My name is Ujjwal, and I’m currently in New Jersey, United States for my Erasmus Exchange for Entrepreneur. I graduated with a Masters degree in Business Administration, but my real passion has always been technology. I love the IT sector and building software that makes operations simpler for businesses. Back in Finland, I run a small IT business, and while it’s been a great learning experience, I knew I needed to see how things work at a bigger scale.
Over the past two years, I’ve traveled to more than 13 countries across Europe. Each trip taught me something new – not just about business, but about life, people, and different ways of thinking. These experiences made me hungry for more. I wanted to step outside Europe, understand how businesses operate in completely different cultures, and challenge myself in new ways.
That’s why I chose the EYE program and decided to come to the United States. I was curious about the American work culture – everyone talks about how fast-paced and dynamic it is. I also wanted to see how established companies operate. How do they manage daily operations at scale? How do they coordinate teams and handle multiple clients efficiently? These were questions I needed answers to for my own business.
The decision wasn’t easy. Before coming here, I was nervous about the new country, workplace, and completely different pace of life.
The first couple days were challenging. Everything here is different from Finland. The pace is incredibly fast. People talk quickly, make decisions on the spot, and there’s constant energy everywhere. Even simple things like using public transport or understanding American communication styles felt overwhelming at first.
The work has been eye-opening. At a company with over 60 team members I’ve seen how everything is systematic – every task has a process, every client interaction is tracked. For someone figuring things out alone, this organization has been incredible to witness. I’m learning that growth requires solid systems.
Out side of work , I’ve been adjusting to life here. New York and New Jersey have an energy completely different from Europe. Everything is louder, faster, more intense. Initially exhausting, but day by day, I’m finding my rhythm and becoming more comfortable.