As an alumna of the University of Kent, I was recently reminded that fifteen years ago this week I started my undergraduate course in Hispanic Studies. I remember those days as being a mixture of trepidation and fear, thinking I was never going to make it and that this sudden surge in ambition somewhat had to be pushed back where it came from.
Let's just add that I was not just out of my teenage years, my twins were not even four and I had a demanding job, so I was working all hours. What was I thinking? I even enrolled full time! Well, it turned out that that was one of the best decisions of my life.
I don't just mean it in the pure academic sense of learning another language or having the opportunity to finally study in the field of Humanities, which I loved and excelled in when I was still at school in Italy. What those lectures in Latin American Poetry on rainy Friday mornings did, just to mention one of the many highlights, was something else entirely.
Studying as a mature student made me realise who I really was as a person, and that fullfilling one's own ambition is not about making impossible choices, but rather becoming a confident leader of oneself. The hard work (and tears!) I put in were all worth it and I discovered that what often seems a hard and difficult decision, in reality is just the beginning of a new, exciting adventure. I certainly feel I have many more adventures in me. What is yours right now?
Un po' di aiuto - keywords
sudden surge in ambition: eccesso d'ambizione improvviso
to be pushed back where it came from: doveva essere ricacciato da dove era arrivato
a demanding job: un lavoro impegnativo
it turned out: andò a finire che/successe che
one of the many highlights: uno dei molti momenti belli/salienti/significativi
mature student: studente matur@, ovvero un@ studente che è più vecchi@ dell'età tipica degli iscritti
fullfilling one's own ambition: soddisfare le proprie ambizioni
confident leader of oneself: un leader responsabile e fiero di sè stesso
were all worth it: valsero davvero la pena
many more adventures in me: ci sono molte altre avventure che ho ancora voglia di intraprendere
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