Hello, I’m Marta! Two weeks ago, I left Kraków and moved to Amsterdam to start my Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs exchange. Even though I had been preparing for this for months, the reality of actually being here didn’t hit me until I was standing in front of my new apartment with my luggage. I was excited, of course, but also incredibly stressed. You can plan everything perfectly on paper, but moving to a new country and starting at a new workplace is always a huge step.
To give you some context, my path to UX/UI design isn’t very standard. I actually hold a Master’s degree in Sociology. For years, my focus was on understanding people, how they behave and what they need. But at some point, I realized I wanted to use that knowledge practically. I wanted to design digital products that actually make sense for users. I finished my postgraduate studies in design and built my portfolio, but doing your own projects is completely different from working in an agency. That’s exactly why I applied for this program. I wanted to see how the industry really works from the inside.
When I finally started my first week at the host company, I was so relieved. All the stress I had about not fitting in disappeared the moment I met my new team. They were incredibly welcoming and made me feel at ease right away. It is so interesting to watch how an idea turns into a real product. Everyone here approaches problems differently, and we talk a lot about how to make things actually work for normal people, not just make them look nice. Every day brings a new puzzle to solve, and I am learning to look at my own work from totally new perspectives.
Outside of just design, these first weeks are teaching me a lot about myself. Working in a different country forces you to be flexible. I am learning how to really listen to others and how to work together without overthinking every little detail. I am not just sitting in the corner watching how the business runs. I am actually taking part in it.
Right now, the fear I felt on day one has turned into pure motivation. I am soaking up everything I can. Getting this real-life experience is exactly what I need if I want to run my own projects in the future. It is only the beginning, but I am really happy I took this step and I can’t wait to see what happens next.