An Interview With Nick Lazzara! Former President of RadioMonash - Neurodiversity Week
An interview with the former president of Radio Monash! Nick talks about what it takes to run a radio station, living with neurodiversity, and being a chemistry student.
Georgie McColm
Hey everyone. Thanks for tuning in to a very special broadcast for neurodiversity week, an awesome crossover between Radio Monash and DNC AKA Disabilities and Carers. I'm currently one of your hosts for today, Georgie. I'm the current president of Radio Monash and today I'm interviewing a very special person, the former President of Radio Monash Nick Lazara.
Nick Lazzara
Hello I'm Nick. Yes, it's me
Georgie McColm
That is you. Well, I'm glad that is you.
Nick Lazzara
It is me. I'm back. I can't stay away from Monash. I've probably been to Monash more times than I have been to my actual uni this year.
Georgie McColm
True, honestly, but that's a good call to make. I mean, he has currently betrayed us to the enemy. That is Radio Fodder.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, Mondays 5 to 6.
Georgie McColm
I mean plug that show.
Nick Lazzara
Yep, Molecular Sounds. Listen to me play music that is maybe scary to some people.
Georgie McColm
Honestly, you've got to start somewhere.You've got to have a gateway drug, and if this is the gateway drug to so-called scary music, then who are people to complain?
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, it's fun to do it. Yeah. Hopefully I will be able to do some collaborations with you guys now. Yeah, I swore I wasn’t going to do anymore student radio. But. Here we are.
Georgie McColm
You can't stay away, Nick. You can't stay away.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, unfortunately.
Georgie McColm
Which is fine. So getting into the crux of the interview today, neurodiversity. You've always been someone who's been very open about neurodiversity, and being neurodiverse. Is that something that has come natural to you, or is that something that you've had to kind of open yourself up to? To with opening yourself up to other people.
Nick Lazzara
um, well, it's. I think the reason why I've been very open about it around here is because it's something that's kind of I've discovered whilst I was at Radio Monash so I got my ADHD diagnosis in 2021, I believe when I was secretary at the time of Radio Monash and that was something that was life changing having that diagnosis. Then later it was the early stages of the ASD diagnosis when I was president here, so I think. I guess that I managed to get through. 21 years or go through 21 years without being diagnosed and struggling with so many things. That is something I kind of just wanted to talk to people about so people would have their own discovery and realise that, like some things that they thought that were just bad at, that was actually more to do with other things.
Georgie McColm
I think one of the best things about Radio Monash and I think you could back me up on this, is that we really are an open space. Would you say that radio Monash has allowed you to flourish in that sense that it has been such a safe and open space.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah. I've always felt it to be a safe space for neurodivergent people like there is higher proportion of neurodivergent people than the regular student population, for sure. And it's just because, I guess also creatives, especially musicians, tend to be as well that. I guess it's just a place that you can kind of be. Have your own space. Where you can relax and be where it's less stimulating and know that you're going to be able to speak to people that will get you. So I think it probably has helped me flourish, especially where every other aspect of university life is very neurotypical.
Georgie McColm
It is no, it's very important that there are spaces like that because I think so many times, especially uni can be incredibly overwhelming when you are surrounded by a lot of neurotypical people that to come into a space where there is so many people who identify as neurodiverse can really start to thrive. And I mean, honestly, I feel like that's why half the creativity is off the charts, you know, especially with musicians. Could you talk a little bit more about how neurodiverse affects your music?
Nick Lazzara
Yeah. Well, yes, I can. I'm more just thinking about how do I answer that question.
Georgie McColm
We can take some thinking time. It's a big question.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, I guess I've always been into music and I think it has affected the way I process music and this is something I was actually talking about on my show on Monday about one thing that I touched on was that I always struggled to listen to lyrics in songs. I think that has something to do with it, like. I'm sure there are neurodiverse who are fine with it, but me. There is something about I know I couldn't really connect in a way. But with my music. It's normal, I guess. Just like having, I think especially it's an ADHD thing where it's just like you're wanting to always do something and be creative. And it's a great outlet for that, especially the music industry. And when you're gigging lots, it has like this environment where you just be able to go out and socialise with something that is kind of holding things together rather than having to worry about starting conversations. You have that anchor of music, so it helps. Definitely is anchoring my social life. That was a very long winded answer to come out around to the point at the end.
Georgie McColm
You know what? We came back to it at the end and that's all that matters. So because The thing is, you're in. You do a lot of music pretty much and you're in quite a few bands and you have been in bands previously and whatnot. Do you find that it affects your creative process? Is it something that you find as a great outlet? Or how would you? I don't know. How do you find being neurodiverse with actually creating music? Do you think it makes you more creative that it is a distraction or what do you think?
Nick Lazzara
um, I used to think that it was really a big part of creativity, was, well, a lot of it is because, like, if you like the aspects that are kind of part of neurodiversity, especially impulsivity and seeing the world in a different way tends to foster creativity and you can get some more different ideas, creative ideas out there, but also like creativity comes from impulsivity and trying new things like out.
Georgie McColm
It’s definitely a stereotype when it comes to people who are neurodiverse and music, which is very interesting. But coming full circle and going back to Radmon a little bit, regardless of neurodiversity, how did you find being a president? Was that something that you found came naturally or something that you had to learn?
Nick Lazzara
Well, it's kind of been a thing. Maybe not so much now is that the President was never someone who wanted to be president. It kind of just happens to be like, it's kind of like, are you, it's the natural succession that kind of happened to me because I feel like I didn't really have that natural leadership. I guess I knew where my strengths were and my weaknesses were, and I tried to stick to that. And I guess what I really struggled with the most as President was my social battery because there's so much like as the president. You're kind of your face of the club or whatever. And you're the one who's trying to talk to people and make people like the space. And that could be draining at times, but also just the organisation is what I really struggled with because at the time, like I was only so context, I was only actually officially diagnosed with Autism in December last year, so very recently, but I kind of knew for about a year beforehand, but I had imposter syndrome and it was thinking like, do I really have this? So I didn't really have any tools that kind of would help me, I guess handle that and, but I think as I kind of learned by doing and just trying to think of how I would have liked the place run and I think it I kind of led the place in atypical way like not a traditional leadership way. That was partly because of the unique situations of radio Monash. But I guess maybe that is one part where neurodiversity helped me the leadership is that rather than trying to stick to a foundation, a template that leaders like to use.
Georgie McColm
The status quo.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, is that I completely created a new way of leading when we were having all these unique challenges with the studios. Like, we can't really operate as a proper, how we usually run and I kind of had the things that we needed to focus on the core, which was kind of keeping everyone together as a committee, then having the essential things that we need to do is to run. Then it was the next layer out. The way I say that probably kind of sounds like in a typical way, a typical leadership, but I don't think it was very typical.
Georgie McColm
And I think too it's very hard to describe leadership when you're not actually being the person who's been led by said person. I always, that's why I always find really funny about leadership workshops.
Speaker
Hmm.
Georgie McColm
Yes, they are helpful, but everybody leads in their own way and develops a leadership style that works for them.
Nick Lazzara
Maybe interesting, ask you what you think of my leadership?
Georgie McColm
I thought you were a decent leader like I really did. You were the one who mainly got me into radio Monash. I remember. You were the first person that greeted me at the door. And showed me all the space and stuff and you were always so keen, eager and enthusiastic and stuff. I remember you were always there for a committee member when we needed it. You strongly led all the committee meetings. And I think during all of the challenges that we had you led us in the right direction so that we were on a steady foundation for when you did have to go. which I think is if we've learnt anything in the history of Radio Monash, making sure we're OK after a committee change over that is one of the most important things.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah and I guess that's what I try to focus on because like, I don't think I didn't get anything. I really wanted to like my plans and aspirations for the station. None of them really came to fruition, but I'm just happy with that. Those base things that you outlined were kind of kept together because like really like leadership is. Kind of. You know, it depends who's in the committee. I think because we have so many neurodiverse people, that is kind of our right to be a bit erratic. And as long as that you have someone have Sarah there, who's able to organise everyone, who just somehow like has a organised brain and things go OK.
Georgie McColm
And plus, I think it all balances out in the end. I think even though we are a very, we're a space that has a lot of neurodiverse people. We also do have quite a few neurotypical people and we all balance each other out. It's not like regular uni where it's just a few neurodiverse people amongst a bunch of neurotypical people, and we actually have culminated an environment where we can all kind of work together. Which one of the better things? One of the best things that you did during your time as president was really cultivate that culture. So even if there were a few things where it's like, oh, well, I can't physically hand you over everything. The main thing that you did hand over was the vibe of the space. What's important about making sure that everyone's OK and keeping the atmosphere.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah.
Georgie McColm
Which was really important and I think is something that we continue to go with today.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, there's one other thing I wanted to touch about leadership of Radio Monash specifically is. That I've noticed there's always been the people who have settled to be leaders. It's kind of like weird that, like, there's who've last two leaders are the ones talking about this, but like, going back, it's always been people who've always, like, had something in their life that they've struggled with, like, be that neurodiversity usually or. like something health related, because I think it's with people who kind of want to step up and, you know, make a difference in a way to something and know how to defeat those challenges. And I think because of neurodiversity kind of been faced with all these challenges throughout your life that you kind of like prepped to fight more in a way, and I just notice that those are the ones who kind of arrive here opposed to like a typical like corporate structure.
Georgie McColm
I also think to the people that have gone through stuff in their lives where they've had to have an event that they need to overcome also have developed a strong sense of empathy and human connection, which is required in order to be a leader. Yes, you need to have organisational skills. You need to be able to communicate, but you also need to make sure that you're in tune with the people around you.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah.
Georgie McColm
And making sure that everyone's fine as well as all of the operational functions of the station as well, which can definitely a hard task that not a lot of people can fully understand.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah. Like I guess what my ability was in was the technical side of things. So I was able to help with that. I had that base, but also like I really focused on trying to have the empathy, which is like a lot of leaders talk about like oh, you don't need empathy is what holds you back. It's but like that, that.
Georgie McColm
The Alpha Giga Chad, people.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, but that's a very like capitalist sort of way. While I try to think of us as like right and one just trying to look out for people who may not have a voice. And despite trying to give everyone a chance, that's a different sort of leadership, which I guess I feel like comes more from neurodiverse people.
Georgie McColm
Definitely. And I think another thing too, that radio Monash has the advantage of having is that we aren't for profit. We're not a commercial station. We don't have to worry about the bottom line and stuff. We are a community station, yes, but we're a student radio station. We are here to promote the culture of youth and bring forward and like, bring together creative people and kind of just form an amazing little community. And so we don't have to necessarily worry about being these capitalistic cut throat people, which is, which is really helpful.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah. Yeah. And that's why it always ends up being like a feels very socialist space in a way which let's not get into politics here. Because that opens a whole can of worms.
Georgie McColm
And we're not opening that kind of worms.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah.
Georgie McColm
Yeah, not today. Not today, not today. But I guess another thing I wanted to ask about being president is how did you actually find getting into the role? Like, were you intimidated? Was that, I know, cause I know you fell into the position and instead of going ohh yes. I really want to be President. You fell into it. Did that mean that when you did finally enter the role that you felt quite nervous or unsure of yourself? Or were you like, you know, I'm going to give this the best go that I can.
Nick Lazzara
Um I'm not if I ever felt really intimidated because I guess when I started with Radio Monash was really at the what's the opposite of…
Georgie McColm
I have no idea what you're talking about.
Nick Lazzara
You know there's at the top and there's the peak like the highest point in the lowest point.
Georgie McColm
OK, I get that part like the peak of the mountain and the lowest part of the mountain.
Nick Lazzara
Hang on, I'm gonna find this word. The zenith and nadir.
Georgie McColm
I've never heard of that word in my life.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah. It’s the peak and the nadir.
Georgie McColm
I have learned something new today.
Nick Lazzara
Yes. So like we were at our nadir in 2022 where basically we kind of didn't have a committee cause of COVID and because of the renovations and it was our 50th year as well, which was kind of ironic that was our lowest point in quite a while. So that was more intimidating.Like I kind of like I knew what to do. I think. I guess the only stress was kind of like. How previous generations were kind of look and see me standing there with this crumbled station around me. That's the only part I kind of felt intimidated by, but also like, I also kind of didn't care.I was just more just focused on getting it going. I like I didn't never really felt intimidated because I always felt supported by those around me. I guess if there was any pressure. Some sort of political pressure maybe I would have, but I kind of felt very relaxed in that position.
Georgie McColm
That's good. That's good to hear actually. So touching on a topic that you briefly mentioned beforehand with imposter syndrome and validation. I know it's a very tricky subject for people who deal with chronic illnesses and for mental health disorders and stuff. But knowing that you're not that this isn't in your head and that you do truly have a condition. It's not something that a lot of people will feel like. Ohh, I've conquered that fully, but have you found a system where you can manage those thoughts and manage those feelings? Or essentially, how do you deal with validation of your own neurodiversity?
Nick Lazzara
Yeah. So. I guess it's long I struggled with for a while, feeling like I this label was so broad. There’s other people who like get through their whole life without really acknowledging it, like needing any help and people who need help like day by day. And I'm someone who I guess doesn't really need the help that other people do. But deep down it really affects me, it affects every aspect of my life quite in a large way, but it's something I've also like I spent the first 22 years of my life kind of getting over. And learning how to deal with it, I guess what is kind of affected is this is kind of going a bit like tangential to the topic.
Georgie McColm
We can go on a tangent.
Nick Lazzara
What I feel like what people forget to talk about with ASD is how. That other people always talk about the anxiety, especially also the depression. So that's something that I've struggled with, especially anxieties since adolescence, depression, since I don’t know probably 17 years old. And it gets really bad because for especially for me for having social anxiety. And I guess just like by kind of acknowledging that there is a bigger reason why I'm having all these struggles, why I'm kind of like, I feel like I'm left out in some ways. It's more that I just have a different perception of life than other people do. And that's kind of like a big thing to get over my imposter syndrome a bit, because I kind of understand that ok so it actually is an aspect of my life that has genuinely been affected. I just never really acknowledged it and I was depressed about it instead, like I still do have depression and anxiety, but it is gotten better since I have, like, kind of acknowledged that and I think this is something that people don't really talk about and when they have help because of so many, so many people like treat depression and neurodiversity as separate things, but there's really something that and it's taken me five years at least to realise that they are intertwined and I guess like the traditional way, not traditional way because it's only the last 20 years the way that people we deal with depression in the world of psychiatry is to give people antidepressants, especially SSRIs and this is not everyone, b like they do, definitely have benefits and like if you need to be on them then you should be on them. But they also have a lot of negative effects on you. And I've definitely found it kind of I guess it just makes it harder to see that connection. I’ve found like those five years I was on the SSRIs that I was really disconnected from what I was really struggling with. I kind of saw it as I'm sad, what is causing this? And I could make a logical connection like, oh, it’s this situation but it just kept on happening. Do I just have worst luck in the world. And it I kind of started realising OK, no this is something and once I came off them, I could kind of feel like I could see through the fog in a way. And but not everyone is ready for that. And I initially I was really pissed off when I came off my SSRIs like, this is what I've been missing out on the last five years. I finally found the key. Then I realised like OK if I came off them at like 2 years earlier. Like I probably could have got kind of come up from the year earlier but say two or three years earlier I probably wouldn't have been ready and I just need to understand that like sometimes you just need to take more time and be like, look out the people who are 23 and see where they are with their life more. I feel like I'm still stuck at where I was in 2019, but it's OK and that's something I've kind of been trying to acknowledge and. Yeah, I feel a bit more validated by it and I guess I didn't have the validation I was probably a worse person to my friends trying to get validation from people like being desperately clingy, and now I've kind of acknowledged that and my relationships people have improved and yeah, for anyway, that is my probably overly personal answer to your open ended question.
Georgie McColm
Honestly, we love a long a long answer because I think for a lot of people listening and what I'm hoping is that they'll actually find a lot of points that resonate with them and that they can actually connect with because it really is an individual, like everybody's journey is individual, but hearing other people's stories and trying to find those points of like. Actually, that sounds like me can hopefully potentially help someone out there come to terms with it on their own as well. So this is also another more personal question, but do you find that you have to mask a lot?
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, all the time. Like masking is this something that's like sometimes its even hard to tell that you're doing it, and the problem with like realising that is that you begin to stop masking without realising it. And what can happen is that people around you, especially neurotypical people, kind of start making accusations, being like ohh, why are you just like you're kind of just putting it on now that like now you have this label now you just like really leaning into it. And when someone said that to me once I was kind of just like a bit shocked by it. But. And it took me a while to kind of realise why and it was just because like, I felt like. And a lot of other neurodiverse people I've heard speak about this have said that like, yeah once you realise that you're just doing something which is taking away a lot of your energy and you realise oh, I don't actually have to do this. You just stop masking and then you kind of realise oh wait there are times where you need to mask and I know that neurodiverse people have don't really like. There's no consensus on people who feel like they need to try to fit into neurotypical society, and people who try to be like, OK, this is who I am. I'm just gonna stick to it and I'm someone who I kind of started off being like I’'m going to really embrace the. Neurodiverse side but I realise there are I'm kind of more in the middle and leaning towards kind of just like integrating because I think I like being social and I want to be better at it. It's kind of easy toolkit so I can mask when I need to mask like at work, but I feel like work kind of gives me the energy cause I work in hospitality and if anyone works in hospitality they know that like you need to have something, yeah.
Georgie McColm
You need to have. You need to have the personality or you need. You need to have something.
Nick Lazzara
Like, I'm like everyone at my work pretty much is neurodiverse. It could just be the workplaces that I've worked, but everyone who is like good like on their really fast paced venue and we all really get on well and it kind of gives you that energy to mask and it kind of feels good to kind of be really good at something and like you do mask around people and sometimes like with one coworker we’ll be masking with other employees. Then we'll go into a different room and we'll kind of just like, take our masks off and just relax together. So I guess it's acknowledging when you can have it on when you can take it off is really powerful, I think. And discovering that is quite difficult and it's taken quite a while for me to be able to do that.
Georgie McColm
Do you ever have any difficulty in telling what is the mask and what is you? Or do you think that they're so interchangeable that it really just depends on the moment?
Nick Lazzara
I guess there are times that I kind of feel like I am different around different people and what I'm struggling with, I struggle every time I get to my birthday and I wanna do something in combining my two groups and like, oh wait, I'm actually a different person with all these groups. And like, how am I going to do this? And I kind of just realised that like, that is kind of something. I've realised I've gone too far. If I'm masking with some people and I kind of like like sometimes I can be a bit fake around people, especially people that like you have met through work I found. And like I kind of acknowledge that with my work crew and I've kind of become more myself in the last few months. Yeah. So I guess like those times where I I just feel like I the other thing I probably wanna say is like I I was really worrying at times that like once I started antidepressant again that was I feel like that was in a way masking I was really worried that once I come off them I will be a different person. Again, and people won't like me and just realising that, like if you're it sounds really a friend of yours like it doesn't matter which mask you have on. They should really appreciate you.
Georgie McColm
As you are.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, in a way that sounds very cheesy, but I hope you get what I'm just trying to say.
Georgie McColm
You know what? I know so many things sound cheesy, but they really are true in the end. Like they're cliches for a reason.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah. Is this when it said without context is like, oh, that's cheesy, but like, yeah, you you. They have to be surrounded by people who aren't toxic and all appreciate you for who you are and not have to pretend to be someone else. But there are also times that you kind of just need to, like, have people like be fine around people, especially like university or at work sometimes in those professional interactions, I guess is where you might have a bit of a a fake mask which a lot of people don’t realise as they have, but once you acknowledge it you have it you can scale it back I found.
Georgie McColm
Definitely well. Now that we've spoken a bit on work, should we go actually back to uni and kind of you are a stem kid, which honestly when I first walked into Radio Monash, I did get stem kid vibes but I didn't get chem. I didn't know you were a secret chemistry nerd like I was. It was such a surprise.
Nick Lazzara
Yes. Yeah, there's a lot of chemistry nerds that like come to Radio Monash for some reason.
Georgie McColm
They do, but it's not just. It's not just chemistry nerds at Radio Monash specifically. I think it's just a radio thing. It's the amount of people I've met, especially in community radio, who are like, ohh yeah, by the way, I'm a chemist like what?
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, this this goes back to the concept of my show on Monday five to six. I do remember the time I showed it's called molecular sounds. So the whole idea of it is that like throughout school I was like one of the music kids. Everyone kind of thought I was gonna pursue music and like were kind of bit shocked when I was like, oh, no, I'm gonna study chemistry and then I go on and like rambling and trying to explain that no chemistry and music are actually the same thing the way like my brain works about both of them is the same. And my shows are try to like.
Georgie McColm
Merge those two together.
Nick Lazzara
And it just explained that concept. I guess in a way just like because you think one's a subjective art form, one is an objective science, but like music can be a science and chemistry can be an art.
Georgie McColm
Absolutely.
Nick Lazzara
And like I could go on about it for a while. Like, yeah, I think. But I think the STEM kids kind of actually come more for the tech side of things, in a way that's what I've kind of noticed. Then there's always the design kids as well, who come from more the creative and social aspects. But like chemistry, people are always very outgoing.
Georgie McColm
We are. Yeah, which you wouldn't really get when you first think of chemistry students because I think a lot of people think of the stereotypes of us locked in labs with lab coats and little lab glasses. But honestly, out of you know what, I can trash the other sciences because I want to,
Nick Lazzara
Yeah. Yes, we should, especially biologists. I’m doing biology for the first time, I managed to avoid it my whole life. Now I'm being forced to do microbiology and it's like it's just. I'm sorry I don't get it.
Georgie McColm
It's just, it's just memorization. There's so much memorization.
Nick Lazzara
And those weird words? Yeah.
Georgie McColm
And I'm like, do I? I feel like I need to learn ancient Greek and Latin to fully understand and grasp what's happening in biology.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, it's a complete different thing. It is based on logic. Well, it's set, not rambled too much about biology. I'm sure. I'm sure there's some nice biologists.
Georgie McColm
No, let let. Let's not ramble too much. There is some there like there are probably people who are lovely with biology and you know what? I've taken a lot of biology subjects.
Nick Lazzara
Our previous President is a microbiology major, Gabby.
Georgie McColm
Gabby. Well, you know, Gabby may be the exception to the rule, but I also I have met some lovely biologists. The people that I think are the craziest are the physicists. I'm like I did. I did physics for a little bit and we won't derail the conversation too much longer, but the physicists are also kind of crazy. Honestly, just stem kids in general are kind of crazy. But how did you find studying at uni because you were going through your diagnosis and you had not necessarily got it yet? Did you find that you had enough support to get you through your degree?
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, I'm actually going to. I'll explain this with my physics class in the way. Well, I guess like I went surprisingly well in year 12 for someone with like my of ADHD who really struggles to who really struggles to cncentrate.
Georgie McColm
Hmm.
Nick Lazzara
Because I kind of just went screw this. This is I don't like how we have to learn in the VCE syllabus and I kind of took it on myself. I started to really enjoy it, which was like like chemistry was one of them and I kind of like learned my own way, which was a lot of it was just like watching YouTube videos which like tangentially related but also gave me a bigger picture understanding of things and actually like getting becoming passionate about it on another level. And like other things like I had few other people in high school are kind of did similar things with and like like one thing for like physics like this is a fun way that, like of revision, was we'd actually all join a Flat Earth group on Facebook and explaining basic physics topics to crazy people from America. It's actually a really good way of revising. I recommend that to people.
Georgie McColm
Honestly, that sounds more fun than rote learning formulas on flash cards.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, I like it. Like physics wasn't my greatest subject to be honest.
Georgie McColm
No, it may not have been your greatest subject, but it certainly turned out to be your funniest subject.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah. And is this like because that class I could not concentrate in at all, just like the the mix of people. Like I don't understand how boys schools do it and this is I think it's worse when you are at a co-ed school when you have a class of just boys and it's just crazy. It was chaos in there. No one learned anything in that class. I think I know, and I guess I had to be very creative in my approach to that one and yeah so like VCE that was a very long time ago. I don't like to think about that. It was 6 years ago, yeah.
Georgie McColm
The Galaxy far, far away was VCE
Nick Lazzara
But yeah, when I but my point was when I got to school, I guess the tactics I used were kind of bit different because like, I hated first year because of the courses were so broad. They're trying to get as many people through the door introducing topics, especially chemistry, which was a very bad course, I'll be honest.
Georgie McColm
Yeah, it wasn't even just a general syllabus, but that is a whole nother topic.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, but anyway, like I guess I guess it's worth talking about, is that like because it was so basic that I couldn't, I couldn't concentrate, but then they just had sprinkled in bits. That were like the level up. But The thing is, because I couldn't concentrate because I was bored. I just missed everything that was new and I just ended up, like, not going very well and in physics, similar was a bit harder, but I met some of my physics class who introduced me to radio Monash. Then we both failed physics. So that's how Radio Monash made me fail physics but. Yeah, like university. Like I really struggled with in first year and even second year. That's when COVID happened and it was during my third year actually where I actually got my ADHD diagnosis. And remember I was doing so I've always liked technology and I've always wanted to learn the code but could never do it, could never have the concentration to do coding. And I did a coding subject in a science unit in R and I was really struggling with it and I put on Ritalin for the first time. And I remember talking to my friends and I was saying like, ohh, I've had it, but I don't really feel like I did anything then just like, oh, what did you do? So it's like, oh, I did my coding assignment in like 20 minutes. And she's like, what? And I was like ohh. Wait, what? Yeah, it was. It was like something that was small, but like just having being able to concentrate for the first time and. It really did pull up my my scores did really improve afterwards, like having the medication made the biggest difference, but also just like acknowledging and knowing that I need to organise but not in the neurotypical way, kind of have my own ways of organising that made a big difference to how I learned and I improved because of it. And just knowing that like I can be a bit more like what already was doing was being like learning in atypical way, but learning that that was actually valid. I already knew that was valid because I went well in VCE, but kind of like understanding like, OK, I can just learn more like this. I feel like a lot of academics are similar in a way they kind of just like have taken their own way of learning.
Georgie McColm
Yeah, especially when you come through school, it's such a rigid one way of learning. There is not anything that really helps people who learn differently at all. And when you do come to uni, it's like Congrats, a lot of it's self learning. So therefore you have to figure out how you want to learn best.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, I I I'm trying to work out like would it have been what would have the difference been like say if I got diagnosed in year nine and gone through VCE probably had to concentrate like I wouldn't have came up with these strategies maybe and maybe I would have been a completely different person, but maybe I would have like.
Georgie McColm
Hmm. Maybe would have come to the conclusions quicker
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, maybe like maybe I would have just like, I feel like I would have grown up a bit quicker in a way. Also I feel like this, those challenges that you get with ADHD is what makes it actually feel different. They kind of have, they have to, you have to go through it and it's difficult, but like you gotta you learn.
Georgie McColm
You learn, you learn.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah, you learn. I I forgot what I where I was going with that.
Georgie McColm
That is OK. That is OK. So I guess one of my final questions.
Nick Lazzara
Mm-hmm.
Georgie McColm
For you is. If you had advice to give to someone who might be struggling with being neurodiverse, and especially wanting to break into a space, whether that's radio Monash, in music, what would you? What would you say to them?
Nick Lazzara
UM. I'd say like do this. I feel like people who are neurodiverse like look it, like, look to your friends first, like they're they're usually you are surrounded by people who are, but sometimes you might not be. And I guess just keep your eyes open and talk to your friends. And I would hesitate to say look online just because of how much like it's become. Kind of been friend. Defied in a way.
Georgie McColm
Hmm.
Nick Lazzara
Like being you're neurodiverse and there's a lot of…
Georgie McColm
There's a lot of misinformation.
Nick Lazzara
Theres misinformation, but also just like a bit of a more imposter syndrome, comes from that as well as if you're like, oh hey, am I just jumping on this bandwagon?
Georgie McColm
Yeah. They can be. Oh my gosh, somebody else has something slightly different. Therefore, does that mean I don't have this even though you meet everything else and it can just, yeah, further not help with the validation issues.
Nick Lazzara
Yeah. Yeah. But like, I guess I get joining places like creative spaces is where you'll find your own people that I think is the best way to kind of join that community is just like find creative spaces and also like do jobs that have a lot of neurodiverse people. Like I can't really say do hospitality cause like hospitality can be terrible at times but also you meet a lot of great people there. And I've met a lot of great people working. In hospo who agree with me that like, it's not great at times, but it's also awesome and I guess the other thing I'll try to say is that a diagnosis is great and it can be life changing. But also it is very difficult, especially if you don't have support from your parents, which I luckily did have. But the waiting list is so long the price is so expensive and especially got ADHD. The only thing that can really help you is medication like there are strategies you can do but it's.
Georgie McColm
It's a lot.
Nick Lazzara
It's it's different. Like if you're trying to live in in your neurotypical world with ADHD its completely and it's a completely different challenge. And I don't know advice to give to those people just just really try to stick to and try to learn as much as you can about it and try to educate those around you, especially your family maybe. Yeah. I'm not sure I can speak much more on that, but yeah, definitely. Go meet people. Go talk to people about your experiences and. Yeah.
Georgie McColm
And if you're a Monash student, even though I may be neurotypical, I'm gonna plug the shit out of RadMon. If you are, you know Neurodiverse and you're looking for a bunch of like minded peeps come and check out Radmon and also check out DNC. They're a bunch of lovely people who are helping us run this week as well. So thank you so much for coming Nick. We really appreciate it.
Nick Lazzara
No worries.
Georgie McColm
So to everybody listening at home, thank you so much for listening and I hope you have a great neurodiversity. Week. Thank you so much.
Nick Lazzara
Thank you.
