabode 

Thank you for having me.

Maggie 

Oh my gosh. Such fun.

Debra Olabode 

Oh, I could talk like this for hours.

Maggie 

Debra Olabode is majoring in Social Work and International Studies at ºÚÁÏÉçÇø. After gradation she plans to attend graduate school before entering the field as a global social worker. Thank you for listening to this episode of Major Insight. Many more episodes are always available wherever podcasts are found.