On June 25th, I cried for solid fifteen minutes after I opened my email and logged into Opintopolku website. There it said, “The University of Helsinki – accepted”. I contacted my younger siblings (whom were actually familiar with the process) to confirm if what I read, meant actually what I read. First thing they did was to congratulate me, joining my excitement. I understood it fully. I got in.

Studying in a university had always been my dream, but I didn’t want to study just anything. It had to be something I really wanted to do and could see myself enjoying professionally. I graduated from high school a decade ago and never really figured out what to do with my life. I did another secondary education and became an interior designer, but I didn’t want to be an entrepreneur. I started my working career doing a bit of cleaning work at first, then a bit of sales work, and finally settling into customer care in call centers.

Most of us have been there and it’s definitely not a place you want to grow roots in. Nothing wrong with customer care, but it’s sort of a place in between while reinventing yourself. Or that’s what I thought at first. I switched firms once, but I had a strong feeling I was going nowhere fast, stuck in a quicksand. I felt slightly depressed, like my flame was dying out. I always knew I wanted to do more; be more; knew I was something more. Then last fall it finally hit me like a lightning. I wanted to study English. English has been a long time, and still is, my part-time lover and my passion. It was going to be either that or nothing.

After the entrance exam I was sure that no way I was getting in, but life works in mysterious ways and here, to my immense astonishment and exhilaration, I am. Moving was (and always is!) stressful, but after that, already on my first day here, I knew I had found my place. That feeling only grew once orientation week started. I felt like I already knew everyone I got to know. Meeting likeminded people nourishes you from inside in ways an open fire warms you on a cold night outdoors.

After just this short while I’ve been a university student, I know I’m in the right place. I know, I have found my home. What I might lack in the more updated knowledge, I make up in passion. All my future plans might not be crystal clear yet, but at least I’m in this with all my heart and being. All the cobwebs have been blown away by this new lease of life.

Photo by Henna Houttu.