Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: This show is not a substitute for professional counseling and no relationship is created between the show host or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
[00:00:26] Speaker B: Foreign.
[00:00:41] Speaker C: Hey, everyone. Welcome to the Battle Balance. Real stories about college students mental health. This is episode 26, guys. Crazy, isn't it?
[00:00:49] Speaker D: Crazy.
[00:00:50] Speaker E: Pretty wild, man.
[00:00:51] Speaker C: 26. Episode 26. We'll be, I guess, recording our last episode in a little bit, but.
But I can't believe it. 26 episodes. It's been an amazing ride so far.
[00:01:05] Speaker E: I was just thinking to myself, like, have we really been in here 26 times?
[00:01:11] Speaker C: Wow.
[00:01:11] Speaker E: It just doesn't feel like it.
[00:01:12] Speaker C: Right? Right. When you put it that way, it's. We've been here at least once a week, no doubt filming sometimes twice. Yeah. Recording and all that.
You know, I was just thinking if, you know, 10 years from now, you know, if these walls could talk, what would they say? Based on what we've talked about and what we've discussed, there's no telling.
[00:01:35] Speaker E: I think that it'd be good things about when we're on there. I was about to say, when we
[00:01:39] Speaker D: get off there, there's no telling. The in between is where they'd have probably the most.
[00:01:43] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:01:44] Speaker D: If I had to guess, we have
[00:01:46] Speaker C: some of our richest discussions when we take a break, which is kind of fun, actually, in a way.
And maybe no need to record that, but it'd be great to just be a fly on the wall, listen in on the breaks and stuff like that. We, you know, we had some numbers come in and so to date, from our, from our first episode in the fall to I think last week, we've had over 690 listeners to date.
[00:02:13] Speaker E: That's awesome.
[00:02:13] Speaker C: Crazy.
[00:02:14] Speaker E: It is.
[00:02:15] Speaker C: That is crazy.
And our first season we had, I think a little over 240, maybe 250 listeners.
But with this number, what we're averaging 300 plus a semester.
[00:02:29] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:02:29] Speaker C: Nuts.
[00:02:30] Speaker D: Thanks, guys.
[00:02:31] Speaker C: Nuts. Thank you all so much. Thank you all for listening and showing an interest or at least pressing play on wherever you listen to your podcast. That's been, it's been a lot of fun so far and, and this. And today is not going to be any different. Did you Guys enjoy a day.
Was that.
[00:02:53] Speaker D: I was not.
[00:02:54] Speaker C: Oh, you weren't here.
[00:02:55] Speaker D: Wait, no, I was here.
[00:02:56] Speaker C: You were here for a day, but you didn't. Did you go?
[00:02:57] Speaker D: I didn't go. I didn't go to the game. I haven't been to. Actually, I don't think I've ever been to an eight. A game.
[00:03:03] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:03:03] Speaker D: Ever.
[00:03:04] Speaker C: Yeah, I've only been to a couple.
[00:03:05] Speaker E: I think I went sophomore and junior year. I didn't go this year.
[00:03:09] Speaker C: Yeah, I think I. I didn't go this year. And I saw you though, on a day. Did you?
[00:03:16] Speaker E: Driving.
[00:03:17] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:03:17] Speaker E: You were on this side of campus.
[00:03:18] Speaker C: Yes, I was. Yes. I was running errands on this side of campus.
[00:03:21] Speaker E: I saw you.
[00:03:22] Speaker C: That's right.
[00:03:23] Speaker E: You were turning to go like over. Across the bridge.
[00:03:26] Speaker C: Correct. So, yeah. Where I was coming from somewhere. It's coming from Northport is where I was. But coming in to run some errands and then I had to go. Wanted to make sure I made it straight back for moving day at the Masters. That's Saturday round.
[00:03:40] Speaker E: Hey. On Sunday, I think I pulled the greatest achievement of my life.
[00:03:44] Speaker C: What was that?
[00:03:45] Speaker E: I sat on a couch in our second floor lounge.
[00:03:48] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:03:50] Speaker E: I guess Rory and them teed off at like 2. Something like 2:30 or something.
[00:03:55] Speaker C: Right.
[00:03:55] Speaker E: So I was probably 2 o'. Clock. Sat on the right side of the second floor couch. I did not get up a single single time.
Did not go use the bathroom or anything. Just sat there and watched. It was awesome.
[00:04:10] Speaker D: That, that's.
[00:04:10] Speaker E: And it was seriously some of the most fun I think I've ever had.
It was great.
Then when I stood up, I was like, holy cow. I feel like I just got out of an airplane.
Hadn't moved my legs in so long. I mean, I went and got a water.
[00:04:23] Speaker D: Probably 5:36.
[00:04:25] Speaker E: Yeah, it was a long time.
[00:04:26] Speaker D: That's like almost four hours straight.
[00:04:29] Speaker C: Yeah, it was awesome.
[00:04:30] Speaker D: That's longer than some flights.
[00:04:32] Speaker C: That's true. That's a good point.
[00:04:35] Speaker E: Or not like most domestic flights are
[00:04:37] Speaker D: not going more than that.
[00:04:39] Speaker E: Yeah.
[00:04:39] Speaker C: It's like the Simple Pleasures.
[00:04:41] Speaker E: What an achievement.
[00:04:42] Speaker C: That's great. Congratulations.
[00:04:43] Speaker E: Thanks, man.
[00:04:44] Speaker C: It's like it's forecasting your future.
[00:04:46] Speaker E: It was great too. It was fun to watch.
[00:04:47] Speaker C: It was fun.
[00:04:48] Speaker E: It was fun.
[00:04:48] Speaker C: It was fun.
[00:04:50] Speaker E: Russell Henley could have made a birdie putt.
[00:04:52] Speaker C: That would have been. Yeah.
[00:04:53] Speaker E: And he had five chances.
[00:04:54] Speaker C: That would have been interesting. Yeah, that would have been.
[00:04:57] Speaker E: You could have won it.
[00:04:57] Speaker C: Twist. He could have. He could have. Rory scared me there for a while, but it was it was such, it was such fun and I, you know, so I think we're going to have a lot of fun today too. Yeah. We've got a special guest who's going to join us talking about graduate student experiences and specifically, you know, managing stress and all the demands as a graduate student. So we'll be right back in our first segment. This is the BAMA Balance.
[00:05:43] Speaker B: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
[00:05:46] Speaker A: This show is not a substitute for professional counseling and no relationship is created between the show hosts or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective county's crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency Foreign.
[00:06:27] Speaker E: What's up, guys? Welcome back to the BAMA Balance. We're here for segment one and I'm pretty excited to introduce a special guest that has been around us a lot since we've been filming this year, the man behind the camera, mb. I'll let you introduce yourself to the listeners.
[00:06:42] Speaker B: Thank you for having me.
I go by Imbi, but my name is Motors Bernoui. It's actually an Arabic name. And I'm trying, I've been here for a while and I tried to make it easier for non Arabic speakers. That's why I was like, I'm just going to go with my MB actually, this year marks my fifth year in Tuscaloosa and I'm almost done with my PhD and I think by August or September I'll be leaving back to Saudi Arabia, home, which is home right now. I'm working on my dissertation. I'm almost done.
My major of study is I'm focusing really on sport or sports communication. I'm looking into how countries are using sport to develop their reputation, develop their image around the world because sport is the language. And if you've been here for a while, you would realize how sport bring everybody.
No matter what is your background, where you came from, when it's about sports or music, everybody is going to come along the way.
I'm working for the University of Alabama for a while. So I start working as a graduate assistant for the intercultural center. And then I moved here to the student life and I'm now the graduate assistant for the professional development.
And it's been a journey, to be honest, because I'm working in this department alone.
[00:08:29] Speaker C: Yeah. Right.
[00:08:30] Speaker B: With the support of Dr.
Steris and Anna.
[00:08:35] Speaker C: Right.
[00:08:36] Speaker B: But it's been a journey and whole lots of experience for me. I wasn't expected at least myself. I wasn't expecting myself to achieve this level.
But I'm here right now and I feel like I've done a lot. I'm learning a lot in this four or five months and hopefully the next three months would be worth it in the way that I'm imagining.
[00:09:05] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:09:05] Speaker B: Because I'm working on two sides. So I'm writing. So once I leave this office, I go back to the library and start writing. And the next day I sleep. Next day I come back and see
[00:09:18] Speaker C: do it all over again.
[00:09:20] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:09:20] Speaker C: Well, MB is.
So the. The position of director for professional development for the division is. Is vacant right now. And so MB and Anna McJenkin, our executive admin, are really carrying the load this, this semester.
[00:09:37] Speaker B: And.
[00:09:37] Speaker C: And there's summer too, I think, right? Yeah, this summer. That's. That's great. That is fantastic. The other thing you neglected to mention is that you newly married.
[00:09:48] Speaker B: Yeah. Oh, how would I forget?
[00:09:50] Speaker C: I don't know.
[00:09:50] Speaker E: Yeah.
[00:09:51] Speaker B: I did not forget.
[00:09:52] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:09:54] Speaker B: Yeah. But it's. It's a ride, to be honest. It's a long ride.
[00:09:58] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:09:59] Speaker B: And finally we got married last January in Turkey. My wife coming all the way from Germany, I'm coming from Saudi Arabia. Living in the us My life is a movie sometimes.
[00:10:13] Speaker C: Oh my God.
[00:10:14] Speaker B: Yeah. This is. This is one of the greatest experience I've ever had in my life, to be honest.
Living as a single guy in a foreign country for me. So living in the United States by myself for a while, I start getting used to it. So I get bored if somebody around for a while.
[00:10:36] Speaker C: Right.
[00:10:36] Speaker B: I'd be like, I don't want anybody to get into my space.
[00:10:40] Speaker E: Just want to do your own thing.
[00:10:41] Speaker B: Yes. And I get used to it. Imagine like I'm talking about three, four years I'm by myself and then all of a sudden you have a company on the house.
And I wasn't aware how it would be.
[00:10:58] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:10:59] Speaker B: But it turned out to be perfect.
[00:11:02] Speaker C: Good.
[00:11:03] Speaker B: I really love it.
I mean, just waking up.
[00:11:07] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:11:07] Speaker B: There is somebody next to you and waking up, you have everything ready. You don't worry about the stuff you used to worry. Used to worry about school, getting ready, food and stuff.
But now I don't have to worry about all of that. I'm focusing almost 100%.
Let's say 50.
[00:11:25] Speaker C: 50.
[00:11:26] Speaker B: I'm focusing with my wife and the other 50 work.
[00:11:30] Speaker C: That's fair.
[00:11:31] Speaker E: That's awesome. Congrats.
[00:11:33] Speaker B: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I appreciate it.
[00:11:35] Speaker C: Yeah, it's.
[00:11:36] Speaker B: It's a big step forward.
[00:11:40] Speaker C: So how do. So tell us a little bit about how you came to choose the university to attend the university and also your experiences overall as a graduate student here.
[00:11:53] Speaker B: So I'm going to get you back a little bit. In 2013, I came to the United States.
I started studying English in Seattle.
I arrived, I think March 3, 2013 with no words of English.
And I remember they asked me for my passport.
And before I came, a lot of people talking about they might ask you for the passcode for your phone and they're going to check your phone and stuff. So they'd be like, passport. I was like, start smiling. I didn't know what they're talking about.
Then I tried to give them my phone.
They'd be like, passport. And they start to show me, asking me for the paper and stuff. And they give them the paper.
I was like, wow, I've come so far in terms of learning another language. I didn't have any experience.
And I remember the teacher used to talk to us about apple orange and she raised a picture to show us what the meaning of the stuff that she's talking about from 2013 till the end of 2014. And the then I.
I had to go through the exams, ILS exam and English exams. After that, I moved to Philly. I started my master. It was in international Public relations.
My concentration was in new media marketing.
And you know, usually master take up to two years.
Right during my master, I start volunteering with nonprofit organization. I worked with a company called 360 Marketing, NPR.
It was a time where I started discovering a new world.
This is a thing I forgot to mention. When I was in Seattle, I used to sit only with my fellow Saudi people who.
Who are speaking the same language I speak.
I didn't discover myself and start speaking English till I moved to Philly because I didn't have the opportunity to find other Saudi.
And I also remember when I was in Philly and I got nominated for one of the honor society, then they picked me as a student speaker. It was a great experience to me. I still hold all of these pictures and I have them in my house just to remember how far.
That's neat I came because sometimes it's hard. Through all the experience, I had an experience where my father got into a coma when I was learning English and then I had to go back home. And I was like, I'm just quitting. I'm not gonna go back to the States because, you know, away from the family. And I'm so connected to my family, especially my father and my mother. And my mom was like, that's what your father was looking for.
You have to go back.
So after that I finished working and I went back to Saudi for four years.
2020 or 2020 or 2021. I came back to the state to start my PhD.
[00:15:12] Speaker C: That's great. How has it been for you here so far?
[00:15:16] Speaker B: I feel home.
[00:15:17] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:15:17] Speaker B: I feel home. Especially. I was so scared because a lot of people. Are you going to Alabama? Are you sure?
[00:15:23] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:15:23] Speaker B: But when you come to Alabama, you start finding that it's. It's actually family oriented. Everybody love to talk to you, smile, and all this stuff. So it was great. It was great experience.
[00:15:36] Speaker C: There's a lot of that kind of same shared experience about being here in Tuscaloosa at the university.
[00:15:42] Speaker D: Absolutely.
[00:15:43] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:15:44] Speaker E: I think, I do think it's very interesting. Just the south in general, too. Yeah.
From other places in the country that people may not really understand there. I mean, the Southern hospitality is definitely a true thing.
I've experienced it a little bit traveling wise, you can kind of tell. But I mean, it is. And, and that's great place for you to come.
[00:16:05] Speaker B: I love it so far.
[00:16:07] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:16:08] Speaker B: But I love it. I love it so much.
[00:16:09] Speaker C: Unlike any other thing I've experienced too. I mean, different than sort of California hospitality or.
[00:16:18] Speaker D: Yeah. There'll be a lot of people that tell me like, oh, it doesn't exist. Have you been.
You don't know because you've been to the South? Like, yeah, it's, it's. Yeah, it exists and it's real and, and feels different. It's just different.
[00:16:30] Speaker C: Yeah. Feels good. It feels really good.
[00:16:32] Speaker E: No doubt. We'll be excited to get back on segment two. Here we are going to take a little break, ponder about what we're going to talk about next.
Probably talk about some stuff that we won't talk about. So we'll be back. Segment two. This is the BAM Balance.
[00:17:03] Speaker B: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
[00:17:05] Speaker A: This show is not a substitute for professional counseling and no relationship is created between the show hosts or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
[00:17:40] Speaker B: Foreign.
[00:17:46] Speaker D: Hey y'.
[00:17:46] Speaker C: All.
[00:17:46] Speaker D: Welcome back to the BAMA Balance. We're in our second segment now and B, I just again, thank you for coming on. But you know, as we go about in our college experience, I'm sure there are some people listening this who are maybe considering grad school or about to go in. I know Brooks is, is that's up on the plate for him and probably me in a year as well. So I want you to talk a little bit about your experience in grad school and, and maybe some of the, you know, stresses or difficulties that you encountered and how you, how you were able to kind of move past or work around this.
[00:18:22] Speaker B: Oh yeah.
To be honest, every time I think about stress, I remember my first and second year.
So when I arrived to Alabama I was, I had a gap, a five year gap or almost four years. So I graduated in 2016, end of 2016 and then I came back for my PhD in 2021.
It seems easy because I had four years of experience. I was working engaging with people either in the States or back home.
But the problem is the five years gap and you think that you got everything, you got the knowledge, you got the confidence.
But the first class would be shocking because I remember most of my colleague or classmate coming just right from their master or either they have one or two years gap.
For me, five years gap. I forgot how to read a book. I forgot how to write something especially it's not my first language language I just learned in the last six, seven years.
I had to cry, which is a hard cry because the first two weeks we had to get a.
The session was two to three, three hours long. And in the every session we have, each of the students have to take an hour to talk.
[00:20:08] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:20:09] Speaker B: About a subject.
And here you have to talk as academic, not as a professional. Like you have to bring evidence, references and stuff.
And I was the worst in the class because I didn't even remember all this academic source. I didn't remember at the time any of the information I had in my master because. Because that was 2016 and we are in 2021, almost end of the year.
After classes you still have to go through comprehensive exam after comprehensive exam. You have to defense your comprehensive exam. And this is, I'm talking about PhD level master has the same thing but in different from school to a different school are different. So the school I got the master from, it's more of a practitioner school.
So you don't have to. We didn't have the focus on thesis.
The school had the focus on what you're going or what the market is expecting from you. So we used to have visiting professor or visiting practitioner come to school and talk to us about their job.
And the PhD level was different.
I think that was after my second year, second year and a half, I decided to take my comprehensive exam. And that was one of the most stressful time beside the stress you get from school.
Now we are in a social media era where we are always on our phone.
You have another problem focusing on reading or writing or focus on a lecture.
That gave me through a lot of hard time because there was a time where you'll be like, I'm giving up.
I don't. I used to, I used to have a good job. So I was like, why am I here?
[00:22:18] Speaker C: Right.
[00:22:19] Speaker B: You start questioning yourself, your ability to concentrate, to focus, not to get stressed. And especially for international students, when you get stressed, you're going to get stressed over your school, over your comfort. You're not in your comfort zone. You're not even home. You cannot go to somebody and talk. Especially if you are coming from a culture where talking to your professor has to be in a specific manner. You have to be.
So we cannot talk to the professor back home as we talk to the professor here, which is all different cultures, the culture over there. It's like you have to talk to your professor in this manner. So the hardest part was for me not to ask questions. I don't go to professor after classes and ask questions.
[00:23:10] Speaker C: Right.
[00:23:10] Speaker B: Which is raising up my. And increase my stress level.
[00:23:15] Speaker C: Stress level, right.
[00:23:16] Speaker B: It's not an easy time, but. But that's where the comfort part come. Everybody tell you, oh, it's part of the journey. You have to be stressed in order to complete a PhD. You have to be stressed in order to get your master.
But how can you overcome that stress? Is the how to explain it. It's a hard part for a student who doesn't get the. Or who didn't get the guidance before.
[00:23:51] Speaker C: It sounds like graduate students and graduate school comes with its own set of stressors, things that take some getting used to in terms of adjusting to your role as a graduate student, how to manage those relationships with faculty. But also too, your experience sounds like it was even more layered with being an international student and coming back to school after working for about four or five years. And that transition was particularly sounds either challenging or unique for you. You know, first I Think about your. So in terms of your transition. Yeah, it'll be next year, but that's
[00:24:32] Speaker E: going to be like, I don't know. I'll let y' all know. Yeah, I have no clue.
Have no clue what to expect.
[00:24:39] Speaker B: It will be easy, believe me, because you didn't have.
[00:24:43] Speaker E: You make. You make it. You make me feel comfortable about this.
[00:24:46] Speaker B: So, yeah, I promise. To be honest, I'm confident to say that because coming back to school after a year, it's way different than coming back to school after four or five years.
[00:24:58] Speaker E: That is true. I can't imagine. I can't imagine what you had to go through as far as getting back into the.
You know, because, I mean, everything's a rhythm kind of. When you're in a rhythm, you know, you can make smaller changes and adjustments, but it's like putting a golf club down for five years and then coming out and expecting to play good again. Like, I mean it.
Practice makes perfect at all.
[00:25:21] Speaker B: It's all about expectations. Because you'll be like, oh, that's easy. I can't do it. But once you are in it, you realize, oh, you're not that good.
[00:25:35] Speaker E: Quit.
[00:25:35] Speaker C: That's pretty. That's pretty honest right there, right? Yeah.
[00:25:40] Speaker B: If you think you're good.
[00:25:41] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:25:42] Speaker B: You're not gonna learn anything.
[00:25:43] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:25:44] Speaker B: You'll be like, oh, I'm confident enough. I know what I'm doing, and that's it. But remember, if you are experienced in something, that doesn't mean you have all the experience in every other thing. And this is what I learned about PhD. It's about small thing.
So small or small knowledge in a big field.
So you have to answer a question.
So all these three, four to five years, you have to answer one question, probably or two.
[00:26:15] Speaker E: That's crazy.
[00:26:16] Speaker B: So you think once you get your PhD, you're going to be, huh, that guy. But you are not. You're just going to be more focus on a part.
And at the same time, you'll be like, oh, I have to learn something new. Or I learned something new.
Even when you talk to other people, you'll be like, oh, no. To be honest, my expertise in this field, not in this field, especially within communication. Like now I can talk about sports communication more than talking about just sport or just communication. I have some specific thing, some specific part on this communication cycle.
[00:27:02] Speaker C: Sweet gosh. Are you feeling better, Brooks?
[00:27:06] Speaker E: Yeah, I feel a lot better. It made me feel better.
[00:27:10] Speaker B: I'm glad I could help.
[00:27:11] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, no doubt.
[00:27:12] Speaker E: That was comforting to hear. Seriously.
[00:27:15] Speaker D: Yeah, We Appreciate.
I mean, that's just, I think, really good for anyone to hear. Like I talked about earlier or when I asked you the question of, like, anyone who might be going into any kind of grad school. I think it's important to, to remember a lot of those things you said.
Obviously, not that I have experience with it, but I mean, again, it's good advice. Like having the right expectations of, like, this isn't. I'm not going to walk in and hit a home run on the first pitch. Like, it's kind of. It's going to take a minute.
[00:27:42] Speaker C: That's great. Universal sort of advice, too.
[00:27:44] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:27:45] Speaker C: Right. Yeah, yeah.
[00:27:46] Speaker E: Like that's with everything.
[00:27:47] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, no, that's really good.
[00:27:50] Speaker D: This has been a really good segment. We're gonna, we're gonna close it out here and then get to our closing segment in a minute, but we'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.
[00:28:14] Speaker B: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
[00:28:17] Speaker A: This show is not a substitute for professional counseling. And no relationship is created between the show hosts or guests and any listener. If you feel you are in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, we encourage you to contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
[00:28:58] Speaker C: Welcome back, everybody, to the Bama Balance. This is our last segment here and mb, it's been fantastic having you as a guest on this show and was just wondering if you could provide any advice to grad students, doctoral students and international graduate students about how to best cope with their experience. What would that be?
[00:29:21] Speaker B: There are many advices and I don't know if I'm the good one too because I didn't do a lot.
[00:29:26] Speaker C: You're sitting here now, you're the best.
[00:29:27] Speaker B: But you know, sometimes you get it by the time more. It's like experience.
[00:29:32] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:29:34] Speaker B: So as international student, I would say just get out of your comfort zone and try to talk. You know, language barrier, that's what they say they call it.
It's hard to speak in a different language or than the one you grow up with. But try to speak and go out. You have to have fun time because usually stressing yourself by sitting, trying to get better, it's not going to get you better. And even if you get better, you have to test it. And how would you be able to Test it. You have to go out and talk and you have to share your knowledge or experience with other people.
The other thing in general, like the stress level is so high because what we have in the social media and start comparing ourselves. Usually you see something, you. You'll be like, oh, I want to be that guy.
But that's only one or two minutes from the whole 24 hours you see from that guy.
So don't compare yourself to other. Just see where you are today and how would you improve yourself and where will you be in two or three years.
[00:30:46] Speaker C: Right.
[00:30:48] Speaker B: I'm confident to say that I'm not the same person who came here four years ago.
Four years ago, I was just by myself. I tried to stay inside my own community. And now I had the experience to work with the student life. I had the experience to work with opportunity, connection and success division. All these two divisions.
Now I walk around the campus and a couple times even I was once with my wife, and they'd be like, hey, M.B. she was like, oh, everybody knows you. I was like, yeah, I'm that famous. I'm not. But I go through every day, I see these different people around campus and I talk to them. Now everybody knows me.
[00:31:40] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:31:41] Speaker B: And it's. It's not everybody knows me, but I had to go through all this experience and building this relationship. And I know, yeah, it's going to be lasting relationship. Whenever I'm back here, I'm going to see all these people.
So just focus on yourself. Don't let social media, don't let the stress kill you. Don't doubt yourself. You definitely gonna be better. If you could be better just on one thing every year, not. Not every day, every year. So one thing, it's not a big deal. You can. I think if you can do that, you don't have to do anything else.
[00:32:23] Speaker C: Like little steps, too.
[00:32:24] Speaker B: Yeah, just a small step.
[00:32:25] Speaker C: Make your bed, kind of. It goes back little steps to success.
[00:32:29] Speaker E: MB we got a video for you
[00:32:31] Speaker C: to watch at some point.
[00:32:32] Speaker B: Yeah, I know what you're talking about. I watch all these videos about five years ago.
[00:32:38] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:32:38] Speaker B: Because that's how I used to push myself.
[00:32:42] Speaker C: That's good.
Let me ask you this. So you, in terms of your time here at the, at the university, what do you. What would you say has been your.
The greatest risk that's led to the greatest reward for you
[00:33:00] Speaker B: coming here?
[00:33:01] Speaker C: Okay, just coming by itself because
[00:33:06] Speaker B: as I said earlier, I was working. I don't know if I mentioned that, but I was working as a director of public Relation.
[00:33:12] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:33:13] Speaker B: And communication. So if you are in that role and then come back to school and quit everything and leave everything behind and start again.
So that's me. And your income is going to be less. Everything going to be.
So you have to build yourself again. And I think now I got back with life experience. I got to travel around and see the world.
I met my wife. Yeah.
I had to do my engagement in a country in one country and then had my wedding in a different country. It's a lot of experience. So for me it's not everything about how much I'm earning right now because I know I could do better with this experience I have. I could do better. I have so much on my mind on my thoughts are different than the thoughts I came up I came to the state with. And also I learned about different cultures and how these different cultures are influencing the way I see life.
[00:34:19] Speaker C: Ah, okay.
[00:34:20] Speaker B: So it's a lot of things happen in my life during the.
[00:34:23] Speaker C: That's remarkable for you. That's remarkable. I know that you'll be here for the, for the summer with us but then after that I'm curious as to kind of career plans or thoughts.
[00:34:36] Speaker B: So I'm actually a lecturer right now at Kau University or King Abdul University back in Saudi Arabia.
Once I complete my PhD and go back, I'm going to be promoted as assistant professor.
[00:34:49] Speaker C: Wonderful.
[00:34:49] Speaker B: And I have my own business in public relations so I'm going to focus on that too. So I, I do have a candle.
[00:34:56] Speaker C: You've already got something.
[00:34:57] Speaker B: Yeah, you do have a plan. But also my wife is completing her PhD.
[00:35:01] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:35:02] Speaker E: Yeah.
[00:35:02] Speaker C: So yes.
[00:35:03] Speaker B: Once I'm done What is her PhD in? So she is in I T from a business administration standpoint. So she's completing her PhD and then we both going to leave in Saudi Arabia. So it's going to be Saudi Arabia, Germany. Saudi Arabia, Germany. So I don't know how but we'll
[00:35:21] Speaker E: have to take a Bama balance trip to come see.
[00:35:24] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
[00:35:25] Speaker E: That'd be an awesome place to visit.
[00:35:27] Speaker C: You read my mind please.
[00:35:29] Speaker B: You got me there.
[00:35:30] Speaker E: And you get shown around by locals.
[00:35:31] Speaker B: That's right there. So whenever you want to come to Saudi Arabia, just come during the time
[00:35:37] Speaker C: I'm there and we'll follow you then you and Sadette your wife to Germany.
[00:35:42] Speaker B: Yes, I mean, I mean Germany kind
[00:35:45] Speaker C: of like the US like this.
[00:35:48] Speaker B: It's really different but it look like the US but Saudi would be different from a different stand point. So the culture is different like the western culture in Germany. And US Are almost the same. But I can't say you have a house in Germany, but I could say you have a house in Saudi.
[00:36:08] Speaker C: In Saudi.
[00:36:08] Speaker B: That's awesome. Maybe in five years, I would be confident to say you have a house in Germany, too. So I'll be waiting for you guys.
[00:36:17] Speaker E: I do have a question, though. I. I know you said something about sports and music earlier.
From a music standpoint, do you have any One. Do you listen to American music?
[00:36:30] Speaker B: Oh, yeah.
[00:36:32] Speaker E: So what. What. What's your favorite kind of American music to listen to? Or maybe some favorite.
[00:36:37] Speaker B: I know probably people.
Do you call it R B?
[00:36:41] Speaker E: R B, Yeah.
[00:36:42] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:36:42] Speaker B: And now my wife got me through the jazz.
[00:36:49] Speaker C: Oh, sure.
[00:36:50] Speaker B: And I enjoy it.
[00:36:51] Speaker C: Sure.
[00:36:52] Speaker B: Last time when we went to New Orleans.
Yeah. For Mardi Gras, you suggested.
[00:36:59] Speaker C: Oh, Preservation Hall. Yeah.
[00:37:01] Speaker B: Oh, my God, that was perfect.
[00:37:03] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:37:04] Speaker B: So that's a type of music I'm listening to, or I'm exploring now, and I listen to all type of music.
[00:37:12] Speaker E: Awesome.
[00:37:12] Speaker B: Honestly, I came to Alabama, I started listening to some country music. Yeah, you're listening to country music. I was like, yeah, they are cool.
[00:37:21] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
[00:37:21] Speaker B: Just try to listen. Try to hear.
It's so cool.
So I listen to all kind of music. Sometimes I listen to Arabic music, sometimes I listen to English music. And this is, to be honest, it's kind of belief, I believe sport and music, despite where you came from, despite your background, that's. Or these two will bring people together.
[00:37:52] Speaker C: Absolutely. It's a great combination.
That is so good.
[00:37:56] Speaker E: I just had to ask you. I was curious.
[00:37:57] Speaker C: That's great. Yeah.
[00:37:58] Speaker B: I listen to all type of music.
[00:37:59] Speaker E: Thank you for sharing that.
[00:38:00] Speaker B: The playlist they have, they are not matching.
[00:38:04] Speaker C: Oh, I was about to say we have our own playlist at the Bama Balance playlist for all those who want to also DM us for their favorite songs. What's your favorite song you'd like to add to that playlist?
[00:38:18] Speaker B: It's a crazy song, but a lot of people listen to it. I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road.
[00:38:24] Speaker C: Oh, yeah, that's
[00:38:28] Speaker E: Nas X.
[00:38:28] Speaker C: That's it.
[00:38:30] Speaker B: That's what I love.
[00:38:31] Speaker E: That's awesome.
[00:38:31] Speaker B: We'll add it because it's mixed between country.
[00:38:34] Speaker C: Yeah, that's a good one.
[00:38:37] Speaker E: That is awesome.
[00:38:38] Speaker C: That's a great one.
[00:38:39] Speaker E: Gosh, that's great.
[00:38:41] Speaker C: I can't believe we don't have it on there. That's a great song. I love it. All right, we're gonna add that to our playlist so you can keep us in.
In memory and we'll keep you in our memory and we look forward to that trip to Saudi and I'll be waiting for you. That's awesome.
[00:39:03] Speaker B: This is my guest.
[00:39:04] Speaker C: This has been. There's been a great. This has been a great episode.
And B, how has it been for you being on the mic versus taking the videos or the photos?
[00:39:16] Speaker B: For us, it's a different feeling I don't know how to express. But yeah, what you've been doing is good job. I mean, it's stressing by itself. I know it's not like the camera, but it's still the mic in front of you and trying to get your world and sometimes you know the word in on the tip of your tongue but you can't get it out.
[00:39:34] Speaker E: Right.
[00:39:34] Speaker C: So.
[00:39:35] Speaker B: But I love it and thank you for having me. It's really my pleasure to be here.
[00:39:39] Speaker C: Gosh, you've been great.
[00:39:41] Speaker B: My end of time at this great university.
[00:39:45] Speaker C: Yeah, no, you've been great. We'll. We'll certainly shout out World Tide whenever we see you. Right. And wherever we run into each other. But this has been great. This has been a great episode.
[00:39:59] Speaker E: It's no doubt.
[00:39:59] Speaker C: Yeah, it's been great to have you and be here and thanks everybody for listening in. This is episode 26 of the Bama Balance, and we look forward to having you join us for our, our last episode, the next, the next week. But for now, this is Tony Perez, Brooks Barbary, Edward Felton, Mochas Bernard. And this is Bamboo Balance. We'll see you later.
[00:40:39] Speaker B: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
[00:40:41] Speaker A: This show was not intended as a substitute for professional counseling. Further, the views, opinions and conclusions expressed by the show hosts or their guests are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Alabama, its officers or trustees. Any views, opinions or conclusions shared on the show do not create a relationship between the host or any guest and any listener, and such a relationship should never be inferred. If you feel you're in need of professional mental health and are a UA student, please contact the UA Counseling center at 348-3863. If you are not a UA student, please contact your respective counties crisis service hotline or their local mental health agency or insurance company. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
