Prioritizing Experience Over Grades
While waiting for the water to boil in the kitchen, I went back to my university years with the effect of the song playing in the background. I remembered some opportunities I missed and did not utilize. I thought I should write it down in case it would be a light, a signal for someone.
Being a university student brings with it advantages, opportunities, and discounts in certain areas. There are two issues that I think are very important; the Erasmus Programme and Work and Travel.
If I knew then what I know now, I would definitely do whatever it takes to participate in the Erasmus Programme, Work and Travel. I also made an attempt for Erasmus, but I was found unsuitable as a senior student. I realized how important these experiences are when I got into business life.
Three or four years after my university graduation, when I find myself in a closed environment in the office, these missed opportunities come to my mind constantly. From time to time, when I find myself in a big predicament, I think how nice it would have been if I had experienced these programs. I would have had the opportunity to broaden my perspective and get to know people from different parts of the world. Maybe my life would have evolved in a completely different direction with these, who knows?
For someone like me who has a non-EU country passport, it is becoming increasingly difficult to have such an experience after being a student. And if you are someone who is curious about different worlds and the way people live there, such thoughts may come to your mind as well. Nevertheless, I continue to struggle, and research.
Besides this, I wouldn’t much care about my classes and notes. Instead, I would use this time to discover myself in many areas. Even though I put a lot of effort into my classes, especially in the last two years, and graduated as an honor student, I still think that I did not use that period well. I believe that the point is not to have high grades or to finish school as soon as possible, but rather to meet people from different cultures, join various communities and gain experience abroad. I learned this a little late and the hard way :)
I remember hearing such discourses, albeit in a very low voice, before I started school. But I learned through experience that I didn’t care enough. I wanted to make my voice heard as much as I could by my friends who are currently taking classes at the university. I hope you can make the best use of those years.
