Navigating College Life: Expectations vs. Reality
This week, Alyssa welcomes both of her daughters — Nadia and Lucy. Lucy was last on the podcast before she even started college, so this is a proper check-in now that she's a sophomore and midway through her first co-op. The episode is part of the ongoing series on college students and post-grad life, but with a twist: rather than someone looking back, Lucy is right in the middle of it — making her perspective a refreshing contrast to the more reflective voices the show has been featuring.
The conversation opens with Lucy sharing what her college experience has actually been like compared to any expectations she had going in — which, honestly, weren't many. She went in without a fixed picture of what college was supposed to look like, which may have worked in her favor. From there, the hosts turn to the timely topic of college admissions, with students just finding out where they've gotten in. Both Lucy and Nadia open up about not getting into their top choices — Middlebury and Berkeley for Lucy, UCSB for Nadia — and how both landed at Northeastern anyway and genuinely love it. The message isn't a cliché, it's lived: you end up where you're supposed to be.
The sisters then dig into what makes Northeastern work for them specifically. For Lucy it's the fluidity — the study abroad opportunities, the co-op rhythm, the sense that everyone around her is always moving and motivated. For Nadia, it's the way Northeastern normalized learning outside the classroom, and how the structure and community pushed her toward experiences she never would have sought out on her own. Alyssa reflects on the unexpected relief of having both daughters at the same school — one less logistical split, and a quiet comfort in knowing they have each other nearby.
The episode takes a more candid turn when the conversation shifts to exhaustion. All three are tired — Alyssa from delayed jet lag after Japan, Lucy from a packed social and competition weekend, and Nadia from the particular strain of co-op plus gymnastics plus MCAT prep plus just trying to have a life. Nadia is honest about where the MCAT studying stands: not where it needs to be, but she's not spiraling about it. She's recalibrating.
The episode closes with Alyssa asking Lucy the big question — what do you imagine life looking like after college? Lucy's answer is refreshingly unforced: she's letting her co-ops do the talking, staying open to grad school if the path calls for it, and keeping her eyes on something in political science. The last word, though, belongs to a callback from two years ago — Lucy's half-joking, fully standing answer that she might just run for president.
Takeaways
Going into college without rigid expectations can actually protect you from disappointment — and leave room for genuine surprise
Not getting into your top school isn't a detour; for a lot of people it turns out to be exactly the right road
The schools you didn't get into have a way of fading once you find your people and your rhythm where you are
Co-op doesn't just pad a resume — it fundamentally changes how you understand your own interests and career options
Having a sibling at the same school is less dramatic than it sounds, and more quietly meaningful than you'd expect
Being tired isn't always a sign something's wrong — sometimes it just means you're doing a lot of things that matter to you
The pressure of MCAT prep, competition season, and trying to have a social life doesn't have to be managed perfectly — sometimes you just recalibrate
Letting your early work experiences guide your post-grad direction is a legitimate strategy, not a lack of ambition
It's okay to hold grad school as a maybe rather than a plan — you can apply for jobs first and see what actually calls to you
Going with the flow isn't passivity — it's trusting that the information you need will come from doing, not deciding in advance
Staying open to pivots, even when you're mid-path, is one of the most useful things you can do in your early twenties
Chapters
0:10–1:23 — Welcome Back Lucy: The First In-the-Middle-of-It-All Guest
1:23–3:12 — What College Has Actually Been Like vs. What Lucy Expected
3:12–7:18 — College Admissions Advice: Top Schools, Gut Feelings, and Ending Up Where You're Supposed To Be
7:18–11:28 — Why Northeastern? The One-Reason Question Neither Sister Can Answer in One Reason
11:28–15:02 — Going to the Same School as Your Sibling: Less of a Big Deal, More of a Quiet Comfort
15:02–18:30 — Being Far from Home: Family Closeness, Missing California, and the Value of This Window
18:30–22:30 — All Three Are Tired: Jet Lag, Co-op, Competition Weekends, and 3 AM Texts
22:30–26:20 — Nadia on MCAT Prep, Not Enough Time, and the Honest State of Things
26:20–29:41 — Lucy on Post-Grad: Co-ops, Political Science, Grad School Maybe, and Running for President
