Adila Mehdiyeva - alumna from Azerbaijan
Why did you apply to The Master in Finance at university west?
I already had some knowledge in Accounting & Auditing from my bachelor, but I always felt the urge to learn more depth of finance. The main reason for me to choose this Master in Finance is the course contents and the advantage of finishing the entire program in a year. I think that is the time advantage to enter to the job market earlier with the skill set I gained.
Is it what you thought is should be and how was that or is it different?
The programme structure makes it way easier than I thought it would be. It is really nice that it is possible to have leisure time, other than time for studies. I am so happy that I had a chance to enjoy the Sweden and also finish my master here. The flexibility given and extracurricular activities you easily can schedule is the best combination for me as an international student.
What do you think about the student life in Trollhättan?
Before I came to Trollhattan, I already had some information about the history and the magical view of the city, but when I came here, I was amazed. I have been in other big cities in Sweden, and this city is so nice for studens. The transport with bike is easy because the distance between places is so small and the bike roads has nice scenery. Nice or rainy weather does not matter, Trolhattän has a nice nature and nice public places to enjoy. The infrastructure created in the forests really surprised me. On every corner you have a park or just BBQ places where you can have fun with your friends.
When I feel a bit stressed or want to chill a bit, I just go to the highest point of the city where you can see a really nice sunset. Especially for me coming from a really urban city life, Trollhattan is a better place to live. It is always possible to find a pleasant corner to listen to nature a bit or to have some drinks with an excellent view.
What are you doing when you are not studying?
Even though I came here with lots of uncertainties till the last minute, because of the Covid19, the outdoor activities you can enjoy in Trollhattan covered all my needs. I really liked to listen to music and bike around the city to explore new places. Every time I found some nice neighborhood or some deer walking around, which made my day. Other than that, in summer I played a lot of disk, frisbee or volleyball with my international friends here. In wintertime because here there is a lot of close lakes who are fully frozen, I did a lot of ice skating. This is the first time I did that much ice skating and I can say learned a lot from my Swedish friends.
The most magical thing I have done is to have a trip to Abisko to see the northern lights and stay outside in that freezing weather with our hot drinks. I was lucky enough to see aurora two days in a row and the Milky Way of stars. I never imagined that falling stars are such a common phenomenon, but we have seen a lot of those too. The reindeers scared us a bit, and that is also a thing I will remember when I leave Sweden.
It is also important to mention that Swedish people really knows how to decorate their houses with lights. Considering the dark winter days here it was exciting to see lots of decorated winter gardens. The design and the colors of their houses are really great, I liked the Scandic style of houses very much.
Tell us about your future plans?
To sum it all up, Sweden for sure is a destination to come back one day again. It is a bit hard to say it now when or where that will be, but I am certain and eager to work and live here. Especially, Stockholm is unbelievable. It is a so well-preserved urban city, in which you can also feel like you are in the countryside.
I hope I will come back here soon and enjoy the Swedish way of living with less stress and more inner peace. The change in my mindset is so great, I am much more productive and less anxious about challenges.
