After 12 years, school leavers are expected to start thinking about their future. But deciding feels challenging and external pressure is strong.
For me, the best option was to go abroad – in my case to Germany – and think about my prospects there. The gap year gave me a lot of courage, a sense of adventure and excitement for new things. Of course, I am not saying it was all a bed of roses, but it gave me a chance to mature and that is how I found the path to my current profession.
When I started university, I had to find a place to live, as I was a stranger to Tartu and had only been there on school trips. Students who are starting their first year are usually offered a place in student housing. Finding a flat can be a tedious process and it can be difficult to find affordable flats in convenient locations or in places where you can park your car, for example. I have no regrets about living in a dormitory, since my roommate was friendly and the people living on my floor were super nice.
Even though I was completely unfamiliar with the city and had no idea which of my friends had come to study in Tartu, there was no need to worry as the town is very small and compact – everything you need is close by and easy to find.
After my first year, however, I started having doubts as to whether this was the right discipline for me. It is made quite straightforward for students to take a year off or to change their specialism, even multiple times. I have no regrets so far, because I can put together an interesting timetable for myself at the university and do so many things outside school.
I decided already in my first year that I wanted to do things outside the university – thus sacrificing my good marks – and in October I got myself a job and joined the Domus Dorpatensis Academy (Foundation for Science and Liberal Arts), through which I also started helping out at Tartu Children’s Shelter. I try to pass on my enthusiasm to new students by tutoring, which I have done for two years, and by being active in the Student Union Foundation.
By joining the university’s mailing lists, I have been able to find out more about different events and have found an internship that helped me put my skills into practice. My advice to new students is to keep an ‘open mind’ – dare to try new things and talk to new people!
Edited by Mariliis Lulla – member of the Content Creation and Collaboration Team of the youth information portal Teeviit. The article was written in cooperation with the Student Union Foundation.
Published in the youth information portal Teeviit in 2021.
