plan b, rush etiquette, + what is “frat flu?”
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Hey Nadia.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Hello.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
How are you?
Nadia Herrera-Set
I'm good, how are you?
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I'm good, but you sound a little bit sick.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Just the common college sickness, I think. It's going around.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
What's the common college sickness?
Nadia Herrera-Set
a mixture of like every sickness you've ever had, but then it goes away in like two days, so.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I'm sorry.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Do you know where you got it?
Nadia Herrera-Set
No, but we did go to Virginia last weekend, so could be that too. Yeah, stress, everything combined.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
traveling.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
All right, so what do you guys do when you're sick?
Nadia Herrera-Set
um way in bed and wish we were home
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Does it feel better? Does it feel like you wish you were home with your parents to help you? Or like, why do you wish you were home?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah, I don't know, it just feels, it's easier when you're home. It feels like you guys know what to do and so it's harder to reach like health services when you're in college. I mean, not hard, just like it takes a little bit more effort. And like if you had to go to a doctor's office,
Alyssa Herrera-Set
How so?
Nadia Herrera-Set
it's not as easily accessible if you have like a car to just drive or someone to drive you. And also I've never gone to the doctor's office here so that would also be something that's a little bit more like time consuming and then contact whether or not you want to contact the school or if you just want to go.
straight to the doctor's office. I don't even know how it works. Like I wouldn't even, I'd have to call you actually if I really needed it.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
You know, you still have access to your regular health care. Like, you can contact your physician online for advice. Mm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm. Yeah, over the phone too. Yeah. I was thinking about that, but not necessarily even when I am home like the advice nurse hotline or whatever is really annoying.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
To be honest, actually, technically, because you're out of the state and your practitioner is licensed to practice in the state of California and you're in the state of Massachusetts, I think technically they can't give you health care advice. They can't basically see you. But.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
That's so interesting. Wow.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I guess they may or may not know that you are in Massachusetts.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, I don't necessarily have to tell them.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Real quick pause. There's a lot of noise in the background. I'm really sorry. Can you hear that?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Barely, I think it's okay.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Okay, we're getting solar panels. So I told them to be quiet because we're recording this. I think they think that they're being quiet, but they are not. Okay, so...
Nadia Herrera-Set
Ah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Um.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Is there ever an issue where you feel like you shouldn't reach out to your health care provider because you're afraid that your parents are going to know?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Well, like we talked about last time, I've never been in this situation, but like if someone wanted birth control or they needed like other health services like that, like getting STD tested or if you needed like consulting on if you were pregnant or thought you were pregnant, that sort of thing, I feel like it's hard to decide like where you wanna go because...
you might not be comfortable telling your parents about it, but, and I've never been in that situation, so.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
So I think that I did a little bit of research since we last talked. And I think that the concern is that, like, obviously, you're an adult, your physician can be told that your medical consultation with them should be confidential, that you don't want to tell your parents. I mean, they actually can't tell your parents at this point because you're an adult. However, the issue comes with when a bill gets sent home, like an explanation of benefits.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
piece of paper that says to your parents like, hey, Nadia saw a doctor gynecologist on October 1st. And then, hey, Nadia saw a doctor gynecologist on October 5th and October 10th and October 15th. Wait a second, what is happening? This person's a gynecologist. Nadia has been seeing them four or five times in a month. Hey Nadia, what's going on? I got a lot of insurance paperwork coming to the house that says that you're...
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
accessing gynecological care five times. And so that's one concern. It won't say on there, like, Nadia came in to talk about birth control pills or pregnancy or whatever, but it'll say that you saw Dr. Gynecologist. It might not say gynecologist, but the parent can look it up, right?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
So I looked up what you can do about that if you wanted to keep that confidential. And you can call your insurance, give them, tell them that you have that insurance, that you wanna keep your explanation of benefits sent to you in wherever you're at school instead of sent home. You can request that.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm Yeah, I just honestly feel like nobody if a girl is like in that situation, they're not gonna think that far ahead It's just gonna find Another way to go about it, which can be bad and good Actually, I don't really think of it. I don't really think that's good, but
Alyssa Herrera-Set
written.
Right, you can go.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I mean, it's not bad to access a student health care clinic. That wouldn't go back to your parents as an explanation of benefits report, I don't think. Anyway, well, there's the answer. That if you want to make sure that nothing gets sent, you can tell your physician that you want it to be confidential, even if you're not 18 yet. Like, you're 17 and you're in college. And you can.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm, right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
I don't know.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
talk to your insurance and make sure that all of the paperwork related to the visits that you have get sent to you instead of to the policy holder, which is typically your parents, because a lot of people stay on their parents' health insurance until they're 26 years old, which is a good thing, right? Because health insurance can be pretty expensive. If you were told that you had to pay, let's say, $150 a month for health care insurance.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Would you think that's a lot of money or not? Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
For me, yeah. I don't have a job. I don't, like, there's, I'm not really getting money apart from, like, money that you, like, you guys give me. And even then, like, I don't know, being a student is expensive, like, for, in all parts. So, like, having to worry about things like insurance is definitely, like, any amount feels expensive to me. But, like...
Nadia Herrera-Set
It's definitely beneficial. So I don't know. It feel a little bit like, yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I mean, because you could, you could also get your own insurance. And actually, to be honest, $150 a month is really cheap. Like there are people that pay, you know, hundreds of dollars.
Nadia Herrera-Set
No, right, but like I feel like if even someone told me that I needed to pay $10 a month for something like that's still like with my no income like That's still um a lot. Yeah
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Thank you.
Okay, so on that note, what are some places that you know of that you couldn't get healthcare related to like, women's health without your parents knowing? Like you already, we already talked about potentially calling your insurance and making sure that parents don't forget the explanation of benefits that you get it, is your care after all. We talked about, I think we talked about Planned Parenthood.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Did we talk about that? We've talked about the student health care clinic. I think Planned Parenthood is an option. As far as I remember, when you go to Planned Parenthood, you can stay pretty anonymous when you go there. You can put whatever name you want on the paperwork when you walk in. Or you can establish your real name and a regular doctor there. But what about Plan B?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
or morning after pill. Do you know where to get that?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Um, well, I know I could probably get it at CVS, which there are a few close to school. Um, but we talked about last time that there's like that vending machine with Plan B in it. I know that there's, I don't know, maybe we didn't talk about it on the podcast, but there's a vending machine on campus that is, um, that-
has Plan B in it. Also, like, I'm assuming probably condoms and other stuff. I haven't really taken a good look at it, but I do know that there's Plan B in there, which I feel like is a really good idea. I'm not, I'm sure that there's other places on campus that it is, that has that too, but the one I'm thinking of is like, it's in a pretty public space.
So while it is, I feel like it's a really good idea. It's definitely like nobody really wants, is gonna wanna use it because everyone can see you when you go over there, you know? It's not private at all.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
It's almost like they should put other stuff in there just so that you can be anonymous when you go to it. It's like we have condoms, we have plan B, we also have Snickers and soda. So like it becomes really anonymous.
Nadia Herrera-Set
So.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right. I think like there might be there might be another vetting machine right next to it. It's just like they could totally put it somewhere else. I'm not really sure but they had to put it like right there. It's just like it's in our gym and the gym the way the gym works is like there's a hole in the middle and everything is like around it so if you just look down and there's like a really public restaurant nearby.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Are you serious? That vending machine is in a hole in the middle where everybody on every floor comes down and see you while you're getting your plan B.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Well, well everyone, yeah, well it's like, it's a little bit hard to explain, but it's like against a wall, so it's kind of hidden but not really. There's just a lot of other places it could be and it's really interesting that they chose there. I mean they want people to know that it's there, but...
I don't know. Could have been placed better.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I mean, I guess ideally people aren't ashamed of accessing these things, but I guess there is some reason to be worried that someone might think that you're not, I don't know, that you're irresponsible and that's why you're getting the morning after pill.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right and yeah it's very I don't know shame is a big thing just like you don't I don't know people would want to feel like now everyone can like judge they don't know the whole situation but people like to make their assumptions so it's hard to go up in public and buy something like this although it is free so which is like nice because I think it's like $50 right?
if I went to CVS and also yeah and CVS also locks a lot of these things and so even then you'd have to like press the button and be like guy can you open this for me and then you had to tell them which one you want which they've been doing a lot of recently which I think is really interesting and I feel like I mean they have a reason for it but also
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I have no idea. $50 is a lot.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
What do you think the reason is for it?
Nadia Herrera-Set
I think they do it for things that are either usually stolen, most commonly stolen, or for things that can be used to make other things, you know? I don't really know the whole story, but mostly for things that would be easily stolen. Like...
Yeah, I don't know. It's just really interesting.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
So since you have the common college cold, is that what it would it you had a need for it before? Oh.
Nadia Herrera-Set
It's frat flu. But I haven't like gone out to a frat in a while, so I think I'm actually just sick.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Thank you.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Speaking of which, what are you doing this weekend?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Um, to be decided. I, a lot of my friends are doing sorority rush right now so you're not really allowed to go out. So me and my friends that aren't rushing, how to decide? It's not that you're, it's dry rush, I'm not really sure how it works, but like you're not really allowed to be, you don't want a like
Alyssa Herrera-Set
You're not allowed to go out while you're going through rush.
Nadia Herrera-Set
sister that's in the sorority to like see you out. I don't really know how, I don't know how it works technically, but um I actually don't know if they enforce like no going out, but it's like they encourage you not to and then um so technically you could go to another school and go out, but I don't, I don't know. I feel like if you're really into it might as well just.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Maybe it's in an effort to stay home. Maybe it's in an effort to make sure that people aren't doing rush outside of actual rush, right? So there's moments where you get to recruit people while they're going through formal rush. And then if you find out that some house is throwing a party and are basically trying to entice people to go to their house.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm, yeah. Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right. It's like... what do they call it? I really... see I'm just starting all these terms like from hearing my friends but like that's like dirty rush. I don't really know how that works but like they wouldn't want you to... you're not allowed to speak to the sisters outside of rush and then it could probably lead to whole other things but yeah.
So, not sure yet, but we don't have school on Monday, so...
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Oh, right, because it's Indigenous Peoples Day.
Nadia Herrera-Set
We'll see.
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Is that what your school is calling it?
Nadia Herrera-Set
I think so. I hope so.
Nadia Herrera-Set
But yeah, I don't have school. Which will be nice, I think.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
So what your mother is hearing is that you have something right now called frat flu, which prevented you from going to school today, but you are still thinking about a nice fun weekend partying with people who aren't going through rush and potentially a long weekend of partying because you don't have school on Monday. Did I hear that right?
Nadia Herrera-Set
It's not a frat flu.
Nadia Herrera-Set
I'm sorry.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Well, I don't have frat flu. I have regular flu, I think, and it's still to be decided. I don't really know yet.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Okay, well, I hope you have a good weekend. I actually really hope that you rest and sleep, maybe watch a cute little movie with your friends. Actually, I saw a good movie that you should see on the way home from Virginia. It's called, What's Love Got to Do With It? Have you heard of it? It's about like.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Hehehehe
Nadia Herrera-Set
Watch movie.
Nadia Herrera-Set
No. Still on Netflix?
Alyssa Herrera-Set
It's on Netflix. It's about like this Pakistani American guy who has an arranged marriage, which she calls like an assisted marriage. And, you know, there's somebody that's like doing a documentary on the whole process. And of course, they fall in love, you know, I mean, I know I gave the ending there, but then, you know, you know, that's going to happen, you know, like you knew that from the start, but it's really cute. I like that. What'd you say? It's totally a mean movie. We got cultural things. We got love. We got...
Nadia Herrera-Set
that movie.
Nadia Herrera-Set
That's such a you movie. Yeah. It's that. Yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
you know, a predictable flow, nice and easy. Yeah, or maybe you go do homework first.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm. Maybe I'll go watch it right now.
Nadia Herrera-Set
I don't have homework. That's a lie.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Okay, have a good weekend. It's about to get real loud back here.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Don't expose me! Okay, bye!
thoughts on birth control | part 1
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Hey Nadia.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Hello!
Alyssa Herrera-Set
So I have a topic that I want to bring up, but I think this may be a long conversation. So maybe we'll break it up into a couple different episodes. But it's an important one, and it's one that could bring up some uncomfortable moments. Are you ready?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Okay.
Nadia Herrera-Set
I guess so, yes.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Birth control.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Are you ready to talk about birth control with me?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Guess.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Okay. The topic was inspired. This is where I want to start. The topic was inspired by another parent friend of mine, who is the father of a son. And he has a very easy, comfortable relationship with his son where they can speak openly about a lot of things, including birth control and I think sex life in general.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Uh...
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Um, and this, um, father was expressing concern because his son is, um, has a girlfriend, they're sexually active, um, they're having penetrative intercourse, and, um, they, the son is responsible for the birth control because the daughter, um...
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
You mean his girlfriend.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Yeah, sorry. That would be sketchy. The son is responsible for the birth control because the son's girlfriend is not able to speak about her sex life and the need for birth control pills with her parents. And I know that you and I have had a previous conversation about just like the facts, like the n control. And I think there's a whole range of how much a parent might speak to their child about sex in general. And this friend of mine, the dad, he feels like the parents should be the number one person that the child should be able to talk to about all their questions related to sex.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
And I just kind of felt differently about it. I felt like I want you, I want my children to be able to talk to me when something is needed, but I don't really feel like I'm, I don't need to be the number one source of information regarding sex education and birth control. I'm wondering what you think about that.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Um, well, I guess like we have I guess I would call it like a kind like we're we have an open relationship I can I feel like I can talk to you about a lot of things but Topics like that are a little bit more I don't know. It's hard to bring up I don't know. I feel like It's just an awkward conversation that you don't always want to have with your parents I think like thinking about right now. Maybe it's like a difference between like
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Why is it hard to bring up?
Nadia Herrera-Set
girls and boys, like, and sex in general. Um, I don't know. I feel like it's more normalized for guys to just be having sex and girl, like, I don't know. Even though that's not usually, like, the case for everyone. Um, yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
like it's more accepted that like it's like less maybe it's easy to talk about boys having sex males having sex because it's more like socially acceptable like it's like less shameful or something like that.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
It almost feels like... wait, how old are they?
Alyssa Herrera-Set
um late teens and um and to clarify this um father feels comfortable speaking to his daughters about their sex life also and the mother also feels comfortable speaking to both her um sons and her daughters about it too they have actively chosen to be sex positive um yeah so i guess if we
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Is that the ideal? Do you feel a sense of loss because we don't have dinner conversations about, I don't know, the details?
Nadia Herrera-Set
I feel like...
Nadia Herrera-Set
Um, I feel like it really depends on like the way that you grow up because like if they're old, if you're really used to being really open, of course you would always lean to your parents to ask questions like this. But I also feel like although we do have an open relationship for some, for most things, like I can talk to like my friends about this, like my peers, and I feel like that's equally
helpful and can give you the same amount of support in certain circumstances. But yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Where else do you guys, where else do young women your age go to for information about all things related to sex? Like...
Nadia Herrera-Set
I would say friends or social media. I feel like a lot of my friends don't talk to their parents about this stuff. Not like whether or not there's something to talk about. It's an awkward conversation that is easier to just avoid. And I don't know. I'm not really sure if they're like...
I'm not really sure if there are ways to get around not asking for your parents for birth control, but I feel like people would choose to go that way instead of having to ask. And a lot of times, like girls when they're younger will go on birth control for like different reasons, like acne, and now it's kind of like, oh, like it's okay. Like I'm glad I'm on it now because now I don't have to ask when I actually need it. You know what I mean?
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
But, you know, it's different for everybody.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I remember we had a conversation when you were in high school. You asking for birth control pills because it seemed like a standard. Everybody was on it for multiple reasons, whether it was to control their flow or for
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
to their period, you felt like it was pretty standard.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
I feel like at the time, yes, and it still is now. A lot of my friends are on birth control and I do have the birth control pills but I never started taking them because I didn't need it and because of like the circumstances of when I was gonna first take it was like a year ago, like literally a year ago and I was in Greece and I was really sick. So it like didn't seem like the right time. And then now like
I haven't started taking it later because I didn't need it and I just... I don't know. I feel like while the pill is like super standard, there are other options that are just like a little bit less. Like I don't want to have to remember to take it every day, you know?
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm. Do your friends, is there any concern about taking a daily medication that's hormone related? Like, is anybody worried about side effects or anything like that?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Um, for the people that are just, I've been taking it. I feel like, no, it's just normalized. Now they've been taking it for at least a few months. So their body's gotten used to it. I do have a friend that stopped taking it because it, it helped with like the period part, cause that's why she first started taking it and then all the other symptoms like.
her heightened and increased and she didn't really realize until after she stopped taking it. So, I don't know, there's definitely a right and wrong choice for everybody, but you kind of have to just try it out.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Is there a feeling about regarding using birth control pills for the purpose of preventing pregnancy? Do you feel like between male and female partners that someone is more responsible for making sure that birth control is in place?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
I feel like for like condoms and stuff for that, I mean in the situation you were talking about before, I feel like if you're dating a guy like they should buy it, I don't know, that feels like their responsibility if the girl wants to buy birth control or take birth control that's on them but um I don't know. It can't be all on one person.
So I understand kind of wanting like the girlfriend to talk to their parents or her parents. Um, but in college, I feel like I've just heard, I don't know. It really depends on the person and whether or not they're in a relationship or not. Um, because I feel like when you're in a relationship, it's easier to talk to some about that kind of stuff. But yeah. But if you're not in a relationship.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Like your partner, you mean?
Nadia Herrera-Set
like a relationship with a person then comes a question like I mean in many instances just like talking with friends and stuff it's like they the guy ends up not wanting to use birth control so if you're if the girl is on birth control then I at least you have that but like I feel like yeah which is like
Alyssa Herrera-Set
So that does happen. Like a guy will be like, I don't want to use a condom.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Honestly, disrespectful, like...
Alyssa Herrera-Set
What do they propose? What do they propose is the option of not using the condom? Is it, I don't want to use a condom so we're not going to have sex? Or I don't want to use a condom so-
Nadia Herrera-Set
No, it's like, yeah, so like, I don't really...
I mean, I'm not a guy, but like, I just don't understand why you wouldn't want to use it. It doesn't really, I don't know, especially if you're not in a relationship with that person because that just can lead to a lot of other things on both sides. So I don't know. Yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
disease and pregnancy.
Nadia Herrera-Set
And also like you're making the other person uncomfortable like if they wanted to use it, but you know, it's just, I feel like it should be a standard.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
So no, I want to dig into this more. They don't want, they just want to refuse to use a condom. So what is their proposal? Like, let's just not have intercourse, or let's pull out, or let's just give it a shot. Where are you on your cycle? Like, what are their options?
Nadia Herrera-Set
I feel like...
Nadia Herrera-Set
Uh, I feel like guys in college know nothing about period cycles, so that's just out of the question. Like they wouldn't even, I don't think they really under, they wouldn't understand, even if you explained it to them, like what that means. But, and even I don't really understand it. Like I don't, I don't know. Whatever. Like it just, it's a, I know it's a cycle, but I know, I don't know the specific parts of it. But I think it's both.
which is just interesting, the way that they think about things. Because they're not affected by the- if you get pregnant, or if you're scared that you're pregnant, like that's not really on them. So.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
It's really interesting. I can't imagine.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
What would the, how do you think it would be received if a guy and a girl were hooking up?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
they're not in a relationship and then the guy doesn't have a condom but the girl does. She happened to bring it with her to a party just in case. Do you think they'd be like, what? Do you just always have this on you or?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Uh-huh.
Nadia Herrera-Set
I mean, it really depends. I don't know. It really depends on the person. I feel like in the best case scenario, you're gonna like as a guy and the girl has the condom and you don't like you should take that as like, oh, thank goodness. Like, you know, but it depends on the person.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Yeah.
I am still like shook from that thought that I would just refuse. That is really interesting. Real quick before we go. I'll go ahead.
Nadia Herrera-Set
I honestly... right? I honestly think like... no I just think it's like whether or not you like respect girls it's just really interesting the way that they think about it but yeah what were you gonna say?
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I had this conversation with a bunch of people that are on my age this weekend. It was whether or not there exists consent apps, like are those actually being used? One of the parents I was talking about was saying that her child and somebody that she met that night, they both recorded themselves saying, like, this is my name, I consent to this.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Uh oh.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Like, does that actually happen or is that like one-off situations?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Uhhh...
I would say that's like one-off situations. I don't really hear about that happening. I mean, hopefully like consent is given on both sides, but in certain circumstances, it's not really like, that's not what people like, people's first response is, is to like, let's take a video of this, of us like consenting, you know?
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Right. And another parent brought up, like, OK, so maybe they consented at that moment, but then maybe it went to a place where they didn't consent anymore. Like, now you have this video that says that you consented to something, but not maybe whatever that person was hoping it would lead towards.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right, right. So it's definitely like hard situation, you kind of just have to hope that the person like you're with is like, going to respect your boundaries and stuff, which is not always the case, unfortunately.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
I don't know.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
All right. I think we covered a lot in just like 20 minutes and I'm left with other questions, but maybe we'll do it in another episode. I'm thinking since you, hmm?
Nadia Herrera-Set
We can do a part two. I said we can do a part two.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm. I'm thinking since like the one thing that you were not aware of was the cycle Maybe we should bring somebody in to like explain that
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah, probably. It's pretty important.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Mm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I mean, it's good to know. It's kind of like a hard, hard method to follow as far as preventing pregnancy.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah, I feel like it's more used for when you want to get pregnant, but...
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Yeah, yeah. All right, nice talking to you.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Okay. Nice talking to you too. Goodbye. Okay.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Okay, done with the awkward conversation.
Bye.
work life balance, being a young woman in stem, and dealing with stress in university
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Hey, Nadia.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Hello. I'm good. How are you?
Alyssa Herrera-Set
How's it going?
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I'm good. Um, are you really good?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mmm, worse were what's the word? I'm surviving, not thriving. Actually I am thriving. But not in all parts of the day.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Hehehe
Alyssa Herrera-Set
What do you mean? What parts are you thriving in?
Nadia Herrera-Set
any part where I'm not doing organic chemistry.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Okay, why did you choose to take organic chemistry? You're a public health major and it's not a requirement. Why did you choose to take it?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Hehehe
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Definitely a question I've been asked multiple times this semester. Um, and it's only been like, yeah, I know and everyone's very curious. I have always thought I wanted to work in like a hospital, which means med school. In the traditional sense, that means med school. And so, um...
Alyssa Herrera-Set
It's only been two weeks.
Nadia Herrera-Set
I'm considering going pre-med. The thing is with Northeastern is that one public health, public health was like the major I was always interested in doing or pursuing, but it's very new major at Northeastern. So they already had a major and it was health sciences, which is like the basic health, I mean, I mean, it's the basic like health major and their major requirements are a little bit more based on what you need for pre-med.
And so things like Orgo you kinda need to take. And most people that are a health science major are pre-med. I guess maybe not most, but a lot of people are. And so, right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I mean, I'm sure there's also like pre-dental, pre-ner, not pre-nursing, because there's a nursing major, but pre-PT.
Nadia Herrera-Set
There's a pre-PA. Yeah, pre-PA, pre-PT, pre-dental. I'm sure there are others, but yeah. The public health, I didn't really get along with my academic advisor when I first talked to her about all this because I told her I wanted to do pre-med classes and she said the best thing for me to do would be to switch.
to health sciences, but I wanted to keep public health and consider doing pre-med. So basically I'm doing whatever I want and I chose to take Orgo in case I want to be pre-med later on. But I'm not pre-med yet.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I mean, you could have chosen to take all your pre-med requirements after you graduated with your public health major.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right. But I also like had elective spaces and like why not take it here? I also have a lot of friends that are health science majors so I like have a lot of classes with them and we're all taking organic chemistry together. Not in the same class but you know I think and I like having
Nadia Herrera-Set
And I would have to take those public health classes anyways with the health science major, which is a sudden, it makes, it's complicated, but there's just so many overlaps that would make it like for me easier if I just switched to health sciences, but I'm being kind of stubborn and I don't want to. So I'm just gonna keep with this and do whatever I want.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I think that's the first, I mean, this is like one of the first situations where you're going to be advised to do one thing. But for good or for bad, right or wrong, you have this other thing in mind, and you choose to do the thing that you want to do, which I think happens a lot in life, but specifically in life as a female going into a profession.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
uh... that
is male dominated. I want to say that I don't actually know the stats on how many physicians or health care providers are male versus female. But I mean, the standard is that most work situations are male dominated. The leaders in organizations are male. So being female, being young, and choosing to take your own path is tough. But it's like something that.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
That is good practice, I guess I would say.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah, I did actually hear though. And it's like a very male dominated like in like the exec, like in the very high ups of healthcare. But I've heard that there's like, it's like a lot more women dominated in like med school and like even in my like the like pre, the health science like field, like in the basic health science classes, a lot of the times it's mostly girls and like three guys.
which is very interesting. But maybe it's also the school, the school, but I don't know. But yeah, it is definitely something challenging, but something that will be helpful later on.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I mean, I feel that too in physical therapy. In my class at UCSF, there were 30, about 35 students, 30, 35 students, and 10 of them or so were male. And...
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
So that felt like, you know, like a pretty female dominated, or majority female class setting. But in the profession of physical therapy, although there are more women than men, I feel like the loudest voices, and especially in leadership of sports physical therapy, which is what my specialty is, there are a lot of, it's male culture and male leaders.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Man, yeah. Yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I have found some really amazing female leaders in my profession and gravitate towards them when I'm looking for advice on how to run my practice and how to progress my career. But yeah, I would say it's majority. Or that's what I feel like the loudest voices are. Yeah. So are you feeling like?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
taking OKEM, well, I call it OKEM, you call it ORGO. Are you feeling like OKEM? Oh, really? Is it a, are you regretting signing up for the class?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah, I don't know. I feel like that's an East Coast thing. I don't know.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Um, I'm not regretting it. I just... it's... I don't know. I enjoy class- like... I- In the past, like math classes, they're not easy, but I feel like... like doing quite- like questions with things that have actual answers instead of like, you know, what you do in humanities classes. It comes a lot easier to me, but
And so Orgo is more of like that math type chemist. I mean, it's chemistry. So it's like problems with answers. And in that sense, I enjoy that, but it's definitely gonna be kind of a, not like...
the school making their break for me. It's like me like deciding on what I want to do next because if I end this semester really enjoying Orgo, then I would go on to Orgo 2 and then I would continue with like Physics 1 and Physics 2. If I, I don't think I'll end the class not enjoying it. I have a good teacher. I just, I don't know.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Hehehehe
Nadia Herrera-Set
I feel like it's a little, it's definitely gonna make me think because if I, and plus I'm taking my co-op classes and I'll be on co-op next semester, so there's a lot of things in this semester that are like, um, dictating what I want to be doing, not like in, like for long term, but like in the short term, like in the next like five years. No, maybe two years. I don't know.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
You will just know that along the way of whatever, along your path, there's going to be a lot of opportunities for you to decide which direction to go. And there are some built-in hoops to jump. Is that the saying? Yeah. There are some like.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
obstacles.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Um...
built in traditional obstacles that people put in the way. It's hazing you to get to wherever you want to go. Organic chemistry is, I feel like one of those things. People get frustrated and like, what does this have to do with what I'm doing? This is so hard. I'm not going to be doing this deep of chemistry. But it's a little bit of showing someone that you have the dedication to get
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
through this obstacle because not just med school, but lots of other professional programs are challenging and they want to see. And that's also what college is about too a little bit. You're learning, but you're also telling the world, I'm making a commitment to getting the education. You can trust me that I can stick to something and see it through to the end.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah. I mean, I did. I say that. But also, like, I'm not really I'm not going to like give up on, you know, some like science as a whole, like I'm not going to like change directions completely. But I don't know, there's just a lot of things to think about. And with my co-op too, I also had to choose like clinical versus research. And so something like this.
Actually, like right now think like because of my orgo class I'm more interested in just like really getting into a clinical setting because and maybe it's like a research job, but in a clinical setting, but I Want to get fully immersed into it because I if I don't like it then There's just so many other paths I could take and I then I'll have like so many other class like class spots but
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Right, you want to be wasting time taking pre-med classes if you don't see yourself working in a clinical setting. And there's a lot of health professional directions you can go that don't require organic chemistry. I had to take physics in one and two for physical therapy, but I did not have to take organic chemistry, just regular chem, to a year of regular chem. Okay, so.
Nadia Herrera-Set
right.
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I'm sure that any college student listening to this wondering if they're going to be pre-med is like, okay, enough about the organic chemistry. I totally feel you on this, but it's so stressful to think about what kinds of things are you doing to balance out the stress of school.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Um, well, it's definitely something like, it's like a continuous process for me. Cause I feel like I, my personality, I can make things more like anything more stressful than it has to be. But, um, and you know this, but I, in the beginning, like the first couple of weeks, like I went to the gym with my friends a lot and even like, we're not like doing crazy things at the gym, but it's definitely.
nice to get that kind of exercise. And I just recently joined the club gymnastics team at Northeastern, which is definitely something that I didn't expect to do, but I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. And that's another outlet. I think exercise really helps, even if I'm not
Alyssa Herrera-Set
outlet.
Nadia Herrera-Set
just to do something that's really not school and I can't be doing school at the same time because sometimes like I can watch TV and do all these things but I might be doing work at the same time and it's not really like
Alyssa Herrera-Set
enjoyable. You're not relaxing. Do you do anything that's like, chill? Like you say, you go to school, and then you exercise, and then you do gymnastics. Like, do you do anything that's just like, calm? And then I know that you go out on the weekend. So, do you do anything that's like, quiet and peaceful? Do you find that like, helpful at all?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah. Um, yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Um...
Nadia Herrera-Set
uh, I sleep. There's not really a lot of quiet, peaceful time. But I also am not the type of person that really needs that. I think, I mean sometimes my roommates and I will like all just watch South Park together. Which I love that show so much. So I don't know. It's like little things.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Thank you.
Nadia Herrera-Set
I've been trying to cook for myself. We talked about food the last time. And recently I've been trying to cook. But that's also been a little bit stressful.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
trying to figure out cooking, like cooking itself is stressful or like the stress of trying to make sure you're eating healthy or whatever.
Nadia Herrera-Set
I like all of it. And then buying food. Money is very stressful.
and everything costs money.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Yeah, I mean, if you think about every part of life being like, stressful, like you attach that word stressful to it, then it probably will be. Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
It can be attached to anything. Yeah. In the beginning, I mean, I really have only been here like three weeks, but I feel like I've been here forever. I haven't really been that stressed out, thankfully. And I think it's all kind of a little bit catching up, but it is that time of the month where like all your classes are gonna have like quizzes or tests and...
It's not like, oh fun, we're back at college. It's like, we're back at college and you have like work to do. But, I don't know.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Yeah. So are your friends doing like, are they similarly stressed about life and what are they doing to like, mitigate the stress?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm
Well, yeah, I mean, we're all a little bit stressed, but we're all to have our have our own things. My roommates, one of them's in the dance company at Northeastern. And I have other roommates that are rushing sororities and pre-med for hats. So there's definitely like a lot of little outlets. We've all like gone to like club meetings, but.
I don't know, like it's definitely a lot of stress right now, but I feel like in the next couple months it'll calm down. There'll still be like stress. Yeah, I think once we have like a routine, you know, because all of us are like trying out for like all these different things, like it's been a lot of like go go, but then once those things have their schedules, I think it'll be easier.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
You think so?
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
to manage.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Yeah, yeah, I can see that. Like, everything's like kind of disorganized right now.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah, yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
What kind of things does your school have for you guys to balance out the, you know, like if you're feeling like you can't handle it or maybe that's a little bit dramatic, like if you're just feeling like a little bit extra, what kinds of things does your school offer?
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah. There are, um, like, health counseling services. I've never personally used it, but, um, that is available. And, like, I think it was implemented after COVID. It's, like, uh, I'm not sure what it's called. Like, a health day, basically, that you can, like, because some of the classes, like, they don't want you to not show up. Um, so...
you can like get your absence excuse basically. You just have to like ask for it ahead of time, which is kind of, I mean, there's like, it's up in the right direction. I don't know, right? I don't know, maybe you can do it after it happens, after the fact, but I think another thing is a lot of my classes are pretty hard, right? Like my classes are pretty hard, so I feel like if I miss a day,
Alyssa Herrera-Set
How far in advance? You're like, it's one minute before class, I need a health day.
Nadia Herrera-Set
I'm gonna miss a lot. And like, Orgo is my only class. I can, and I guess Biostats, but like, are the only two classes I can skip because they don't take attendance. But if I do skip those classes, like, I'm gonna be lost the next time. So it's like, I have to, I have to go. I mean, I don't have to, but I should.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Yeah, it makes it more stressful to not go.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah. Um, are there another?
Alyssa Herrera-Set
I thought I saw you guys have like, puppies on campus and stuff.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah, oh yeah, they, well there's always like a, actually I don't know where they stay, but Northeastern has like dogs that I think are connected with like NUPD, but they walk around and they also have like baby huskies. A lot of clubs, yeah very cute, a lot of clubs like have little, most times like clubs will have things set up on-
Alyssa Herrera-Set
So cute.
Nadia Herrera-Set
A club will have something set up. You could like buy food or like do a, I don't know, have a little activity. But it is like, they want money, but those are kind of fun.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Do they have a crisis hotline?
Nadia Herrera-Set
I mean, they should. I don't even know. But.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Okay, say you had a friend that had a crisis. What would your first step be? What do you think? What would you do? A mental health crisis.
Nadia Herrera-Set
I would.
I don't even know if I'd go through Northeastern.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
you just call a physics, like you call 911 or something like that, or like go online.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah, just because like, I mean, I guess this is just a sign I need to look this up. But I would just call 911 because it would be too much. I would have to like look up right these, you know, like I'd have to look it all up. I'm sure they have a crisis hotline, but there is an actual crisis hotline that could be more helpful. Or less, I don't know.
Thankfully I've never had to be in that situation, but I don't know. Sometimes like going through school, it just feels like it would take longer. I don't know. Like, there's just like too many like things you have to go through instead of just going straight to like the hospital. Yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
an emergency situation. Yeah. Well, I bet they have things in place for long-term help. I'm assuming, and maybe it's wrong for me to assume, but I'm assuming that there is mental health, there's counseling on campus that's available to students, that they have regular appointments available, and that they can help students.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
that are having a really hard time, maybe advocate for themselves if they're like falling behind in class because they're going through a hard time, whether it's their issue or not. Like you could be having some kind of tragedy in the family or some like loss of money or something all of a sudden, and you need help and someone to advocate for you. I'm hoping that the school has that in place.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm. Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right. Yeah. Oh, I- they definitely do. I just... I'm not... Yeah. Thank goodness. But I should probably be more aware of the resources I have. Um, but yeah. Thankfully I have not to use it. I think another like stressor too is like, um...
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Haven't had to find it.
Nadia Herrera-Set
the social life on campus. So even like you said, I do go out like on the weekends, but I mean like more like within like friend groups and stuff and I feel like especially this semester, everyone's like really busy and taking different classes. And so like, I feel an added pressure of like, oh, I haven't seen this person in a while. I should probably reach out to them or like, I don't know. It's just like hard to.
I feel like me personally, I'm like thinking of my, I think of myself and all the things, all my responsibilities with it. I'm like, oh, I have other people, like I have friends that I should probably take account for too, which is a little bit stressful, but doesn't have to be.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Yeah. Right. Like, you don't want to lose touch with these people that are important to you, but life is busy and you're not crossing paths. And so now you feel like this responsibility to reach out to them or else you might lose them as a friend, which is both like, like you want to have friends and so you worry about losing them, but also you want to take care of your friends. So you want to reach out to them.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Right.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm. I think that mainly also applies like friends at home too. There's just like a lot of different things. And I don't know why it feels like more this semester. I don't necessarily feel homesick as much as like in the way that I did in my first year. But I think a lot of things are changing. So it's like, I just want to go back to...
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Like do I wanna like, yeah, yeah. When I knew what was happening.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
stability.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
Yeah, I feel like, gosh, that's probably what your 20s is about. Or 18 to 28 or something is kind of like just 10 years of instability. So you're at the start of your ride right now.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Mm-hmm. Yay. Yeah, but we'll see.
Alyssa Herrera-Set
All right, so I think I'll let you to go study for Orgo. Have a good weekend. Okay, bye.
Nadia Herrera-Set
Yay! You too! Bye!
eating, food, and diet culture in college
Alyssa Herrera-Set: Hey, Nadia. Nadia Herrera-Set: Hello. Alyssa Herrera-Set: How's it going? Nadia Herrera-Set: I'm good, how are you? Alyssa Herrera-Set: I'm good. I was looking forward to our talk today, because it was actually really surprisingly nice to talk to you in this podcast forum last week. Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah, I really enjoyed it too. Alyssa Herrera-Set: And I have a question for you, which is potentially, I mean, I think this conversation could become slightly sensitive or controversial. Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: And it's inspired by a lot of things that have conversations I've had in the past week. And it is food and nutrition and diet culture Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: amongst college women. And Nadia Herrera-Set: cave. Alyssa Herrera-Set: I think the most, I think there are a couple of things that Nadia Herrera-Set: loaded Alyssa Herrera-Set: came up. Nadia Herrera-Set: topic. Alyssa Herrera-Set: What did you say? Nadia Herrera-Set: I said loaded topic. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Yeah, loaded topic. So there's a couple things that came up. One of them was this and I want to know your thoughts on this. So I was talking to this mom. And she was telling me that her daughter was going to college. And she told her daughter that if she stayed slim, they would continue to give her allowance. So Nadia Herrera-Set: Wow. Alyssa Herrera-Set: it wasn't just that. I'm making that sound worse than it was. Nadia Herrera-Set: I'm Alyssa Herrera-Set: It's still bad, but it was if you get Nadia Herrera-Set: sorry. Alyssa Herrera-Set: good grades and if you stay slim, but maybe the mom said, if you stay healthy and you get good grades. But loaded Nadia Herrera-Set: Uh... Alyssa Herrera-Set: in that question or Nadia Herrera-Set: right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: in between the lines is like, if you don't gain weight in college, then we will continue to Nadia Herrera-Set: pray. Alyssa Herrera-Set: give you money. Nadia Herrera-Set: Right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Any Nadia Herrera-Set: I Alyssa Herrera-Set: thoughts on that? Nadia Herrera-Set: think that's really hard. I feel like in the beginning when you first start college, you're like, oh yeah, like, I don't think everyone talks about the freshman 15, but it doesn't really seem that like, seems pretty out of reach just because like that's, I don't know. For me personally, I did gymnastics like all throughout middle school and high school. So the thought of it was like something that I personally hadn't experienced before. And I it wouldn't be that much different having to get food for myself. I'm not that of a beginner cook or I know how to order food and stuff like that. So it didn't feel like something that would happen, but it's really, I think, I mean, a lot of people talk about it, but the college transition is pretty difficult. And I think, I mean, people cope in different ways, but I... like I was abroad and I feel like, and I know you heard a lot about me like complaining about food and stuff like that, but with like when you are eating a bunch of food that you might not like, you end up buying your own and that doesn't necessarily mean it's like the best food. I'm like going for like the junk food that I miss from home and it all kind of adds up. along with like stress and all of that, it's definitely, it happens without like you noticing. And so I think when I came back from my first semester of college, I was like, I definitely saw a difference in the way that I saw myself in the mirror, not necessarily that there was like that big of a like weight change or whatever, like it just, I felt different. And... And I think it was because of all of those things. But something that I feel like parents and everyone should take more into account is like, just everything that you did in high school is not gonna be the same in college. And so if you don't have like a parent like cooking for you anymore, like changes are gonna happen without the kid noticing. So I don't know, it's hard to like tell your kid that you have to stay slim because it's kind of. almost out of their control. But now that I'm a second year, I feel like I've gotten a better hang of it, not to say that I'm the best at it, but I've definitely tried to have healthier foods around and when you're stressed, you just wanna snack and if you are aware of it, it's... easier to control it. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Nadia Herrera-Set: But I don't know, Alyssa Herrera-Set: And there Nadia Herrera-Set: it's Alyssa Herrera-Set: was a Nadia Herrera-Set: like, Alyssa Herrera-Set: lot there. Nadia Herrera-Set: it's really hard. Alyssa Herrera-Set: There was like, yeah, there's a lot. Like, many people do sports in high school. Not many, but there are there are Nadia Herrera-Set: Right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: people that do sports in high school that don't do sports in college. So if you go from like in your Nadia Herrera-Set: Right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: situation, like 20 to 25 hours of doing a sport to you're not doing gymnastics Nadia Herrera-Set: Right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: in college anymore. And then it's like, At most, you're going Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: to get an hour a day. You're never going to force yourself to go to the gym Nadia Herrera-Set: Right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: for four hours on your own in Nadia Herrera-Set: right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: a day. So there's that. There's also you're just growing. You're continuing to develop Nadia Herrera-Set: Right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: and become a woman. So that's inevitable that you are going to grow into your woman adult Nadia Herrera-Set: Right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: body. And then there's Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah, Alyssa Herrera-Set: the other. Nadia Herrera-Set: totally. Alyssa Herrera-Set: if you have coping mechanisms like eating for comfort that adds to it. I was thinking like Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: what are the, I mean I guess this varies Nadia Herrera-Set: Drinking Alyssa Herrera-Set: from person Nadia Herrera-Set: also, Alyssa Herrera-Set: to person. Nadia Herrera-Set: I think. like drinking, like Alyssa Herrera-Set: Alright. Nadia Herrera-Set: if I've heard like many stories of like, I don't not necessarily in the best form, but like people just noticing like after someone has been in college for a certain amount of time, like they're always out at parties and like, you can just tell that they look different than they did in high school, which is like, I don't know, especially with social media, those differences, like people really take them into account, which is not a good thing, but it just like, that's just the way life is. You're gonna like not look the same as you did in high school. But I think that like eating and all that kind of all the like college stuff. Your first year definitely play a big role. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Right, drinking alcohol, maybe evening munchies. Nadia Herrera-Set: Maybe. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Yeah, so there's that. OK, what was I going to say? Oh, what are the, what do you think? how much does it play a role that some people were under so much control and restriction under their parents and then they go to college and then they just go crazy can they because they now have the choice to eat whatever they want and Before their parents used to Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: control it and now they're gonna either rebel or they don't know how to make decisions for themselves Because their parents always made the decision for them Nadia Herrera-Set: Right. I think the freedom is in all ways in college is like something that you definitely have to like teach yourself how to control it. But yeah, I could definitely see how like being you have a certain amount of money that you could spend whatever from a job, from an allowance, and now no one's telling you what you can and can't buy with it. So it's easy to be like, let's just spend all on this food that I was never able to eat when I was at home. Yeah, that's definitely hard. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Okay, so what advice do you have for me and for the other moms Nadia Herrera-Set: Uh... Alyssa Herrera-Set: out there? You and I had a really interesting conversation that like really caused me to pause. And it was last year. You, Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: as a mom who's always been a part of your life, I continue to wanna be a part of your life, right? So I'd ask you questions, normal questions. Sometimes it's like, how's school? Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: How's your friends? Are you sleeping well? blah, blah. So at Nadia Herrera-Set: Right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: one point, our conversation became, what are you doing for breakfast? Because you were living at the dorms, and you're like, I had apples. And I said, oh, did you get the apples from Trader Joe's, or did you get it from the cafeteria? I don't remember what the answer was. Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: And then I might have said, did you pair it with some protein? I'm not sure if I said that. to pair your Nadia Herrera-Set: Probably. Alyssa Herrera-Set: carbs with fiber and protein. I don't know. I'm not sure if I went there. And then I said, and then you were talking about how you were going to have Popeyes for lunch. And I was like, Nadia Herrera-Set: Hehehe Alyssa Herrera-Set: I said something like, is that really the healthiest choice? You know, because I know I'm paying for your food Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: at the dorms. and you're choosing not to go to the cafeteria where there's like some steamed vegetables and salad and, you know, grilled chicken or something, you Nadia Herrera-Set: Hehehe Alyssa Herrera-Set: chose to get a Popeyes chicken sandwich or whatever you chose to get. And I said, is that really the healthiest choice? And your response, like super quick, was like, I don't need to be telling you all the things that I'm eating. And I was like, oh, like I felt all of a sudden like I went too far. And Nadia Herrera-Set: Wow. Alyssa Herrera-Set: like, on Nadia Herrera-Set: I Alyssa Herrera-Set: the Nadia Herrera-Set: didn't, Alyssa Herrera-Set: one hand, Nadia Herrera-Set: I don't Alyssa Herrera-Set: I- Nadia Herrera-Set: remember saying that. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Oh my god, I specifically remember that because I've always been very, I feel like I've been around a lot of eating disorders in my life, you know, like my friends and because I work with Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah. Alyssa Herrera-Set: gymnasts and dancers, like I've been around a lot of eating disorders. So like, there's Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: this weird balance, like I want to encourage you to eat healthy, but I don't want to like cause some kind of weird religious conflict to food. And so when you said, I don't tell you all the things that I Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah. Alyssa Herrera-Set: eat, I was like, Oh God, I'm being one of those weird parents Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah Alyssa Herrera-Set: that drive their child towards weird relationships with food. Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah. Alyssa Herrera-Set: And so I stopped Nadia Herrera-Set: I mean... Alyssa Herrera-Set: and actually part of that on a side note was contributed to me getting a dog so that I could focus my attention on feeding another animal. Nadia Herrera-Set: That's really funny. I like that had that conversation, probably a text conversation too had that much of an impact. But I don't know. I think it's definitely obviously I don't always I'm not always like I want I don't want you always asking questions about it. But in Greece, when I was studying abroad, I did go to you when I was like, I know I'm eating all these bad things that I don't know. how to like, and I'm being served all these things that I know aren't that healthy and I'm not really sure what they are. And like I didn't, I wasn't sure how to go about that. I don't know, you have to find a balance. I feel like it really depends on the person. And I've also had to always had a really weird relationship with food, because I love, I love food, but being an athlete for a long time and then, I don't know, like having to like. Then when I'm in college and I'm managing my own health with my food, I don't know, it's definitely a struggle. So it helps when someone's like, I guess calling you out, but it really depends on the person. I guess that maybe I was feeling really, maybe you got me on a wrong day, Alyssa Herrera-Set: Thanks Nadia Herrera-Set: on Alyssa Herrera-Set: for Nadia Herrera-Set: a Alyssa Herrera-Set: watching! Nadia Herrera-Set: bad day. Ha ha ha. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Well, it made an impression and resulted in our dog. So, yeah. Nadia Herrera-Set: So in the end it was good. Alyssa Herrera-Set: It's funny Nadia Herrera-Set: Hehehe Alyssa Herrera-Set: that you don't remember because I've told the other parents this story multiple times about that cow when you put me in Nadia Herrera-Set: Hey Alyssa Herrera-Set: check, but you don't remember. So going back to that original parent Nadia Herrera-Set: That's Alyssa Herrera-Set: that I Nadia Herrera-Set: funny. Alyssa Herrera-Set: was talking about, she is a her daughter to send her pictures of her food every day. like what she's eating. Nadia Herrera-Set: Like, is she in the dorm? Oh, cause she's a first, she's a freshman. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Yeah, she's a freshman. Nadia Herrera-Set: So she's Alyssa Herrera-Set: So, Nadia Herrera-Set: only eating at the dorm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: and I don't know, I think that I think that's all that could potentially all contribute to some potentially unhealthy relationship with food and unhealthy relationship between Nadia Herrera-Set: right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: parent and child. But I here's where Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah. Alyssa Herrera-Set: you like draw the line again. So I you the other thing that happened this week was you got really excited because I sent you an air fryer. Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Because I wanted Nadia Herrera-Set: I love it. Alyssa Herrera-Set: to encourage you to eat Nadia Herrera-Set: Heh. Alyssa Herrera-Set: vegetables. Nadia Herrera-Set: Oh, and I sent you a picture of it. Alyssa Herrera-Set: You sent me a picture of it. The text that you sent me was so cute. You're like, guys, she's here. It's like a picture of your air fryer, which it made me happy to make you happy. Nadia Herrera-Set: I was really excited. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Yeah. But- Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah. Alyssa Herrera-Set: I had said to you, I will get you an air fryer if you send me a picture every time you're eating air fried Nadia Herrera-Set: Oh, Alyssa Herrera-Set: broccoli, Nadia Herrera-Set: mm-hmm. Vegetables. Alyssa Herrera-Set: vegetables. Nadia Herrera-Set: Well, okay, I feel like there's a difference between that and the story that you were saying before. Because when I sent you the pictures, because, well, I sent you a picture of my vegetables the other day and they didn't look good and I thought it was funny, so like I wanted to send it, but also to be like, look, I did it. I feel like there's a difference between me doing it on my own terms versus someone asking me to do it. I feel like if you were in that mom's position, you asked me to send a picture of my food every day, I'd like two things. One, I would send you the picture of the food and like... like perfect it basically. Like I wanna make sure that you're looking at something that you want me to be eating. And so then I'm going around the dining hall and I'm like, I want that. But if I send a picture of that, I'm gonna get in trouble. Or like, not that I'm gonna get in trouble, but like she's gonna say something. And two, after Alyssa Herrera-Set: So is Nadia Herrera-Set: doing Alyssa Herrera-Set: it helpful? Nadia Herrera-Set: that, Alyssa Herrera-Set: Is Nadia Herrera-Set: I Alyssa Herrera-Set: that Nadia Herrera-Set: feel Alyssa Herrera-Set: a good Nadia Herrera-Set: like it's Alyssa Herrera-Set: thing? Nadia Herrera-Set: a type of thing of like, it is a good thing, but then also it's like, You I well, I don't know. I'm not an expert, but I always tell myself like everything in moderation. So I'm telling myself I can never, ever, ever eat pizza ever again. Like, that's not necessarily. Like it, that's not necessarily something that has to happen. It's you don't want it every day, but it's not something you can never have. But I think another thing that. What might happen is... like her eating or me in this situation eating food, but not sending a picture of it, you know, like, Alyssa Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm, like hiding. Nadia Herrera-Set: and then whatever food I spend on my own money or outside or whatever, even still in the dining hall is gonna be an act of like, I'm just gonna rebel against whatever healthy food I've been being told to eat every day. I don't know, but maybe she looks. I don't know, maybe her daughter likes it like that. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Right. It's like this bounce, like, on the one hand, it's cute because you have like this supportive relationship and you're staying in contact. Nadia Herrera-Set: Right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: On the other hand, it's like over surveilling, you know, like, is that a word? Surveilling? Like, too Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah, Alyssa Herrera-Set: much Nadia Herrera-Set: yeah. Alyssa Herrera-Set: helicopter parenting, you know? I feel like we have such Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: an opportunity to get so much in your business. Like we can see pictures of everything on Instagram. We can follow you on Find My or Life360 or wherever I'm following you on. We Nadia Herrera-Set: Ah... Alyssa Herrera-Set: get messages when you make purchases. So I know exactly where Nadia Herrera-Set: Hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: you're purchasing things. Like when I asked you if you bought some healthy snacks at the liquor store. And then... Nadia Herrera-Set: She's exposing me. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Or you did though, right? You bought nuts and, um, like some dried fruit at the liquor store? Nadia Herrera-Set: Yep. Yes. Alyssa Herrera-Set: And we see everything. It's a little bit much, you know, like, Nadia Herrera-Set: Mmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: or maybe that's just the Nadia Herrera-Set: Right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: way life is. But it seems like a bit much. Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah, it is a lot. I feel, I don't know. A lot of things, but for me, a lot of these things that you just said happen without like my, like that's just gonna, like I can't do anything about it cause that's on your end. I can't Alyssa Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Nadia Herrera-Set: like take my phone off of your find my iPhone and I can't like stop you from getting text messages when I buy things. And I mean, I don't know. Those things are good, but I can't control it. I feel like, but maybe that's just like your style of parenting, but I'm like fine with it because there's no way, I feel like there's no way I can like change that. And it's Alyssa Herrera-Set: Yeah. Nadia Herrera-Set: not like I'm doing anything wrong. So Alyssa Herrera-Set: Well, you don't know any Nadia Herrera-Set: I don't Alyssa Herrera-Set: different. Nadia Herrera-Set: really, Alyssa Herrera-Set: You don't know Nadia Herrera-Set: it's Alyssa Herrera-Set: what Nadia Herrera-Set: not Alyssa Herrera-Set: it was Nadia Herrera-Set: like, Alyssa Herrera-Set: like Nadia Herrera-Set: I Alyssa Herrera-Set: to Nadia Herrera-Set: don't Alyssa Herrera-Set: be, Nadia Herrera-Set: really have anything to hide. Alyssa Herrera-Set: right? You don't know what it's like to be like, because Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah. Alyssa Herrera-Set: when I was in my 20s, my parents had no idea where I was or what I was doing. And so Nadia Herrera-Set: Right, Alyssa Herrera-Set: your generation Nadia Herrera-Set: right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: has, this is all you know is your parents being able Nadia Herrera-Set: But Alyssa Herrera-Set: to see Nadia Herrera-Set: then, Alyssa Herrera-Set: wherever you are. Nadia Herrera-Set: yeah, and you grew up like that with your parents not knowing where you were. It's just like. uh, something that changed over the Alyssa Herrera-Set: Thank Nadia Herrera-Set: years, Alyssa Herrera-Set: you. Nadia Herrera-Set: but probably for the better. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Maybe. OK, one last topic, which we only have a couple of minutes, but so this might have to go on to another episode. Do you Nadia Herrera-Set: Okay. Alyssa Herrera-Set: see people, friends, with disordered eating habits or disordered eating that you're concerned about? And what do you do about that? Nadia Herrera-Set: Well, recently, no. I think it's just not necessarily disordered eating, but ways of thinking. Like you want to, just, I don't know. It's hard to think about what's healthy for you when you're like getting your food from the dining hall. And now for us as second years, like starting to make your own food. It's... hard to make that decision if we don't really have all the information about like the nutrition and like what's actually really bad for you and what's really good for you. I don't know. I don't it's not like anyone that I see not eating or eating not like not enough of what they should be. It's more like avoiding certain foods or I don't know. Oh, like I can't get up and get seconds at the dining hall because it's gonna, like everyone's gonna judge me. I've Alyssa Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Nadia Herrera-Set: personally felt that. I don't know, it's like maybe that's an internal thing. I still go up and I get more food, but it's Alyssa Herrera-Set: Thank Nadia Herrera-Set: like Alyssa Herrera-Set: you. Nadia Herrera-Set: people are gonna see me getting more food and be like, why, like she already had food. Why is she still hung? Like it's like a whole bunch of things, but maybe that's because like I'm surrounded by girls. guys Alyssa Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Nadia Herrera-Set: obviously think differently, they're gonna eat whatever they want and get out. Like I've seen guys with like piles of food and they don't they don't care. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Thanks for watching! Nadia Herrera-Set: But I don't know, it's hard as I feel like it's always gonna be hard but Alyssa Herrera-Set: I mean, I remember Nadia Herrera-Set: especially Alyssa Herrera-Set: actually Nadia Herrera-Set: in the dining Alyssa Herrera-Set: being Nadia Herrera-Set: hall. Alyssa Herrera-Set: in PT school. And one of the first lunches that I had in PT school, we all like ate inside our classroom. And Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: there's 30 people in my class, the majority of them were eating healthy foods, like cut up bell peppers and like salads. And I straight had a burger Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: in like the styrofoam box thing. And I was like, all of a sudden feeling really self-conscious because you know, I am a- Nadia Herrera-Set: Hehehehe... Alyssa Herrera-Set: future healthcare professional and amongst Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah. Alyssa Herrera-Set: the specific healthcare professionals that care about like, you know, nutrition and fitness, and they're all eating healthy foods and I was eating Nadia Herrera-Set: Right, Alyssa Herrera-Set: a burger and Nadia Herrera-Set: right. Alyssa Herrera-Set: fries, I definitely like felt all of a sudden self conscious. So it doesn't end, I guess. Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah. They Alyssa Herrera-Set: Um Nadia Herrera-Set: just want to put up a front then. Nobody really likes bell peppers. Alyssa Herrera-Set: I've grown to like bell peppers and fresh ones, not cooked ones in my later years. Nadia Herrera-Set: I can't understand it, but it's okay. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Okay, well, nice talking to you. Until next week. Nadia Herrera-Set: Nice talking to you too. Bye.
finding your community in college.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Hey, Nadia.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Hello.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Hello. So now you're in Boston, and I'm back in the Bay Area, or still here in the Bay Area. And it's your first week of your second year of college,
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Northeastern. How are you doing?
Nadia Herrera-Set:
I'm good. I feel like I'm getting back in my school groove. I was here pretty recently, so I feel like nothing has really changed going back to normal. It's just really extremely hot outside, but I have AC, so it's okay.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
You're so lucky that you have air conditioning.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Yeah, really, really lucky. It is like 99% humidity outside. in 90 degrees so really not the most comfortable situation if you don't have a cool room.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
That's terrible, actually. That sounds terrible to me. But does that mean that most of you guys are staying indoors most of the day?
Nadia Herrera-Set:
For the most part yeah, unless you want to go like actually roast outside a lot of my friends will take Will come to our room since we have the AC
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Does every room in your building have air conditioning?
Nadia Herrera-Set:
In my building, yeah, but not all the dorms. So not all the buildings, but in my building they do.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Oh my gosh, you are so lucky. So
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
you were saying that you feel like things are back to normal because you're back in your dorms. And I'm curious, now that it's your second year of school, are you feeling like school is home? And when you come home to us, to the family, that's like a
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
trip away?
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Um, I feel like I'm in that transition. It doesn't quite feel like that yet, but I definitely think that it will. I just, I think it's easier to be here than home for like, I don't know, like for having a schedule kind of purpose. Because when I'm home, I'm not, I'm not really doing anything. And it's kind of up to me to like decide my day, but when I'm at school, like I have class, I have this, I have... I'm going to the gym, I'm eating dinner, I have like a meeting. So in that way it feels like a little bit easier to manage but that doesn't mean I have a way busier schedule.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Mm-hmm. So as far as your schedule, you're mostly going to school. Are you planning on working this semester?
Nadia Herrera-Set:
I had a job last semester and over the summer when I was here over the summer and I'm I was considering it. I feel like I may not go back. I worked at a grocery store which is like a pretty easy job. It's not very like intense and I'm kind of doing my own thing the whole time. I'm not really talking to anybody else except for customers. But I do feel like an urge to kind of make a person for myself at Northeastern itself. And if I have a job, that means that I probably won't have the time to like go to certain club meetings or go to the gym with my friends and meet new people at the gym or like go to an event that has been hosted on campus. So, I'm still deciding, but we'll
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Yeah,
Nadia Herrera-Set:
see.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
make money versus make kind of like memories or find a community, a larger community or be part of the larger community at Northeastern. Yeah,
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right,
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
so go ahead.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
and I feel like... Well, I was just going to say, like, I obviously need the money, but I will be going on co-op next semester. So in that sense, if I just save my money now, like if I don't necessarily need to be spending a lot of money, it's just good to have like the extra stuff. But I don't know. I'll see.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
I guess for our listeners, in case they don't know what co-op means, why don't you describe what it is?
Nadia Herrera-Set:
So I go to Northeastern and a big part of Northeastern is this co-op program where most students will do two in their four or five years in college. And it's basically like a six-month internship. And most people do it at a company or a hospital or whatever it has to do with your major, but it'll be in Boston, but you can't do it abroad or. in a different state, you just have to kind of go against, I think, I haven't, well, I haven't actually started my co-op class yet, but I think there's like a website, I don't know, some sort of thing that helps you put together a resume and your applications and apply to all these different places. But if you're going to another state or you want to go abroad, that's. Something you to do on your own and won't necessarily be through Northeastern But yeah, I haven't gone to my first co-op class yet Which will like teach
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
preparing.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
me about the process so I can probably talk about it at a later date
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Yeah, I got actually like chills as you listened or as you said it, I got not chills. I didn't get chills. I got like butterflies in my stomach as you were talking about it. I'm super excited
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
to do all of those things. I think because I know that throughout high school you didn't have a lot of work experience because you spent 20 hours a week doing gymnastics and
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
I'm excited that experience while you're kind of like a little bit sheltered as a student, you know, and
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
so that when you come out of school you're going to have like resume, things to put on your resume and hopefully those experiences
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right. Exactly.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
will help you figure out what you want to do after college. I'm really,
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Hmm
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
actually as we were talking about it, even more excited about it than I was like, you know, when you were starting school so that's really cool.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right. Yeah, it'll help me like either decide what I want to do or what I know I don't want to do, which is kind of helpful because I'm kind of in this stage of I really don't know. So we'll see.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Right. Okay, so as far as finding yourself as a Northeastern student,
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
I'm thinking that this semester is different for you compared to last semester because your first year of college was going directly to Greece instead of the Northeastern Boston campus. And so... going abroad as an 18-year-old is just a task in itself. And so that took up a lot of time. And also wanting to find community and a home for yourself in Greece was not really necessary because you knew you were only going to be there for three or four months. So
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right, right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
now that you're settling into Boston, what kinds of things are you doing? to find community at Boston.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Well, what I really think like the transition made, well, starting from Greece, like you said, it was hard. It wasn't really like we were gonna make ourselves like find a community in Greece because we were only there for three months. It was more like try to get comfortable and take advantage of like the opportunities that you have before like, it gets harder to do that. And then I feel like last semester, the spring semester of last year, I definitely, there were a lot of times in Greece where I didn't feel really comfortable or I felt like a combination of like homesick and just like being in a new country. So I think me and probably a lot of my friends too, like took last semester to kind of like feel settled and comfortable and like fine, like really spend time with the friends that we made in Greece. And we try. I personally tried to join clubs and stuff during that semester, but I feel like I tried for those few months just to get used to being a college student in the United States, in the school that I'm going to be at for the next four years or five years. So joining clubs and going to club meetings almost felt like... like an extra thing that I didn't want to do. So it would kind of take like, wouldn't be the biggest priority in the sense that I would like want to go to dinner with my friends at the dining hall or go to the gym in place of going to that club meeting. Cause it kind of felt like I'd be missing out on something if I was going to that club. But I think coming to campus this semester, definitely have a new perspective just because like I feel more comfortable on campus and my friends have like friend group and like that's kind of settled down and I am a lot more interested, me and my friends, are a lot more interested in getting really into all the clubs that we're interested in. And so before school started, school started on Wednesday, and today's Friday, so I've only had three days of school. But before that, on Tuesday, there was a club fair, and with like literally every single, I'm assuming almost every club on campus. So there was a lot of different tables to go to, there was a lot of people, it was very crowded. And although it was... I guess mostly for the freshmen. I took the time to go with my friends just to kind of like reintroduce myself to the clubs that are on campus and also to see like if there were clubs that I missed and Because we did have a club fair like that last semester
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
in January
Nadia Herrera-Set:
But it was indoors
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
when you moved into Boston in January.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
What'd you say?
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
When you moved into Boston in January, there was a club fair for people settling in
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Yeah,
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
January.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
there was a club fair. Yeah, it was just, it was indoors, it was really cold. So, and this one was outdoors, so, and we were spread out all through campus. So, if you can imagine, like all these different clubs crammed into like, I mean, a big building, but like, it was just really crowded and very overwhelming. So, it wasn't necessarily like... I guess you wouldn't have found all the clubs you wanted to go to because it was a very overwhelming experience. But this time it was overwhelming, but because it was hot and there was still a lot of people, but I was able to go to a whole different bunch of tables. It was just interesting to see the different groups of people on campus. Talked to a lot of people that are really passionate about their club and what they do, so that was really fun. And I think that I haven't gone to like a first club meeting yet, but it should be fun.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
I seem to remember in college, which was so many years ago, that sometimes when you would approach a club table, it was really clear that the people that were all there together telling you about their club were friends with each other. And if you're lucky enough, you go to a club table with one of your friends, so you feel kind of safe and confident. But you know
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right,
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
you're walking
Nadia Herrera-Set:
right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
into somebody else's home or somebody else's friend group. And you're almost saying, hi, tell me about your club. And can I be friends with you? And it's kind of this awkward moment where you know that they're checking out to see if you would be someone that they'd be excited to welcome into their club. And
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
you're doing the same thing, looking
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Hooray.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
how they interact with each other. Most like, however you judge a group of people to determine whether or not you would want to hang out with them more, you might be looking at how they talk, what kind of music's playing in the background, what kind of
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
like clothes they're wearing, right? And so like, do you look like them?
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
You know, you like whether, yeah, do you look like them by clothing or by just like, you know, your appearance?
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
And so it's not
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
just about like the club and what they do, but also about the people that are representing the club.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Mm-hmm. Yeah, what do I think
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
That's
Nadia Herrera-Set:
is...
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
what I remember. Is that a your experience too?
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Yeah, I think it's... I think it's definitely the same way now. I think like it's hard because you almost feel like you're going up to the table not to like judge them, but like... I mean making friends in general is hard because you... You're just analyzing every part of that person just to see if you would get... along with them and like not in like a bad way it's just you're gonna look at every part of like at this club where you're gonna look at every part of their table the way that their posters like design the way that they're like decided to approach you um the tone of their voice it's like it's a lot and i think a lot of people felt left the club fair feeling like one like there's a lot of new clubs for me to join but also a little bit of stress and a little bit of like that was really intimidating and I don't know if I'm enjoying but like I ended up talking to one like a pre-med fraternity and also sororities and already like approaching the table like hesitant, very hesitant. It was definitely like very intimidating talking to people that are obviously very passionate about their sorority or their frat. So I think, yeah, I feel like that experience is a universal experience on college
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Yeah,
Nadia Herrera-Set:
campuses.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
it's almost like you're looking at them going, oh my gosh, you're so passionate about this. Is that going to be me? Like, can I be this passionate about what you're
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
talking about? Do I want to be that person? Yeah.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
But I guess you got to understand that that's their job at the table is to give you the positive stuff
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Mm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
and show their enthusiasm. Because it would be weird to say, I love this club, but also here are some things that I don't like about it. You know, like you have no choice but to...
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
kind of be really enthusiastic about it when you're
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
working the table. So what is the timeline on that? Like, are you, now that there's been a club fair and like, how does that work? So there's a club fair, do you give them your email address? Do you follow them on Instagram? Like what
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Um...
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
process of like, now that you've seen the clubs, what happens next?
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Uh, yeah, so a lot
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Thanks for
Nadia Herrera-Set:
of
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
watching!
Nadia Herrera-Set:
them had interest forms where you put your email down and your name. Um, Instagram handles were there too. It's just like harder to, it's easier to just write your name down and have them contact you rather than like you find them. But they definitely put their social media out. Um, I'm not sure if any clubs have had their first meeting yet, but I know that- on Monday, this next Monday, I have like three different, maybe four different meetings that are also around the same time of, no, it's three meetings on Monday, one meeting on Tuesday, of different clubs, of their first meeting, which is, I guess, maybe not necessarily getting right into things, which is introducing the club, so. Next week is definitely going to be like the start of it all. But most of the clubs meet once a week. They all have like a faculty advisor and they meet like in some, not, um, not usually like a classroom classroom, but there are like, I guess makeshift classrooms in some of the, um, dorm buildings. Uh, so they'll have. they'll be there or actually I don't know, maybe in the library. But yeah, so after next week, I'll probably be at a few different club meetings a week, but we'll see.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
do they provide some other incentive to get you there? We're going to provide food or are some people incentivized because they're like,
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Um...
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
oh, I really like that faculty advisor. I want to join the club because I want to do research with that faculty advisor. I imagine there's the club and what the club does, and then there's the
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Mmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
people. Do you want to be friends with them? Then there's the faculty advisor.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right. The faculty advisor isn't always like, um,
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Hands
Nadia Herrera-Set:
what's
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
on.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
the word? Like promoted. Like they don't usually, I don't know if they, I, that's not like the first thing you look at, but later on that could be a reason why you keep going to the club, um, as far as like food, sometimes they give you food. Um, but. I think they're kind of betting on the fact that someone's gonna go if they really want to go. And so it's kind of like weeding people out, you know what I mean? And sometimes
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
you like write your name on an interest form but you don't really want to go. So if... I think based... Like, I don't know. It's like a... un... just like unsaid like kind of weeding out process
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Mm-hmm.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
happens over the course of a few days, but yeah
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
All right, I'm excited to find out what you end up joining. And this whole conversation about finding your place in Northeastern is kind of like I'm doing my own community finding.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
I definitely have my community of friends and workmates and things like that. But recently, I've been thinking about the idea of throwing a retreat. And in the process of developing a retreat, one of my steps
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
is to participate in a retreat. And I find myself kind of like you at the club fair. Like I look at this website of the retreat and think to myself, wow, that they sound really into this exploration they're doing. I don't know if
Nadia Herrera-Set:
right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
I'm gonna really fit in, you know? Like we are going to talk about our feelings and our goals and we're going to, you know, whatever it is that the retreat offers, whatever vibe it is, like, you know, get in touch with Earth, with nature or find community amongst other women or whatever it is. I feel like slightly hesitant.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Like, do I want to be a part of that?
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right,
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
It's like a little
Nadia Herrera-Set:
right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
bit scary because you feel like you're about to like dive into something that you're not sure
Nadia Herrera-Set:
you're
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
you're
Nadia Herrera-Set:
unsure
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
going to like.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
about. Yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
So there's that. And I'm also like, I was inspired by a podcast that I listened to a couple days ago. There's a podcast. Oh my gosh, I can't remember the name now. But I listened to it because Lucy. your younger sister, is her podcast
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
is, she's going to have an interview on there. And I listened
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Uh huh.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
to the first episode and it was about a person that was interviewed was a professor, Dr. Allison Tintiangco-Cubales. And the person that was interviewing her was a student that she had 20 years ago.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Hmm
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
one of the most significant impacts that the professor had on the student was to help that student feel like they were part of a greater community where her
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
interests and um and her just herself was welcome where she didn't necessarily feel that um prior or she was looking for that and so
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Mm-hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Think about how somebody 20 years later still remembers the impact somebody made on them. And that specific impact
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
was like belonging, right? And a feeling
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Hmm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
of belonging. And so I'm hoping for you to find that. And I feel like you're lucky in that for the past three years, maybe students didn't get that as much because of
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right, right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
the COVID restrictions. was a little bit harder to
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Mm.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
find opportunities to interact with students face to face.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Totally.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
So you could get tasks done.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
You could fulfill the goals of a club, but you didn't really get to be with other humans in person as much. So
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
I think it's really great that you get to do that.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
like clubs and retreats. I'm not really even sure how it all worked over COVID, but I, thinking about how I felt during that time, which is very different from being in college, but like I would, I feel like if I was a college student at that time, I would feel less inclined to go to club meetings and all this stuff, because one, meeting on Zoom isn't very personal. You're not really getting to know people. is easier to like multitask and not really pay attention. It's just not, it's not the same. So yeah, I wouldn't, I feel bad. I feel bad for the students that had to go through that. But I think that in the past, last year and this year, I think it's kind of making up for the, I guess those who were in college in 2020. So. Like I think they get to live what they didn't get to have before.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Mm-hmm. One last question, which is probably not the greatest place to end, so maybe it'll bring us to someplace else. I'm picturing you at this club fair, and you're so lucky that you were with your friends, like
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Right.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
friends that you made in Greece. And I'm wondering if there
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
were people walking around without a friend group looking kind of like a little bit lost and maybe uncomfortable and trying
Nadia Herrera-Set:
I
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
to
Nadia Herrera-Set:
mean...
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
find a place for themselves.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
There were definitely people like that there. I wasn't necessarily paying attention. You know, there was just a lot of people. There was always someone at a table on your front, like that you were looking at, like most tables were just full. So if you were by yourself, it's easy to like, it was easy to do it, like, I guess secretly. I don't know if that's the right word, but like. If you didn't want to really be noticed but still want to try to make friends It wasn't like very obvious that oh they're walking by themselves and they're trying to find friends because they haven't like quite made it and any yet and So I think I don't know. I guess maybe it was the way that it was outside there's I mean, there's a lot of kids like in Northeastern, so it's easy to blend into the crowd a little bit and also easy to introduce yourself to other people because go up to a table they're gonna be like oh hi my name is Balbala and you can be like next to someone that you don't know at that table, introduce yourself to them, that sort of thing but yeah there's definitely people that like try to find friends through that and I honestly probably feel like that's like the best way to do it is through the clubs and like the club meetings so.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
All right, well, have a good weekend. And I'm not sure if we're gonna talk about it next week, but at some point I'd love to hear about
Nadia Herrera-Set:
We'll
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
how it's
Nadia Herrera-Set:
see.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
going with the clubs. All right.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Yeah, I can give update and a co-op update once I finally go to my first class, but yeah.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
All right. If you've made it this far, thank you for listening. I hope that was interesting, helpful. I guess it was a good topic for maybe incoming freshmen to listen to at some point.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Totally.
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
All right.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
Okay, bye
Alyssa Herrera-Set:
Bye.
Nadia Herrera-Set:
guys.
papaya talk is shifting.
Alyssa Herrera-Set: Hey Nadia. Nadia Herrera-Set: Hello. Alyssa Herrera-Set: So today is our first sort of episode. Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: I think maybe we can consider this episode one. Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah. Intro episode. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Yes. So what do we want to tell people out there about what we plan to do with this podcast? Nadia Herrera-Set: I think primarily we need to just talk about the changes that are going to be happening with Hippiatalk and introduce them into what they could look forward to next. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Well, what are you looking forward to? Nadia Herrera-Set: I'm definitely looking forward to learning more about women's health and just all the different topics that go along with it. I think we're going to be learning along with you guys, so it's going to be interesting. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Yeah. Do you have certain topics that you think are going to be the most popular or the first ones that we're going to talk about? Nadia Herrera-Set: I think I'm gonna play it by ear. I'm not sure quite yet, but I feel like there's a lot of different topics that are important. It's hard to choose the number one. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Yeah, I'm looking forward to talking about, I mean, as the mom, I'm concerned, I'm looking forward to talking about how you guys deal with drinking and drugs on campus, or maybe not on campus, but in your social lives. Nadia Herrera-Set: Mmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: How you deal with the advances of men or just... of anybody, you know, getting approached by potential partners and how you manage that, what dating is like for college age students. Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: What about you? Nadia Herrera-Set: I'm really just interested in everything. I think... I don't know. We'll see. Especially learning, hearing from experts and stuff. That will definitely be interesting. But we'll play it by ear. Alyssa Herrera-Set: All right. I feel like you have said on a couple of occasions that you are interested in hearing about skincare. Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah, I think primarily just because I'm dealing with skin care issues, skin issues myself right now. But I think like as problems come up in my own life or within my friend group, those will definitely be things that we can talk about here on the podcast. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Do you think your friends will be open to you getting their ideas about what to talk about? Nadia Herrera-Set: Um, just by talking about it with a couple friends recently, they- people have been giving me ideas, not necessarily about their own personal lives, but things that they're interested in. Alyssa Herrera-Set: I think Nadia Herrera-Set: So Alyssa Herrera-Set: what Nadia Herrera-Set: yeah. Alyssa Herrera-Set: made me excited recently was when we told the family, Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: like my siblings, your uncles and aunts, what we're doing. They sounded so excited about it. Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah, this Alyssa Herrera-Set: I'm sure Nadia Herrera-Set: I think... Alyssa Herrera-Set: they're going to want to hop in and give their input as we go along. Nadia Herrera-Set: Yeah, probably. Alyssa Herrera-Set: Do you think we should include your sister Lucy in here? Nadia Herrera-Set: Totally, I think she's interested in it as well, so Alyssa Herrera-Set: Yeah. Nadia Herrera-Set: when she has time in her busy schedule Alyssa Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. All right. Well, it is our last night together before you head to Boston. Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm. Alyssa Herrera-Set: I think it's cute that we did this on your last night before you leave. Nadia Herrera-Set: Mm-hmm Alyssa Herrera-Set: We're all set up, so we know you have the equipment that you need. Any final words before we sign off? Nadia Herrera-Set: Nope, I'm just really excited to go along this journey with everybody. I'm definitely going to be learning along the way about women's health and about doing a podcast, so it's going to be fun. Alyssa Herrera-Set: All right, all right. Thanks for listening everybody. Nadia Herrera-Set: Bye everybody.
