Hi #StudentsofFinland!
Henna is a Master’s student at Aalto BIZ majoring in Corporate Communication
I’m Henna, a Master’s student at Aalto BIZ majoring in Corporate Communication. This is my first year at Aalto, and I’d like to share the story of how I ended up here (hint: it took a while).
I originally started my Bachelor’s studies in 2009 in Turku, and before that I spent six months at a University of Applied Sciences in Lahti. My Bachelor’s degree major was International Business. However, I found myself drifting between different kinds of subjects: sustainability, information systems science, management and organization, even some English translation studies.
With only vague ideas about what I wanted to do when I graduated, I found myself postponing decisions. I spent a couple of years focusing mostly on working part-time and trying to figure out what really motivates me. I knew my major at the moment wasn’t quite doing it for me but I was afraid to change it because I had already spent so many years working on it (on and off, but working nonetheless).
Graduating from a new Master’s program would take another two or three years. Many well-meaning people advised me to just get a degree and then figure out the rest as I go. But I don’t think it really works like that anymore.
In the end, it took me until Autumn 2015 to muster up the courage to admit that I really wasn’t happy with what I was doing. It was because the realization hit me: three years would pass anyway. In the grand scheme of things, that isn’t very long at all. While I might regret not graduating earlier, I knew I’d regret graduating with a degree I hated even more.
So I dropped out of our thesis group, finished up my Bachelor’s studies, applied to Aalto, and got in. I’ll be honest, it was difficult to watch my friends graduate and find stable jobs while I knew I’d be studying for another two or three years. But right now I’m glad I didn’t rush.
Even before the semester began, I was looking for interesting projects to join. I ended up joining the AYY development cooperation week team, which has been a lot of fun. For me, one of the best parts of studying has always been multidisciplinary studies and meeting people from completely different fields than my own. Sure, networking and meeting new people is important and fun in and of itself, but there’s an even better reason: learning.
Like Bill Nye famously said, ”Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.” Classrooms and courses aren’t the only way to learn at the university, and professors and lecturers aren’t the only people who teach you. And learning doesn’t stop when you graduate.
To all #StudentsofFinland and everyone reading this, I challenge you to find opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. Step out of that comfort zone you’re absolutely sick of hearing about. Challenge yourself to find ways to give back to the community. Consider volunteering your time to a cause that’s important to you.
And while you will learn exiting things, remember that not every realization is life changing. Who knows, maybe the next time someone bumps you on the bus just teaches you that manners are important. Still, maybe you’ll learn something about yourself and your values.
The next time you meet someone, think about what you can learn from them.
So while you go about your life, keep your earns open, listen with an open mind, and most of all, stay humble.