Dania, back to University

She keeps telling me that she would rather stay in her “comfort zone”, but unconsciously and constantly, she keeps defying status quo.

Let me introduce to my very dear friend Dania, one of the most sincere and generous person I know. We met only a few years ago but it was love at first sight! And cherry on the cake, we are neighbors.

Age, Origin                 35, Lebanon
Background               Master in business administration from La Sorbonne Paris
Masters in Pharmacy from University of Saint Joseph, Beirut
Civil status                 Married, two children
Profession                  Student

At the age of 35 and with two young children at home, she decided to embark into a new journey and to return to university last September. Her objective: become Speech Therapist, a 5 years course.

Who is She Dania is a wonderful ambassador of Lebanon. She will kindly invite me for coffee at home in the morning, while she is cooking and kids playing in the garden. Finally, I will not only end up having lunch at the place but also I will eat the Samboussek she knows I love so much. The same would happen if you visit her in the afternoon for a quick drink, impossible to leave without having a wonderful dinner.

What does she like in life? « Being surrounded by trustworthy interesting and friendly people, not incline to adventurous situations, healthy and enjoying my daily pleasures i.e. a good laugh, a savory meal, evening routine with my kids (hugs bath bed time stories…). The social component is a key! » She says.

Before moving to Geneva, Dania has lived in 3 different places: from birth until the age of 8, she was in Lebanon during wartime. She moved after to Paris until the age of 21, then back to Lebanon until 28, and then settled in Geneva.

Major challenges in her life As she herself explains, she had to face two major ones in her adult life: « First when I got back to Lebanon I was lost in translation with no sense of belonging to anything. I forgot all my Arabic and didn’t know how to live in a country in construction. Moreover due to a complicated divorce, I had to be early separated from my dad’s family and even my siblings. Returning to university to study Pharmacy at that time was a soothing process allowing me to take the time to build confidence in myself and focus on the essential. I chose this major besides as all members of my close family are medical doctors – when I had the opportunity to meet and live with them again, I couldn’t understand any scientific topic they were discussing together! ». Then she added:« My second biggest challenge was the insomnia I experienced after the birth of my first child. In my view it was related to the unconscious anxiety I felt being newly a mom. I had to take sleeping medication for more than 3 years until I found again a balance after the birth of my second child. The big challenge of having deprived sleep is not only the fatigue I felt in a continuous manner but also the resulting negative effect it had on my temper, my energy and mood even within my couple »

What was the trigger After her second child, she decided to stop working to focus on their two young children. However, after a two years time at home, she felt the need to reintegrate the active life. During her thought, she says she “met coincidently with a 35 year old mom with two kids at a park who told her she was studying to be come speech therapist part time and so I realized that I could do the same !” In addition, a good friend of her who is actually a speech therapist made her realize the advantages of working independently such as flexible hours and holidays. And there you go! Dania was part of the academic year 2016/17 who started last September.

How was your first day at university I remember that the day before the university beginning, I texted Dania to wish her the best of luck for the first day. She appreciated my attention and promised to keep me posted the next day. And she did as usual! She sent me simply the following picture, which made me smile because I could feel she was anxious and then keeping some distances like any child on his first day at school. So I just replied “So cute! Yallah just go don’t be scared!”. Today, she will say the following about it: “My first day at university was exciting! Tried as much as possible to be invisible and act as a proper new student. I loved all the teachers and the courses so it strengthened my belief that my place was there!”

How does she feel now after a few weeks? What has changed the most (organization, etc…) Dania replied: “After a few weeks I still feel great and like I belong there. All my clothes are student-like clothes: jeans T-shirt so in terms of looking as a teenage I meet the requirements. I still feel great and like I belong there”. In terms of organization, Dania admits that “although I need to dedicate more time to studies as first exams are looming. I managed so far to balance my schedule among my priorities: kids and husband courses house and friends. Of course I feel more tired but nothing comes for free” 

The advice she would give to someone who wants to start new studies If you want to get back to studies one advice is to choose something easier than what you already studied. My Pharma degree is of course an asset to understand in a faster way many of the notions new student cope to interiorize, allowing me to spend less time on homework

 More about Dania

• Biggest regrets: I am lucky so far none
• Lesson learned: To say the least possible and open up to people when it’s appropriate
• Dreams: Living everyday to the full
• Models in life, celebrities and/or anonymous: My dad is a model for me in terms of amassed knowledge and charisma
• My husband an inspiration in his adamant attitude at work
• Favorite leitmotiv or mantra? Every cloud has a Silver lining; Two kinds of greedy people never get satisfied; the seeker of knowledge and the seeker of this world
• Advice to any woman or young lady: Think early what you want to be not only in 5 year-time but in twenty so you opt for the right studies from day 1