 Okay, it's deemed panelists. Will you please introduce yourself? Yeah, hi everyone. I'm Jas, my pronouns are Shiha. I just finished my PhD in Romance Languages, so that took me six years. And I spent three years living in Michigan and during that whole time I lived off campus. Hi everyone, my name is Ray Hanit, and my preferred name is Ray Han. My pronouns are Shiha hers. And I'm from Iran. I've been in the US for one year. I graduated from the law school in the University of Michigan in May. And I'm going to start the master of social work in fall in the School of Social Work. And currently I'm working as a law clerk in Washington County Circuit Court. And I'm so happy to be here with you. Hi everyone. Firstly, I would like to welcome you all to the University of Michigan. So myself, Navya Sri, I'm a third year PhD student at Molecular Cellar and Developmental Biology Department. And yeah, I'm an international student and I think I landed to Ann Arbor in 2021. And I'm really loving and I'm enjoying the space around here. And the summers are really nice. I love being here and I'm enjoying the vibe over here. And I stay on campus housing, which is called as not third. It's really great. If anyone is interested, I can give more details about it. Thank you. Hi everyone. Again, welcome to Michigan. My name is Paloma. I'm a PhD student in anthropology. I've been in this program and in the US for six years now. That's a long time. And currently I live in Nitsulani, but I also spend a couple of years living in university housing and also in Ann Arbor. So I've been in all possible situations, I think they can answer questions about that too. Thank you. So my first question for you is, what do you wish that you knew in your first year here? So I was in the humanities. So all of my classes involved a lot of writing and discussion and that was basically the core. So it would have been really helpful for me if I'd taken time to ask other students or ask professors, like what was expected in terms of content of my papers, like written style argumentation, how to plan my time, how to make the most of other opportunities on campus. And also what was expected in terms of the discussion style and class because it was quite different to what I'd experienced before. And like it's not silly to ask those questions like it's new for most people. So you should ask because there's probably a lot of people who are sitting there wondering the same thing. And just in general, I wish I'd keep them kept better track of the opportunities to expand my horizons academically like identifying conferences I could have gone to sooner. Other things on campus where graduate students come together to discuss their work. I think they're things that I wish I'd done in my first year to integrate academically more quickly. So yeah. So for me, first, I think that I wish I could I could have more information and details about different types of courses that I should take, and whom I could contact to learn more about them. Because for example, I wanted to apply for another program at the law school, and I knew that I needed a high GPA, but I wasn't really sure which courses I should take or which professors I should contact. So if I had that information, that could be really helpful for me. And the other one is that I play piano and piano is not an instrument that you can carry with yourself wherever you go. So I wish I could know more about the music practice rooms and campus both on Central and North campus. I could go there and play piano and enjoy my time doing something different from just studying. So to me so when I first arrived in Ann Arbor it was like for the first time I came out of my country to study abroad. And I think it would have been great if I had known like a lot of things because I was very new to a lot of things. Some of the things that I feel like if it would have been better if I had known are like one is in terms of housing. I did not know like they're on campus housing, such as like North or Munger. So I lived somewhere like far because by the time I started looking for housing, like most of the apartments were taken there were no spots so I was really living on a bus lane where it was really the like only one bus was running. So I think it would have been nice if I'd known about all this when I was like before coming here in my first year and also it would have been nice how to if I'd known like how to balance or manage time between like rotations, a lot of courseworks. So it's like very new for me doing like research rotations again, taking a lot of coursework so it was a little difficult for me to manage time in the beginning. And the other things was like, yeah, having a very good work life balance I did not know how to have a very good work life balance so initially like the first year was little pressure full for me. So it would have been nice if I'd known all of this and it would have been made me more relaxed. I think now I know how to manage it and now I'm pretty relaxed and now I'm fine it's going smoothly. Yes. So for me, moving here was a little bit difficult because I was very scared about English and speaking English not being my first language. And I also was raised in a culture where and all of you come from different countries and different cultures. So sometimes in our cultures, it is valued to be super independent and maybe not relying on other people and not as many questions. And as Jess mentioned, just ask for help. You're going to face many difficult moments, but probably none of them are going to be unique to you. So other people will have things to say how to help them. We'll have things to help you. So asking for help is valid and it's absolutely necessary and it makes other people feel good. So it's a win-win. Professors and staff or other students are always going to be happy to share their knowledge with you. It makes them feel valuable. It makes them feel like they're part of a community. So don't be shy. And the most important thing to me is just once you get here or even before you get here, just find allies, especially if you're part of a minority or a marginalized group, just find allies and ask around, like, who is this, who here has this identity? I would love to talk to them. And just share how you feel with people that have been through different similar experiences. And yeah, here people are super open and they're always happy to help. Thanks, y'all. So we've just talked about what you wish you knew this year. Now can you share with us what you wish you had done with this year? Yeah, so I think one of the biggest things is I wish I had gone to events on campus that are geared specifically towards international students because there's Grinn Graduate Rackin International, and there's the International Center and there are a few other spaces as well that put on events like aimed at international students or other students who are interested in exploring other cultures. So I wish I'd gone because it's really easy to get stuck in your own department and not meet many people outside it. And it can also be good to go to affinity spaces to share experiences with other people who might be experiencing the same things. And I also wish I'd started doing community service and volunteering sooner because that's a really good way to go on campus and learn more about the city, meet people that you wouldn't normally meet as a student and kind of have a space that is so academically focused where you're like seeing different people and learning new things and like the stakes are lower than your program so it can help and it can also help you find other interests as well while you're doing that. So they're the two big things I wish I'd done in my first year. For me, I should say that I wish I could go to the gym more often because actually I really like the central campus recreational building. And it's really huge and it has everything that you want. Pull, you can play basketball while I didn't have time to go there, but it's also very well located so you can have access to that building easily. But academically, actually, I really wanted to be able to gain more practical experiences regarding my studies. For example, there are some clinics offered by the law school, and you can register for them as your courses, and you can have actual practical experiences while you are studying. So I wish I could have that opportunity more. And the other one is that I wish I could choose most of my courses, the focus on a particular topic for example I'm really interested in family law, and now I'm working in family law division at the court. And I wish I could, you know, choose all of my courses in just two semesters that I had more focus on family law. For me, I feel like I should have been a little more relaxed in my first year. It was too overwhelming for me, a lot of things was, I mean I had like my plate really full because I had a lot of things together, but I could have taken it really relaxing really, because of which I did not do much self care. And I did not take care of myself. So there was time where I was really sick, because including like when I was like far away from all my parents, everyone. So I got like homesick and all that so I think I shouldn't have done that so instead I should have taken it really relaxing really slow. And then the other thing I think I would have done is I should have done is like to manage my time properly just to do like one at a time take one step at a time. So where I was just putting like four five steps at a time. So it would I think that made it a little more overwhelming and difficult. So I think now I learned it and I now I do that I wish I would have done all this while I was in my first year. And also I think I should have made more friends I do have now, but it was like I was very introvert. And I was not talking to a lot of people. So I just came out of my comfort zone now but it would have been great if I was like making more friends and good connections and also it would have been nice if I had joined the different organizations in my first year so it would have made me feel much more better meet more people where I would have opened up myself learned a lot of things. And now I'm a part of it but anyways, that would have helped me to just get out of all my stress while I was in first year and other thing is like so I did not explore much places while I was in my first year. I think I should have done that like, and I was good a lot of places around in and around and our birth. I think I should have explored more so that it would have made me feel better, much more better and like much more safe and good place. So these were the things that I wish I could have done while I was in my first year. Mm hmm. I agree with everything you said. I think that my one big mistake when coming here in my first year was leaving far away from campus. I think that leaving close to campus allows you to participate more in social events, or maybe work and study with people. But others is super helpful. And it's the transportation system, it can be a little bit difficult here. So you really want to have access to campus easily because everything is everything here works around the university around campus. So it's not great if you're too far and you cannot be part of some events just because you are leaving somewhere else. I also wish I had taken things slowly as someone mentioned already, but also I wish I made more mistakes. My first year is meant to be the moment when you make lots of mistakes. And for example, if you choose a research project, and then you change your mind when it's okay like that's what that's part of the process of developing your project is choosing the wrong project first. So then you can find the right one. So yeah, I wish I, yeah, I had taken things less seriously in that moment, and also spending more time with other international students. Absolutely. Thank you. Speaking of spitting time with international students, I forgot to mention at the beginning of this that this panel is being held in partnership with Green Graduate Rackham International. And it is a student-run organization in Rackham Graduate School for international students. And I put there writing all the incredibly seamless background support that is making this possible today for y'all. And I definitely want to make sure that you know about them before we leave. So now that we've just discussed what you wish you had done your first year, would you share with us what are the best things that helped you when you first got here? Yeah, so I actually left it really late to find housing and I couldn't really find anything. So I went on the university's off campus housing site. And the only thing I could sort of thought I could pay for with my stipend was renting a bedroom in the home of a retired couple. And I was like, okay, that wasn't what I expected but I'll do it. And actually it was really helpful having that kind of arrangement because I would come home and they would be watching really random things on the TV, or they would be baking. And it was just a total break from campus and because like their family would come and visit from different states and they went to church and a lot of people from church would come around. I actually met a lot of people in the community really easily and it was all like just there where I was living. So I didn't necessarily have to go out to have that kind of interaction. So that was a really good way like to arrive in the US and also like learn more about the city, but I didn't really plan that but if you haven't found somewhere to live yet, you know, there's always options and sometimes something you're a bit nervous about might actually be a really good thing. And the other thing that really helped me was I was on fellowship in my first year so that meant I could still work up to 10 hours per week on campus so I actually got a job in a totally different department doing translations. And that was really great because I met a whole new group of people, and they had different perspectives on the university on like my discipline because that was a social science department and my department was humanities. And it meant that I had a new group of people to bounce ideas off and something else alongside classes so like I was also working in that sort of gave me more purpose every day. So they're two things that I really valued when I first got here. So for me, at first I could say I could say that the International Center's webinars and pre arrival orientation helped me very well. And actually I attended all of them, I tried to attend all of them but I can say almost all of them. And another thing is that I was so lucky that I had a friend from my country in Ann Arbor. So he came to the airport, picked me up and helped me with my basic needs, such as bank accounts, buying SIM card, the housing and getting a Michigan ID and driver's license. And now that my friend did this for me, I think that I'm also so willing to do the same for other international students because I know that it can be really overwhelming when you arrive here, especially because the airport is pretty far. And you need a drive for sure. So I would be willing to do that if you're in touch with me and I have time, I would love to help with that. One thing for me like something that was that I did best was like I was not afraid to ask for help, because I know it's very important like we would need help from others so I was always like, I used to go up to people like whom I know, like very, not very well, because I would have gone to them and I asked for help and I always got help from people to whom I asked. And the second thing is like it is very important, I mean it's very true that everybody in grad school will experience at least few will experience imposter syndrome, like if you, it makes you feel like, oh, you're not doing great, you're not fit enough. So you're not doing up to the mark. I think I did go to the therapy sessions, couple of them and that did really help me and now I'm out of it. So now, like nothing makes me feel that because now I feel like I'm best I'm doing good. I'm just putting my 100% effort. And that helped me a lot. And then the other thing that I did is like, so how much ever difficult it was, I never gave up I always put myself front and I was like, yes, I can do it. How much ever overwhelming it was, especially during the first year with all the homesickness I did not give up I was like, I can still do it. I can do it myself like a lot so that I can come till here and let go much more further. The other thing the best thing that I did is like I chose the best lab that my professor is very supportive, who understands me with respect to all the consequences who even understands my personal consequences and if I'm unable to work due to some of the personal reasons that my professor really understands. And my professor also gives much importance for also she imposes like work-life balance that's very important. So I think like all these are the best decisions that I made, because being in grad school is like, it's like being in like a house for like for a few years so it's like it's very important to choose a good place to the environment that makes you feel safe and makes you feel fit and not stressful. I think it was very helpful for me to be very honest with my advisor about my needs, about my learning process and how I felt in different moments, because it can be a lot to get used to a different place in your language, a whole field that it's seen from a different perspective. So I think just being very honest makes people be more tolerant and like it's going to help them know how to help you. And then your advisor can even talk to other faculty members and be like, okay, like please try to be, you know, like nice to this person because they're going through this situation. So that's I think something important. Having a community in my case of Latinx friends who support me and even today they still support me so much. And yeah, it was everything. I think that having a strong Latinx community makes made a huge difference for me. They even, I still have things that other Latinx friends that left already gave me. I have a couch, I have bed, I have a big microwave, all things that I got from this community and you know everyone is very open to help. Also very important having access to mental health services in case you need them just to have someone that it's kind of checking on you through this journey. I also recommend that my friends forced me to go out and spend time socializing even when I was super busy and even when it was super cold. So that helped me a lot. And finally just, you know, be patient with yourself in the process and enjoy as much as you can. Yeah, going out I think it was great for me in that moment. Thank you everyone. Thank you again. Okay, so that's the end of the first half of our time together and so as we transition into the Q&A portion of our session. My colleague is going to place our evaluation survey in the chat. Can y'all just do me a favor and open the link now. And this is so that you'll have the tab ready and waiting for you to print out here. Okay, so now remember that we will move through this Q&A by keeping stack. And that for those who missed it and weren't here at the beginning is just going down the line and those who have flagged that they have a question in order of appearance. And so as a reminder, there's three ways to get on to the stack. You can use the raise your hand function. You can simply write stack in the chat or you can write your question in the chat and I'll answer for you. Please speak slowly so that the closed captioning can capture all that you have to say. And again, I want to remind us that we may not get to every question. Okay, so first up, we have someone who asked, Do you think graduate school is very different from undergraduate? And if so, in what extent? They've heard that they heard y'all talk about academics and this person will get nervous if the coursework is going to be extremely hard. I think that's a difficult question. Because it depends if you come from a country where your undergraduate program is six years long and you had to graduate disease and you had to do research and work in a lab or do field work. In my case, it was like that. So I don't think it's super different from my undergraduate moment. But it's because they had to do all those things. I know that in other universities in other regions of the world, the system is not like that. So yes, for some of you, I bet it's going to be super different, but for others, it might not be that different. It's just, it sounds scary, but at the end of the day, you have to read papers and write projects and, you know, go to class. So I bet most of you are already familiar with all of that and you're already in the University of Michigan. So you're absolutely capable to, you know, just figure out grad school and be just fine. Yeah, I can add a few more points. So yeah, I think the only difficult part would be like just managing together everything. I mean, like if you're not used to like as Mama mentioned, if you're not used to a system where you're taking courseworks and you're also reading papers and also if you're going to the lab if you have like a lot of presentation. I wouldn't say it's like a lot and don't be nervous. I mean everybody are doing this. This is what we are here for. So just don't be nervous. Take it easy. I think we all got this and it's just that like, it'll be a little bit doing like, like, you can think of like micromanaging everything and multitasking. So because sometimes you might have like quizzes from your coursework and at the same time, sometimes you might have to read some papers to present in the journal club in your lab or something. So just that it depends on how you manage everything but otherwise, it's just the part of the process, there's nothing to be nervous and the coursework wouldn't be extremely hard. You're all you've all done undergrad and you're all from undergrad and then like I think it is just the same it's just the same it's just that you'll just do some coursework as well as you'll just be in the lab in case if you wanted to rotate in the lab or something like that. I think it's a different. Thank you. Do you all have any advice for interpreters? Yeah, I can go. I think like the only advice is like talk more meet more people. You, the more you talk only then you get a lot from them and that's when you can like try to get try to open up a bit try if you're a person who is very happy at like just doing whatever you want to do. I don't want to meet anyone I just want to come to live I just want to go to class and then I just want to go home. So if you are just a person who is very comfortable with just doing this, I would say okay, that's what if you want to do. Otherwise, I would say University of Michigan has got a lot of like student and organizations and there are a lot of organizations and you'll keep hearing a lot of fun you'll keep getting a lot of newsletters. So by signing up for all of the newsletters at least in your first year just to explore around what's happening and I think every now and then like, I think the festival will happen just go there. Go with it because you'll have a lot of time also where you can attend a lot of events and if you are in a cohort try like getting along with your cohort and try like organizing like happy hours every week or every weekend. So that's when like you'll meet people and you'll know what's happening around. You'll definitely have like localites are the people who are from Michigan or Ann Arbor who have been here earlier so you'll get to know a lot. So just try to talk as much as possible try to meet a lot of people try to make more connections as possible. That has always helped me. Yeah. I would like to say that you don't need to have 15 friends. You can just choose one person in or to close friends and I think it's important to consciously invest time and energy in constructing close relationships. Like friendships are not going to happen by accident. You have to be there you have to talk to this person you have to spend time with them. So yes you're going to be busy you're going to be distracted with 100 different things, but it is very important to just make time in space for your social life and yet you don't have to be like going to parties every weekend. You can just focus on a few people that maybe even are just as introverted as you are. So that's definitely make you feel more comfortable I think. Thank you so someone asked. Can you join bring graduate. And the answer is yes. You can just send them an email asking to be a member and then any from brain is an email in the chat right now. Okay so y'all how do you find an on campus job during first semester. You can look on the university has a site a job site where they list them all but I would also recommend paying attention to the emails you get, particularly from the graduate coordinator in your department because they usually receive information from other departments that's like particularly relevant to the skills you might have, or the subject you're studying so it's like a more focused way to look so yeah. I personally use the website for student employment office, and it was really helpful for me, you can log in with your unique name. And then you can filter jobs that you're looking for, for example, library jobs, non work study or work study or even virtual jobs. And then you can look at the description and the requirements and all the materials that you need to submit for your application. And they get back to you. And even if they don't want to. And I think it will be really helpful and you can improve your cover letter your resume, and you will get some interviews for sure. And that could be really fun. And so for me, I use that website and it was really helpful for me. Is there any situation that you'll avoid or prevent yourself from getting trapped in? Make important decisions without thinking about them. So as I mentioned before, you don't have to choose one project and stick with it, even if you don't like it or you change your mind, you can change it. If someone goes for your advisor, you can change your advisor just don't is always asked for more time to make decisions if you feel like you need to. And yeah, maybe your advisor is seems great for your original project, but if you change it, maybe you want to work with other people in other departments. So yes, be be super open about things changing. Yeah, that's that's all they have to. I would just add that being clear about any requirements. So whether that's academic requirements or visa requirements like always making sure that you're doing the things to graduate with the timeline that you want. And like before you take any job or do any opportunity in the US it's really important to check with the international center that you know you're allowed to do it. They're the only people on campus that can answer that question. So yeah, I would just say avoid getting into situations that are avoidable by asking the people who know what the requirements are. Hey y'all so for any international students who don't have experiences studying abroad. How do you recommend smoothly adapting to a brand language and teaching style. So, what I did actually is that about everything about academics and classes I talked to all of my professors. So the beginning of the semester, when I was sure about my courses. I sent an email to all of my professors asked them if I can meet them and I went to their office talk to them introduce myself and talk about what the things that I was worried about. And it was really helpful for me to be able to sometimes receive even additional resources. And also some just, you know, good advice from the professors because they definitely have a lot of experiences with international students. And the other thing is that I try to just join a lot of groups, different groups on campus. And especially when I had some questions about daily life, I talked to some American students. But sometimes they may not have some information because the environment is not new for them. But you can also talk to international students. But I think that a combination of those two come to different types of communications can be the best option. And you can learn a lot from them. And I think some part of, I guess, you know, getting into getting familiar with the new environment is just, it happens. And you don't have to be worried about it because it happened for me and I know that when you overthink about it, it might be difficult for you but it happens for sure, and you're going to get through. I have a piece of advice for the ones who are really facing difficulties. So one thing that would help is like form a group, like study group, like in case if you're feeling difficulties with some of the courses. So for my study group and try reading it or studying it among the group because a lot of times you can exchange a lot of things and even if you have a language difficulty. You can actually solve all of it and you can discuss with them. I think that will really help, especially forming the study groups. Do you recommend any tools for time management, such as apps or personal networks? I don't follow any app or anything. I just put everything in my calendar, Google Calendar, even like even my personal things everything so that like it at least keeps reminding me what I have to do now. Even like if I have to do a meal prep, I'll just put in my calendar. This is the time that I have to do my meal prep. I think it's fine. It depends on like if you're a person who needs like a constant reminder for a lot of things and you can use a lot of, there are a lot of apps that's available. But it depends on like how you are. It definitely depends on the personal stuff. For me, like I don't think I follow anything. It's just like I put everything on my calendar and like that keeps reminding. So yeah, I have like a personal calendar where I put everything apart from my work calendar. So that's where everything seems and it keeps reminding where and what things have to be doing at what time. So probably that helps for me. What else improved the prep management? It's helped you learn time management. That's not necessarily a tool that would you download. Okay, we're still working on time management. If that, that is okay. Grad school is the place to learn. So y'all recommended going to affinity spaces. Where can our audience members find these instances or organizations or more information on them. I know that the Rackham website has a list of various affinity spaces that are open to graduate students, but also because the university is so big and decentralized. And then if I Google like University of Michigan international students, it will bring up a lot of pages and just going through the first few results you often find like you would find grin you would find the National Center right so yeah, it's usually Googleable and sometimes depending on like the kind of spaces your advisors and they might know about affinity spaces for students. So you can ask people in Rackham you can ask the Dean of Students Office there's a lot of spaces where they can give information about what's available to students. You should I think I would recommend you all like attending the orientation because as soon as you enter in the August. I think this orientation happens in Rackham try attending that if you can. And once you finish that you come out you see a lot of organizations that are like, they put up their stalls. That's where you can find like, that's the first place where you can go find different organization. Like Grin, SAR and then RSG, Rackham Student Government Organization, a lot of stalls that will be there outside like when you attend the Rackham orientation and yeah, so that's where you can get a lot of information and then try to sign up to them. If you're interested try like I won't recommend you to like go join all the organizations. It depends on like what you're interested and what is that you want to learn through your grad school. So most of these organizations has different teams like a DEI team and diversity equity and inclusion team and then they have like professional development team they have outreach teams so how do you want to improve or yourself how do you want to like, what do you want to achieve by joining those organizations is what is what is more important for you to think about before you join any of the organizations so yeah first places just try attending all these. Orientations that happens in the beginning of your semester. That's where you can get more information that's where I saw green for the first time. Yeah. And as well, I have a question not just me you mentioned imposter and I know that all of us here have as graduate students have gone through that experience at some point, can each of you speak to what that journey was like. Realizing that it exists. How what it feels like and how in any way you've been able to release that pressure. Yeah, I think like if it makes you feel like it puts you down especially like you try to do a lot of things but at the same time, you're doing a lot of things and then the other brain other side of your brain keeps telling that I think you're not up to the mark you're not doing great. You still have to do well. How much ever you do well it's always like you yourself put down you keep you have this feeling like oh I'm not doing well I don't think I'm fit for this position. I don't think I'm doing justice. And I and also you try comparing to others you see like oh see they're doing great I'm not doing great. So I feel like, so I think all those things will try to put you down to try to keep pulling you back. And so it makes you feel really really really low. It makes you feel especially like when when the time comes where you have to prepare for the exams. And that's when like, oh, I have a lot of things to do but I don't think I'm able to answer all of these I think I'm not fit for this that's when like, I think when you go to the caps caps has like many services and you can just take a like appointment there and then like they give you a lot of like it's basically like you talk to them, you talk to them what you're going through and then they kind of like advise you and then they give you like some of the exercises, where you kind of like take them you kind of write that and then you kind of it kind of makes you feel like it kind of puts everything that's there inside you out and feels like a lot of positivity within you. And that's how like you, it makes you feel like oh no you're great whatever it is, you are unique, you are great, you are like one piece where you're doing everything. It's always compared to others everybody are unique in their own way so I think that's what is like the outcome effect. It actually helped because that's something like it keeps happening and apart from that in my department. So, they keep organizing like we call like from the department. And the people from the rackum just to like I don't know which department in the rackum so they came and they took like one hour class, they gave us multiple exercises and like list of questions and to write and they made us, we were divided into a small group and to discuss how to come out of it. So basically, the PIs were not allowed for this only the students, they were allowed to speak what we are going through and how we can tackle it. Yeah. It's about imposter syndrome. I think a good strategy and someone told me this and I think it's very good advice just tell yourself the things that you will tell your best friend. So, just be kind to yourself. And I don't know maybe you can talk to your family or friends from your home countries, because they've seen you they've seen your journey. So, talking to them is going to remind you where you come from and how far you come. Don't compare yourself to Americans like they had access to a language the same culture. A bunch of other privileges that you don't have but you're still here and that's great and you absolutely deserve to be here. And yeah just remind yourself how far you've come and if you need to write it down on a wall or in your mirror do it because you have to remember that every single day. You've got something about it. Yeah, so just, I remember I was taking a mandatory course, an Eli course for being a GSI was a summer course I was not even in Michigan in in United States. This test was to speak to this very nice lady. It is a professor in Eli, and it was the last test so you pass or fail. And I get that I said, and she asked me what's your main concern. And I say, oh, my main concern is my English, my accent is very Italian. And she said, Okay, you know what, please never lose your accent. I try to imitate other American sunset disease, your particularity has navies should you say you are unique in your own particularity so don't lose your, your own, yourself. That's basically. And everybody will understand. Yeah, we are here in grad school to study and nobody are born with all the talent guys so we are here just to come here to grad school just to learn. Just to learn how to speak see by the end of the grad school I'm pretty sure you'll all do a great job you'll all be like, Oh, I've walked through a great steps so we're all here like to learn we're all not like born with talent so it's fine. And if you don't know it's also it's fine to say I don't know. It's like one good thing is like in grad school, learn to say that I don't know it's fine. It's fine to say, I don't know, you can like go back look at it, you can always learn. So we are all here to learn. So it's fine. I definitely have to learn but I don't know what has to be very comfortable in that vocabulary and it may be a lot easier once once I allow for that. Any tips, do you have for surviving the freezing winter for our folks from more tropical. I use the advice that I received from my friends that we should do wear layers, because when you go out it's so cold, and maybe just one layer is not enough. But when you are inside, maybe you feel like it's warm you can take one one layer but sometimes at the law library it was really cold. And I can remember that I was always wearing sweater when I was studying at the library so you should always be prepared for every situation and very players was a good advice. The winds are so harsh in Ann Arbor I guess. I think wearing a scarf to cover your mouth and your nose can be really helpful because it will dry your skin and also sometimes I felt that I'm crying because of the cold weather so maybe covering your face and your head can also be helpful. I can give you that I think it's it's always good. Take time for yourself self care is really important in grad school. So that's very important. It's okay. Try and work hard during the weekdays and make sure keep your keep the weekends for the self care, try to do self care that's very important in that school. The other thing is like, yeah if you're feeling like if you're too low you're going down you're unable to do that talk to, don't just be keep it within yourself. Try talking to people around that you're comfortable with and always try to put it out it's okay. Everybody are we're all in the same boat. We're traveling together so it's fine. And also if you if you don't have anybody if you're not comfortable speaking to anybody, or your fellow mates, there's always caps. I think the ones that's been attached on the chat. So try going there try to get it's really helpful. So I think that really help you and apart from that, try to have like try to make friends and then try to have a good work life balance. And just have a healthy lifestyle. That's it. That's my biggest advice, based on my experience. Hey, thank you that is all the time that we have for today. I know I feel like time flew by. I want to thank everyone in the audience for their presence and their participation and our panelists for giving their time and expertise to us today. I have one last question. Before we go, I'd love to hear the biggest piece of advice that you are panelists would like to share with their audience members as they start their new journey. I would say like, don't like make the most of every moment and don't keep saying like, sometimes it's not possible but don't keep saying that like, for example, your travel more or like your joint stuff because you know the time goes really fast. So just doing as much as you can as soon as you can because you don't know when big things will change like globally nationally for you personally so yeah. I can say that enjoy and develop all aspects of your life while you are in Ann Arbor and do not exclusively focus on your studies and try to take advantage of all the opportunities provided to you as much as possible. For example, all the time, please check your emails you can find a lot of great things, spending from all departments of the university to you. And you can find something a lot of things actually that you like and you can be interested in, and it can be a have, they can have a great value for your life and experiences and resume and maybe in your future process. I can leave like, few other tips like try to if you're joining a PhD program try to choose a PI who's very supportive because that's the home for you for next five years. And also like, that them has a lot of scholarships, try exploring them. And then they keep organizing a lot of events tracks during them to buy open for all of those. And as you're here enjoy the journey, just enjoy the journey just don't stress yourself out. Yeah. I think my advice will be similar just take care of yourself mentally and physically is absolutely a priority and everything else can be adjusted so maybe you feel that grad school it has to be everything super strict well. I've submitted so many applications and grants, the day after the deadline. So there is some flexibility there. Yeah, most deadlines are flexible people will understand your situation if you communicate. And it's impressive how many resources are available for Michigan students to support you. We all have the same problem so probably there is already someone thinking how can we make this better. And then make sure you're you adjust your academic goals to who you are and where you come from and the tools that you have. You don't have to be like everyone else. You don't compare yourself to others and yeah just you're in a graduate program at the University of Michigan that's incredible already. So, yeah, just celebrate that that you're here and it's been and enjoy your time here. Wonderful. Thank you so much y'all thank you everyone for being here today. So the recording of this event will be sent to you look to the process and remember to take a brief second to take the survey when you have a chance and our panelists email addresses will be provided for you in the chat shortly. And thank you. Thank you for being here. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Take care of yourselves.