Meet Sam Elle | PhD Candidate & Youtuber

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sam Elle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sam, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I used to have no work life balance. I used to be the type of person who would work-work-work and I had a hustle mentality. I even would be critical of friends and family who didn’t have this same mindset because I didn’t think they worked hard enough.

My idea of work life balance shifted when I realized how drained I always was and how I simply wasn’t happy. Even though I have had a lot of successes in my life, there was still something missing. I have come to learn to take breaks and that grinding all the time isn’t great for your mental health.

What work life balance means to me is being able to get your work deliverables done while also being able to maintain a social life and sleep schedule. I know that these three things need to be balanced in order for me to be happy. Of course, there will still be those days or even weeks where you have to grind at your work and your sleep or social life may fall through for a little bit. However, overall it should be even. I don’t believe you’re supposed to live life constantly working.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I make videos every week and post it on Youtube. I don’t think making videos in and of itself is a novel thing but my unique spin is that I am a PhD student. When I started Youtube and even now, there aren’t many grad students showing their experience as they go through grad school. I want students or anyone interested in pursuing grad school to get a raw picture of what graduate school is like. I know I definitely wished I had a resource like this when I was applying to graduate school.

It’s not easy to balance graduate school with Youtube. However, Youtube is definitely one of those things I can stay up all night doing despite having a long hard day doing research or writing papers. There have been many challenges in my PhD journey and I show this in my videos. I want people to know that graduate school isn’t easy and you shouldn’t pursue it without giving it more thought. The main lesson I learned in both my Youtube and PhD journey is that you’re going to undergo a lot of change and you have to learn how to embrace it. You can’t control everything and that’s okay. It makes life a lot more interesting.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend was visiting the area (NYC), I would definitely have a majority of our adventures be via Citibikes. It’s my favorite way to get around the city. You can ride the bike ANYWHERE in the city. My favorite spot is riding along the West Side Highway. The views are absolutely breathtaking and there are many piers you can get off of and do a fun activity.

I know it’s corny but Central Park will always be one of the top places I take any friend visiting. However, besides Central Park, I adore Washington Square Park, Union Square Park, and Madison Square Park. You will usually find me reading on a bench in any of those benches.

I am the type of person who wants to do things by ear. We can ride our Citibikes anywhere and if we find something interesting, we can easily hop off and explore.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my sister Sabrina. She was the one who pushed me to start my Youtube channel and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. She has been with me through the entire journey and has definitely played a positive influence in my life.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealsamelle/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealSamElle/

Youtube: http://youtube.com/c/SamElle