College Is Fine, Everything's Fine

College is a critical period where students are exploring and solidifying their values and their identities. Polarizing social topics, like religion, politics, social justice, are often at the core of these developing identities. Now more than ever, polarization on these issues is worsening, and deeply impacts the lives of college students. Exploring these tensions on and off campus can feel daunt...

Put down that red Solo cup and listen in as we talk with Dr. James McOwen, clinical director of the Addiction Recovery Management Service at Massachusetts General Hospital. In this eye-opening chat, we dive into the real deal about college drinking and drug culture. What you'll learn in this episode: What percentage of college students drink, and when does it slip into a problem drinking Tips for...

Up until college, a lot of our problems are solved for us.  Whether its the high school teacher who notices you are falling behind pulling you aside after class to offer help, or your parents cleaning your room for you when you're feeling overwhelmed. College is the first time our independent problem solving skills are put to the test.  Unfortunately, many students skip the problem-solving part an...

Love coffee *and* looking for that next great job or internship? You're in luck. In this episode, we’re diving deep into the world of building important job connections with none other than Marc Reede, serial entrepreneur and author of The Coffee Code. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to build a successful career, one conversation at a time, make sure to listen in as Marc shares: How to turn...

In today’s episode, we’re following up on our previous microdose episode on the G.I.V.E. skill and diving into its counterpart, the F.A.S.T. skill. The F.A.S.T. skill is designed to help you build strong relationships while maintaining healthy boundaries. It's a balancing act: You don’t want to burn yourself out by giving too much to others without considering your own needs.  Here are the key let...

In this week's microdose episode, we sit down to discuss the G.I.V.E. skill from DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), which helps individuals build and maintain positive relationships. Whether you are navigating a conflict with your roommate, trying to make new friends, or wanting to build a better relationship with your parents, the G.I.V.E. skill can help increase the likelihood that others will...

Saying goodbye to your parents is often the last thing most college students are thinking about when they tackle their “to do” list before moving in on campus.  In an earlier episode, we sat down with college students who shared their experiences with relationship shifts at home.  In this week’s episode, we sit down with not one, but two expert psychologists to explore the challenges and growth op...

In today’s microdose episode, we dive deep into one of the most powerful tools in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – the DEAR MAN skill. We welcome Dr. Sameena Groves, a clinical psychologist and DBT expert, to explore how this assertiveness technique can help navigate tough conversations, set boundaries, and communicate effectively during your college years (and beyond). Dr. Groves walks us thr...

So much of childhood education is about learning academic skills to get into college and very little is on the personal and social skills required to thrive in college.  In this week’s episode we sit down with Dr. Ifeanyi Onyejiji, founder of Onye Speaks.  Dr. Onye shares about his work developing a motivational and culturally relevant curriculum aimed  to help students learn the “soft skills” tha...

College can be a tough transition for many reasons; you’re on your own for the first time, have to find a new circle of friends, and you have an enormous amount of freedom that comes with being an adult. One thing that often is not thought about enough, though, is how being at college can cause shifts in your relationships off campus.  Balancing personal growth and navigating relationship changes...

With Thanksgiving around the corner, most of us are gearing up for our annual “attitude of gratitude.” And while many of us appreciate and experience this seasonal thankfulness, we often forget the *daily* power of gratitude and how it can help shift our moods. In this microdose episode, we discuss the science behind gratitude, share simple ways to incorporate daily gratitude practices to keep you...

By the time you have gotten to college, you have probably been exposed to metaphors.  Whether you are telling your friends "you are drowning in work" or you're sitting in an English 101 class, metaphors are literally everywhere. In this week's microdose episode, we discuss how metaphors can be important life shortcuts.  We sit down and share some of our favorites and how they're powerful tools tha...

College makes it very easy to find friends. You’ve got loads of time, your pick of social events, party ready dorm rooms, and hard classes to bond over. But for many students, finding friends isn’t the problem. The challenge is finding quality friendships.  Introducing the “Friendship Matrix,” a lifehack to help you build healthy and fun friendships in a new, fun way.  Make sure to listen to this...

If your school has Greek Life, at some point you have asked yourself is rushing worth it? From movies to family and friends, there are A LOT of opinions about rushing. And although rushing is exciting, it's also incredibly stressful and daunting. We know it is an important decision freshmen are often trying to make, especially when you are trying to make friends and find a community on campus. In...

So long sweet summer... by now many of you are back on campus. Some of you may be thrilled, others may be terrified. Whether you are a freshman or a returning student, being mindful of how your mindset may influence your academic year is a critical tool to get you off to a healthy start.  To launch our podcast return, we thought it would be helpful to re-air one of our most downloaded episodes on...

By now most of your finals are over, and hopefully you are making plans for a fun summer.  We wanted to end this season with a microdose episode that will get you through any tough moments you may have over the summer and to keep in your mind when you get back on campus in the fall.  Whether you are going through a break-up, disappointed with your semester grades or confused about your future care...

Whether you are finishing your finals or are a HS senior getting ready to transition to college, we wanted to end this year’s season with two microdose episodes with tips on how to manage college stress.  When you are burned out, overwhelmed, and feel like the wheels have really fallen off, you can really feel like a M.E.S.S.  While we can’t guarantee a stress-free college experience, we can guara...

Once again we got so lucky to have today’s guest, Dr. Jessica Stern, a psychologist, advisor and consultant for Wondermind, Doctor Radio, and SELF Magazine. It’s pretty clear that she not only teaches ways to be more productive in your life, but she also practices some of these tricks herself because this woman is crazy productive! T his week’s episode is for you if you: *Feel like your hustling b...

“I don’t belong here.” “Everyone else knows what to do.” “When will people figure out I’m an imposter?” This is the third episode in our shame series, and it helps answer one of the questions we get asked most. “Am I the only one who feels like an imposter at college?” Well, we brought out a real heavy hitter when we interviewed Dr. Jill Stoddard, veteran psychologist, podcaster and author of Impo...

We’ve all been there. The hot-headed comment to a friend, the accidental text to the wrong group, a late-night DM sent under less than sober circumstances… The shame and embarrassment that can happen when we’ve made these kinds of mistakes can make you want to hide in your room for the rest of the semester. But Dr. Colleen Lang is here with some good news and essential how-tos when it comes to bou...

Out of all the emotions we have, shame (and its cousin, embarrassment) tends to feel the worst. And since it feels the worst, it often makes us act in some ugly and super unhelpful ways. We tend to yell, hide, blame and injure - both ourselves and people we care about - when we feel shame.  This microdose episode kicks off our “Shame Series,” where we describe: what the emotions of shame and embar...

Busy schedules, late nights, and erratic sleeping patterns often lead to inconsistent eating habits in college. A diet of ramen, pizza, and endless supplies of coffee is the norm on many campuses. We know that taking care of your body is just as important as getting a 4.0 (and maybe the key to getting one), but college life often makes it difficult to avoid bad eating habits. As two former college...

Social media gets a bad wrap, and sometimes that’s fair (hello “Text Neck Syndrome” and ties to loneliness, depression and body image issues). But social media isn’t going anywhere, and we think it’s time for a more balanced discussion. There is no one better to guide us than Dr. Devorah Heitner, author of Growing Up in Public . She has researched this topic relentlessly, drawing on hundreds of in...

Happy 2024! We couldn’t be more excited to have @drpatriceberry help us start the new year.  Dr. Patrice Berry is a psychologist, author, and all around kick-ass person who has brought her smarts to social media. She’s *so* good at giving quick and sound advice on Tik Tok that Harvard School of Public Health #HarvardChan selected her as one of the top mental health content creators IN THE COUNTRY....

Hi crew! We did something a little different this week. In Sarah's "other life," she runs Lumate Academy, the training and education department for Lumate Health. (Check it out! LumateHealth.com) She recently sat down with veteran child and adolescent psychologist Dr. Anne Marie Albano to share tips with parents on how navigate their college freshman's first long visit home. If you're about head b...