University, for many TCKs, can be daunting and exciting. This week, Urmi shares her experience. She uses three words to describe her experience.
University was one of the best times of my life. I might be an outlier, but I genuinely enjoyed attending classes, studying, and taking exams. It was my first time studying in a foreign country and a language that wasn’t my mother tongue. English is my third language, so this journey was filled with new experiences.
I can describe my university days as thrilling, transformative, and eye-opening. It was also my first time studying in a place where everyone I interacted with had different skin tones, eye colors, and cultural backgrounds. Coming from Italy, where everyone around me looked the same—Italian—it was a refreshing and enlightening change. In Italy, I was often the odd one out, foreign-looking until I spoke, revealing I was just as Italian as everyone else.
First Days: Thrilling
I knew no one. I was completely new to the country and had no time to make friends before starting. I went to business school, where people were snobbish. The girls wore expensive clothes, carried designer bags, and had perfectly styled hair for classes. The guys wore luxurious watches and carried their Apple laptops. I wondered if this was just what business students were like or if it was a Canadian thing.
University life was completely new and fun—an experience I hadn’t had before. Classes started at 8:45 AM and ended at 8:15 PM, and after each class, students would rush between buildings to get to the next lesson. My university was made up of different buildings, so every day felt like running a marathon, dashing from one building to another, waiting for elevators, and figuring out where my classes were. Luckily, one thing that saved us all during the winter was the underground tunnels connecting the buildings, protecting us from the cold.
As Time Went By: Transformative
“Where are you from?” Although it seemed simple, it was tough to answer with just one response. I’d wonder if they were asking where I was born, where I lived, or where my parents were from. This question made me struggle with my identity and cultural background. I often spent 15-20 minutes explaining my origins. It was such a struggle that sometimes I avoided meeting new people to escape this question. But as time went on, I began to find friends.
I met my closest friends, people from all around the world: Vietnam, Pakistan, Mexico, China, Colombia, Argentina, South Korea—the list goes on. Any interaction I had was with someone from a different country. It was fun and educational because it was my first time meeting people from so many different backgrounds. It felt like being part of a melting pot. I’m still very much in contact with these friends, and that’s what real friendship is about. My best memory was during exam season. My friends and I would spend hours in the library. Though food was forbidden, we’d sneak in snacks or even ice-cream, hoping we wouldn’t get caught. We’d enter the library when it was still light outside and leave when it was dark.
In the End: Eye-Opening
Being a student is fun. Life is stress-free and work-free. All you have to worry about is attending classes, studying, and passing exams. When it was time to graduate, I was really sad, almost wishing I could stay at university forever, just learning. Luckily, I extended my studies by enrolling in the honors program, but eventually, I had to graduate. I wasn’t planning to attend the graduation ceremony, but with my friend’s encouragement, I’m glad I did and celebrated this achievement.
Even after graduation, I returned to the university buildings, not just reminiscing, but feeling a deep sense of belonging to a place that became a second home. Occasionally, I would sit on those sofas where I used to study and revise for my exams and think about my university time. For me, university wasn’t just an experience; it was where I found community, a home away from home.
Urmi Hossain is Bengali by blood and Italian by birth. She works in the financial services industry in Canada, where she is currently residing. She is a self-published author, speaker, blogger, polyglot, and mentor. She is the holder of the CFA and CAIA charter. She advocates women’s empowerment and is very passionate about teaching and mentoring other girls and women. She is part of the Women In Leadership for the Victoria Chapter in Canada as the social media lead where she spreads the message of gender equality and more women in leadership positions. She enjoys being a promoter of self-investing and personal development. In her free time, she enjoys reading books and practicing Muay Thai. She has lived in Italy, UK and now lives in Canada.
Other places to find Urmi: LinkedIn, YouTube Channel, Instagram, and Blog or read her book, Discovering Your Identity: A Rebirth From Interracial Struggle.
