I chose International Business because I wanted to become an entrepreneur

This blog post is written by Shenali Mullegama, student in the International Business programme at Arcada.

When people ask me why I chose International Business at Arcada, I usually give them a very simple answer:

I wanted to become an entrepreneur.

The funny thing is that this is not a new dream. Ever since I was young, I have always been interested in business. I come from Sri Lanka, and as a kid I was always curious about how companies worked, why some products became popular, and how people managed to turn simple ideas into successful businesses.

Of course, when I was younger, my business ideas were not exactly revolutionary. Like many kids, I thought every random idea was going to make me rich. Luckily, I learned that entrepreneurship is a little more complicated than that! But the interest was always there.

From childhood curiosity to a clear goal

As I got older, I realised that I didn’t just want to work in business. I wanted to understand it. I wanted to learn how businesses grow, how marketing influences people, how managers make decisions, and how entrepreneurs build something from nothing. That curiosity eventually led me to International Business.

At the same time, I was looking for an international study environment where I could challenge myself and meet people from different backgrounds. That’s how I found Arcada.

Choosing a path beyond home

Moving from Sri Lanka to Finland was definitely one of the biggest decisions I have ever made. It was exciting, but also a little scary. I was moving thousands of kilometers away from home to a country I had never lived in before.

And then there was the weather.

Let’s just say that Finnish winter was a bigger cultural shock than I expected. In Sri Lanka, if the temperature drops below 25 degrees, people start looking for jackets. In Finland, people are happily walking around while it’s snowing and talking about how the weather is “quite nice today.”

Adjusting to life in Finland

It took some time to adjust, but looking back, moving here was one of the best decisions I’ve made.

What I like most about studying International Business is that it is not only about business theories and textbooks. We work on real-life cases, presentations, projects, and group assignments. The programme encourages us to think critically, solve problems, and communicate effectively.

Learning business through doing

One thing I quickly learned is that business is really about people. You can have the best idea in the world, but if you cannot communicate it, work with others, or understand your customers, it becomes much harder to succeed.

The programme has also pushed me outside my comfort zone. Before Arcada, I wasn’t the type of person who enjoyed standing in front of a group and giving presentations. Now, presentations have become a normal part of student life. Am I always completely relaxed before presenting? Not really. But I have definitely become more confident.

Another thing I appreciate is the international atmosphere at Arcada. In one classroom, you can find students from many different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. This creates interesting discussions and different perspectives on almost every topic.

As someone who moved from Sri Lanka to Finland, I think this is one of the greatest strengths of Arcada. The world is becoming more connected every year, and learning how to work with people from different cultures is an important skill for both business professionals and entrepreneurs.

Redefining what entrepreneurship means

When people hear “entrepreneurship,” they often think only about making money or becoming the next big success story. But through my studies, I have started to see entrepreneurship differently. For me, entrepreneurship is about creativity, problem solving, and having the courage to try something new. It’s about identifying opportunities and creating value for other people. It’s also about accepting that mistakes will happen and learning from them instead of giving up.

Do I already have my own company? No. Do I have everything figured out? Definitely not. But that’s okay. One of the biggest lessons I have learned at Arcada is that success is a process. Every course, every project, every presentation, and every challenge teaches me something valuable. Step by step, I am building the knowledge, skills, and confidence that I will need in the future.

For me, studying International Business is not just about getting a degree. It is about preparing for the future I want to create for myself. And who knows? Maybe one day I’ll return to Arcada, not as a student ambassador, but as an entrepreneur sharing my own business story with future students. If that happens, I will probably still be talking about business ideas. The only difference is that hopefully a few of them will have worked.