First time asking for help - academics, mental health, friendships

Welcome to the sixth episode of Ekasi’s debut season. In this episode, our hosts – Julian and Geofrey sit down and chat with Vivianne Goetz and Quincy Namonje. Vivianne, who is from Switzerland, is an Agricultural Science major. Quincy, from Zambia, is a Mastercard Foundation Scholar studying Economics with Finance at the University of Edinburgh.

In this deep yet lively conversation, our guests reminisce upon their arrival at the University of Edinburgh. They not only take us back to the first form of friendships they struck as new international students but also talk briefly about how these cordial relations grew with the passing of time. They speak about the ease of making new friends and setting up familiar and healthy social circles after having found themselves in a place far away from home. Additionally, they explain the expectation adjustment especially when it came to academic grading – both of them boast of stellar high school grades prior to coming to university.

This chat finally culminates into our guests exploring mental health. They reflect upon their perception of mental health prior to experiencing university life and how that has changed now that they are university students.
Are you curious to know how our guests have managed to thrive in an almost demanding academic space? Then tune in to hear some of the personal, tried and tested measures that they have employed in their daily lives in order to ensure a robust mental health status.

Audio edited by Geofrey Njovu

Soundtrack by Ifeanyichukwu Ezinmadu