Welcome back

The following pictures are from the presentation Lasse Lychnell, one of my professors, showed the class on our first day back after the summer vacations. He had asked all students to write down about what the most important learning from the first year of program was. This is what me and my classmates wrote.  

When classes started two weeks back, I did not feel ready. I did not even feel like studying. I was enjoying work and I felt like there were so many things to do outside of school that I did not feel like attending classes. I know exactly how I felt when I saw these slides. I remember Lasse pausing on each slide and letting us really take it in before going on to the next slide. I could feel the entire class feel very similar emotions. I did not remember which one I wrote, but I could relate to so many of them. When I saw the last slide, it really hit me. The people I have gotten to meet the last year have been truly amazing. It’s so easy to take it for granted. Often, I forget, that the world is not easy to live in and many of us are putting in incredible effort and showing great character by making even it all the way to Sweden.  So many of us have had our character tested last year. A friend who had never  done math from high school was now challenged by finance, another was from such a different culture that Sweden didn’t even make sense to her, someone was taking care of a child, someone was pregnant, one was running his start-up and another was working 20 hours a week to fund himself. These slides made me realize that one of the biggest reason why I enjoyed my classes last year, was actually my classmates, who more than anything inspired me by just being themselves. Each one has a story, and this extends way beyond my classmates, and I think that has been one of my biggest learning, that everyone has a difficult life and everyone has a unique story and great depth, if I am willing to listen and explore.