Last March, Finnish students joined forces in Helsinki to demonstrate against student allowance cuts planned by the Finnish government. MPs from all coalition parties came out and guaranteed that no cuts to student allowances would happen when this government is in session. Then they changed their minds and we students did little to protest.

Transitioning into student life hasn’t been all sleek and smooth. It has felt similar to re-learning snowboarding every winter. My sedentary triceps burn and ache from continuously having to push myself back up, I have an impressive array of multicolored and shaped bruises and I can’t sit without howling in pain. Yet I’m beaming because nothing beats the joy of getting down that terrifying hill of ice in one piece.