Multi Story Edinburgh

Episode 75: Class of 2023 - Mia, BSc Psychology

• The University of Edinburgh • Season 5 • Episode 3

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In episode 75, 2023 graduate Mia tells Andrew her road back to Edinburgh, talking women in positions of power, singing in the car and the third sector.

Mia was editor of the Edinburgh University Psychology Magazine during her time at university, who you can follow on Instagram at edupsychmag and whose website is https://eupm.weebly.com

Season 5 is titled All Roads Lead to Edinburgh. Here, we take our 2023 graduates 5 years into an ideal future and ask them where they would like to be, and how they would return to Edinburgh if presented the chance to give a speech to the new student cohort.

All opinions expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Edinburgh.

 
 Multi Story Edinburgh has been created and produced by the Alumni Relations team at the University of Edinburgh. If you are interested in telling your story, please get in touch and let’s talk!

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Music: 

“Since When” by Mise Darling (modified). Sourced from Free Music Archive under license CC BY-SA. Available at: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Mise/Rebel_1433/Mise_Darling_-_Rebel_-_11_Since_When_1357/ 

“Shake It!” by Jahzzar (modified). Sourced from Free Music Archive under license CC BY-SA. Available at: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jahzzar/Super_1222/01_Shake_It/ 

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Multi Story Edinburgh is distributed and licensed CC BY-SA

Andrew:

Hi everyone, it's me, Andrew, your student host for season five of Multi Story Edinburgh, where each episode is a snapshot inside our graduates minds, a memento of their time at Edinburgh University, and this time, a look into the life of this week's guest Mia, who is a psychology graduate from this year's class of 2023. Throughout her time at university, Mia has been a part of the Students As Change Agents, as well as both the editor and social media manager of the university psychology magazine, EUPM. However, today Mia will be traveling five years into the future where the economy is skyrocketing, hopefully the sea levels aren't, and Mia has been invited back to Edinburgh on an all expenses trip to give a welcome week talk to the new first years. I will be your host guiding you through Mia's journey, delving into her Edinburgh experiences and finding another example of how all roads lead to Edinburgh. But before we do that, I will remind you first that Multi Story Edinburgh is not the only way you can engage with us. In our online meeting place, Platform One, you can connect with members of our Edinburgh community, including students, alumni and staff. If you are a recent graduate, watch out for a regular digital newsletter, and head to www.ed.ac.uk forward slash alumni forward slash new graduates where you can catch up on resources, opportunities and careers advice or discover alumni networks and clubs that you can join. I like to point out that in that website, there is a hyphen between new and graduates. All right, let's roll on with the episode. This is Multi Story Edinburgh, Season

Five:

class of 2023. Welcome to the show, Mia. Hi, Mia, thanks for joining me. How are you doing?

Mia:

I'm good. Thanks. Thanks for having me.

Andrew:

Yeah, no worries. How have you been? What have you been up to lately?

Mia:

Lately, I've just been... well I'm still in Edinburgh, I've just graduated this month. Trying to take some time off as well.

Andrew:

Yeah, good idea to take time off. What, what are you kind of looking for at the moment?

Mia:

So I'm really interested in going into third sector, just Very nice. So what's this work that's un focused? What was that from my experience at university, I've been involved with a lot of kind of the Sustainable Development Goals, like the UN. So I'm kind of interested in a career where there's social impact. So I've been looking into more third sector. And I've applied to Teach First, and I'm going through the process of going through my conditional offer so things are looking up but I'm still finding other things as well just you know, keeping an open mind. you've been doing? Yeah, so that was with the students as change agents program, which is part of the University's Career Service. So it's a challenge based program that students... any students from the University of Edinburgh can join and work on a challenge question that's being proposed by an external organization. And

it's questions like:

How can airlines radically overhaul their environmental impact whilst being fit for purpose and those kinds of you know, blue sky thinking, those kinds of questions we pose to students so I was initially a participant on the SACHA program (so students as change agents) and I really enjoyed going through, like the different methods of trying to come up with a variety of ideas. And also speaking with students from different backgrounds, cultural and academic backgrounds, has been really influential in my development. And then I did that program twice as a participant and I enjoyed it so much that I applied for this new role that was being advertised, which was the student engagement assistant role. So I've been working as that role for about a year and a half now. And this month is actually my last month, which is really sad. But through that time, I've been able to speak to different uni students who are also really interested in having a socially impactful career. And just like loads of opportunities from that role as well.

Andrew:

So students as change agents, or is it SACHA?

Mia:

SACHA. Yeah, for sure. It's more of a thought process, but students have that

Andrew:

SACHA. When, when you're discussing these blue sky questions then, do you... are you able to go and actually implement these things? Or is it more of a thought process? opportunity to implement it because, you know, we have external organizations, sometimes coming to us or us reaching out to them and they're really keen to get fresh thinking from the students. So often what happens is if a student proposes a really good idea that's implementable for the company or the organization, they'll often take it on board and trying to include the students as well. So you have that direct communication with the external host, which is a really unique opportunity, and you get to kind of network with them as well. So, when you're thinking about future employability, it's a really good skill to have. Have you seen any of these opportunities happen in your time at SACHA?,

Mia:

Maybe not so much the ideas, but we've had students on the program who've managed to secure internships with the parent organization. So one good example is, so we've done quite a few challenge questions with the... I think it's the subcommittee, I'm not sure, but part of the UN it's called End Violence Against Children. Some of our students have been able to secure internships through that challenge question, and they are still working for the UN so that's been a really good kind of connection segue for students.

Andrew:

Yeah, that sounds great. Okay, we will get started. So it's been a bit different to previous seasons, we have a sort of story line that will be going on with you. So I will set the scene as we are about to travel into the future. Five years on from now, the economy has boomed. And so the university has surprised you with an all expenses trip back to Edinburgh, to give the new first years an induction talk. So we're five years in the future we'll say maybe that everybody has a smart home, student loan debt has probably vanished, we can only hope because this economy has boomed, and maybe... maybe the sea levels didn't rise because the human race and its government actually prevented it. But the one question I want to know about is where are you in this future, five years on?

Mia:

Yeah, I really hope to have a job at that point. And yeah, I think well, I mentioned before, I'm really interested in having a socially impactful career. So you know, I want to be in a position with an organization that is doing that. So as I mentioned before, I currently have this opportunity to work for Teach First and become a secondary school teacher. I think in my ideal scenario in five years time, I'll have you know, my teaching qualification, and I'm a really good teacher to all these secondary school teachers and influencing them to kind of reach their potential. So yeah, and that's somewhere in in England. So I think in five years I might be in England.

Andrew:

Nice. So is this opportunity you'll be teaching in a secondary school? Or are you teaching the teachers?

Mia:

so I'm teaching in a secondary school. So because my backgrounds in psychology, I can teach science, so it's like key stage three, stage four in England. So yeah, I'll be going straight into the classroom whilst I'm doing my PGD, as well. So it's quite an intense program, but is a really rewarding experience from what I heard and what I can expect.

Andrew:

Yeah, so is your Postgraduate going to be in psychology as well?

Mia:

So no, this is, um, it'd be a postgraduate diploma in education.

Andrew:

Okay.

Mia:

So it's part of their program and they fund it for you, which is great. And you get loads of support. So you have like two people who are basically like your personal tutor who is going to do... um, helping you develop your skill and knowledge of this topic and also the way you teach as well, like your teaching techniques.

Andrew:

So in the secondary school, what will you be teaching?

Mia:

So it'll be science. So chemistry, biology, physics. Yeah.

Andrew:

Science. Yeah. But you did psychology at university? Is that right?

Mia:

Yeah, that's right.

Andrew:

Yeah. How did you get into that? Because if I remember, from my secondary school experience, psychology wasn't really a topic that we could do at school.

Mia:

Yeah, yeah, that's one thing I was kind of worried about when I was applying. And you don't have to have any teaching experience to get into it, because they give you so much support. And they're really keen to develop the teachers as well. So I'm kind of a little bit scared about going into, you know, teaching science and I haven't... I really loved science at secondary school while I'm bit worried, because, you know, I've been out of that game for a while. And I did my secondary education in Scotland, so I'm not sure how different it is in England. So kind of going, initially going through some of the teaching techniques that they want you to kind of cultivate, it's based on psychological evidence. So a lot of like, you know, childhood development, there's loads of psychological studies on it. And I did some child development courses during my time at university, so I can see that link. So I think my knowledge is not so much there yet, but I think I can implement what I learned in psychology, in delivering.

Andrew:

So this role that you're going into, is this, what you expected to do from childhood as you're going into uni or is this kind of come about from your time at university?

Mia:

Yeah, I think it's come about more from my time at university. Teaching is something I did kind of explore before, but it's not something that I thought I would definitely go into straight after university because I was interested in consulting for a little bit. So I thought I'd be going into the, you know, consulting firm, or doing a master's and continue with my psychology, or, you know, become a psychologist, that was like my initial plan of going to psychology, I guess, for most people. But as you go through a psychology degree, I think you realize that there's too many opportunities and like psychology can, you know, be applied to so many things, it gets a bit overwhelming, when you kind of think what career to take, I suppose - particularly going through my like, part time work with Sasha. And I had some opportunity to coach some students going through the program, so helping them in like their personal and professional development. And I really liked kind of giving back and helping others to flourish. So I think in that sense, teaching made sense for me. I think I like supporting because I don't have like a smooth educational history. So I think having that kind of understanding and empathy for kids who might have a straightforward childhood, think I can use that kind of experience to help them,

Andrew:

You know, you're going to do something that you didn't get yourself. I think there's quite a lot of value in somebody who does that. Do you mind telling me about your, your education from your childhood?

Mia:

Yeah, I suppose so I grew up in Japan. So that's where I'm from, originally, and I just went to like the local primary school there, and it was all in Japanese. But when I was 11, I moved up to Scotland, for my mom. That transition was quite difficult, because we went to like a rural part of Scotland and, you know, the Scottish accent's really hard to understand coming from a foreign country. So I think that transition was really difficult for me, and I think I was really outgoing before them. But because of the language barrier, and just cultural difference, I kind of wasn't able to, you know, make those connections with my peers, or even teachers- that kind of knocked my confidence down a little bit. And I went straight into secondary school at the local high school. And there we had loads of supply teachers. And I mean, we had loads of good teachers as well. But I think having, you know, inconsistency in teachers kind of disrupted my education a little bit. So kind of having that understanding. And I know that's still the case in the UK. And that's really disheartening. And I think I really believe in Teach First mission.

Andrew:

So yeah, it's quite commendable, what line you're going into. And you mentioned, you're going to be going down, down to England is it?

Mia:

Yeah.

Andrew:

So in this future, where you're coming back to talk to the first years, and the university is covering your transport to Edinburgh, from England, how do you choose to travel? What's your favorite way to travel?

Mia:

Yeah, so I was trying to be creative for this one. I think just from you know, going back and forth from home to back to uni, I always drove with my mom because we don't live that far. It's like a two hour drive. And it's quite a nice drive from Southwest Scotland to like Edinburgh. It's quite nice scenic routes and stuff. And yeah, I just really liked those way we traveled because you know, I get still get speak to my mom like on the way back up and you know, blast some music. So I have some fond memories of traveling back and down from Edinburgh to hometown, which is not so far,

Andrew:

There's something to be sad, I think about those car journeys that you have, where you can kind of shut off from the rest of the world and really just speak to someone and get to know them - even if it's your own family. There's things that you can reminisce on and talk about that you didn't really know about them and... and also you can go into stuff that you both know you both really like.

Mia:

I just recently got my driver's license, like November last year. So I've been able to like drive my mom's car. And I've been able to like drive by myself, which is fun as well, because you can just blast your own music and just sing. So therapeutic.

Andrew:

Yeah, I create a new playlist every summer for what I'm driving, because I normally go back to Aberdeen, where I'm from, for the summer, and I have to drive in and out everywhere to get to work. Get that new playlist on half an hour in the morning, half an hour in the afternoon and I'm just singing the whole way home.

Mia:

Yeah, I need to make a playlist.

Andrew:

Do you have a favorite car song?

Mia:

Oh, I knew this question was gonna come up, but I'm not sure... I have to say I'm a one direction fan, well I used to be. So I think Harry Styles does come up a lot.

Andrew:

Yeah. Yeah. Well, when I'm in the car, I'll be honest with you. My... one of my favorite music related events is Eurovision and I have a Eurovision playlist and I add every song that I like from that year. I've got loads of previous years in there. And when I'm in the car, I will just click shuffle. And so many good songs come out of it, not just the winners just even songs that come like 20th in the contest, I will happily listen to. I just love the events so much that just great music comes out of it. So yeah, that's my car choice.

Mia:

I can get behind that.

Andrew:

So you're going to drive in the car. Are you driving or someone driving you?

Mia:

I do like driving for now, so I'll just yeah, I'll probably be driving.

Andrew:

I'll be honest, I have to drive all the time when I'm back home, but I do not enjoy it. I'm a very, very fearful driver. I'm really careful.

Mia:

Yeah.

Andrew:

There's so many roundabouts up in Aberdeen, that it's just not my vibe.

Mia:

Oh my gosh, yeah, because I remember... so I failed two of my driving tests and pass the third time but the third time I did it in Edinburgh, not in my hometown because I was just like... where I did it was in Dumfries and we have loads of roundabouts. We have like every single type of roundabouts which I was scared about but it was something else that I failed. I think I like sped.... speeded a little bit. So yeah, I avoided Dumfries the third time and I did it in Edinburgh and I actually enjoy driving in Edinburgh. Yeah.

Andrew:

Okay, so you're gonna be driving from England, you're driving in the car, you're blasting your music. But you realize that this it's your first time back in Edinburgh since your graduation. So it's been five years since... well, right now. And you think back to right now. You've just graduated? Can you... how are you feeling about that?

Mia:

Yeah, quite, I suppose bittersweet. I think I'm, I'm just really sad to be leaving Edinburgh now. Especially, I feel like in my fourth year is when I actually got to live and study in the city, like, just normally without, you know, COVID restrictions and whatnot. And I didn't want to bring COVID in but I think it really did disrupt the timeline of university and like the university experience that I could have had, and I think I had that, like, full experience in fourth year, obviously, fourth year, you know, you've got loads of dissertations. And I was doing loads of extracurriculars. So I didn't have the time to you know, meet up with friends and do the things I wanted to do. I wasn't I wasn't ready to graduate this month. And when it finally came with, like the strikes and stuff, it kind of felt unsettled a little bit. But I was really glad that my mom and my boyfriend could come and celebrate with me and my flatmate and her boyfriend came along as well. So that was nice. And my dad got to see the live stream, because he's still in Japan. So he got to see like the live stream. And so yeah, it was just really nice.

Andrew:

I was disrupted in first and second year in COVID but I was always in the city. I never went home. But I would agree that only this year past has been sort of what we would call normal, and you're able to go out and do everything you want. Because I was thinking about this recently, even like, last year, there were restrictions. So It's recently been my birthday. And like, my parents both caught COVID and couldn't really see them. And this, you know, it's still only 2022 at that point. So coming in to what is now my third year, to actually be able to go around Edinburgh unrestricted was pretty good.

Mia:

Yeah, definitely. And I wish I had that in like, second and third year, because like, first year, I had an amazing time, I was meeting new people, and I was coming out of my shell and, but then that got cut short. And I feel like you know, I still maintain the friendships now. But I feel like it would have been different if COVID didn't happen. And you can never guess but yeah, just it's a sad time. But despite all that, those restrictions pushed me to find more opportunities to get involved with the university. So that's when I found SACHA. And since then, it's just been an amazing journey personally and like professionally.

Andrew:

Yes, you really utilized the restrictions in a way that helps you... you know, you got all this time where you're not walking to classes and stuff and you managed it to turn that into something that would actually help your career. I think that's quite hard to do.

Mia:

Yeah, definitely. And it's kind of... yeah, it's hard to change that kind of mindset. And yeah, stay resilient is definitely something that you can learn from going through COVID

Andrew:

Having third year being that one normal year I can relate that when you're in honours courses it is that much more tricky to have time to do things is... You think it's not going to be a step up until you actually start doing all your projects. And then it really does become quite busy and hectic. Can you tell me a bit about your final year studies? What, what was your dissertation on?

Mia:

Yeah, so my dissertation was on kind of looking at sexual objectification of women in positions of power. And it was a replication of my supervisor study. And we're kind of trying to see what was the reason, because we already know from my supervisors study that women in positions of power such as you know, Hillary Clinton was tossed and, you know, those kinds of people are targeted by the media seeing as like, it's through their objectifying gaze. So we already know that, but we're kind of trying to look at the reason for it, the motivation behind it, and one theory we had was people social dominance orientation. So that's whether you prefer to have a society made up of hierarchies. So like the gender and you know, patriarchy, and whatnot. So we're looking into that and doing questionnaires, kind of mini studies that people can do online. And we did find we replicated the study, but we didn't find social dominance orientation to be a motivating factor. So that was a bit sad, but So we got a replication.

Andrew:

That's quite an interesting topic to be to be looking into - very relevant as well, like you mentioned, Liz Truss and Hillary Clinton, two very prominent figures in recent years. Is there anybody else you looked at within this study?

Mia:

Yes, there was quite a few. Because, um, you know, we look at business leaders as well. So I don't know if you know, like the previous Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer, she was kind of upcoming, you know, being like, cold, pretty geek. And it's like, you know,

Andrew:

Wow.

Mia:

Why, why are women always kind of... it's always body first, and then mind next, but often mind is forgotten. And, yeah, it was just kind of, it was really hard to read all the studies and just realizing, you know, the realities of what the working world is, and like how things work. And it was really difficult to kind of have a positive spin to it, because it does seem like you know, gender is still ingrained. And also, because I was talking more about, you know, men and women, and we have all this kind of, you know, different, what is gender and stuff like that. So it was really hard to stay relevant in the times whilst I'm talking as if gender is only male, female, if that makes sense. Yeah.

Andrew:

There's a very big topic at the moment about that in politics and current affairs. So to bring that into this conversation, where you've got to not only look at sort of binary gender world that has been created, it's quite difficult.

Mia:

Yeah, definitely. And I think the stuff we're talking about is, it's taboo to sexually objectify women, like more so than ever. So everything's really subtle. So I was kind of scared in the way we were trying to capture these things wasn't going to actually capture it, because it's so subtle, and it's systemic. So because it's really hard, unless you do like a field experiment, I think it's hard to kind of pin down what the motivation is, for people to objectify those sorts of women. But one interesting thing I found is where gender has been constructed, like agenda was created. So it was more to do with how men and women years and years ago were the occupation they were in, they were heavily either male or female. And, and people just implicitly associated those roles with the gender. So then that's when like, those kind of gender differences arise, which I found interesting. I didn't realize, you know, there was like an actual starting point to that divide.

Andrew:

Quite a... quite a heavy dissertation to be writing, you know, you've got some other people who can write their dissertations on quite light topics. And to do that it... was it, was it recognized? Did you did you find people were quite interested in what you were writing?

Mia:

Yeah, I think, because, you know, you talk about what dissertation topics you're doing and definitely, like, people was like, oh, that sounds really interesting. And I think there's, you know, it's quite punchy, you know, sexual objectification of women in positions of power. You're like, whoa, where's that going?

Andrew:

Oh, absolutely. As soon as you said that in the recording here, I was like, wow, this is something that we should talk about. Yeah.

Mia:

And there's definitely loads to talk about. And it's just nice because, um, it's relatively new. The topic... it hasn't really been looked at before and my supervisor was like, one of the first to actually, you know, get this in the light which I found interesting as well, because I feel like you know, objectification happens all around. But actually, women in positions of power, people thought that their power, like their position of power was protecting them from those sorts of getting words, but yeah, those are those sorts of backlash, but they get loads of backlash because of their position because of their power, the discrepancy between their power and their gender. And that creates some tension for some people who have traditional ideologies basically. Now, there's always questions about what they're wearing. And I think that Theresa May, her shoes was always like coming up as a topic of conversation rather than what she's doing. Sarah Palin as well, there's, there's a paper that was comparing how she's viewed in the media compared to Hillary Clinton. And still between those two, there's a difference. And because of the way they were perceived by the public, because Hillary Clinton's more masculine, Sarah Collins bit more feminine. So she was, she didn't get as much backlash because of it. But still, you know, there's more talk about her motherly nature, rather than her activity. And that's why it was seen more positively than Hillary Clinton who is outwardly more masculine.

Andrew:

Yeah, what my mind jumps to is, I'm quite, I'm quite a big Marvel fan. So I've seen quite a lot of these interviews. And there's so many with Scarlett Johansson but you know, way back at the start of the MCU, while it was growing, where she is just getting these questions that are all about her looks while the others are getting actual questions about the films. And she doesn't... she does a very good job of sort of cutting them out and just not letting it happen. But the fact that these questions are even being asked is terrible.

Mia:

Yeah, yeah, exactly. And it's, you know, unconscious bias. And I think, because it's all subtle, it's hard to detect. And if it's more explicit, it's easier to you know, pinpoint and address it. But because it's subtle. Yeah, it's just, it just becomes harder. Yeah.

Andrew:

You have arrived at Edinburgh now, you thought long and hard in the car while singing your songs. And you've arrived to give your speech to these new first years, who've just arrived at uni. They need some advice on how to really get the most out of their uni experience. What do you tell the new crowd?

Mia:

the wind band society when I was in first year, because I did some, yeah, I played the trumpet since I was nine, I think so I was in the school band in high school. So I thought, you know, I want to keep my trumpet skills up. So I joined the wind band society and it was really fun. And you know, you have weekly practice sessions, and then you go for a pint in the pub. It was all nice. But then COVID hit and other, you know, rehearsals are online. So it was really awkward. You know, you have to mute yourself and you're the only one playing.

Andrew:

You know, I can actually relate to that one. This is gonna surprise you but I joined the wind band in my first year.

Mia:

No way.

Andrew:

But my first year was COVID. So it was the, the online stuff. And I very quickly wasn't able to really join because I'm a percussionist. I think would you would agree that standing with you zoom call muted while you're hitting a triangle is not really what you want to do in the first year?

Mia:

That would be too comedic.

Andrew:

Yeah, I couldn't get a drum kit into my first year flat because that would have caused a bit of a riot I think.

Mia:

Yeah, yeah, definitely. Yeah. And yeah, trumpet as well as like get too noisy at 8pm.

Andrew:

Yeah, joining societies in first year was very much how I got to meet people. Because otherwise it was just my uni accommodation. Are there any societies you wish you had joined in first year?

Mia:

Yeah, I think Japan Society just because I'm you know, I come from Japan originally I'm half Japanese and it's really hard to find other Japanese people in Scotland. So and I thought that coming to uni naturally, you know, I'll meet more people who are like me, but that was tricky. And also Japan Society clashed with wind band society in first year. Just everything clashes that I want, wanna go to so I couldn't go to them. And then later on in my course I actually met someone who, who was the president of Japan Society. And she was like, oh, I should come to some more events, but it always clashes with something. So I think I just had no luck.

Andrew:

Yeah, I think there's a lot of societies, I believe on a Wednesday, is it?

Mia:

Yeah.

Andrew:

So I guess advice to first years would be check which socieites you want to join on a Wednesday and then find ones for other days?

Mia:

Yeah, exactly.

Andrew:

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but you were also part of a magazine while you were at Edinburgh? Is that right? Yes.

Mia:

Yeah. So I was part of the Edinburgh University psychology magazine. So I joined I think it was, second year, just, it was still, you know, COVID lockdown. And I got an email from the magazine asking for editors. So I signed up because I thought

the experience:

get to read other people's, you know, articles about psychology, and it's more, you know, pop, you know, it's probably the, you know, the source sources are credible and stuff - I think it's presented in a more engaging way, the articles that people write. So I really enjoyed kind of reading and different kinds of things and getting some editing, experience. And through that, as well as interested in kind of going to marketing point. So I asked the editor in chief if I could get some experience in there. So I created like their Twitter account, run their Instagram, pages and stuff. So yeah, that was really fun.

Andrew:

You created the Twitter account. That is used.

Mia:

Yeah. So we did, I believe it's going back a bit but um, I believe we already had an Instagram account. And yeah, I wanted to experience you know, create something new. So I saw that Twitter wasn't created yet. See, I just like set up a general business account on Twitter and start populating stuff that we're posting on Instagram as well. And it was quite good, because a lot of psychology lectures are on Twitter. So often, you know, if you advertise those things there, it's good for the lecturers to know what's going on the student side as well.

Andrew:

So in the speech that you're, you're giving, you've talked about societies now, what would you say to someone like me entering their final year? How should they... should they balance it?

Mia:

I think final year, definitely have less extracurricular activities, I think, focus on your studies. I mean, that's an obvious tip, I suppose. But for me, I was definitely going to, you know, just focus on my studies and won't work, and do maybe one extracurricular but I ended up doing maybe two extracurriculars and my part time work. So I ended up with like, more things than I was expecting. So that was quite overwhelming. And I think I went into fourth year not fully prepared; I was still kind of, because I was quite busy during the summer months working for Sasha. So I never really had a time to properly kind of relax before going into fourth year. And that definitely showed because I think I was just constantly trying to catch up with things and trying to be organized, but it was... I just had too much on my plate. So think I wish I had the power to say no. Yeah, I think that's the one thing that was still trying to grapple with trying to say no, and not feel bad about it.

Andrew:

Yeah, I think I'd be the same because I've spent, you know, these first three years, building up relationships with all these societies, that is gonna be quite tricky to say no.

Mia:

But also, I think, because I work too much. In my fourth year, I wish I made more time for my friends. Because now like everyone's left Edinburgh feels really empty. You know, I don't know when I'm going to see them again. So yeah, I think definitely, maybe, yeah, focus on your studies and making time for friends that you actually care about. Yeah.

Andrew:

I will take that on board because it's gonna happen to me. Yeah. You've given your speech now. And you've spoken about the societies and fourth year and how to balance your time. And so the Uni is very impressed and they're going to give you a free dinner, anywhere in Edinburgh, any price whatever you want. Where would you want to go?

Mia:

So I was going to think of somewhere that I've been before, but I'm gonna choose some of them I've never been before and I'll tell you why. So yeah, so the place I want to go is Korean barbecue, which is just like from near, it's like in the Newington area, there's one.

Andrew:

I know the one you're talking about because my friends like going there and I've never been.

Mia:

Yeah, it just literally says Korean barbecue. It's great. But um, yeah, so when we were moving to this new flat, it was not so far from our old flat so we walk past like Korean barbecue all the time. And it just smells so nice. And also me and my flatmate we used to do like Korean nights, because we both liked Kpop for a bit while we're in high school. And we like watching, you know, K dramas and stuff. So we get like a Korean takeaway and watch a K drama. So we did that quite frequently in like, second and third year. And we always talked about going to Korean barbecue with our boyfriends like a double date. And we're like, oh, we have all summer to do it. And now we're coming to the end of July. And we're like, oh, keep missing each other. So yeah, that's why Yeah, I want to go to Korean barbecue with my best friend and flatmate.

Andrew:

Great choice. Like I said, I've not been to Korean barbecue. I would very much like to go. So you said you're gonna go with your flatmate. Is that right? Yeah. How did you meet them?

Mia:

Yeah, so we actually met in first year. We didn't live together, but we're in the same accommodation. And it's just me and her this year. But last year, we live with two other flatmates. And we had to split up because you know, the flat market was going down,

Andrew:

Yeah it wasn't great.

Mia:

We made it onto the Edinburgh Live because one of our flatmates complained about it. So you might see a photo of me, because basically, our landlord increased the price and it was like really... 30% or something like, yeah, it was really bad. And none of us could afford it. So it's really hard to find a four person plot as well. So it's easier to split into twos, right? So yeah, we split up, it's kinda like a break up. So yeah, basically, so the four of us, we were in the same accommodation, and myself and this other girl were really close friends. And then we kind of met the other two, just through connections, and then we all needed a flat. So we moved in. So the four of us lived together in second and third year. And then last year, we split up.

Andrew:

Quite sad that you had to break up the four after you've been together for so long. But like you said, rent prices are terrible at the moment. They're way too expensive. I don't even know what they're really getting at the moment because I've stayed in my flat from last year. So I've not really had too much of an increase from what I hear. It's just so hard to get a flat. Yeah. It's time, it's time to go back to England where you're teaching but before you go there, you're going to visit your favorite place first. So where is your favorite place in Edinburgh? Where, where you going to get picked up?

Mia:

Yeah, this is really hard to take. There's just so many places I love in Edinburgh. I think my favourite place would be Arthur's Seat. Yeah, and probably get picked up at the top maybe a helicopter yeah helicopter ride? Yeah, that'd be cool. Yeah, the reason is we lived in this really nice flat last year and it was like right next to Arthur's Seat and we had like a nice view from the living room and actually can still see Arthur's Seat from my car and flat which is nice as well. So I feel like it's just been always in my uni life because you know in first year, freshers week you claim up Arthur's seat.

Andrew:

Absolutely. Everybody does it.

Mia:

Everybody does yeah, I did that this year as well because I was part of a society and we did like a Arthur's Seat walk so I think it's like a nice way to start your university the year even if after first year? I don't know it's a good climb.

Andrew:

I... Arthur's Seat, I've not climbed that in ages really. Because you have all the energy in first year to do it and then you get to, to honours yours and you're like, oh, that's too high. I can't do that.

Mia:

Yeah, that's the thing. So like I say it's my favorite place but I don't climb up it often. I will mostly just like, view it. Yeah, maybe go up like the crags because that's less Yeah, and and then you can still have like similar view.

Andrew:

The last time I was properly up Arthur's Seat... I did a walk last year but like actually experiencing it was when it snowed it really heavily snowed. And we went sledding down Arthur's Seat.

Mia:

That seems so fun.

Andrew:

I have never had so much fun going because you know, there's like the backs the back way that you walk up that's a bit less steep. I went from the top of that all the way down to the road.

Mia:

I'm actually jealous.

Andrew:

I was, It was just you know classic student life, I was on... I was on a black bag, I wasn't on an actual sledge but because, because you're on that black bag, I could literally go from the top, control myself all the way down to the bottom.

Mia:

Yes was suppose yeah, the cushion of the snow but was it painful?

Andrew:

Not really because the snow was that thick that it wasn't actually like, you know, heading into me or anything and we weren't at the rocky part it was all grass. So it was, it was totally fine. There is one bit because it kind of like curves round that there's this little jump and that was a, that was a little bit sore - so you go up in the air and then you whack back onto the ground. Sledgin on Arthur's Seat is one of the best times I've had at uni.

Mia:

Yeah. I didn't have that kind of experience.

Andrew:

But if it snows and you're in Edinburgh, I would recommend it. However, you're probably going to be surrounded by people who are now 18. And we are not 18 anymore.

Mia:

Yeah. Yes, exactly. I might break a back.

Andrew:

Yeah. Well, you have finished up on Arthur's Seat. And we're going to get you helicoptered down because going down from Arthur's seat is a bit of a death trap if it's slippy.

Mia:

or maybe sledging down,

Andrew:

Sledge down. Perfect! It's going to be snowing and it's gonna be snowing, it doesn't matter that it's welcome week and its September. It's going to be snowing, you're going to sledge down and it's going to be fantastic. That is a really nice story. Thank you for sharing that with me. You've gone from England. You're going to drive up in the car. You give your speech, go to Korean barbecue, Arthur's Seat and then back home.

Mia:

Fabulous. Yeah, sounds great.

Andrew:

So this is the bit that you're not prepared for?

Mia:

Oh, no.

Andrew:

We have a surprise question for you. Okay.

Mia:

So each each guest gets a surprise question from a different person. And yours is coming from a previous Multi Story Edinburgh participant. He graduated in 2020. And he graduated in psychology. And the question that he is asking you, his name is Jay, by the way. The question that Jay is asking you is which uni building did you like going to study in the most? That's a good question. Because I did like, kind of explore a little bit in my fourth year. And also like over the summer months when I was done work for the uni, because a bit quieter so I can like explore. I spent a lot of my time at the Main Library.

Andrew:

Right. Okay.

Mia:

And I explored through the different floors to see which one I vibed with more.

Andrew:

Everyone does have their floor. Which one's yours?

Mia:

Yeah, so it started off as fourth floor but fourth floor is like the social floor. Right? So you know, you get so many people talking and that really got to my nerves. So I went to lower ground

Andrew:

Lower ground is slient.

Mia:

Yeah, I love lower ground because I think I don't know if the ceilings are actually taller but it just feels a bit... I feel like it's a bit more open than the other floors, because other floors felt a bit stuffy. So yeah, I went lower ground, but people told me that's where all the engineers and like the computer scientists go. And I'm just there as a Psych student like.

Andrew:

I use lower ground quite a lot. I prefer in the library to use the pods, actually.

Mia:

Oh, on the ground floor.

Andrew:

Yeah. And there's some on the first floor as well. Yeah, they're really hard to get they are. The only reason we got them is because one of my friends goes in at eight in the morning.

Mia:

Oh, yeah. Yeah, it was, it was like a different experience going into library at like seven in the morning is that that's what I did, like, kind of leading up to my dissertation deadline, because I realized, you know, if I just wake up and do the work, I get it done. So I'll go in and like, I'll go down to lower ground and it's like, there's no one and it was quite nice because like by 5pm I can leave without feeling guilty. And everyone's still like cramming and that was quite nice. But I quite liked the psychology library as well. Um,

Andrew:

Okay.

Mia:

We have our own library in the psychology department in George Square. And yeah, it's just more like, you know, this, it's mainly books and there's some tables, and I quite like working there if I wanted to have a work life balance because it closes at 5pm So you have to get up.

Andrew:

Do you know there is something to be said about if you're forced to finish at five? Then you will start earlier and you get an evening?

Mia:

Yeah. Exactly. So I think I did that a couple of times. And then I realize I'm not really that kind of person. So yeah, after psychology library, I then just like move on to

Andrew:

Back to main library?

Mia:

Yeah. So like break it up, it was like different shifts.

Andrew:

The places that I studied the most were either Main Library and the pods, or I use Pleasance Cafe quite a bit. I haven't recently. Because honestly, I hope somebody from Pleasance Cafe hears this and they can change it. The music is either so loud, or it's the same songs every day.

Mia:

Yeah, I heard about that. Yeah, because we had a few events at the Pleasance Cafe. And I know that people that study there, but yeah, it's the music.

Andrew:

I cannot have at 11 in the morning, where I'm still kind of getting into studying and I need it silent. And then Hey Ya by OutKast comes on. So I did have Pleasance if - they've got a Jazz Playlist now as well, I think but it's still just the same songs. So if it could be a little bit, a little bit different and quieter than I will go back there. Yeah. Good answers there. Well, thank you very much for coming on Multi Story Edinburgh.

Mia:

Yeah. Thank you so much for inviting me.

Andrew:

It's been great. Absolutely. No problem. You've had a really interesting story. And I wish you all the best. Thank you very much.

Mia:

Thanks, Andrew.

Andrew:

Wow, we discussed quite a lot there from Mia's dissertation to sledging down Arthur's Seat to even the music at Pleasance cafe. Thank you, Mia for sharing your story. And thank you all for listening to Multi Story Edinburgh, which you can stream online at our website www.ed.ac.uk. Forward slash alumni forward slash new graduates with a hyphen between new and graduates, or you can stream it to wherever you usually find your podcasts. You can find the alumni team on Instagram at Ed alumni or on Twitter at Edinburgh alumni. Thank you for listening to this episode. See you next time for

another Multi Story Edinburgh:

class of 2023.