The Power of Starting Over: A Student’s Bold Move from Baku to Milan
by Gabriel Brolli
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Student Snapshot: Nurana Karimova at a Glance Home Country: Azerbaijan |
Nurana Karimova, a 23-year-old student from Azerbaijan, took a bold leap from Chemistry to Economics by enrolling in a second bachelor’s degree at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. Drawn to Italy by a mix of childhood memories andgut instinct, she’s now building a new life filled with independence, diversity, and personal growth – all while navigating the challenges of starting over, abroad.
Some people would say choosing your faculty is a sealed deal – you cannot move backwards. This sort of thought never crossed Nurana Karimova’s mind.
“I’m still young, and I have the energy for it. Studying for a second bachelor’s degree didn’t feel like a big deal to me – further education could never be a bad thing.” That’s how the 23-year-old from Azerbaijan decided to leave her Chemistry side in the past and enrol in a Bachelor’s in Economics and Management at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.
After all, it started as a classroom crush – she’d always excelled in Chemistry at school, and it seemed like the safe, natural path to follow. But we’re not here to talk about regrets. “I enjoyed it, actually! I’m interested in many things, but Chemistry was interesting as a major – not as my career.”
It was, in fact, in the laboratory where everything clicked for Nurana.
"I had a strict supervisor who constantly told me I wasn’t good enough,” she says. “It was harsh, but it also changed me. For the first time, I realised it’s okay not to be perfect at everything.”
From best grades in school and the “perfect daughter” title to hold on to, she always felt the weight of expectation. But that experience helped her let go of the need to excel at everything.
“I thought, maybe I’m not great at this – but I can still be great at something else,” she recalls. “That experience made me brave enough to start a new life, change my field, and move to another country.”
And the decision to move to Italy? That was the result of a series of coincidences that Nurana now calls “a sign.”
She grew up with a famous Italian TV drama playing in the background – her mum adored Italian period dramas, while her dad had a soft spot for Italian opera singers. “He was obsessed!”
But she’s the first in her family to give real colour to that abstract image.
“In fact, no one in my extended family has ever been to Italy,” she says. “But I feel like I belong. I’m really happy here. Milan feels like a dream.”
At first, things weren’t exactly smooth. Bureaucracy, paperwork, doing everything on her own – she admits her first month in Milan was hectic. But she also remembers the kindness: the strangers who tried to help her, the conversations full of broken English and laughter, the patient explanations. “It was chaotic but full of warmth.”
She’s learning the language in her own way – picking up words naturally, translating things on the go, and staying away from formal lessons to avoid the pressure. “If I force myself, I’ll panic. This way, it feels organic.” Life in Milan has brought her more than just academic growth. It brings independence, inspiration, and freedom to explore.
In between library sessions at the Gemelli campus, in Milan and group aperitivos with classmates, she carves out time for her passions – reading, writing, and music. “I used to write a lot of reflections, random thoughts... I’m even planning to publish a book one day.” She also plays the piano, ukulele and kalimba. “Music calms me down.”
That same curiosity that brought her here drives her forward now, towards the next goal: building a career in a big company, perhaps one of the Big Four. Her family? Always in the corner. Her mum, fully supportive. Her dad, a man who never went to university himself, now quizzes her on global economics every time she’s home. “It’s our little ritual. It makes me feel proud – because I know he’s proud too.”
She misses them, of course. And she misses the sea. “In Baku, we’re next to the Caspian Sea, and I’d go there whenever I felt down. Seeing the water always calmed me.” Milan doesn’t have a sea. But she smiles when she says her boyfriend always teases her: “You live in Italy – go to Genoa!”
She laughs, but she knows exactly where she’s meant to be. “I’ve learned that life doesn’t have to follow one straight path. It’s okay to take detours – sometimes they lead you to the place you were always supposed to be.”
Nurana’s story is a reminder that it’s never too late to change direction – or to start again. In Milan, she’s not just studying economics; she’s redefined what success means in her own terms.