I graduated last week as Bachelor of Laws! In Poland the process for Bachelors is a bit different than for example in Finland. Apart from my thesis I also needed to have final exam (defence) and answer to some question about my thesis as well as a general question in relation to the department I wrote my thesis to. 3 years of hard work behind but for me these three years mean so much more than just Bachelor degree. These studies were the final reason why I decided to move abroad to Poland.
If I look 3 years back, I was just selling some of my furniture as I already knew I will be moving to Poland. I showed my apartment for the new tenants and packed my stuff to be stored at my parents place. I was excited about moving, but at the same time I had no idea how it would go in reality. Afterwords I have wondered how I had so much courage to change my life so dramatically, but I'm more than happy that I took this opportunity and learned something new also about myself. I'm not sure what were my expectations about Poland and about the studies, but as I look back I was just so excited and maybe also a bit stressed about everything new. When I left Finland I did not know when I would come back, that feeling is even more stronger now. I do not see myself living in Finland at least in the near future. Poland is my home for now, but I could see myself in other countries too. I think that once I left from Finland and survived so well, it is now easier to think that I could live almost anywhere.
These three years have passed so fast and now it is already the time to start something new. I'm so happy that my family has supported me in my decisions, even when I know they would like to see me more often. During these years I have built new friendships, another safety-net apart from the one I have in Finland. What really makes living in Poland so good, are these people. At the same time I feel guilt that I haven't been able to spend that much time with my friends in Finland. Maybe this quote shows my feelings towards these friends: "Good friends are like stars, you don't always see them but you know they're always there."
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| Having coffee with my Erasmus friend during the first semester in Poland. The first semester was about getting to know new people, learning polish and discovering the new city. We had a nice girls trip to Berlin and I made the first contact to Finnish community in Wroclaw. |
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| The second semester my family came to visit Wroclaw, I was so proud to show them around the city. For the first time I experienced the early spring (at least compared to Finland) and the warm weather. The first year of studies was done and I was happy to go to Finland for the summer. |
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| The third semester was studying in cafes and meeting with friends every Wednesday in a jazz bar. Our friend from Finland came to visit us here in Wroclaw and I met many new people. |
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| The forth semester was great! We had a nice weekend in Prague, my sister came to Wroclaw, I met with my brother in Gdansk.... So many great things! I also came more involved with the Finnish community as I became a teacher in the Finnish School in Wroclaw. |
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| The fifth semester started the final year of LLB. I met with my family in Stockholm, I continued teaching at the Finnish school and I got involved with the Telders moot court. I also started to write my thesis. |
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| The last semester was probably the most stressful and eventful. We had a trip to Ukraine, I visited Finland as a surprise, Telders competition in Warsaw and in the Hague, thesis and finally graduation! |
-Camilla
