This episode was a high note for us in many ways( listen to find out how😜 ). We got to talk with Jessica, a Ph.D. student at the University of Oxford, exploring the legalization and commercialization of cannabis. She is the managing director of International Cannabis Consultancy. For Jessica, delving into cannabis studies started off with wanting to spend more time with family whilst getting her academic work done. She eventually found gaps in academia to fill in this space, and it’s been an interesting journey since then. Through the Women’s Empowerment Organization that she co-founded, Jessica actively works towards the inclusion of women in the legal cannabis industry. She also gets to speak as an official delegate at the UN, sharing her research and work. Jessica also talks about the taboo and stigma around cannabis and the challenge of finding a supervisor for a dissertation on the legal cannabis market. From getting to speak at UN and WHO events to being quoted in the New York Times, Jessica takes us through her thrilling grad-life experience on this episode. Hurry up and listen to get the juicy bits of Jessica’s grad school journey.

Fisayo is a grad student at Columbia University. Before arriving in the US, she worked as a financial journalist at Stears Business in Nigeria, covering film, fashion, and hospitality sectors. She was also involved in the writing and publication of a book while at Yiaga Africa. For Fisayo, attending grad school was an essential step in taking her into the core of journalism. Coming from a Tropical region like Nigeria, she gives us a peep into how unprepared she was for the weather, being alone in the initial moments of being in America, and how she navigated that challenge. Fisayo’s grad school experience is in many ways a reflection of our world today as it is quite laden with some of the challenges and restrictions that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought on us all. If you’re a fresh or intending student, you’ll find this very helpful. 

On the first episode of season 2, Faratoluwa (“Fara” for short) is an Environmental Engineer and avid sports lover. He completed his grad school education in 2020 at the University of New Haven Connecticut USA.  We had a great season premiere with Fara, as he led us openly into his world and his story on this episode.  From delayed applications to grad school in Australia, to a rush-hour application to New Haven, adjusting to a different physical climate, academic experience, and metric system, and eventually, job-seeking Fara shares with us a very interesting real-life “how it started vs how it’s going” story involving drastic environmental changes. He discusses climate change, pollution, the need for clean energy, conversations around climate change, and its intricacies and implications across the world with us. Another important thing he walks us through is the process of selecting courses appropriately to equip him adequately for the climate problems he sought to solve. A great conversation to start the season with, and it definitely left us more enlightened.  We bet it’ll enlighten you too!

On this bonus episode, both the hosts chat in a light-hearted atmosphere with a mutual friend, Dolapo, and they run through the memory lane of all the episodes this season; from their favorite episodes, behind the scenes moments, and the process of creating the GradLifeUncut podcast, how it was conceived and birthed(In a pandemic!) and major learning points.  They also share their most exciting, most awkward, and most memorable moments, discoveries, and challenges in grad school and how sharing those led to putting the podcast together.  Having to balance running the podcast in the thick of school and eventually having to hire and train someone to keep the work going was also a prominent highlight in this episode.  This episode gives insight into the unseen and less pleasant moments in the course of the season!  If you're looking to start something and need a bit of encouragement, this will be quite the listen for you!

In what is the official final episode of season 1, host, Diran discusses with another age-old friend, our guest, Chuma Asuzu, and they do quite some walking down memory lane. Chuma, an “ex-grad-lifer” as he is referred to in the episode talks about life three years after grad school, right from how it started, to the leaving home for a foreign, unfamiliar country, the challenges that sprung up, and how he maneuvered around them up till the point where he is now. Chuma also gives us some insight into his employment journey and the personal projects he’s currently working on. Another interesting line that this conversation toll is the attempt by Chuma to dispel certain misconceptions about employability and the hiring pool back in Nigeria. After doing this, Chuma tries to highlight what in his opinion are the actual problems and where he feels solutions would emerge.  He also doles out useful advice to aspiring and current grad-school students and people generally, drawing from his own life experience and practices. One thing to also note from this episode, which is also evident in the sort of camaraderie that our host, Diran, and Chuma share, is the importance of cultivating friendships and relationships, they usually come in very valuable at the least expected times. A bird told us that we may have saved the best episode for last(Lol) so you’ll do well to not miss out on this episode.

In this episode, our host Diran has a lighthearted conversation with a friend, our guest, Adaeze Akubueze. Adaeze  is a therapist who recently graduated with a master's in clinical psychology from Eastern Illinois University, she is also a YouTuber (@Adaeze akubueze). Adaeze is a fun-loving psychologist whose interests range from dance-specifically Salsa, cooking Nigerian food to mental health, which she is quite passionate about. She is also keen on helping people find their happy place. Diran and Ada in this episode discuss a wide range of unique issues, both being Nigerian students schooling abroad. From challenges with communication and how they navigate through them, to the difference in relationships with professors, etc. Ada also shares with us how her career choice took a decoy from law to psychology full time. They also attempt to juxtapose between the schooling experience in Africa and in the United States.  Outside of these, they delve mildly into well-being and resources around it.

In this Episode, Didintle Ntsie the valedictorian of her graduating class is a project manager, activist, and storyteller who hails from Ga-rankuwa, South Africa.  shares with us her not so easy experience and struggles as a minority student and how one can plan and make the best of their educational journey as an international student. some of Didi's interests are focused on spatial justice, inclusive transformation, placemaking, and using imagination to create spaces of safety for people of color especially women. She has a deep passion for supporting creatives, she does this by offering pro-bono consulting and project management services to emerging artists and grassroots organizations.  Connect with her Instagram - @TheDidiness Twitter -@TheDidiness Youtube - TheDidiness Website - didintlentsie.com

In this episode, Mariami Lolashvili the immediate past president of the NYU SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), Shares her exciting story with us on moving from Norway and starting work in the U.S.A before eventually starting graduate school. She also tells us how self-discipline helps her balance working full-time and doing school part-time. For more information, visit our website at www.gradlifeuncut.com 

Dyllon Gibbs recently graduated with a Master's Degree in Real Estate Development from the Schack Institute of Real Estate of New York University. In this episode, he talks to us about prioritizing commitments so as to get the best out of school, he also shares his thoughts on creating space for yourself that can help foster opportunities for representation in high places, and how always showing up will help build your confidence. A graduate of Moorehouse College Atlanta, Dyllon is driven to help with the growth and development of African-American communities, his main goal is to use real estate as a tool to create an impact and improve the lives of the marginalized groups' in the society. For more information visit our website at www.gradlifeuncut.com

In this episode, Urvashi Ajmera a Media Management grad student at The New School, currently living in Brooklyn, New York gives us a sneak peek into her world and journey in graduate school so far. Having worked at a Creative Agency in Mumbai, leading the personal care vertically from the advertising end and also in marketing and advertising for over 4 years, handling several brands from different CPG sectors, Urvashi talks about the important role of research in her choice of school and how it helped in her transition from working in India to schooling in New York where she now lives. For more information, visit our website at www.gradlifeuncut.com