When I was around 11 years old, I came across a book about exchange programs for students.
My mom is a teacher, and she had been working with an NGO dedicated to cultural exchange programs. I opened the book and started reading stories of Colombian students going to China, Australia, France, everywhere.
Just one place really got my attention. There was a photo of everything in white, a lot of snow, and a Colombian girl standing next to a frozen lake. Then, on the side, there were some words written in a language that looked so different and yet cool, with a lot of k's and some ä's and ö's, that we do not have in Spanish.
She was in Finland, and I was in love.
I decided that when I grew up, I was going to at least visit Helsinki. Fast forward 13 years, and I have been living in Jyväskylä for a year now. Finland came into my life, as I mentioned earlier, but my path to JYU as the place to pursue my master's degree was a different story.
DEICO was the mix for me
I graduated with my bachelor's degree at 21. I knew I wanted to do my master's in Europe, and I knew I wanted it to be related to Development and Education because I believe that education is key to how we advance as a society, and how we develop.
When I was searching for opportunities, DEICO offered the mix between Development and Education that I was looking for, and, on top of that, it was in Finland.
I started researching everything: all the documents I needed, the credits that I needed, and how one even goes from Colombia to Finland. The short answer was that it takes at least two flights. During the whole application process, which took me almost a year, I was surprised by how easily everything went.
The Embassy worked alright, the documents were valid, the interview for DEICO was a very nice experience, the teachers were nice and supportive, and we (the students) even had a WhatsApp group before getting here.
I felt that everything was meant to be. And to this day, after all the amazing classes and, above all, the amazing people that JYU has given me, I can truly say that moving to Finland has been a life-changing experience for me.
Seeing the world in a different light
Of course, it has also been hard. In the first weeks, I could not stop crying, and I was not sure why.
Now I understand that moving so far away brings a sense of grief for all the experiences, time, and company that you are giving up. But the university helped me to not just get over this feeling, but to understand that it is fair to feel this way and to find other marvelous ways to connect with the new.
Before Finland, I had never lived somewhere with snow. I had never needed to take a walk in the forest. I had never felt so safe, and I had never had the amount of time to reflect how I really feel about things.
That is also something that JYU has been doing for me, helping me understand the balance between studies and free time, and the importance of silence.
Studying in Finland has made me a more aware professional
In a more academic sense, DEICO opened a whole new set of questions for me.
My bachelor’s degree was in Government and International Affairs, with a strong focus on public policy. DEICO gave me a new perspective on policy, not only at the country level but also through the lens of international cooperation.
What is development? Why is Finland considered part of the Global North and Colombia part of the Global South? What does a government do in Finland, and how does that compare with Colombia?
The opportunity to learn about the world from a completely different position, not only academically, but also geographically, has made me a more aware and well-rounded professional. I am not only learning about different development contexts, I am experiencing the contrast between them in my everyday life.
Share this article
