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Nursing Student Life: How Seren Ozoglu Balances Her Passion and Profession

Seren living her nursing student life and wearing a college of nursing coat Nursing student life isn’t the only thing Seren Ozoglu shares on The Homework Help Show. She’s a music lover and private music instructor for children. She teaches the viola and piano on top of being a senior nursing student. Find out more about how Seren juggles her profession and passions on the 25th episode of the Student Influencers Podcast.

Seren Ozoglu playing the viola as part of the UCF orchestra

Balancing Music and Nursing Student Life

Seren was born in Illinois but has lived most of her life in Florida. She’s part of the college of nursing at the University of Central Florida in Orlando but getting a nursing degree wasn’t in her initial career plans. In high school, she thought she would eventually have a career in music. Fortunately for her, she was able to do both nursing and practice music as she joined the UCF orchestra as a violist.

Learning how to get through nursing school successfully is one thing, and then there’s having to balance it with your life’s passion. There’s also the added curveball of a pandemic going on which makes it that much harder to balance everything out. Seren used to go to music rehearsals twice a week in the mornings from 6 to 8:30. And then there would be two or three performance weekends every semester. Since nursing school though, Seren did find it difficult to handle the rehearsal hours. Because the director of the UCF orchestra was someone she had already worked with in high school, they were kind enough to let her get her rehearsal schedule from five hours a week down to two.

If it weren’t for the COVID-19 pandemic happening, Seren would have had no problems having time to be in nursing school and practice music. However, because of the nature of her profession and having to be around sick patients, she did not want to risk exposing her fellow musicians so she had to withdraw from the orchestra altogether. She still expresses her plans for rejoining later on. But because of her passion for music, she was able to get the opportunity to teach a few children her favorite instruments.

Seren Ozoglu and her systems in place as a nursing student

A System In Place

When you’re living the nursing student life, it’s imperative that you have systems in place to stay on top of the game.

Seren shares on the podcast that she’s a “very Type A” personality. She likes to plan everything down to the minute. To ensure student success, she uses a planner to stay organized. She also likes to keep track of her life and academics using her phone calendar.

Pursuing a nursing degree might be challenging, but Seren also makes sure to block off time for fun activities and spending time with family and friends. Seren shares that the nursing practice has at times made her feel burnt out. Learning how to stick to a schedule is something she actually learned and started doing in nursing school. When she was still doing her prerequisite courses in university, she had a lot of downtime and flexibility. However, at the start of her nursing program, it was harder to dictate her schedule which is what led her to feel overworked. Seren also described herself as a workaholic. There were times she barely saw her friends which was detrimental to her extroverted personality. That’s why she now advocates having a system in place for work, school, and social life.

Sometimes, no matter how much you plan and organize, 24 hours in a day is simply not enough. For such a busy career as nursing, you might find it hard to balance everything. While Homework Help Global is known for its custom essay writing services, they also help with nursing reports. Now you can have more time to focus on other important things while we take some of the load off you.

The “Nurse Brain”

According to Seren, living the nursing student life means you sometimes have to turn your nurse brain on and off. “Nurse brain” is apparently a concept a lot of medical personnel understand. It basically means that whatever happens in the hospital has to stay there. Similar to the popular saying “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” but for nurses. The reason you don’t want your nursing career to bleed into your personal life is so that you can decompress from stressful situations.

There have been times when Seren would become quite emotional over her patients. She would speak to her instructors, fellow classmates, and even her family members about this. It’s great to be able to share these experiences and hear unbiased opinions from her trusted circle. But as much as this helps her, she ultimately highlights the importance of keeping her nurse life and personal life separate.

Seren Ozoglu shares the importance of a support system as a nursing student

The Importance of a Support System

Even though Seren had her family and friends to vent to about stressful situations in her nursing student life, sometimes they just didn’t understand. Seren was open on the podcast about availing counseling services in nursing school. Having a support system is so important for your mental health. Luckily for Seren, her university offered free counseling services. She says it’s been nice to be able to come to a place where she could just share her troubles and ask for advice.

She recalls during her first semester in the college of nursing, she had moved away to a different university and had no support system. She was also very homesick and had difficulty transitioning to nursing student life. It was really what prompted her to get counseling services. She remembers really struggling during those times and because of counseling, she has since become happier and have had a better experience in nursing school.

How Seren De-stresses As A Nursing Student

For music lover Seren, one of her obvious ways of de-stressing from her nursing student life is through playing instruments. She finds so much joy as well in sharing her talents by being a private music instructor. She shares on the podcast that sometimes when she’s fed up about something in school, she just gets up and goes over to her piano and plays for a bit and it calms her down.

Listening to music actually releases endorphins and even that helps Seren to chill and destress from the stress of nursing student life. This is also the time when she turns off her “nurse brain”. She also likes reminiscing about the music she listens to and associates it with good memories or past performances.

If you want to learn how to deal with stress as a nursing student, read this expository essay by Homework Help Global on Stress Management Strategies For Nurses. And take a note from Seren and try listening to your favorite music to help mellow you down during stressful times.

Seren shares her student life difficulties in nursing school

Student Life Difficulties

When asked about the struggles and challenges of nursing student life, Seren said she had to overcome feelings of inadequacy. Nursing and health-related courses require very rigid schedules that Seren had a hard time adjusting to. Because of her schedule, her stress levels increased and with that, her confidence decreased. She sometimes felt incapable, lacked drive, and even felt like she wasn’t smart enough.

Seren also had moments when she felt like she was just “floating through life”. Being the perfectionist that she is, a lot of the negative connotations she had about herself weren’t even true. Her perfectionist quality as a musician definitely transcended into other parts of her life like her nursing career. She notes that as a student, mistakes are necessary even when you obviously don’t want to commit them. Mistakes are a part of her nursing student life and the learning process so it’s important to stay kind to yourself and keep a positive attitude.

If like Seren you’re having negative thoughts and losing drive, check out our blog on How To Motivate Yourself. We provided 14 ways to regain motivation and listed 10 reasons why you’re probably losing drive in your career. Everyone has moments of weaknesses, but there are many ways to get back up when you’re feeling down.

Seren Ozoglu on perfectionism in music and nursing

Seren’s Advice To Her Younger Self

On the Homework Help Show, Seren was asked if there was anything she would say to her 15-year-old self. At 15, Seren says she was very insecure. She was also thinking about what kind of person she wanted to become. She says something she would tell her younger self is to “just keep doing what you’re doing.” Knowing everything she knows now, Seren probably realized everything happens for a reason. Every little decision we make in life, whether it’s right or wrong, will ultimately lead us to our destined path. She also says, “Just do what you want to do, what makes you happy, and you will get to where you need to be in life.”

Her beautiful advice to her younger self serves as an inspiration not just for nursing students, but to all students out there. Young people often get caught up in problems that they think are the end of the world. Seren says the things that used to bother her when she was younger don’t really bother her anymore now that she’s grown up. It’s important to explore student life in college because it’s when you truly get to know yourself. It’s also when you get to meet new people who share similar interests as you.

So to all young students out there, take Seren’s advice and don’t be afraid to explore new avenues, follow what you love, and even when you feel like you are, you’ll never be lost.

Seren balances music and nursing

Seren’s Nursing Student Quotes

Seren, who also loves mentoring and helping others, has shared so many inspiring words with our audience. One of her personal favorite quotes is “Have courage and be kind.”

Seren’s powerful and inspirational messages and advice not only apply to nursing students but to anyone who’s following their dream careers. If you want to follow Seren’s journey you can follow her on her favorite online platform Instagram. Her handle is @student_nurse_seren so make you sure you follow her to see her nursing student life journey.

Seren Ozoglu inspiring nursing students on the homework help show podcast

Listen to Seren Ozoglu’s Full Interview On The Homework Help Show Student Influencers Podcast

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in nursing and learning all about the nursing student life, listen to Seren Ozoglu’s full interview on Spotify, Anchor FM, Google Podcasts, and more! The video version of the podcast is also up on The Homework Help Global YouTube channel. The Homework Help Show has had many inspiring guests so be sure to check out our other episodes as well.

FULL TRANSCRIPT FROM OUR PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH SEREN OZOGLU BELOW

Seren [00:00:00] I- I know my personal, like at the point where I get overwhelmed and I just have to make sure that I manage it and don’t get to that point.

Lesley [00:00:13] Hi, everyone, and welcome back to The Homework Help Show Student Influencers podcast. I’m your host Lesley, and today we’re here with Seren. So, welcome Seren. How are you today?

Seren [00:00:23] I’m great. Thank you so much for having me.

Lesley [00:00:26] We like to start off usually with a few demographic questions to kind of get to know you a little bit. So do you want to start by where are you currently located?

Seren [00:00:37] So right now I’m- I’m in Florida.

Lesley [00:00:41] Oh, perfect. Where were you born?

Seren [00:00:43] I was born in Illinois.

Lesley [00:00:45] And then you moved to Florida for school?

Seren [00:00:48] Well, I was born in Illinois, but for the majority of my life, I’ve actually lived in Florida. So, yeah.

Lesley [00:00:54] A bit of a difference.

Seren [00:00:56] Very much of a difference.

Lesley [00:00:58] Climate.

Seren [00:00:59] For sure.

Lesley [00:01:01] What universe- or- what college or university do you go to?

Seren [00:01:04] So I’m at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Yeah.

Lesley [00:01:09] And you are taking nursing?

Seren [00:01:12] Yeah, so I’m- I’m at UCF and I am a nursing student, so yes, I’m in nursing school at UCF.

Lesley [00:01:19] What year are you in for that?

Seren [00:01:21] I’m a senior. Thank goodness. Almost over.

Lesley [00:01:26] Yeah, so that’s- That’s also when it starts getting all that tough stuff too, right? All the- in- all the clinical stuff and hospital stuff, I’m assuming.

Seren [00:01:34] Yeah. So the nursing program starts your junior year. It’s like your first two years. You take your prerequisite courses, then you apply for the nursing program and then once you get admitted, then you start. In your junior year you do all of the more nursing specific courses and that definitely includes clinicals and lots of hours doing that.

Lesley [00:01:53] Yeah but that definitely helps you kind of figure out that you’re- that’s where you’re meant to be, right?

Seren [00:01:58] Right. Yeah.

Lesley [00:02:00] What are your current short term and long term goals? Like, I know obviously right now, short term is finishing up your degree and finishing up all those hours. But is there anything else that’s kind of in your sights right now?

Seren [00:02:14] So along with graduating, I still have to take the state board exam, the NCLEX. I need to pass that order to get my license. So that’s definitely something I’m preparing for, which I’ll probably take over summer. And then I’d also- I’m hoping to find a job in the children’s hospital, you know, right as I graduate. So those are some short term goals I’m also working on a- I work in research, I’m writing a thesis and that is something else that I’m trying to get done before I graduate. So I’m hoping to publish that as well. Short term.

Lesley [00:02:45] That would be really cool. Are you doing- I know- so we’re in Canada. So obviously right now with the situation going on, we have different protocols and stuff. Are you doing all of this in person?

Seren [00:03:01] Are you talking about school or research or just anything?

Lesley [00:03:04] School, mostly.

Seren [00:03:06] OK, so my lectures are on Zoom, but our clinical hours are in-person. So we do, I do go to the hospital and I do take care of patients and I know not all nursing programs, at least in my state, are doing that but mine is still trying to the best that they can to maintain those contracts with the hospitals and have us go in and do clinicals.

Lesley [00:03:31] Yeah, that is- it’s kind of hard to navigate that right now, I guess, because a lot of programs kind of you can’t really do them. You can only do so much over Zoom before-

Seren [00:03:39] Right. We do a lot of they’re called v-sims. Virtual simulations to kind of make up for some lost time. And so there’s something that we can get out of those, just a little bit of- just a little bit, like there’s always something we can get out of those.

Lesley [00:03:55] Yeah, definitely. Makes sense. What kind of made you decide to pursue a career in nursing? Was that something you always wanted to do?

Seren [00:04:05] Actually, no. When I was in high school, I was really involved in music and I played a whole bunch of different instruments. And I always thought that I was going to be a music teacher or like a classical musician professionally. And it wasn’t until when I was 16, I broke my elbow in high school. I was kind of- I got a lot of experience with, like what goes into health care because I was a patient in the hospital for a little bit. And it kind of opened up my eyes to, I was like, wow, this is actually kind of amazing. I really want to be a part of this. And the other part of it was when I started college, I didn’t know exactly what route I wanted to go down. Like, I don’t know if I wanted to be a doctor or a PA or a physical therapist or something, but I did a lot of research in my freshman year of college, just trying to figure out like what I valued in a career and a health care career and what that lined up with. And it most definitely lined up more with nursing.

Lesley [00:05:10] I feel like that’s definitely one of those fields- from a lot of like nursing or health care students I’ve talked to, it’s definitely one of the fields that you become really interested in it when you kind of experience it, because it’s very much you have to kind of have that right mindset to be in it and you have to really want to help people. And I find a lot of the time it takes you having that experience and having someone just having that feeling that someone else gives you when they take care of you, makes you want to just give it back to other people.

Seren [00:05:40] Yeah, it’s definitely something that I fed off of, and I didn’t one hundred percent know what nurses did until I really got into my curriculum and had my experiences in the hospital. And you’re exactly right. Like, you don’t- people don’t really realize what nursing is until they really experience it.

Lesley [00:05:58] Yeah. Like it’s not just giving patients their water and moving on. It’s- there’s a lot that goes into it.

Seren [00:06:06] Right. Yeah.

Lesley [00:06:08] What kind of advice or tips would you give students who are maybe looking to enter the nursing field or even just health care in general?

Seren [00:06:20] I was thinking about this, and I think there’s a big kind of stigma or just like a stereotype that if you are wanting to go into the health field, whether you are pre-nursing or pre-med or pre-PA, I don’t know how it works with the Canadian universities. But at least like in the United States, you have those different tracks that you take. There’s a big idea around that, that if you are pursuing one of those paths that you have absolutely no time for anything else. And I just want to say that it’s definitely not true. It’s all about prioritizing your time and being a good planner and just having a balance. So that would be my advice to anyone interested. Don’t be afraid of the workload. Just make sure you have a balance.

Lesley [00:07:09] Yeah, definitely kind of learn how to prioritize your time and set up that study schedule.

Seren [00:07:16] Exactly.

Lesley [00:07:17] I feel like that’s- I feel like that’s a big misconception with a lot of different programs, especially anything that’s geared towards the sciences or health or anything like that, as people just immediately think it’s going to be all work all the time. But that’s the key is kind of just being organized and being on top of your schedule and you can do whatever you want.

Seren [00:07:39] Yeah, I mean, for sure. For sure. I have- I’ve definitely had time to spend with my friends, my family, do my extracurriculars, do what I want. It’s just, you know, I- I know my personal- like at the point where I get overwhelmed and I just have to make sure that I manage it and don’t get to that point.

Lesley [00:07:58] Right, exactly. Keeping yourself in balance and making sure that, you know, figuring out your own tells of how, OK, I’m going to- I’m going to get burnt out. I need to just give myself a break.

Seren [00:08:09] Yeah, that’s definitely at least something I’ve learned a lot more since I started nursing school, because yeah, nursing school is no joke.

Lesley [00:08:17] No, definitely not.

Seren [00:08:18] Right.

Lesley [00:08:19] So do you do other extracurricular activities, like are you still doing music?

Seren [00:08:26] So at least up until this semester because things got funky with COVID. But I have always played the viola and are in the UCF orchestra. And like I said, I did that in high school, so I tried to keep that through college. So I’ve done it every semester of college up until this semester unfortunately. I’ve also played in the concert band on flute. And then I did- I was- I did a semester in like the basketball band on Picolo, and it was so much fun. Let’s see. I’ve also studied abroad one summer. That was really, really fun. And then I’ve also done- I’ve been a volunteer for an undergraduate research assistant volunteer in the lab as well.

Lesley [00:09:10] Wow. That’s a lot of experience. Where did you study abroad?

Seren [00:09:14] I did- it was only for like two weeks, but yeah. I- I went to Italy, so I went all around to Italy and it was a history of anatomy study abroad. So we got to go to a different hospital, not really hospitals, but hospitals that had been turned to museums and kind of we got this very enriched education on how like anatomy, like the study of anatomy was like curated to where it is today. And we got to see, like, the very first, like anatomical theaters and watch how like the med students would learn anatomy back way back centuries ago.

Lesley [00:09:53] Wow. That’s really cool. It’s just kind of like super inspired by that renaissance anatomy, like the studying of DaVinci and those discoveries and stuff?

Seren [00:10:02] Oh, absolutely. A lot of the Renaissance art is very anatomical. And so we got to go to see different pieces of art. And, you know, we learned about how the artist would use like would really get to study anatomy. And you know what I mean? I’m not an artist, so I can’t really speak on their behalf. But I never really thought that artists really had to know their anatomy as much as like a medical person might need to know it.

Lesley [00:10:29] Yeah.

Seren [00:10:30] But it’s very- it was very fascinating how much those two disciplines came together.

Lesley [00:10:35] Yeah, definitely. I remember that- I was in Florence like a couple of years ago, and I remember like we were in one museum and they were talking about that and we were looking at some of DaVinci’s work and they were just talking about like the amount of- the amount of detail he studied looking at bodies and anatomy to make it so accurate. And you’re just like, wow. That is a lot of focus and effort that goes into that.

Seren [00:11:03] Very amazing. I mean, I wish I could draw like that.

Lesley [00:11:07] Don’t we all? So how did you get involved in the orchestra and the music part? Like, was it kind of hard to-?

Seren [00:11:21] I wouldn’t say so, I mean, at least at UCF if you have an interest in joining, you can just sign up to audition. But because I had spent, like, all of my high school career building up like what I thought was going to be my music career, I definitely had a lot of connections to help me find a place to just keep playing. And so the UCF orchestra director was someone I even worked with in high school, and so he would come and do clinics with us. And so, yes, it was really easy for me to just kind of slide in in college.

Lesley [00:11:56] That’s perfect. Was it like a tough audition process that you had to do?

Seren [00:12:02] At UCF it really wasn’t. I mean. It’s an orchestra that’s very like if you have any interest in playing, then you can join. It’s not- like, there’s only one orchestra. The other schools have like a music major-only orchestra and then like a community orchestra. But UCF it is just a community orchestra. And they have members that are from outside majors like me. They have members that are music majors. And then there are members that are not even in college that still like to play. So I think the audition process is fair for that at least.

Lesley [00:12:38] Yeah. I mean, it probably also really has a lot to do with what instrument you play too, right? Because they need certain things, like I’m sure if you played an instrument that’s not as common, it might be a little easier just because I mean, they’re not going to just take anybody. But it might be a little easier if you have 20 people that can play one instrument and only five that can play the other one. You don’t need 20 of the same person too, right?

Seren [00:13:05] Yeah, I mean, I- I’m speaking from, like, the string part of it because I’m a string player. I don’t think any of the string players, as far as I know, have been turned down. It’s just, you know, if you’re going to put in the work to learn the repertoire, then you can- and you can audition, then you can be a part of it. But I know as far as like the wind players, they do have a little bit more of a rigorous audition process. Right. Because there only can be so many of them at once.

Lesley [00:13:32] Right. Is that- I don’t know, like putting the whole COVID situation aside, is that kind of- like how much time do you normally spend during the week kind of working on with the orchestra? Like how much- how much of your time does that take up?

Seren [00:13:50] So before nursing school, I would go to rehearsal twice a week, which is usually what it is, and it would be like 6 to 8:30. So be two and a half hours, twice a week, and then maybe a performance weekend like two or three times during the semester. But once I started nursing school, I was like, I cannot handle all of these rehearsal hours. So I made sure to talk with my director about it. And he was OK with once a week for rehearsal and then for the concerts, obviously. So, yeah, it started out at more like five hours a week and then it came down to two and a half. And then now it’s nothing unfortunately. But I’m hoping to- I’m hoping to rejoin in the spring.

Lesley [00:14:32] Yeah. Because then once things are open again and everything is kind of back up and running, it’ll probably be easier to do that.

Seren [00:14:40] Right. Yeah, my biggest my biggest concern I mean, obviously, time is a huge thing, but it was mostly just like since I- the nature of my major going into hospitals, working with sick patients, I know that there’s a huge risk and I’m going to be exposed. And so I- you know, as much as I want to play, like I know I need to protect my my friends, my peers in the orchestra, especially the wind players that rely on their lungs to- to be in the ensemble. So that was a huge factor in kind of deciding to step back this semester.

Lesley [00:15:13] Exactly, too, especially since Florida was kind of one of those big hot spots in the beginning.

Seren [00:15:20] Sadly.

Lesley [00:15:24] Do you have any- on top of all of these extracurriculars which already sound like they take up a lot of your time normally, do you work as well or no?

Seren [00:15:33] I, I do- I wouldn’t- I call it my job, but it’s really it’s not comparable to a real job, like a real part time job. I’m actually a private music instructor and I, I just teach a couple of kids a few like once, once or twice throughout the week. And so that really doesn’t take up more than like two or three hours at most.

Lesley [00:15:54] What’s really cool. I feel like that’s more fulfilling anyway, because you’re actually helping kids learn music and stuff.

Seren [00:16:01] Yes, exactly.

Lesley [00:16:02] Is it all different instruments or is it all the same one?

Seren [00:16:04] I have one viola student and then I have two piano students.

Lesley [00:16:08] OK, cool. You really play a lot of instruments don’t you? How did you have time to learn all those instruments when you were in high school?

Seren [00:16:18] I don’t know how I had time. That’s a good question. I haven’t really thought about that. I remember I think it was mostly in the summers that I would just get bored and I would be like, OK, time to get a new instrument.

Lesley [00:16:29] I mean, I remember when I was in- it was before high school when I was in elementary school and I was there, I was taking piano lessons and I just was not willing to put in all the practice time. And I refused to practice and it just felt so time consuming. And that was just one instrument.

Seren [00:16:48] I don’t know. I guess it’s just like one of those things where I can just kind of go on autopilot and it’s like- now it’s a big destressor because I can go on autopilot and not have to think about life. But when I was learning, I don’t know. It’s like one of those challenges that I enjoy I guess. I- all except for Viola, I was self-taught. So it was just like one of those things. I was like, this is my project for the summer. I’m going to learn to play the flute.

Lesley [00:17:12] Right. You definitely also have to have a passion for it, too. Like if you have a passion for that, it probably it doesn’t even feel like practicing.

Seren [00:17:21] Yeah, exactly.

Lesley [00:17:22] I don’t think I had a passion for piano.

Seren [00:17:26] Maybe you just didn’t find the right instrument.

Lesley [00:17:28] Yeah. I later picked up guitar and was a lot better at that, so that probably was a factor. So how do you kind of- so I know we already talked about how the key to kind of handling all of this is having a really good sense of balancing your schedule and staying on top of your priorities. So do you have kind of like a system, like a time management system that you use or anything in particular that you use to stay on top of that, just being in your schedule?

Seren [00:18:03] Um, well, so I’m the kind of person that’s like very type A, like I plan everything down to the minute. I usually have my weeks planned at- during the weekends I’ll be like, OK, this is my week, this is what I have to fit into my week. I will use my- like I have a planner that sometimes I use. I have a calendar to keep all my important dates, like I use my calendar on my phone a lot. But other than that, I just kind of wing it every week. I just this is what I need to get done. I want to get this done by this day. If it doesn’t happen by that deadline, it’s not the end of the world. But I do have like things that I want to accomplish during the week.

Lesley [00:18:46] I feel like some people are different than others and some people are are OK. They’re like naturally just kind of keeping things organized. And other people need to have constant reminders telling them, hey, don’t forget to do this, don’t forget to do that. I feel like it’s very dependent on what kind of personality you have.

Seren [00:19:02] Yeah, one of my friends, actually, he is the kind of person that has like he has like a little journal or like also on his phone he’ll have like every block of time scheduled. And I’m just like, that’s too stressful for me. I’m just going to have goals. It’s mostly just like I have goals of things that I want to get done in terms of like schoolwork and studying and whatever else. And then when it comes to like, I’m scheduling fun time or I’m and family time or whatever, that’s when I say, OK, this is the time block for that.

Lesley [00:19:32] Right. Yeah. I think that’s really important to kind of if you’re going to get- obviously, it’s important to give yourself that time, whether it’s your social life or just doing things for yourself. I am a really big supporter of making sure that’s included in your schedule and making sure that’s scheduled in, because it’s just as important to get to work on yourself with that. And if- and if- if you’re one of those people that needs to schedule everything, needs to be reminded, then that should go in your schedule, too.

Seren [00:20:04] Yeah, that was something that I kind of had to learn a little bit when I started nursing school, because when I was doing my prereqs, I had a lot more flexibility with my classes. But for my my nursing program, they actually very much dictate your schedule. And so my first semester of nursing school, I was so burnt out, I was so overworked. And I myself would- I would consider myself a workaholic, like I just work very much nonstop. But after my fall semester, I realized, like, I barely had any time to spend with friends. And it’s like I’m someone that’s very extroverted, like I really need that social time to just build my energy back so that I can continue to work. And so after- after my fall semester, I kind of learned to like, it’s OK to plan social time that I don’t need to sit in my my room all day and just study like I can- it’s OK to plan social time. That very important.

Lesley [00:21:04] Definitely. Which actually brings me to my next topic of discussion, because there’s a lot of discussion about mental health right now because and just like self care. One, because of the pandemic. And that’s a big thing. But also, too, there’s just been it’s been less taboo to talk about it. And nursing in particular can be pretty impactful on mental health, especially the things you have to see in the hospital or just dealing with all of the stress of the job. So is there anything that you kind of do to keep your own wellness in check while you’re either in clinic or just being overwhelmed?

Seren [00:21:46] So something I kind of had to learn as I was going through my program was like, there are times where a nurse, the nurse brain is on and then there are times when the nurse brain is off. And I think everyone that goes into nursing or anything medical kind of understands that concept where it’s like everything that happens at the hospital kind of has to stay there. And you don’t want to bring those things into your personal life because you need that time to decompress. But there also have been times where really impactful things have happened, whether they’re good, whether they’re very sad. I mean, I’ve had a lot of sad situations with patients before. I’ve cried in the hospital because of patient situations. And what- obviously the instructors, they understand that students are going through this. It’s this degree is very much unlike any other college degree because you do have that aspect of it. So talking to my instructors about things, talking to my professors, talking with my classmates that understand what I’m going through because it’s just a little bit of extra help and they’re a good, unbiased opinion and it’s very empowering. And then depending on situations like sometimes I’ll talk about things with my friends and family, but I really try very hard to keep the nurse life and the personal social life separate.

Lesley [00:23:09] I feel like it would really help just to be in that situation to talk to other people who like whether, like you said, whether it’s your instructors or anybody like mentors or anything like that. I feel like that’s more helpful because you can talk to your friends about it, but they’re not really going to come from the same perspective. But having those authority figures who have probably been where exactly where you were standing when they first started is really- because I think it’s really important to just talk to people about it, about whatever you’re going through, so I feel like that’s probably the best course of action. I feel like that’s really helpful.

Seren [00:23:51] Yeah, I used to be really frustrated at first because I would try to talk to my friends outside of nursing school about things and my family and they just really didn’t get it. And then I had to realize, like, this is not something I can really make them understand. So I need to go to people that I know do understand so that my classmates, they obviously are going through it with me, my professors, my instructors, everyone involved in my nursing program, they get it. So I try to talk to them a lot when those things happen.

Lesley [00:24:23] And a lot of those programs have- I find with a lot of universities, a lot of those programs they have the school provides like counseling services or therapy services or just people from a neutral perspective, like you said, who you can just talk through it with. And they’re just objective and they’re just there to let you get it out. And I feel like those types of services aren’t used as much as they should be right now. Like, I feel like a lot of people are still kind of scared to go and seek out that help, but it can really make a world of difference. And I think it’s important for students to do that.

Seren [00:25:02] Yeah, I mean, I have gone to counseling so many times throughout college. It’s- it’s free. Like, why not? Like I don’t have to worry about whether my parents or my outside friends will get it. I just go to someone and talk it out and they’re like, don’t worry, you got this. I’m like, yeah.

Lesley [00:25:21] I think that’s another thing too is that it’s free. So I don’t- like, students should really take advantage of that because once you get out of school and you’re out there in the world, those services are not free and they are not cheap either.

Seren [00:25:38] Yep, no. I mean, I know that, like, they offer counseling. I don’t know more about psychological services, but at least with counseling, it’s just like very nice to just come to someone’s office and just say, I’m having these problems. What do I do? Because, you know, like every college student goes through their own stressful situations with school, with personal life. And so, I mean, I have probably gone to counseling three or four semesters. No, that’s probably too much. Maybe more like two or three semesters.

Lesley [00:26:10] Yeah. And I don’t think it matters what program you’re into because everyone- most- there’s a big, big transition, especially when you start university going from high school to university. And it’s- that transition is really hard. And if you don’t have a support system there, you just end up either dropping out or just not doing very well. And it just can really impact your entire university experience.

Seren [00:26:37] Oh, absolutely. That’s exactly what happened my freshman year. I went away to a different university and I had no support system. And that’s when I started going to counseling because I was like, I need help. I’m really struggling. And obviously that was very helpful. And it just helped me gain more insight on my situation and made me realize that I had more control. And so then I transferred to UCF where I was definitely so much happier. But no, like, I completely understand because I’ve- I’ve been there.

Lesley [00:27:10] And it’s definitely also a factor if you’re going to school in another city, too, because it’s so easy to feel alone, especially in those first weeks when you’re still just starting to meet people and you just get homesick. Like I know when I went to university, I got homesick a lot in the first few weeks. Talking to people really helps.

Seren [00:27:29] I was very homesick. I went home like every two weekends. It was- it was hard, but just another experience under my belt. And I know a little bit more about myself than I did back then. But college can be a tough transition, that’s for sure. It’s really important that you keep up with your mental health and you have that support system.

Lesley [00:27:48] Yeah. And definitely like destressing. Do you have any kind of things you do and you go to activities that you used to destress?

Seren [00:27:59] I definitely think music is one of those things that I’ve used to destress. Right now because I’m not in an ensemble, it’s a little bit harder. But with teaching at least I- I still try to pull out my instruments and play with my kids. And sometimes if I’m just sitting in my room and I’m just really fed up about something with school, I’ll just get up, go over to my piano and just start playing on the piano until I kind of just chill out a little bit. So music is one of those things, or sometimes just listening to it also helps.

Lesley [00:28:30] Yeah, yeah. It definitely releases- there’s something about like music releases endorphins or whatever it is that makes you feel good.

Seren [00:28:40] Yeah, I mean for me it’s like I have a lot of context with it, a lot of memories with it.

Lesley [00:28:45] Oh true. Yeah.

Seren [00:28:46] Yeah. Yeah. So like if I’m really stressed out about something I’ll put on some music that I’ve played- I’ve performed before and I’m just kind of let go of nurse brain problems and, you know, just go on autopilot and think about all the context with the music that I’m listening to or that I’m playing.

Lesley [00:29:06] Yeah. And think about that like, oh, this was a really fun time when I played this song or any kind of happy memory that’s associated with that song. I’m sure. I’m sure we all have those, whether it’s not just playing, but even just listening that this song reminds me of this time.

Seren [00:29:23] Oh, absolutely. That’s what happened yesterday. I was just- I was doing some chores and I was like, I haven’t heard this piece in a while. And so I played it and I was like, oh, those are good times.

Lesley [00:29:34] I do that a lot too. I’m like remember this concert was really fun. What kind of have- what kind of struggles or challenges have you faced so far as a student and how have you kind of overcome them?

Seren [00:29:53] Hmm. I think dealing with- I think- I’ve mostly talked about this before, but just like the stress of school, it really picked up once I started nursing school. I mean, it usually does when you start your upper division courses. But I had a lot more flexibility in my prereqs in my first two years. And I was not used to having a very rigid schedule. I was used to that in high school. But two years of my first year of college was very more relaxed and then went back to that rigid schedule. And so that stress kind of kicked in a lot, a lot more than- than usual. And I just had to learn how to manage it. And I think coinciding with that was a lot of stress was driven from just like lack of confidence and feeling like I am not capable enough, I’m not smart enough. So that’s something I’ve had to kind of overcome.

Lesley [00:30:58] Kind of like that imposter syndrome where you kind of just feel like you don’t belong there. And then it just kind of takes a toll.

Seren [00:31:08] Absolutely. Yeah.

Lesley [00:31:10] Go ahead.

Seren [00:31:12] Sorry. I just feel a lot of times I’m just kind of floating through life. I’m doing doing what I- what I’m supposed to do. And sometimes a lot of people look at it and are like, wow, that’s really amazing. And I’m just like, I’m just doing what I’m doing. And so- so I find for myself it’s really easy to get very negative in my head about these things that I’ve done in these all of these things that I do. For other people it’s a lot easier for them to put a price to it. But I- it’s- obviously, we’re not perfect people, but, you know, I think inside I’m a bit of a perfectionist sometimes.

Lesley [00:31:52] I think that a lot of musicians are perfectionists because you kind of have to be when you’re- especially with classical music, you like you kind of have to be because you have to be so especially like in an orchestra, in a- a group that everyone is relying on everyone else to make, you know, make that note, make that timing. I feel like there’s a little bit where you kind of have to be.

Seren [00:32:15] Yeah, that’s definitely a good point. I didn’t even think about that. You’re probably right about that. Those qualities that I’ve had as a musician where it’s like strive for perfection, no mistakes, practice, practice, practice. It’s like that kind of mindset has transcended into other aspects of my life, such as nursing. And it’s obviously you don’t want to be making mistakes, but you’re- but as a student, it’s OK to not know or those things.

Lesley [00:32:44] So realistically, just being a musician has just prepared you for everything else in university.

Seren [00:32:51] You could say that in some ways. Yeah.

Lesley [00:32:54] I would say that. I think that’s definitely what that sounds like anyway.

Seren [00:32:57] Yeah, I had an instructor a couple of weeks ago, she was mentioning that- I guess she was mostly talking about how different disciplines can kind of come together and stuff. But she said that she knew someone that was like working in H.R. in like a hospital and they would hire musicians to fulfill these different jobs because they have all of these qualities like, you know, like striving to be a perfectionist, hopefully not to a fault, but wanting- wanting that level of accomplishment, perfection.

Lesley [00:33:29] And accuracy.

Seren [00:33:30] Accuracy, yeah. And then what- what else was she saying? Like, they’re very- musicians are very timely people. And I was like, yeah, like there is a saying in the music world that goes if you’re early you’re on time, if you’re on time you’re late. And if you’re late, you’re fired.

Lesley [00:33:44] Yeah, especially with classical music and orchestras.

Seren [00:33:51] Absolutely, yeah.

Lesley [00:33:52] Because I know a lot on the flip side, I know a lot of people who are in rock bands or like- like metal bands, and they never start on time ever.

Seren [00:34:07] I mean, I don’t know how it works for different different genres of music, like obviously the more contemporary, like with rock and pop and stuff, it might be a different mindset, but at least in the classical- in the classical world, whether it’s like you’re in a band, you’re in an orchestra, you’re in theater, you’re in choir, it’s- it’s like timing is very, very much the key. You don’t want to be late or else there will be repercussions.

Lesley [00:34:37] And I feel like there’s also an association too with the like hand eye coordination. In any kind of medical field, I feel like people- that’s probably an advantage too.

Seren [00:34:51] I would say so. I- you know, a lot of the hands on skills that we’ve learned do require a lot of hand eye coordination and I’ve you know, I’ve been able to kind of pick that stuff up pretty easily. I don’t know if that’s just me or if that’s just my background as a musician. But there’s that. And then the other thing that I really picked up from the music world that helps me in the nurse world is like faking it ’till you make it kind of thing. And so, yeah. And so, you know, when it comes to applying these skills or working with patients, a lot of times I’m like, I have no idea what I’m doing, but-.

Lesley [00:35:28] You just go with it.

Seren [00:35:29] I just go with it. And I just kind of at least I try to put out the mindset that I know what’s- what’s going on and that I know what I’m doing. And actually, I had a- I had a patient who she asked me if I was nervous one day. It was a couple of weeks ago. She was a mom that had just given birth to her baby. And she was like, are you nervous? And I looked at her and I was like, no, I’m just tired.

Lesley [00:35:56] It is draining.

Seren [00:35:58] It’s draining for sure, but I was very just thrown off by that question, I was like, does it look like I’m nervous?

Lesley [00:36:03] And then you don’t want your patient to know that you’re nervous when you’re taking care of them.

Seren [00:36:08] Yeah, I mean, I wasn’t even doing anything. I was just watching the nurse do stuff. And she looked at me and was like, were you nervous? You seem kind of standoffish. And I was like, oh, I’m not nervous. I mean, I got nervous when she asked me the question. Yeah. But I was like, no, I’m not nervous. I’m just here to watch. That’s all I’m here for.

Lesley [00:36:28] Yeah, definitely. I mean, I’d probably be nervous anyway.

Seren [00:36:32] I- when I first started clinical I was definitely nervous, but this is my third semester now, so I kind of have a little bit of it down.

Lesley [00:36:39] You probably get used to it after a while and you kind of just become more comfortable.

Seren [00:36:43] Yeah, that’s essentially what it is.

Lesley [00:36:46] Definitely. Kind of on the flipside to all of that, what is one of your favorite memories so far in school?

Seren [00:36:55] There’s so many. OK. OK, so in my- in my sophomore year before I started nursing school, I was a lot more involved with the performing arts department at UCF. I was in the band, I was in the orchestra, I was doing all that stuff. And we had to like- my school has this thing called like UCF Celebrates the Arts and it’s where they have two weeks of performances and demonstrations of like visual art as well at one of the major performing arts halls in- in the city. And so the orchestra was accompanying the- the theater to- the theater program. And we did Titanic, the musical. And that was like one if my- it was so exhausting, so, so tiring. My hands were so swollen after playing a three hour musical like five times. But it was one of the most fun experiences just getting to be a part of the musical.

Lesley [00:37:55] And that’s definitely a long choice for a musical.

Seren [00:38:02] It was really, really bad because there was one night, it was like the opening night they had us- they had us do a rehearsal in the afternoon, the late afternoon, and they were like, we’re just going to run the whole thing. So we ran the whole show. And so that’s a three hour show. And then we had a dinner break for like two hours. And then we performed the show, the opening show for three hours. And my knuckles were just so swollen. It was-.

Lesley [00:38:27] Well, yeah because you played for six hours with a couple hours in between.

Seren [00:38:31] Yeah. I mean, as a musician, as a string player, you should not really be playing for more than like thirty, forty five minutes, not taking your break. But you can’t really do that when you’re in a musical.

Lesley [00:38:42] No. I mean when you’re, when you’re in an orchestra, when you’re in an actual musical, you can’t- you’re going to get those calluses because you don’t have a choice.

Seren [00:38:52] Yeah. I mean there were definitely- and like the strings the string players would play from first down beat to the last downbeat. So the entire three hours. And then the wind players, because they- their instruments are a lot more loud and pronounced, their music was really only like- they only really came in at important parts during musical. So because I was a string player and string players are much more quiet and are able to be underneath the dialogue, we played like the whole three hour show. And I just- I just was like, I wish right now that I was not a string player. I wish I was a flutist right now. So I didn’t have to-.

Lesley [00:39:28] I chose the wrong instrument.

Seren [00:39:30] And so there were times where I would just kind of sit out and just like, sorry, guys, I can’t do this. Just I’ll come in on the next one.

Lesley [00:39:37] Yeah, I get that sometimes when I play guitar, even for like half an hour, I’m like, my hands are done. I can’t imagine.

Seren [00:39:46] Now I feel that.

Lesley [00:39:47] I- I’m sure you have that a lot. Another question that we kind of ask everyone who joins us on our podcast is if you could go back and talk to your 15 year old self, what advice would you give or what would you say?

Seren [00:40:06] When I was 15, and I’m sure a lot of girls and actually anyone when they were 15 probably dealt with feeling insecure. And I was very insecure about myself. And I was always wondering, like, what kind of person am I supposed to be? Who am I going to become? And I’m still on that process of wandering like ultimately, what kind of an adult am I going to become? But at least since I’ve been 15, I’ve been going in a good direction. I think. So I would tell my 15 year old self, who was probably very scared that I was going to turn out to be not amazing in life. I would tell myself that like, just keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t worry about what other people think of you. Just do what you want to do, what makes you happy, and you will get to where you need to be in life.

Lesley [00:40:57] I think that’s something that definitely every 15 year old should hear, because I think- I think we’ve all been through that where we’re just questioning ourselves and insecure. And plus, in high school, people are mean and that doesn’t help.

Seren [00:41:12] Yes. I remember like, my biggest problems in high school were probably related to, like, social drama or something or, I don’t know, something like that.

Lesley [00:41:22] Yeah, I think mine, too.

Seren [00:41:23] Yeah. And so, you know, college now. Those perspectives are very different. Those those things don’t bother me anymore, and I’m sure a lot of people have kind of transitioned that way to where it’s like now and things don’t really matter as much.

Lesley [00:41:39] I always kind of say that in college and university, it’s really- that’s really the time in your life where you find yourself and you discover who you are as a person. And that’s why your college and university friendships are a lot- tend to be not all the time, but they tend to be a lot stronger and longer lasting than your- than your high school ones. Just because you meet people in college and university at the right time where everyone is kind of starting to discover who they are. So you really find those connections stronger because you find more like minded people or people with just those similar interests. And it’s a lot easier to make that last.

Seren [00:42:23] Yeah, I would definitely, definitely agree with that. I mean, I also- I’ve been lucky to where I- so my high school is actually like 20, 30 minutes away from my university. So a lot of my friends ended up going to UCF. So I’ve been lucky to still be able to maintain some of my friendships from high school. I mean, not all of them, but some of them I have been able to keep. But I did make a lot of friends when I transferred back home that were like my college friends and I love them to death and they get me through life.

Lesley [00:43:03] Yeah, I did kind of the same thing, like my main group of friends right now is actually my high school friends. But I have a lot of university friends who kind of just live- no one kind of lives in the same place because in university everyone comes from different cities. So it’s kind of like I said, my high school friends. But then you have all these amazing university friends that I just don’t see them very much, but definitely two circles.

Seren [00:43:28] Yeah, yeah. I mean, if I had stayed at the university that I was at, which was like five, five hours away from my hometown, I probably wouldn’t have been able to keep those friendships. So I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I came back, I transferred back and a lot of my friends just happened to also stay as well. I mean, it’s a big university and if you live at home, like, you don’t have to worry about rent. So a lot of people in my high school went that route.

Lesley [00:44:00] Yeah, that makes that definitely makes- I feel like that’s a big factor. I’m in a university town, too, and probably half of my- half of my high school graduating class ended up going to the local university because a lot of people it’s like, well, I can live at home and save a lot of money. We’re going to do that.

Seren [00:44:23] Yeah, I mean, what I find interesting is that a lot of us in high school, like when we started high school, we were like, we’re going to go to a million, a million years away or really far distance. And as we kept progressing, people started being like, yeah, I think I’m going to go to UCF. It’s just it’s much easier. And I have a little sister, too, and she’s a senior in high school. And I keep trying to tell her, like, listen, I know you want to go really far away, but like coming from experience, it’s just so much less stress to not have to worry about financing room and board and a car and all that.

Lesley [00:45:03] Yeah, definitely. I mean, there are so many advantages to going away, far away, because you have- you know, you learn how to be independent and on your own and you get to live in a whole new city and have this like fresh, not a fresh start, but like a fresh factor. But then there are so many other advantages to being closer to home, primarily financial. And you still have all your high school friends still there. So I think it really depends on the kind of person.

Seren [00:45:33] Yeah. I don’t- I don’t think I was ready to make that step when I was 18.

Lesley [00:45:39] And of course, it depends on your financial situation, too. Like if you’re not in a financial position to go to a new city, then you don’t really have a choice. But it’s not a possibility.

Seren [00:45:50] Yeah, I mean, I know some people that moved away to college and they’re loving it there and a lot of debt, but they’re still loving it, which that’s all that matters to me as long as I’m happy. But I what I discovered in my freshman year when I went away, I was like, I’m not ready for this. I don’t know- I don’t know how to make friends.

Lesley [00:46:09] At least you were able to recognize that, though, because sometimes I feel like if you don’t recognize that, it just builds up and get worse, it gets worse. And you end up in this just like burnout or depression or anything like that.

Seren [00:46:23] You know what’s interesting is that- so we did a psychiatric rotation. And one week when I went into my- my rotation, I had a patient that- he wasn’t my patient, but there was a kid there that he was like around my same age. And he was also at the university that I was at when I was there. And I was like, oh, that’s so crazy we never ran into each other. We were there. And he too was like, yeah, like I wasn’t ready for it. And I didn’t really acknowledge it. I just kind of went down a bad path, which is why I’m here. And so it’s- it’s all about how you- like how much insight you have and just trusting that your gut knows what’s best for you.

Lesley [00:47:07] Oh, yeah, definitely. And like that’s sort of the thing. Like you could end up- you could easily end up spiraling into a really dark place if you don’t learn to recognize your own gut instincts and your own just kind of what’s going on in your own head. And that’s why going back to the whole destressing and mental health thing, it’s so important to be able to just take a step back from things and think about where you’re at and realize, OK. This isn’t working for me.

Seren [00:47:35] Yeah, that’s definitely hard to admit to yourself when you’re 18 and you’re like trying to prove something to everyone here. Yeah, but I was like, nope, I got to do this for my mental health. I got to do this for my happiness. And ultimately, I have zero regrets. I’ve met my closest friends and just the people that I love to death. So.

Lesley [00:47:58] Definitely. And that’s perfect. That’s the ideal outcome of that situation.

Seren [00:48:03] Right.

Lesley [00:48:05] What kind of advice would you give- I know this is weird circumstances right now because some people are going back to school in person. Some people are going back to school online. But what advice would you give to someone who is just entering their first semester of college or university?

Seren [00:48:24] So. Understandably, with COVID a lot of things are kind of crazy right now, and I didn’t go through COVID my freshman year. I just was like I was saying, just not happy with where I was at. And so when people kept saying to me, like, oh, college is supposed to be the best four years of your life, I was like, there is no way. I’m so dissatisfied right now with everything, but. Kind of relating that to COVID, just because, like, your freshman year might suck a little bit, just because it might have all this extra stress to it doesn’t mean that it can’t change later down the line. And I’m very hopeful that, you know, colleges will get to return to somewhat normal in the next maybe year or so. So I understand where a lot of freshmen are probably feeling like they got- they’re missing out on a lot. But, you know, it’ll get better and you know it- you have a lot more power over choosing the things to do or to put to bring into your life that make you happy than you realize.

Lesley [00:49:33] And that’s the thing right now is that it’s like, it may not feel like it because everything is just dragging out, but there will be a point in time where this will be over. And it will get better, or at least we’ll have like a vaccine or something that will make things easier to open up or whatever, but it will eventually. And I feel like- I feel like people are just so discouraged right now and they’re like this is not how I pictured starting university. But I mean-.

Seren [00:50:05] This is not how I pictured my senior year, but-.

Lesley [00:50:07] This year has been- anybody- like I know a lot of people who had to postpone weddings and or they had to have small pandemic weddings. And it was not what they pictured. But everyone just keeps chugging away.

Seren [00:50:23] Yeah. Just got to be resilient. And in my circumstance, it was like I- I could just snap my fingers, make a change and everything was fine. You can’t really do that in this situation, but you can still take advantage of it. You can still take advantage of maybe joining a club or whatever your school offers during the covid pandemic. You can still take advantage of those things and try to enrich your life somehow. But yes, I’m sure that things will change and become a little bit easier for college students in the next year or two. Hopefully, I’m hoping. I don’t- don’t think that just because your freshman year sucks at all all four years are gonna be like that.

Lesley [00:51:08] Yeah, definitely. Another question that we- or, another thing we like to ask everyone on our show is if you have a favorite motivational quote that you could share.

Seren [00:51:20] This is actually my senior quote in high school. It is have courage and be kind. And it’s from the live action Cinderella. And it’s one of my favorite quotes because I just feel like that’s really just what you need in life is just to have courage and be kind.

Lesley [00:51:36] Yeah, and I mean, that’s pretty relevant for right now too. Like the- everything we were just talking about. So that’s very perfect. And our final question is always a fun one. And it is what is your favorite social media platform and why?

Seren [00:51:54] I really enjoy using Instagram, and it’s because I like to connect with other nursing students around the country, around the globe that are going through the same thing that I’m going through. And then I also love to connect and see all of the professionals out there that have made it. And it’s like I kind of idolize them and I’m like, I want to be just like her or just like him. And yeah, that. So that’s why I like Instagram so much.

Lesley [00:52:25] Do you want to drop your Instagram handle here so people can follow you?

Seren [00:52:29] Sure, yeah. So I have a nursestagram, I call it, and my nursing Instagram is @ Seren– or sorry, @student_nurse_Seren Seren being S-E-R-E-N. So.

Lesley [00:52:43] We’ll write it- we’ll write it out in the description too so then people can follow you and check out your content and see what you’re up to.

Seren [00:52:50] Cool beans. Cool.

Lesley [00:52:52] OK, so just before we say goodbye, do you have any other final insights or comments that you want to share?

Seren [00:53:02] Well, I just want to say thank you so much for having me.

Lesley [00:53:04] Thank you for joining us today. Thanks for taking the time out of your day to share your insights.

Seren [00:53:09] Yeah, I- like one thing I love to do is just like mentor and work with- with students that are, you know, going through these experiences that I’ve gone through. And so this was definitely a wonderful opportunity for me.

Lesley [00:53:24] And it was great for us, too. We loved having you and we always love to hear different perspectives from different fields and niches so this was really great. And you shared a lot of stuff that I think will really help students. So, again, we really appreciate it and we want to thank you. And it was nice to virtually meet you.

Seren [00:53:44] It’s nice to virtually meet you too.

Lesley [00:53:45] So we’ll keep up with you as well in the future. And see where you’re at.

Seren [00:53:51] Awesome. Thank you.

Lesley [00:53:53] Thank you.

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