On our most recent Student Influencers podcast Episode, we had the opportunity to chat with Joanne Lau about culture, time management and friendship in university.

Making Connections: Joanne Lau Speaks on Culture, Time Management, and Friendship in University

Joanne is a young woman who currently lives in Buffalo, New York. Joanne grew up in Canada but moved along with her family to New York when she was young. Joanne is upfront about the challenges she experienced in relation to time management when she first went out on her own as a university student. Finding and connecting with her cultural roots through the Hong Kong Student Association at her school has been life-changing for Joanne. When she’s not making curried fish balls for an on-campus potluck, Joanne can be found connecting with a diverse array of students from across the world or studying for accounting finals.

Joanne currently attends the University at Buffalo, an eco-friendly campus with a bustling student community. As an accounting major, Joanne is following in her father’s footsteps. She uses the lessons she learned about attention to detail and being meticulous from her mother and grandmother who were her primary caregivers as a child. The weather may be cold in Buffalo during the winter months, but Joanne’s love of culture and connection through diversity warmed our hearts.

Culture and Identity

For Joanne, attending university has provided a chance to connect with her Chinese cultural roots while also pursuing a social life. As a person who did not have an extensive extra-curricular agenda in highschool, Joanne has opened herself up to the opportunity to explore activities outside of academics. Joining university clubs has allowed Joanne to foster a sense of pride in her culture. She’s on the executive for the Hong Kong Student Association which means she is responsible for planning the clubs events and managing club commitments.

Joanne is not just involved in the Hong Kong Student Association, she is also affiliated with the other Asian clubs on campus. She has developed friendships with people from Malaysia, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan through her involvement with school clubs and she’s grateful to have the chance to meet people from all over the world. Joanne’s love of her culture is apparent. Her parents are both from Hong Kong and she says that she identifies most with her Hong Kong heritage. She takes pride in sharing her culture with others.

Getting involved in school clubs can teach students people skills while also allowing them to take on executive roles. Skills like this are easily transferable into the working world. We have written a full blog post on how to develop people skills while in university.

Foster Culture and Connections Despite Differences

One of Joanne’s biggest learnings when it comes to her club involvement is that it is possible to create relationships despite a language or cultural barrier. The beauty of on-campus clubs is that students have the chance to get to know about other cultures while also fostering their own university culture. Involvement in cultural clubs creates community while also neutralizing cultural barriers for students who may be a university for the first time or who have travelled from another part of the world. In a global society, being exposed to other cultures is invaluable. It increases tolerance, understanding and empathy while also helping students to learn about their own culture.

Food is another way Joanne connects with other students. At club meetings and events there is no shortage of food. She told me about a dish she regularly prepares called “Curried Fish Balls” which can only be described as scrumptious. Joanne has become famous for her fried fish balls which she serves with three types of curry sauces. I have to admit I was getting hungry as I listened to Joanne describe this dish – I only wish I lived closer!

Time Management as a First-Year Student

Time management is a recurring theme on the podcast. Each student we interview has their own take on time and how to manage it. Joanne was transparent when we spoke about time management. She admits that she struggled with managing her time which resulted in missing classes, sleeping in and avoiding valuable study time.

She said that one of her biggest mistakes was failing to recognize that she is a night owl at heart. With the newfound freedom of university, Joanne would stay up late watching Netflix or YouTube, making it difficult for her to get up for a 9 am class. Eventually, she recognized that not attending classes meant getting lower grades.

Scheduling was also an issue for Joanne, even though she joined the student association early into her degree, she could not attend the club events because she had scheduled her classes for the evening. A lack of awareness around school schedule mixed with a misunderstanding of her personal workflow requirements meant that Joanne found herself struggling in the first year of university.

Eventually, Joanne found her groove. In order to account for her late nights, Joanne planned her class schedule accordingly. Instead of committing to morning classes, she now attends classes in the afternoon, allowing her to stay up later and also attend club events. Joanne recognizes that she has a habit of prioritizing club events over study-time, but she works hard to strike a balance. If you find yourself off balance when it comes to university commitments, check out our services.

Joanne’s experience with time management is a helpful learning opportunity for other students. Time management is a skill which must be developed over time. It is important to recognize your personal strengths and weaknesses and schedule your time accordingly. As many of our student influencers recognize, time management is a practice which spills over into the working world. University or college is an opportunity to develop time management skills while also figuring out what works best for you.

University Friendships and Long-Term Relationships

We always ask our interviewees about their favourite insights from university or college. Some students regale us with stories of travelling to faraway places, others have riveting tales or race car driving or creating social media content for large scale brands. Joanne’s favourite experience was surprising but it is possibly one of the most telling stories we have heard.

Joanne told us about her most recent accounting class. People often take the relationships they develop in university for granted. Sometimes we do not recognize what we have until it is gone. Joanne is mindful and grateful for the friendships she has forged both in the classroom and elsewhere. Joanne’s most recent accounting class was challenging. The professor was not passionate about the material which made it difficult to learn. However, within this struggle, Joanne connected with a former classmate whom she knew from middle school. What a coincidence that they should find each other again in an accounting class in Buffalo New York! They hit it off right away and once they got to talking Joanne found out that her friend was also the President of the Malaysian university club. This solidified their bond. Amidst the struggle of a challenging accounting class, Joanne and her friend made it count and used the adversity to build on their friendship by studying together, attending on-campus events and venting to each other about in-class or on-campus drama.

Joanne explained that their friendship came to the rescue when she was struggling with the first semester. Her friend understood the accounting material and was able to teach her, resulting in an A as her final grade. When the second semester came around, she was able to return the favour when her friend was struggling. The roles had reversed. Joanne’s appreciation for the here and now and her gratitude for the deep friendships she is forging in university have allowed her to excel both in her courses as well as in her social community.

Get Involved in University Culture

Joanne encourages every new student to become involved in campus culture. Whether it is connecting with a cultural club, attending on-campus events or working at the bookstore, university provides a unique opportunity to learn more about who you are and how to give back to the community. Each experience provides an opportunity to learn about yourself and about the world around you.

Joanne lives in the moment and takes stock of what is in front of her, a rare quality in this digital age. Joanne had much wisdom to impart, whether she recognized it or not. Here are a few pieces of advice:

● Step outside your comfort zone.

● Learn more about your culture and heritage.

● Cook delicious food. Food fosters community.

● Connect with friends old and new. Make time to fuel friendships and relationships.

● Find a time management strategy that works for your life AND your personality.

● Don’t stay up too late watching Netflix.

● Be open to new cultures and practice appreciation for the present moment.

● Be grateful.

This article only captures a few of the insightful tidbits Joanne had to share with us. For more on Joanne’s perspective on life and her curried fish ball recipe check out our Student Influencers podcast.

We hope you continue to join us on this journey of talking to successful student influencers who tell their stories of struggle and triumph! To follow along, please visit our Anchor site and stay tuned for future episodes.

FULL TRANSCRIPT FROM OUR PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH JOANNE LAUE

The post Joanne Lau on Culture, Time Management, and University Friendships appeared first on Academic Help.

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