It’s crazy to think it’s now been almost four months since I was franticly packing for and anxiously awaiting my study abroad term in Helsinki, Finland. While it may sound like the generic response from many others that have traveled abroad, the time flew by and it was a truly rewarding experience. The chance to expand my horizons, meet new people, and explore new places was simply invaluable. Alright, enough with clichés, however true they may be.
While often overlooked, the “study” part of studying abroad may have been the most rewarding. I was able to cultivate my own experience and take courses that interested and challenged me more than in my previous studies. Though I am interested in going into education, most of studies at Northeastern have been primarily focused on fulfilling my Math major requirements. But in Finland, I was able to solely focus on education courses for a term. Boy was it a major shift in mental gears. I have never thought so deeply about my learning and ways of learning before. It was so interesting to reflect back on a class and think not only about the content of the day’s lesson, but the teaching strategies that were used and modeled, even if they hadn’t been explicitly pointed out. I guess this means a career in education is probably right for me after all. It was nice to come home and feel this affirmation that I’m on the right path.
I would be lying though if I said I wasn’t nervous about going abroad, or the experience was all smooth sailing. Being completely off on your own, having to meet all new people in an entirely unfamiliar place was tough for me, and at time caused a little apprehension. What helped me most was finding a daily rhythm and routine to establish that feeling of comfort and a new normal. Soon enough it was easy to recognize who the familiar faces around me would be, and I would find like-minded people that soon became my closest friends over these past few months. I am by no means a partier, but I still like to be social, so establishing that friend group was very important to me.
Throughout the whole experience, one of the things I will treasure the most, was the opportunity to travel outside Helsinki. I was able to visit places I never dreamed of going: Ireland, Russia, and all around Scandinavia, just to name a few. I would recommend to anyone who is going to study abroad to not only take the time to explore their host city, but to also take the opportunity to travel outside as well. While I whole-heartedly enjoyed my time in Helsinki, some of best memories from these past four months come from travels outside Finland. You really realize how big the world really is, and how more there is still to see. I was fortunate enough to have been able to travel many places while abroad, but I’ve only scratched the surface of what there is out there. So if you have the opportunity to travel during your semester abroad, take it. Don’t make excuses for you can’t make it happen, who knows if you’ll ever have such an opportunity ever again, make the most of it while you can. Alright, now I think I’m actually done with the clichés.
Would I do it all over again? Absolutely. I could easily see myself returning to Finland someday to continue my studies or my future career as an educator. But I’d also be open to going somewhere new, and pushing my boundaries once again. Where? I’m not so certain. But after these past four months, the list of possible destinations has grown and grown.
