Starting a Master's Degree and Changing Careers Opens Doors to New Acquaintances, Friends, and Motivated People

My journey began four months ago, and it was only on my third attempt that I was accepted to the University of my Dreams to study intercultural communication. A Master's degree is an important step in education. Thanks to my professional experience, I chose the Communication Management programme and I am convinced that persistence always pays off. After many applications, I was finally accepted to Tallinn University, where I immersed myself in the study of intercultural communication. I would like to express my deep gratitude to Professors Anastassia Zabrodskaja and Sara Kim (University of Louisiana, Monroe) for the opportunity to participate in telecollaboration. This experience allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of intercultural aspects and develop valuable communication skills.

Our group consisted of four people, each with a different background. Ella, outgoing and cheerful, was the first to start a conversation. Rory studies with Ella, and Grace and I are in the Communication Management department. Despite our differences, we are united by common interests: walks in parks, reading and travelling. What surprised them most was that I speak six languages: English, French, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, and am currently learning Estonian. Our common focus was on successfully completing the course on intercultural communication. The unity of goals helped us overcome cultural differences and learn to appreciate diversity. The concepts of high- and low-context cultures revealed the dynamics of communication and taught us to avoid misunderstandings.

Intercultural understanding requires more than just knowing the norms. For example, parameters such as power distance and uncertainty avoidance play a key role. They shape our interactions in everyday life. Understanding these differences helps in relationships with managers and subordinates, and familiarity with these concepts is important even for travelers. Working in a group, we applied theoretical knowledge to create a warm and supportive atmosphere. I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with this team. We keep in touch on Instagram and share experiences even after completing the course. Working with people from different cultures allowed me to not only apply theory in practice, but also strengthened my confidence in communicating with representatives of different cultures.

In my professional life, I regularly interact with people from different countries. Formal meetings went smoothly, but in informal situations there were often confusions. Before the course, I relied on intuition, but now I approach such interactions with clarity and confidence, based on the knowledge I have gained. Intercultural communication is not just a dialogue, but awareness, respect, and understanding. It is important to remember that what is familiar to one culture may be unique or sacred to another. Support, respect for differences, and the ability to prevent conflicts are the basis for successful intercultural interaction.