In the fall of 2015 I, like many others, became a freshman. Unlike most of my peers, however, this was not my first time shaking hands with the rector and sitting in the big, pompous, golden hall listening as professors walked us through the history of the University of Helsinki. For me, it was my third time being a new student, and the second time here at Helsinki. Third time’s the charm, they say. And in this case, they were right.
I never planned on being a 26-year-old first-year student. Truth be told, when I started my first degree, English Philology, I didn’t really have any plans. The future seemed far away, and I had no idea what to do with it. I’d always had dreams, but none that I actually thought of following through. Travelling the world was probably the biggest of them, but I didn’t see how I could transform that into a job. I chose English because it had been my favorite subject at school and I wanted to get better at it. It also held a promise of internationality, which had always been important to me. While I did enjoy my first degree I felt like something was missing. The career options offered to us at the Faculty seemed to mainly involve teaching or translating. Both options sounded great, but just not suitable for me.
During that first year at Helsinki, I finally gathered all my courage and took a step closer to realizing one of those dreams which I had previously thought unrealizable: moving abroad and seeing the world. I applied to do a BA in Modern Languages at the University of Sheffield in the UK. As silly as it may sound, my main motivation in choosing that degree was the year abroad it involved: the third year would be spent studying or working in two different countries. There it was, that international twist I had been looking for! No fewer than three foreign countries and three languages, French, Spanish and Portuguese, all wrapped up into one degree.
I enjoyed my Modern Languages degree because I was able to improve on my language skills and get amazing new experiences while travelling and studying abroad. I was, however, growing increasingly jealous of my friend, whose international relations courses seemed much more interesting than my language-related ones. As I was approaching my final year, I became convinced that maybe IR or politics would be the thing, my thing. Something that would make my heart beat like it had done with my friend who would enthuse incessantly over her coursework. When I donned my cap and gown among thousands of other graduates on a boiling hot July afternoon in Sheffield, I knew I wasn’t quite done with university yet.
Starting a new degree when you’re a bit older and already shouldering some student debt might not seem like a smart move. Financial issues are but a part of a complex web of doubts and questions swirling through your mind. Will it be worth it in the end? The idea of having to start from scratch and go through the pressure of socializing and making friends all over again can be daunting. As amazing an experience as freshman year is, we all know that it can also be hard and even downright exhausting. In addition to making new friends, you may find yourself comparing yourself to your old mates. They’re getting steady jobs, getting engaged and buying apartments. And you’re back to square one. Nor is it always easy to reconcile yourself to the fact that you’re going against what society is expecting of you. These are all legitimate concerns.
All of these worries faded away during my third freshman year and especially now that I’m in my second year. I’m poorer than ever, yes, and I still feel like I should have achieved more by this age. But I don’t have any regrets. I wake up every morning feeling more motivated than ever, wishing I could add another twenty-four hours to the day so I’d have more time to read and study. I love calling myself a political scientist. I had always liked studying and learning new things but I had never loved my subject the same way I do now. What’s more, I can see myself doing the things that people who have my degree do: they’re ambassadors, journalists, foreign correspondents, aid workers… The list goes on and I know that with this education, I can get there.
Trusting your gut can seem difficult, scary or even crazy, but sometimes it’s the only way. If you’re torn between following your heart and listening to your reason, putting things into perspective might help: the truth is, in the current global job market, people are forced to rethink their careers and to even start over. I don’t think it’s ever too late to turn around and find yourself a new path, especially when you’re still in your twenties! To anyone who might be thinking about starting a new degree, I have one piece of advice: listen to yourself and do what you think is the right thing. Listening to others might be tempting but in the end, only you know how you feel.