College life in Covid-19

Wandaly: So strange, because, you know, obviously everybody is always looking for their senior year. You know, that’s like your last the last year to make your statement to make your mark to do what you have to do to finalize anything you finish. So it’s really strange and really weird, obviously, like, you have your hopes and your plans for your senior year. And obviously everything is just completely different. I’ve been trying to apply for different internships for the fall very few places are accepting interns, you know, so it’s like now, it’s always been hard to find internships, but now it’s even harder like mission impossible.

 [Music]

Zeke: Welcome everyone to another episode of the Let’s Gather Podcast. I’m your host Zeke and this episode my friend Wandaly to speak about adjusting the COVID-19 pandemic as a constantly you can listen to this podcast on all major platforms including YouTube, Spotify, and Apple podcasts by clicking the link in the description  below or going to https://allmylinks.com/letsgatherpod, please rate five stars or leave a comment. I like to give a content warning for any strong language used in this episode. I hope you have a nice day and enjoy the show. Welcome. Thank you for being in the podcast,

Wandaly: Thank you for having.

Zeke: No problem. No problem. Cool. So the first question I always like to ask is what would your origin story be?

Wandaly: I don’t know give me an idea.

Zeke: Like use your real life would you make up make up a story be fantasy, Action? Comedy?

Wandaly: Stick to real I don’t want anything crazy life is pretty chill normal that I can kind of know what’s coming.

Zeke: And what kind of medium would you choose to present it?

Wandaly: Stories storytelling is the best written writing the book.

Zeke: Write a book about yourself like my autobiography Wandaly:.

Wandaly: Yep. I’m gonna tell it how it is all the crazy stories. It is the best way I can’t rhyme so I wouldn’t be a good rapper. I can’t sing. I don’t have a lot of ways to express it.

Zeke: Would you start from your childhood or you start adulthood?

Wandaly: I think teenage years would probably be the best that’s what I had the most fun I think, now it’s just boring.

Zeke: Like everything is new exciting and now everything became mundane stopped.

Wandaly: Part of being an adult or whatever so everything is boring,

Zeke: Yeah I don’t know why we wanted to be adults as children.

Wandaly: Yeah, that aged bad.

Zeke: Fairly OddParents Timmy became an adult he was like this is boring, I was like I should have listened.

Wandaly: This is not good anymore. It’s not fine.

Zeke: Yeah, responsibilities you gotta take care yourself.

Wandaly: Just the word bills wanna throw up like it’s just not

Zeke: I hate recurring purchase purchases. Well, yeah, so like how’s been adjusting to the current state of the world?

Wandaly: I think that at first, it was a lot of like in denial. And at first it was kind of easy to think this is something short term and I I think in the beginning I was hopeful the first few weeks I’m like this is gonna get over fast and it’s going to be done and we’re all gonna be fine. And this is gonna be like us taking a moment to like relax or you know just catch up ourselves have a mental break. But no as time progressed, it was a it’s something that is just like, makes me feel terrible. I still forgot when I walked outside the grocery store to get a mask I have to run my back like oh my God, my mask. Um, I think that in general a lot of plans and even my summer internship itself. I was supposed to actually be out of state interning and obviously that didn’t go well. And even just the thought of starting my senior year online is horrible. So you’re gonna keep going I mean, you have no choice you’re gonna adapt to what we have right now and what we have.

Zeke: Yeah, same here I was like ah we had Ebola we get done with this. And then CUNY closed and NBA closed the same day. I was like, What? Time to panic. Took a week. Got back to normal. Now just adapting.

Wandaly: No, you’re not I know beginning like I was, I was like, this is fine, this is fine. But when the summer hit officially and it was not fun is getting worse, I’m depressed now like I’m just looking at the same four walls, even like you know when you’re working online and you’re still staying in the same place. I spent pretty much my whole entire day in my room.I’m not sleeping on my laptop, I just go down and eat like, you know, I’m just there all day. I’m there from eight to five. Just stay on my laptop in my room. So it’s like a horrible feeling of just being the same four walls.

Zeke: Wait you have your own room nice.

Wandaly: Of course.

Zeke: I don’t have my own room.

Wandaly: I’ll be miserable if I didn’t have my own room.

Zeke: I wish I had my own room. Oh, yeah, do you have like two stories and like everything.

Wandaly: Yeah. I do have a backyard so like I could always go to the backyard.

Zeke: Yeah, you have a back, you have a actually yard.

Wandaly: You know, a driveway and stuff but

Zeke: White perfectly picket fence and everything.

Wandaly: Well, it’s not a white, you can paint it white but it’s just a wooden fence.

Zeke: I’m over here in the project’s you know surviving.

Wandaly: But it still doesn’t make it any better. I don’t think anything because the bugs outside I need to sit outside and then I don’t want to sit in the middle of the sun and do homework anything like that. No I like the room better.

Zeke: So yeah, we know with adjustments. So like, so (inaudible) your senior year and online. Away from everybody, all your friends.

Wandaly: It’s so strange, because, you know, obviously everybody is always looking for their senior year. You know, that’s like your last the last year to make your statement to make your mark to do what you have to do to finalize anything you finish. So it’s really strange and really weird, obviously, like, you have your hopes and your plans for your senior year. And obviously everything is just completely different. I’ve been trying to apply for different internships for the fall very few places are accepting interns, you know, so it’s like now, it’s always been hard to find internships, but now it’s even harder like mission impossible. You know, you try not to give up but it’s hard. A big part of college is being in the camp is being with your friends and that’s what makes it better like when you hang out with your friends that you don’t have that now. So it is all strange and wrong. It all feels wrong. Nothing feels right right now.

Zeke: Like something’s off I kept my finger on it.

Wandaly: It’s all wrong.

Zeke: And so yeah, senior year, I remember that was a year ago

Wandaly: Well, at least you got to be on campus for most of it so.

Zeke: Yeah, first of us I had two days of classes and two days of work and then my last semester I had three da three jobs for days of classes.

Wandaly: Oh that was fun for you.

Zeke: Oh yeah that was a headache but you know so anyway.

Wandaly: I also think that like for example the way the way the end It was strange itself you know how I was president of ASEDOM so even not being able to do gala like actually passed down the presidency like it was a really weird ending even when I tried to the final budgets was all a really strange then we had the elections totally weird you’re trying to do like zoom and trying to get to know people and you always you always want to read people’s like body language you can’t do that now so it was all very weird and even now I still feel like I should be president of ASEDOM I feel like I I didn’t end that chapter right you know I didn’t end in the way it was supposed to end.

Zeke: Yeah felt like the same like you just like it kind of just cut off and like just like no, that’s not the it was not supposed to be like this.

Wandaly: Yeah, I think it was a real it’s a really strange a disconnect for everybody.

Zeke: (inaudible). This is a good story for your origin story. Be like 2020 survived.

Wandaly: If I could just delete the whole year it would better horrible.

Zeke: There was a meme that 2020 about to be a movie yeah 2012.

Wandaly: Hmm. I picked the worst you to turn 21 I couldn’t pick it. Anyway, I was like this summer is gonna be lit like this is the summer right as I’ve turned 21 But yeah,

Zeke: New, new new decade new me.

Wandaly: I was like finally, I’m a actual grown adult. I’m a be in Washington, DC doing my internship. I’m lit.

Zeke: Get away from the family.

Wandaly: I’m not lit here I am with the family stuck indoors not doing anything.

Zeke: Any how 2020 started off with like world war three okay nah we have a pandemic what every month.

Wandaly: It just is worse and worse and I think that the our current like just the political climate itself doesn’t help the president we have an office doesn’t help I mean I I generally do think we have different leadership things would have played out a little more different things would be a little better but yeah, there’s like no helping this until we get a new president at this point. I

Zeke: We need a we need a new government mumbling restructure everything.

Wandaly: Yeah new system is just not good. I get it don’t the system only benefits the top 1% and thats just that.

Zeke: Give me one second Mother had to get by.

Wandaly: Moms I know you hear my mom screaming from downstairs.

Zeke: Yeah. No, I did. I did. The first episode for the season this will be season three, episode two. UM I was doing with Alex and in this episode, his uncle came in and then 5 minutes later mom also yelling in the background I was like you know what? Parents don’t really care what you’re doing in life.

Wandaly: That’s essentially what happens all the time.

Zeke: You can tell them I have a job and they be like word. What’s it like? What’s good?

Wandaly: I wasn’t gonna work on the door like bursts open. I’m like I’m on a job call. Like I’m in a zoom meeting or something the door burst open.

Zeke: Like hey, just checking in.

Wandaly: She’s like, do you want some juice? I’m like, get out get out get out it’s so annoying.

Zeke: Yeah, but like, how was classes online? Because I had classes online, but like, no, they all of them online it would have been a different story.

Wandaly: I, it’s just weird. I’ve always had a bad time management. And I procrastinations always been like, so bad. So now more than ever, it’s just like, it was already hard enough as it is to get up and go to school. It’s even worse now. Like you’re gonna open your laptop. It is so hard. I think that the distractions you have at home are so hard. Right I have little cousins, who are constantly be loud running around and screaming and acting crazy. So there’s like a big distraction. And I know you’re just everybody else in the family is a big distraction. So staying focus, try not to procrastinate. Actually getting the work done and doing it right is all a lot. And then ultimately keep yourself sane. Because you’re your family all day every day is a lot.

Zeke:  Word that’s why I need to get my bike fixed.So I cn ride my bike for no reason.

Wandaly: I don’t even know how to ride a bike. So,

Zeke: Need to teach you.

Wandaly: I have no balance. So no. I can’t ride a bike. Yes, I’m 21 can’t ride a bike explains my whole life.

Zeke: Like if I didn’t break the break. I’ll be ridding my bike for no reason. Just like doo doo doo.

Wandaly: I’m scared probably fall right off.

Zeke: Yeah, then just get up.

Wandaly: No no no. I can’t ride a bike or swim like no, no, I just be scared. So I was don’t engage in any of that stuff.

Zeke: Wait aren’t you from like, aren’t you from DR? 

Wandaly: Yes.

Zeke: Aren’t surrounded by water?

Wandaly: Well, yeah, but where I’m from there’s like, there’s no water. I’m from the countryside. And the closest thing is like a river. That’s like 45 minutes away. And unless I’m about a horse there I don’t know home I’m a get there’s so no. So you can ride a horse but you can’t ride a bike. Well, We go on motorcycles, but still like,

Zeke: That’s the same thing as a bike.

Wandaly: No, but I don’t drive it. I’m behind the passenger. I’m not the one driving. I’m never the one driving. But yeah, so it doesn’t matter that I’m from DR I still can’t swim. I guess.

Zeke:  Like me as a black American, they prevent us from going to the pool. So you have a history of not learning how to swim. So, I live in the city that’s why I don’t know how to swim.

Wandaly: Yeah, but there’s no is like there’s not water around me like really close. So you don’t really swim where I’m from because it’s not water around.

Zeke: But yeah, seriously though, all you do is ride the bike all you do just sit in there practice your balance, and then you practice your peddling.

Wandaly: Yeah, I don’t know we’ll see stay tuned to see what happens.

Zeke: Part two Wandaly still don’t know how to ride a bike, okay.

Wandaly: I mean it;s been happening all my life. My dad that tried it when I was in elementary school he bought me a bike. And you know, me being me. I just loved it outside of somebody stole it. Yeah. And then I never got a bike I got because my dad was like you let somebody steal it, he was like you left it outside. And I was like, well, it wasn’t like outside outside it was in the driveway, which somebody came into our property onto the driveway to steal the bike. But it was still my fault so never got a bike again.

Zeke: Yeah, I learned how to ride a bike in elementary forgot then relreaned when I was 12 in middle school. And my grandma hold that back and hold the back of the bike. And

Wandaly: I tried to teach my sister how to ride her bike. That didn’t go well.

Zeke: The blind leading the blind.

Wandaly: I literally I thought it was like getting the TV shows. So I just like pushed. And I thought like it was gonna work. You know?

Zeke: Like, oh, it’s gonna be a miracle. She was like, yeah.

Wandaly: I was like, well, I watch TV and this is what happens, I’m gonna just push you and you pedal you’re going to be fine. But she learned eventruly but not from me.

Zeke: Y’all start what you’re gotta start with the um balance. Then you start pedaling and then you learn how to break.

Wandaly: Yeah, I just

Zeke: And now as an adult yet they’re right in the street.

Wandaly: That’s scary.

Zeke: Yes, that’s why I haven’t rode my bike in the while. I was like, I don’t like to get hit.

Wandaly: Yeah, no, New York is crazy. No when people drive crazy in New Years I wouldn’t trust that even though theres bike lane I still don’t trust it. I like the outside seating. Are you really going to sit outside in the street? Somebody? You don’t know. You don’t know what’s gonna happen? I mean, so  the whole outside seating thing. There are some areas I like literally closed off the block. So like there’s no actual cars passing by because a block is closed off. But if the block is not closed off, like that’s super dangerous. Way too dangerous. Have you been out to eat yet?

Zeke: In terms of eating outside?

Wandaly: Yeah, like the outdoor seating type of thing. Have you tried it?

Zeke: Nah.

Wandaly: No you haven’t?

Zeke: I do Doordash Ubereat or pick it up.

Wandaly: I really tried it like two weekends ago. First of all the area that I want to like it was crazy. You had to wait an hour to be seated. Right that was number one and on weekends, they don’t even let you do reservations in that area, which is ridiculous. So we end up waiting for an hour to get a seat to sit down to eat whatever it is just like really hot outside to get like sweating and and it’s somehow there’s still a lot of people outside. So I don’t recommend it. Not good. Thumbs down for all three.

Zeke: Yeah, this is like our second time in our life being part of history I’m getting tired of that not even third. Wait. No. Yeah. Because you’re born before 911?

Wandaly: Mhmm, was born 99 so bs has happened. I can’t I have too intense too much. Yeah. I’ll be losing my mind I be like okay, was I just waiting to be laying there like what’s next? What’s gonna get me next?

Zeke: Okay, so one more thing. We bout to end July. This is August. This will come out and this will come out in September. Not even October. So like, looking back at ah yeah, we were so enthusiastic about the rest of the year and then we find out aliens.

Wandaly: Well, I don’t know cuz I’m not too enthusiastic. I’m just hoping that like, come December they have like a vaccine. But I don’t know. I don’t know because things just don’t seem to be going in a good direction. 2020 so if 2020 keeps it up. I don’t know, if there’s gonna be any good this year.

Zeke: Got to move to Mars.

Wandaly: Hm, I should have known it was going to be bad. We all should have know when World War Three started the third day.

Zeke: Everybody was like wait what sand I’m a and I had to apply for selective service for financial aid. And I’m still in the age group, I’m just like.

Wandaly: No when Kobe died at the end of January. Like these were all clear indications and we didn’t take them. There were clear indications. Okay. Tragic and we didn’t take them. And now here we are,

Zeke: Tragedies every other day.

Wandaly: Sh just too much stuff it’s way to much stuff.

Zeke: Yeah, what can we look forward to? Well, you about to be done with college, but no job market.

Wandaly: Not exciting.

Zeke: I’m in the same boat. I only graduated a year earlier.

Wandaly: Like, that was already a fear of mine. And it was like, just magnified.

Zeke: Yeah, that was my fear too, just get over it and try to graduate, and be like, all right, cool. What’s next?

Wandaly: Yeah, I don’t like that one. I don’t. I have everything pre planned. Like, I knew that my summer. I was an intern in Washington, DC, like I knew it before 2020 was going to start I already knew that. And before March, I was I was already doing the interviews. So I already knew end of March, I was in there. So I was supposed to be there. So as a pre plan, everything. And I already had a place where I knew and apply for those for the fall. But they’re not seeking interns anymore. So now I’m going to reevaluate my whole entire thing.

Zeke: You got to make your own plan, do your own thing.

Wandaly: I had a plan. It was working really well till COVID it was working really well.

Zeke: What’s your major again?

Wandaly: Corporate communications, you know, really broad, so I could do a lot of things.

Zeke: So talking online, like yo, this is what I like to think.

Wandaly: Um, we’ll see you what I can do. Come and come next year. Let’s see what I can do. But might not everything looking bad? The only place that looks like they’re doing good is Google. Oh, Amazon, cuz.

Zeke: They became essential.

Wandaly: Just keep making money. Every day. So I look like that’s what you got to apply now. Because I mean, what else do you do? I don’t know if you saw that, like Google announced that they’re gonna let people work from home till summer 2021. They already announced I’m like, well, there you go. Oh Google said Google said we’re gonna be indoors till summer 2021. So yeah, I

Zeke: I mean, like it’s great for like sleep because I don’t have to wake up an hour and then travel for an hour. I only have to wake up like a one hour before work, or like,

Wandaly: You’re lying. You’re not gonna wake up hour before work. Trust me.

Zeke: I do I work there now.

Wandaly: No because I literally thought I’m like okay, so now I’m don’t have to travel. So essentially, I’m don’t have to wake that early. So I have all this time, but I could just say no, I literally set my alarm and I wake up like 30 minutes before. So just get up real quick take a shower, get dressed, brush my teeth and sit in front of my laptop.

Zeke: Yeah, I wake up an hour early. Hour and a half early sometimes before the alarm. Sometimes I wake up 8:45 I’m like, why am I up this early? I need to wake up at 10 then I get myself ready and ready to start to speak to these childrens.

Wandaly: You know, by the time is 8:45 probably answered 20 emails. By time is 9am I really like in a I’m in a team meeting. So yeah, no. Like I thought I was gonna be waking up and do my thing. But no. That’s not how it works. You thought wrong. At least not for me. Like I thought I was gonna be able to wake up and be fine, but it’s even worse. Sleeping habits are just ruined.

Zeke: Oh, yeah. I go to bed three o’clock in the morning. Sometimes seven.

Wandaly: I try so hard. I’m like tonight is the night you’re going to sleep early. Then you know, it’s one am I’m laying there rethinking my whole life over. I can’t do this every day.

Zeke: At night, we that’s when you try to figure out everything. I’m gonna solve all my life problems.

Wandaly: No seriously everything I’ve been about everything the smallest thing like I wonder where I put that pencil from the two years ago like what like it’s the random things that comes from my at that time, I was so upset.

Zeke: Thinking about the past conversations and rewinding the conversations like it’s just it’s I should have said this. My life would be different.

Wandaly: Think of every good argument you could possibly have.

Zeke: Let’s see, though. Like in three years I’m say this next time.

Wandaly: I’m thinking of every every little thing I do wrong. Like, always I always thinking back to my freshman year when I got when I got a D in precalc. And I always think back I was thinking about how poorly I did at Baruch freshman year. However, I worked so hard to fix what I messed up.

Zeke: Like I should have done better. Should start of, good.

Wandaly: Yeah, I really play myself and I’d be laughing at myself too late. I read it because I was really crying over math. So I laugh at myself, you will fall you will laugh. You really cry over math. Freshman year.

Zeke: I had another friend was crying over math. I kinda left her, crying, but she was with her friends. So and she still mad to this day, so like, I just met her like a month ago. So you know, by the time I just only knew her for like a month. I was like oh, your crying. Time to back away. Slowly walk away and not come back.

Wandaly: Yeah, I don’t know how to handle something I’m a leave.

Zeke: Ah emotions.

Wandaly: I mean, obviously, I think I was generally retarded freshman year like I do. It’s like, you kind of try kinda to try to like fit in. But then you don’t know how to and you kind of try. Like, I think that you really are trying to find your personality where you want to go on what you want to do. So you end up you end up messing up somehow. Yeah, it’s like, school wise, or personal life somewhere, somehow something go a little astray. And it’s gonna get back together again. Because that’s just the point of your life for you. And you know, you’re 17, 18 or 19, whatever you’re starting, and you just, you’re not 100% sure. What do you want to do? I mean, do we really know that right now? Um, I really think that, like before, we were younger, like, right until we finished high school, everything was set up. We knew everything we had to do becuase everything was pre planned first. We knew you’ve go to elementary school, you go to middle school. You go to middle school, you go to high school, then when you go to high school you go to college. But now what? After college, what are you doing? You don’t have like a you don’t guess they tell you like, oh, this is your major, you got to take these classes, but doesn’t have the same structure as high school.You didn’t pick your classes. Everything was picked for you. So it’s hard. We have to make your own decisions. Like, as soon as you make so many decisions for your own, it starts getting really hard and really overwhelming. It’s obviously easier than it wasn’t a worry. You’d have to think about how can I make my schedule? I’m a cry now because I wanted to take this class but it’s closed. I can’t take it any more. So I miss being in high school.

Zeke: Nah I’ve missed being young that’s why I miss High School, but, but I like the freedom of college more.

Wandaly: Yeah I don’t, no.

Zeke: I mean granted coming from a overprotective mother freedom, was always wanted.

Wandaly: I get that on purpose. I decided I was gonna go to high school in Manhattan when I lived in Queens, just because I want to be far away. And even then, like my mom wanna clock she’s like, okay, your class finishes at 2:30. So that means that before before four, you’re going to be sitting at home eating dinner. And I’m like, so if my train was late or something happened and mom was calling me calling me calling me it was going downhill. And I’m on the train and I was like yeah, she was like, you know pretty much on top of me about that, but I still preferred high school in high school made more sense to me. I knew what I was doing versus now I’m just like up in the air like, what’s next like I don’t know.

Zeke: For me high school was definitely structured. Had seven APS in four years, you know, this college work 11 regents just for no reason.

Wandaly: I liked it. I think I like it. I think that because I went to a like kind of a specialized high schools a little different. I went to the High School of Fashion Industry. So instead of having people who have a seven, eight periods, I had nine because there was more things to be done. And even then, like I was spend like two periods for like an hour and a half, managing a school store like whatever it is that I wasn’t even mean. I was essentially standing in little stores. It was cool trying to sell t shirts to any to any guests that want to come in. So I don’t know I just for me high school was fun in that aspect. I think I had a I had a major in high school. So I thought that was fun and it was different experiences that I got to do. So I have fun. I think, overall, I think.

Zeke: My high school was like you gonna do this and you’re gonna do that. This is your plan for life. And you don’t have fun. Sometimes we would nets. We went to like Knicks games sometimes. Well, it feels like work. And they will have afterschool tutoring Tuesdays and Thursdays. Junior year I went to calcu tutoring everyday because I was like I’m not gonna fail this.

Wandaly: Yeah, I think that it was strict I was sure I was I made sure that I was in top 15% of my school, but even then, like, I did everything else. Like, I won’t I can’t because of Covid I’ve always volunteered in my church. I was one of my summers doing like sales in the church and doing Christmas plays and all that stuff. And I did that all throughout high school and even in the beginning of college. I when I was in high school, I was in the volleyball team. I was a co captain of a dance team. I was part of a program called adaptive student when you when I talk to people in industries when I was a junior I even internet Barneys New York. I interned there when I was 17 I was interning in Barneys New York. I was, I used to tutor people. So I,  I seem like I have my life together while I was in high school, I felt like I had it together. You know, I was the extracurriculars I was volunteering in my community. Like I thought I had my life together. I was like, wow, like, I’m the goats.

Zeke: Yes, I’m managing.

Wandaly: Yeah. I was like, Well, I’m good. Like this, like, I’m really good at this. I started class at 8am and 7:30. I was sitting in front of my class with a coffee in my hand. Like, I was like, I was a grown up, I was sitting over coffee in my hands. You know, I was, I was on the train at 6:30 on my way to Manhattan. And I wouldn’t go home for like 6pm because I had all the extracurriculars.And I’ll be I’ll be up doing homework until like 1am. But I think the overall I liked it. I really did. And I feel like I had my life together, I was so cool. Like, I was doing so many things. But I don’t know, I don’t know.

Zeke: You just say, uh, let’s, let’s, let’s structure.

Wandaly: I mean, I try to still be like I was what I, you know, when I was in high school, like my sophomore year, was I structured it really similar to when I was in high school. Well, I was taking classes, five, I took classes, five days, I took six classes. You know, I was doing marketing for ASEDOM, and I was a peer mentor. So I stacked it up to where I had no space. And I was so focused, and I didn’t really think I was like my best year, because I have so much I was so focused, I was so zero into doing well. Oh when I don’t got a lot to do. That’s what I’m thinking I don’t have a lot to do. So I think I way to chill, I have to pack my schedule, where I have no time. So I don’t wander off.

Zeke: Yeah, freshman year was involved. The principal, made his assistant for his class, and a tutor. And he wanted me to take um LIU classes all seniors, I’m like what, Sir, calm down. So unfortunately, fortunately, the other LIU classes didn’t work out. But you know, so tutor and teacher assistant. That’s fun. Oh, it was fun. But like I’ll fall asleep at home by time I go home. I’m tired.

Wandaly: I for me personally, I think the high school was better. I know most people prefer college because of the freedom. But I think that a lot of times that freedom will bite you in th ass. Because if you don’t know how to manage your time and be responsible, it will get it’ll get you because you don’t have somebody on top of you. And you don’t know how to manage yourself. It can go downhill.

Zeke: Yeah, that’s what happens to a lot of people they get they get to collge and is like, oh, what’s what is like they had they had the handheld or like they had everything built for them. And then they had to build it themselves. Okay, so I don’t know when to start, you couldn’t get used to having fun and you kinda forget you have your own responsibites.

Wandaly: Some people they got a taste of freedom and it’s downhill and they don’t know how to have a little bit of freedom. And they just lose it. You know, I think that a lot of people, they really, really do need the extra help and support and a lot of times those people don’t even notice and they will seek to help and so that is really that’s, I mean, that sucks.

Zeke: Yeah, sophomore is when I started to open up and joining different things. Now my freshman year that just me just chilling, just getting the foundation correct. Coming in with calc, I was like, Oh, I’m lit. And everybody knew me because I was good at calc, I was like yeah here.

Wandaly: Yeah, lucky you been there with calc already.I just give up. I was literally like, a few weeks into college and I was like, I’m gonna change my major. And I am leaving. That’s exactly what I did. I remember. So my advisor was Christina like, she doesn’t work there anymore, but she was like, you’re so smart. And you could do this. And I’m like, I no, I can’t do this. If I haven’t. If I had a D in precalc. That means I don’t know my precalc foundation. So calc. I can’t do calc like, I was like this too much. I was staying that class lost the whole time. So I was I gotta get out. I gotta get out what I can,

Zeke: I never did precalc so you know.

Wandaly: Ya no, you give me two plus two and I’m like.

Zeke: Fish.

Wandaly: Yeah, when I took statistics, I was like, what am I doing here? I thought I was done with math.

Zeke: Like stop giving me stop lying to me.

Wandaly: They were like standard deviation. I was like, no, no, no, this is too much for me.

Zeke: Funny enough. But that’s not how I took stats. I took AP stats a high school. And then you my friend, we both from Baruch. Took stars with the same professor by accident so I was like we know this.

Wandaly: Yeah, no, I didn’t know this. And I tried so hard with statistics. Like, I made sure I sat in the front row in the centor. So like I could focus, I could look at the professor. I will go to his office hours. And I was still like, not doing like, I was like, I got to see you. And I was like, just fine. I’m gonna keep moving. What else was I gonna do like that was that.

Zeke: Yeah, I got like five I got five C’s three C-‘s? A C+ and a C? Did you get any D’S.? No.

Wandaly: You see, I got two of them.

Zeke: Two of them. I mean, I have a W that I got a zero on my um programing midterm. And I was like um I’m a change my major and drop this drop this class. And then became marketing major.  I think that fits your way better though. So yeah, like talking and like I like presenting design.

Wandaly: I think that it was a good choice. I think you would have made have regretted in the long run if you had not changed it.

Zeke: Yeah, that’s what was needed.

Wandaly: Ironically, that’s what I was going for marketing.  So to the professor was like, hey, it’s not you. It’s me. Because I was taking a class and then I was doing I was having trouble with the had to ask Rodolfo for help. He’s in the other class the same class with different time. And then he was then he had like a preset a pretest. Like their own practices for the midterm. And it was hard to do the homework, then he was like, This is gonna be hard to do the test would be harder than practice. So I was like, Yes, it’ll work out. I was like, if I like no. So if I need to change it, so here’s my plan. If I pass, I’ll stay if I fail. It’s just a major one. The marketing is a powerful marketing tool, my counselor Andrew. Hey, Andrew, this is my plan is to go from here. Get the zero. I was like, Okay. Nice. He give a makeup test blowing 50% like it was only 50% of our actual like chess on the site. Nothing I do. I will fail. Pretty much. Yeah. I mean, it is what it is. You graduated. You’re done. Are you gonna go back for a Master’s but not at all?

Zeke: No, no. Really, you’re interested in going back to school? I am exhausted. I’ve been going to school since I was three. My great grandmother she told my mom like got him at three he’ll be tired by the time you finish it she was right.

Wandaly: (rambling) I mean, I didn’t even finish yet and I want to go back and do masters. I don’t know about at Baruch but I’ll definitely do masters.

Zeke: My grandmother was like, You should go get your masters like oo, no. Once I get my mastersI might as well get my doctorate at that point.

Wandaly: No, doesn’t mean that. But

Zeke: I mean, if all that all work.

Wandaly: I guess. I don’t know. I thought about the masters. My only problem is I’m not 100% sure what to get my master’s in like I, there’s like three different ways I’m kind of going with it either like public policy. And then there’s a because you know, communications is huge. So you can take routs through it. So because it’s so big, like, I don’t know if I want to focus on more than a PR aspect like public communications, or they will like internal communications, something like that. So that’s hard to decide on. Because once you pick like, they’re also they’re all good. So yeah, that’s my debate, you know, public policy. Makes no sense with communication. Well, kind of, but because I had an epiphany. A few months ago, I don’t know maybe want to be a mayor. It’s just a public policy. But I don’t know, I probably changed my mind a few months like who the hell wants to be a mayor? To do that to myself

Zeke: Sounds like mad work.

Wandaly: My mom, so she’s like you want be a mirror. Do you know how much work that is? I’m like, okay.

Zeke: Everything’s work.

Wandaly: People sign up to be lawyers and doctors, that’s a lot of work. The bar exam to be a lawyer like that. That’s deadly. That’s a lot.

Zeke: But you get a master to take anotherGre Gmat, andI don;t want to take another SAT I took it once I ain’t doing that again.

Wandaly: To be a doctor, so Oh, my God. That’s so much yours being a doctor so much research. Like I was saying, I’m doing this for nobody, I’m probably gonna be a doctor. Um, I don’t point that me because,

Zeke: I know theres a guy who was he was like, on people to medical school, but they saw making content on YouTube and making money from there and quit medical school. Everybody was like, why it’s more fun.

Wandaly: I was like, my cousin. One of my cousin’s married a doctor. And I’m like, this is the first time I meet a Dominican doctor in America like I was so mind blown, but I’m like, a Dominican doctor in America.

Zeke: Like this is a unicorn we have to save this.

Wandaly: I was like, This is different. This is new. This is weird.

Zeke: Like what possessed you and what got you through? What,

Wandaly: We need doctor, so that’s fine. It’s fine.

Zeke: Yeah, more you not me. Rather you do it and not me. Well, yeah, I think I mentioned twice but I was like accounting at first then my mom keep asking me are you sure you want to be accounting. I got a C- in that class anyway. So that’s my second C-. Mom like are you sure, are you sure?

Wandaly: Zicklin is just not it like Idon’t care like people be like Zicklin all the way like that’s why yall all be dying. Like no.

Zeke: Zicklin be too much work.

Wandaly: I took a few classes in Zicklin like business law.

Zeke: That was light

Wandaly: I fell asleep during the final one.

Zeke: It was 8 in the morning, though, so.

Wandaly: Exactly. I was like, I fell asleep in the middle. I woke up scared when I finished testing. Clearly, I didn’t get a good grade and I fell asleep in the middle of the finals. Yeah, I was another see. Um, yeah, first, we had to go too hot for me. I even got I even got a log rate in the intro who gets a low grade on the intro to business? You have to be and there I was with a D +.

Zeke: I got A -.

Wandaly: I don’t know. I’m telling you. I don’t know what I was doing freshman year. I

Zeke: You was was adjusting. Adjustment period.

Wandaly: And I was doing poorly.  Yeah, adjustment period kicking my butt.

Zeke: So sophomore year is when I didn’t make the deans list and I was like, that sucks. I’ll be annoyed by that person my life because I got 3.5 for both semesters. I was like great because of the C minuses.

Wandaly: I don’t know, man. I in the long run, as long as you gpa above a 3.0 it don’t matter.

Zeke: As long as you get out it don’t matter.

Wandaly: No, no, because I want to go back for a Master’s. So it does matter. I can’t have it below a 3.0

Zeke: I got 3.5 I’m okay.

Wandaly: That’s  really good. Like I said I got two D’S and in order to get a great up after you have to do like three C’s. That is hard. I tried so hard. Anyway, to get up like 0.05 getting straight A’s. just to get it up. But I’m gonna get a 3.5 I got to get straight A’s my senior year to get a 3.5 but I can do it.

Zeke: Like the closes I ever got was to was sophomore year, second semester. Like I got a C- in accountant. That screwed me over.

Wandaly: It’s because I can’t see who does that. Like, who actually does I know people, but who actually enjoys that.

Zeke: That’s it. On the second quiz, I got a 40. So you know,

Wandaly: Well, that’s not bad, though. What else? I’ve gotten worse, I got a 13 on my test. By the way, that was pre calc, I gotta,

Zeke: I’m just like,

Wandaly: I’m looking at Convers like. Like,

Zeke: Just fail me. Don’t give me a number. Just give me a zero just round it down at this point.

Wandaly: That’s, that’s exactly what I want to proceed. And I was like, Do you see this? And she’s like, keep going. I’m like,

Zeke: You have more hope than me that I do this isn’t going to workout.

Wandaly: And that’s what I recall, because I knew it wasn’t gonna go when I did my first test and I got a 13 like, and he was like, Convers like. really said, you can still pass.

Zeke: Sir. This is this is me failing.

Wandaly: I go so bad. It was so excited. And you remember you remember Kalani? So we were in class together and it was like such a big distraction because she would say in front of me. She would just be laughing the whole time. And we will try to see the who were the worst score and we were both like, get the worst scores like didn’t even matter. And he’ll be like the worst he’s a the class average was 34. And that’s really good. I’m like,

Zeke: Sir, did anybody pass?

Wandaly: Like you’re so sad. I guess he’s not Tories, though for being like, really hard. But it didn’t work. I still did bad I burly passed

Zeke: As long as you fight during the good it’s called resilience. resilience.

Wandaly: Yeah, we will be doing the most point blank period. Brooke finds a way to delay your graduation and

Zeke: Now I’ve taken some of the classes also I am not gonna be here for more than four years. And I got a C minus in C pluses in the classes and summer Yeah, I got a C minus a finance and then I see plus in all operations

Wandaly: Yeah, I use my summer to take science. I just got a B and A B plus i was a summer me easy. Good projects is the man at the end. I don’t even do it pay to do it in the group. I was like, group project I’ll pay you to do my part, bro. You got it.

Zeke: He was like money, money. Over everything.

Wandaly: I mean, you see, he was super smart. He was the Macaulay Honorsstudents. I was like, You got this. You want an A right? So you do the work? I’m not gonna do a word. So you’ll do the work and we’re good. It worked out I got a B plus so.

Zeke: What science you took?

Wandaly: I took the easy one.

Zeke: I had that I might have to take that out. Here have you admitted that on camera before you graduate?

Wandaly: Um it was a group project

Zeke: There evidence she she admitted it take out that well, yeah, I took all these like to environmental environmental science?

Wandaly: Yeah.

Zeke: I took physics.

Wandaly: Who takes, isn’t there a easier one?

Zeke: Huh? Yeah, I’m good at math. That sounds like this is my senior last semester. I am depressed. I am sad and overworked. I just tried to graduate Well, let me take a liberal environmental the system wasn’t letting me so I was like, Okay. Great. I almost failed physics wasn’t enjoying. I can foresee every day in the physics class. I will fall asleep. At the same time, make jokes and be like, yo, you’re taking that of course, there’s knockout. We’ve got access to some questions. Like, is this gonna be the test? No, I can only pay attention. Granted, first midterm I fail. I think I got like a sixth like 60 or something like that. I didn’t finish. No, I think I got 40 like I got a low because almost failed two classes. (inaudible)

Wandaly: College is a joke. Like I don’t know. I don’t know what exactly I was expecting when I was going to start college. But it wasn’t this. Like it was not this. I don’t know. It’s, it’s weird, because I don’t I didn’t know what to expect. But this wasn’t what I was expecting. Like, I don’t know.

Zeke: This is it. Like I don’t get it. Um, though, like a black woman was like jumlah and stuff like that. They make cars look super small for like that, or something. I mean, it’s colorful, way more fun. It actually was.

Wandaly: I do think that in a lot of ways, our experience is just different because we go to a commuter school. You know, when you do go to school and your dorm and you stay on campus, it’s a completely different experience. Like, I’ve talked to other people, you know, who go to school and they stay on campus and stuff and they have a completely different experience that I’ve oh yeah, that I had to decide between doing an essay or going to a party who I did both. I was sitting in the party writing an essay. It was it was a Tuesday 1am on a Tuesday I’m like what so? Yes, and a lot of ways the college or the university that you go to make a big part of your college experience because you can’t just say colleges college because where you go has a big factor in the way your experience goes.

Zeke: That happened to me. A Boogie for Spring Fling a A Boogie concert. I have my um my um black studies paper due that day. And ended up not going doing the paper the entire day.

Wandaly: Oh my god,

Zeke: But uh, (rambling). Yeah, I can’t say I can’t speak back and I say sold, sold my tickets and my friend for $20 so I made $10.

Wandaly: Come up so can’t be mad at that.

Zeke: Word. Like, what’s the what’s the concert to someone?

Wandaly: The experience?

Zeke: I mean, I wouldn’t even listen to A Boogie. So I would have known none of the songs.

Wandaly: I don’t know why I never went to any of the concerts. Didn’t really care.

Zeke: Well now you can’t go to any of the concerts.

Wandaly: I probably would have wanted to go this year because my senior year but I you know I can’t go it’s whatever. I’ve been to concerts. But not a Baruch one. And it’s fine. I can’t be mad at Baruch it kinda not known. It’s not known for those type of events like

Zeke: It’s known for accounting.

Wandaly: Yeah, they’re known for Zicklin not for all the fun. Like when you think of Baruch you don’t think of fun you think of hard work.

Zeke: Thinking of why did I go to Zicklin? I was like like I did all this work I’m a stay in Zicklin.

Wandaly: Well, I mean at least you can say I went to Baruch and most people tend to know that school they say oh it’s a good school you know, they’re ranked really high and social mobility and biggest bang for your buck and whatever there was a new study that came out that rated them like a number two for public school or something. So at least could say you went to Baruch.

Zeke: Word got my degree right here, the frame is broken.

Wandaly: Well, you love your degree yet your frame is broken that it’s in.

Zeke: You know something light.

Wandaly: No comment. That is four years of hard work right there is blood sweat and tears and a piece of paper. That is sad.

Zeke: About the degree some pieces.

Wandaly: No. It sucks in a lot of ways. For years of you just sitting through lectures and writing papers and trying to do 10 and

Zeke: Clubs.

Wandaly: Is what validates

Zeke: Volunteering.

Wandaly:  And a lot of times not even a good job like that is so ironically, all that for a piece of paper.

Zeke: And a handshake.

Wandaly: Like really is, is really weird we think about it.

Zeke: I was like they sold me a lie they was like, you go to college get a job at the end of the  day I was like, where they at though?

Wandaly: We’re in the midst of a pandemic so and the economic recession that’s hitting right now is about to be crazy. Like, there’s no way we’re gonna avoid a huge downfall. When everything opens like? You know, people are not working and people are not probably gonna be called back. We could just hope that like people gonna think oh my god, like they’re fresh and new after college, they probably have good work ethic, like fingers crossed, fingers crossed, because,

Zeke: This podcast better blow up.

Wandaly: Um, I don’t know what we’re gonna do. I don’t know what you’re gonna do. I don’t know what I’m gonna.

Zeke: Well, I’m gonna be podcasting, of course.

Wandaly: But I don’t know. Have you been applying?

Zeke: Yeah, I’m planning to either like stuff like marketing or stuff like um youth work may make a career changes in youth development. Helping people.

Wandaly: I don’t know why you did. What is the name of the  program where you can become a teacher.

Zeke: Teach for America.

Wandaly: Why how come you didn’t do that?

Zeke: So that I really don’t want to teach. I’m very scared.

Wandaly: Like, I can see you doing that, though.

Zeke: Just me in a classroom like yes, it’s cracked.

Wandaly: I feel like you do really well in that because you are a really friendly, and like even you said youth stuff. Like that’s something that you can also excel in. I mean, it does sound scary. You’re gonna stand in front of a 20 30 kids and just be staring at you and stuff. But I think you get used to it after a while here. So everything is scary at first when you first try it. And I think you will be really good at that.

Zeke: But I had to get my masters and it’s like, I don’t want to get my masters.

Wandaly: The whole your problem is the masters.

Zeke: Yeah, Masters in education real quick.

Wandaly: That wouldn’t have been a bad thing. I did think about doing that for a while. I do like kisses. My mom does have a daycare. And I am an assistant in the daycare. So usually what we’ll do is like, go to school Monday through Thursday, and then Fridays, I’ll be here all day. So I do like kids, and I do okay with them. But it is scary. It is scary. I mean, I don’t think I was a peer mentor and all that stuff but even then,

Zeke: Yeah, I got peer mentor of the year over there nice award.

Wandaly: You see that?

Zeke: I am a certified mentor technically.  Doesn’t matter the patience.

Wandaly: You see you are a certified mentor. So am I technically we are mentors.

Zeke: My job now pretty much just helping these kids do Black Studies.

Wandaly: I actually well, like a week ago or so, I actually spoke with a group of SEEK new students some of the first year students, so how interesting. Their first question was like, how do you get an internship I’m like slow down.

Zeke: So once you find the answer, let me know.

Wandaly: I was like, luck, luck you got to be in the right place at the right time. You got to know the right people and just,

Zeke: Know everybody.

Wandaly: Yeah, it’s a combination of so many things because you really do get lucky if you know the right people.

Zeke: Like when I got my McCann internship it was just some of disability. (inaudible) I was talking with the career person and was talking she gave me this opportunity like yo want to do it? How is it going to fit in your schedule? Worry about that later, worry about that later and then I apply first is wants to be in June. And then they’ll say oh yeah, we want you to start next week. I was like whoa. And that’s my third job for this last semester. Three months something light.

Wandaly: It’s not it’s not bad. But you see I think that a lot of these binternships is a lot of luck. If you meet the right interview and you are under and your on your a game that day because a lot of times like there can there’s a job that on paper it looks like it is a fit for you and then it’s really not and then vice versa. So I don’t know, I think that you really just never know.

Zeke: Just shoot your shot and hope for the best.

Wandaly: Because I know like, my freshman, sophomore year, I was like, mad scared, I can’t apply to nothing because not gonna take me. And then junior year, I was like, you know what, I’m just sending it everywhere. I sent my resume, everywhere. And I’m just hope that things go well. And then I did have an internship during the spring semester. And then I have this one now in the summer, and then let’s see if I can find something for the fall. Because I’ve always said I wanted to end off. As I finished college, I want to be able to have like, three solid different internships that I can learn different things from because again, my major is so broad that I have to figure out really is specifically where we want to go with this. Cuz corporate communication and what does even mean they will be asking what does that mean?

Zeke: What you going to do I don’t know there ain’t no career path for this?

Wandaly: Yeah, there’s no, I’ve took array of different classes. I can, I guess I took stats, but I also took, I took PR, and I took group communications. So like, I’ve taken a lot of different courses that could lead me to a whole bunch of different places. I mean, I minor in Latino Studies. like what does it even mean? What is that even mean? So like, there’s just so many ways I can go about finding a career. And who knows, what about the teaching at the end? Who knows I might end up doing that anyways.

Zeke: Be the governor, but what’s the governor Wandaly:?

Wandaly: I don’t know. Let’s see.

Zeke: I’ll be like, yo, what’s the secrets where the aliens at?

Wandaly: I don’t have you seen though there has been videos released of like UFOs and all that kind of stuff. And I’m just like that releasing that now in the middle of pandemic. Don’t even be excited because I’m so worried about everything else.

Zeke: Like yo, yo, this is a preview of what might happen all right. We don’t know.

Wandaly: Now you just freaking me out, now I really think aliens are coming.

Zeke: Like Independence Day ever, ever see the movie? Ever see see Pacific Rim?

Wandaly: It’s so scary. And what are the What do aliens actually look like? What does that mean? What do they look out for the record? I don’t think they’re green. I think they’re like purple. Purple or blue. But not green. I just don’t want them to be green.

Zeke: Hopefully they have hopefully they have a cure for Corona.

Wandaly: Maybe they can fix what we have going on here because I don’t know the world is going downhill real fast.

Zeke: That brings another episode of the Let’s Gather Podcast to a close. I would like to thank Wandaly for being a guest on the podcast. For next week, Wandaly and I will continue our conversation and speak about colorism. I hope you continue to have a nice day, and hope to see you there.

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