Writer: Nhi Phan (Lea), Student Member, Business Partners Club
Student life is fun, and one of the most valuable experiences of a person’s lifetime. However, it might be really stressful at times, and also absolutely hectic if you are an active member of the community while trying to maintain your own financial circumstance and personal wellbeing. Especially in my case, being an outsider of them all, thriving to build a life 8000km away from home, to be involved, and to grow in the midst of chaos, surely requires a lot more than stain steel spirit.
To be a full-time Master’s student at Aalto University is the greatest thing so far in my academic career. It is one of the most inclusive environments where international students are heard and involved in the culture and the community spirit while enjoying top-notch education quality. I am grateful, and for such reason, I have been as active and contributive to the community as I can. I am part of a subject club student board (representing Management and International Business – old major name, newly established under two majors of People Management and Organizational Development, and Strategic Management in the Changing World), and used to be a board member (Vice-Chair to be precise) of Aalto Sustainability Club.
Thanks to such great opportunities, I get to be part of the student body and meet new wonderful people of my age who share my vision and spirit. And then, also to be part of Helsingin Ekonomit Business Partners Club. Helsingin Ekonomit has been more like a blessing to me. Everybody was just double nice and cute. Even though not all of them are great at English, they all try to make me feel very welcome and warm-hearted. The community of Helsingin Ekonomit is another world from my cheerful, competitive, energetic student activities. It feels more like a calmer way of being young and active, for people who are no longer that young, but youthful. My time at Helsingin Ekonomit has not exactly been long enough, but it’s definitely memorable. We at Business Partners Club are still yet to have some more events at the end of the year, one of them is mine when I would get more chance to experience Helsingin Ekonomit, and really feel the heat of it, of the end-of-year competition underlying all the business-minded people when it comes to final rewards. Finger crossed hoping we would end up nicely in the chart.
Besides a ton of side gigs I mentioned above, I also work part-time at a restaurant, of course, to financially support myself while trying to find my way into my end destination of the life of a normal corporate employee who tries her best to be meaningful. What a busy bee I am! However, it is the most precious asset to be young and full of energy, to still can try a little more for the most of it, and to never wonder ‘what if’ at the end of the day, because you are trying your best for the dream you harbor.
Of course, there are obstacles, both cultural and linguistic, yet strangely enough, I found my mind and soul settling here, in Finland. It might be hard, but sometimes I would just be really lazy and enjoy a day or two just spending time on my own, nurturing my energy, lying around, binge-watching movies, jotting down a poem, reading a book, just ‘me’ time, just enough time for me to regain energy, to be up and about, to be back to the hustle rhythm of youth, the life that I chose.
Gratitude to Business Partners for having reached out to me, granted me the chance to be part of this wonderful community, and to be able to contribute. I have enjoyed all of you beautiful people’s company!
