Dear student: Hi, I'm Giorgina Cerutti, I'm 25 years old and I'm a translator from English and French into Spanish. I am writing to tell you what my life has been like after all these years, which may give you a broader picture of all the opportunities and experiences that await you after high school. I graduated from the Instituto Uruguayo Argentino (IUA) in 2007, from the University of the Republic (UdelaR) in 2012 and from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) in 2015. My first studies in translation took place at UdelaR, where I graduated as a certified English translator. A couple of months before graduating, I started looking for Master's degrees in translation abroad and, shortly after completing my studies at UdelaR, I applied to the University of Geneva to do a Master's degree in Translation, specializing in Translation Technologies. I was accepted, so in September 2013 I moved to Switzerland to pursue these studies. I decided to do my master's degree at UNIGE's Faculty of Translation and Interpreting (FTI), as it is one of the world's pioneers and most prestigious references in the training of translators and interpreters. Moreover, the University of Geneva is the second most international university in the world according to the Times Higher Education ranking and is among the best according to various rankings. It should also be noted that, being a public university, the price of the course is extremely affordable. In fact, the tuition fee for foreign students is 65 Swiss francs (about $65) and tuition costs 500 Swiss francs (about $501) per semester. Another reason why I decided to study at FTI is that I was sure that it would give me interesting job opportunities. In fact, while I was still studying I worked as an interpreter for a social forum; and I did a terminology internship at the United Nations, as well as a translation internship at an intergovernmental organization for developing countries, the South Centre. As far as my personal life is concerned, I must say that what I like most about living in a cosmopolitan city like Geneva is that it is easy to have foreign friends, with whom you share unforgettable and enriching experiences. Also, living abroad gives you the possibility to do activities that you might never have thought of doing in your home country. In my case, these activities include downhill skiing, ice skating, rafting, paragliding and hiking. In addition, given its convenient geographical location, living in Geneva makes it easy and cheap to travel for the weekend to another amazing city in Europe, such as Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Brussels, Nice, Zurich, Milan... Two semesters before finishing the master's degree, I was offered the possibility to stay at FTI to work as an assistant in the Spanish Unit, as well as to pursue a doctoral program, provided I finished the master's degree in a timely manner. Therefore, I worked hard, and in June 2015 I took my last three exams and in July 2015 I defended my master's dissertation. I started working as an assistant in September 2015 and next semester I have to submit my doctoral research project. Needless to say, having a good level of English, a result of my bilingual education, was and still is a great privilege, as my field of expertise depends on my language skills. Moreover, if you want to have a career in academia, as is my case, being able to write and give presentations in clear and precise English is essential. I am extremely convinced that the skills acquired throughout my years of study at the Instituto Uruguayo Argentino have prepared me for this. In fact, I still remember the first time I had to give a presentation in English: it was during the Trinity Examination, my first international exam, and I gave a talk entitled "What happens when we sleep?", a rather strange topic for an eleven-year-old girl, I know. I believe that preparing for and taking these international exams, especially at a higher level, such as the FCE, CAE and CPE, is extremely important for your future. In fact, by preparing for them, you will develop a better understanding of English, which will probably help you later on when you do other related activities. Also, taking these exams and having the diploma is important, as this will not only give you an advantage over other candidates when applying for a job, scholarship or university, but it will also teach you from a very early age how to deal with stress and, in the case of the oral part of these exams, even stage fright (le trac, as we say in French). As for the IGCSE, you should know that I took seven subjects (Business, English as a Second Language, First Language Spanish, Mathematics, Physics, History and Portuguese) and I took all the corresponding exams except Business. I believe that taking these exams is also extremely useful, since, as they focus on technical subjects and languages, you will gain specialized knowledge that you would not acquire in a general English course. What's more, if these subjects are taught in parallel with their Spanish equivalent, they can be a good way to support and complement the national curriculum. In fact, thanks to the meticulous and efficient coordination between the English and Spanish departments at IUA, the students of my generation benefited from studying Mathematics and Physics in English and Spanish simultaneously, which allowed us to reinforce our knowledge. In conclusion, I can say that after finishing high school I was lucky enough to live a very enriching and colorful professional and personal life, as I am sure you will be too. However, you should know that this was not pure luck, but the result of constant effort and work. What you and I have been lucky about is that we have had a solid and comprehensive education that will allow you to start your adult life with a unique advantage. In fact, studying at the Instituto Uruguayo Argentino is a privilege and a good fortune, although you may not have realized it yet. So I ask you to value your education, your family, your friends and your youth. In addition, I also ask you to try to make sure you are making the right decisions. After all, it is with our present that we build our future. Finally, I would like to ask you a small favor: convey my sincere and eternal gratitude to all the faculty and administrative staff of the Instituto Uruguayo Argentino, for without their dedication, patience and love I would not be the professional or the person I am today. Thank you all very much. Love from Switzerland, Giorgina.