![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/nordicbrilliance\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/03\/picture-2-1024x784.jpg\")
Let\u2019s get on then, with my story! <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I had already had a fair share of college\neducation, having done two bachelor\u2019s degrees in India: first in science and\nthen in law. While working as a lawyer in the courts of Delhi, I felt that if I\ncould specialize in a particular field of law it would be a great boost for my\ncareer. I discussed this with my friends and family, and a common thing that\nthey had to say was that a master\u2019s degree is something which one should try to\nget from abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now you might probably already be aware of\nmost of the reasons people give for studying abroad. The familiar reasons come\nto mind: exposure to an international environment, a change of scenery, getting\nacquainted with new cultures and so on. Because I\u2019m from a developing country,\npeople also pointed out that the quality of life is just better in the (so\ncalled) \u201cfirst-world countries\u201d. Well, people say these things because they\u2019re\nall true! And yes, don\u2019t forget the biggie: putting it on your CV that you have\nthat international degree. That makes does make a difference, no matter what\nyour future plans might be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cut to March 2019, when I received THE email<\/strong> with that life changing piece of information: my application for admission to Hanken was accepted. I was overjoyed when I read the news, but I wasn\u2019t quite prepared for what was to come next: having second thoughts about the entire plan of moving from Delhi to Helsinki! Quite ironical, that till the moment I had not gotten an offer of admission, my mind was fixated on getting it. And then, I got cold feet once I saw that I had actually made the cut to get in! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let me be clear that it wasn\u2019t that I had\nany doubts about Hanken as such. I knew that the IP law course was great, and\nit fit my needs. It was the whole prospect of moving abroad which seemed\ndaunting. And that anxiety was perhaps justified. Leaving home, especially for\nthe first time, was a big big move! Leaving friends and family behind, not\nknowing what\u2019s to come ahead and the challenge of starting life afresh: let\u2019s\njust say that I had lots to stress about in the time remaining before the\nflight in August. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If at all you have similar thoughts during\nthe time ahead, just know that making the move is worth it in the end. The\ntricky part is, that you can only come to know the real benefits of moving\nabroad when you actually get to the destination! I say this with full\nconviction, as I\u2019m experiencing this myself. So many thoughts that were in my\nmind, either vanished or simply became irrelevant once I started life afresh\nhere. I won\u2019t go so far as to say that you shouldn\u2019t think about this issue at\nall, but my advice (especially for people who have never lived away from home\nbefore this) is to find the courage and will to go through with your decision\nto apply. (After all, the application process itself required some hard work!\nDon’t let it go to waste!) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some things which I feel that I\u2019ve gained from leaving home and coming here:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Discovering myself:<\/strong> I\u2019m not trying to sound like a spiritual guru or something, but I\u2019ve learnt a lot about myself in these six months. I realized that a lot of what I thought was a core part of my personality, was actually a way of life suited to my surroundings. Changing those surroundings led to a lot of introspection. Being in a completely new setting, I\u2019ve had to think about the most basic things, like what I feel about the people around me, what my likes and dislikes are, how I think of any abstract issue, and even what kind of food and drinks I like! Having to introspect has an impact on your career choices too! I feel that I\u2019ve gotten a much better understanding of what I\u2019ll say the next time I face the mother of all interview questions: \u201ctell me more about yourself\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Discovering Helsinki:<\/strong> Unlike some countries (including my own) where university campuses are cut-off from the main city, life at Hanken is quite the opposite. Hanken is perhaps a stone\u2019s throw away from the city center, and the accommodation for students is spread around the city. Students get the full experience of city life, and there are even student activities which take place outside the walls of Hanken. I live in the Majstranden student apartments in Arabia, and I love walking to the beach next to the apartment building! (Other student ambassadors will be writing more in depth about student activities and student housing, so keep an eye out for those posts in the Nordic Brilliance blog. To check out what the student union is up to, go to their website<\/a> . It\u2019s quite informative!) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Discovering other life stories: <\/strong>It\u2019s true that travelling can give you a good sense of how big the world is and how different its inhabitants are, but nothing comes close to the kind of exposure that living abroad provides. I\u2019ve had conversations with people from diverse nationalities and backgrounds, which I simply could not imagine having back home. When you get to spend time, and probably study with, people who bring a completely different perspective from yours, it enriches you in a way that nothing else can! I\u2019m genuinely amazed that given it\u2019s relatively small size, Hanken has such an international collection of students. The icing on the cake is that since the Helsinki campus building is not a huge space itself, I end up seeing most of my friends everyday, and have intriguing discussions almost on a daily basis! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sisu<\/strong><\/em>:<\/strong> I\u2019m still trying to figure out what this Finnish word exactly means, but I know that it\u2019s something Finland is teaching me every day!! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like sisu, there are many other things\nwhich form a part of every country\u2019s ethos, and living there is the only\npossible way to experience that. I hope that if and when you do get a chance to\nstudy abroad, you grab it with both hands. If your destination happens to be\nHanken, I hope to see you soon!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you so much for reading! Feel free to\nadd comments or reach me at jitesh.gupta@student.hanken.fi<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n A NOTE ON PRACTICALITIES: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Transitioning to a new country is not\nalways smooth sailing, but it becomes much easier if you prepare in advance and\nhave gathered all the information that you feel is relevant!<\/p>\n\n\n\n