On the first day of my master's programme, I met a senior student who left a lasting impression on me.
He was from Malaysia and was two years ahead of us in the same programme. Although we came from different countries, he spoke our language very well, which made it easy for us to connect from the very beginning.
That day, he came over and asked us how we felt about our first class. As we talked, he started sharing some of what he had experienced during his two years in the programme. He told us which courses were particularly difficult, which lecturers we needed to pay more attention to, what the exams would be like, and even which countries were difficult to find accommodation in and how early we should start looking. At the time, many of these things were completely new to us, but he patiently shared everything he had learnt along the way.
We had a lot of uncertainty about the two years ahead. After talking to him, though, we at least had some idea of what to expect. Some courses would be challenging. Some things needed to be prepared for in advance. But somehow, the future no longer felt quite so overwhelming.
I have always thought he was a genuinely kind person. He was willing to share the road he had already travelled with people who were only just starting theirs. By the time we met, he was already preparing to graduate, yet he still took the time to sit down with us and tell us all these things.
And before we knew it, two years had passed. We both graduated, and we have continued to keep in touch. Later, when we talked about those years, he also said how quickly time had gone.
Looking back now, I feel lucky that on my very first day of my master's, I happened to meet someone like him. Sometimes, when someone shares the road they have already walked, they make the road a little easier for the person coming next.
