But Um, What’s The Point of Rushing Through Your Studies?

I started my first year at Bocconi one month before I turned 21. By that time, most of the people I had graduated high school with were rising juniors or seniors, and I was just starting my freshman year. It was embarrassing, as well as extremely frustrating, to be surrounded by people 2 or 3 years younger than me that were fresh out of high school and still had their twenties in front of them. It also didn’t help that I live in Italy and it’s almost the norm to finish your Master’s degree by the time you’re 23. I felt so behind and discouraged that I let it affect me much more than it should have. It didn’t matter that I had gone through so many different things before I got to Bocconi, nor that I had gained so much from my previous experiences. It was a constant burden that hung over my head like an annoying sign. 

Almost 3 years later, I can’t say that I’ve completely changed this way of thinking. This feeling of being ‘behind’ is something that I’ve had to learn to deal with and challenge almost every single day. But in the end, it really doesn’t matter. Nobody really cares. And it's better not to punish yourself for going at your own pace. 

So if you’re struggling with these feelings, or maybe have no idea of what to do once you finish your Bachelor’s, or just want to consider an alternative from doing your Master’s right away, this is for you. 

I hope I can convince you that taking your time is not a bad thing. A lot of good things can happen along the way.

The summer I graduated high school I moved to Florence, Italy all the way from Colombia. My dreams of studying in the United States were (reasonably) crushed by an overwhelming price tag and the desire to avoid bankrupting my family with my undergraduate education.*

The next choice was Italy. 

I was 18 and I convinced my parents that I needed to go and learn Italian if I wanted to apply to Italian universities. In my mind, Bocconi wasn’t even an option; I had never even heard of it. I wanted to apply to an art institution. I stayed 5 months and it was an amazing opportunity that I recommend to everyone that is thinking about taking a gap year or even just 6 months. I met some of my closest friends and funnily enough learned very little Italian, because we were all international students. 

Illustration by Ester Salvatore

After that, I was a bit lost and ended up taking a job as an au pair for an Italian family with 2 young kids. The mom wanted me to speak English to them but every time I did they would stare at me blankly, no matter how hard I tried. I learned much more Italian there than they did English, unfortunately. 

When it was finally time to apply to universities, I ended up choosing the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera here in Milan where I majored in art history and cultural heritage studies. Almost as soon as I started, though, I realized I wasn’t happy and I couldn’t see myself continuing. So I made the decision to change and started my first year at Bocconi in 2018, after one of the friends I met in Florence told me to look into their BEMACC (Bachelor of Economics and Management for the Arts, Culture and Communication) program. 

It took me 2 years longer to get here than everyone else, but right now I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m 23 now and just finishing my BSc but I’m in no rush to start my Master’s program anytime soon. I’m taking at least 6 months to work and do as many internships and experiences as I can, and I’ll think about doing a Master’s program once I know for sure what I really want to study next. I’ve realized its better to take my time choosing something that I'm really passionate about, instead of committing too fast and changing my mind further down the line. 

I also think it's important to get out of the Italian mindset for a while and look at other options that don’t involve 5 consecutive years of higher education. Many factors go into this, like societal and parental expectations or the fear of not knowing what to do next, but they shouldn’t hold so much weight over a decision like this. 

That isn’t to say that there is no merit to choosing to continue studying. I’m surrounded by passionate people that know exactly what they want to study next. I’m just not one of them, and that’s ok. 

Needless to say, the current pandemic also plays a big role in my choice to wait before continuing my studies. I’m not looking forward to my next years as a student being spent locked inside an apartment, seeing my friends exclusively over Zoom, or attending virtual lectures.  It may or may not be like this, but we’ve already lost a year, I’d rather not lose anymore. 

If you take anything out of this, just know that it’s not a competition. No one is rushing you. It’s okay to keep on studying and it’s okay to take more time to figure out what you want. And if you end up choosing the wrong path for you, it’s okay to make a change. Make your own timeline. 

*My dream school was Parsons in NYC. I even got in!  It was $78,000 a year for international students.