Dom

Why did I choose my programme?               
Truthfully, when I initially applied to IBP I’d never heard of CBS and was not too familiar with how the programs were recognized. However, before I made my decision, I found a pie chart on the CBS home page explaining how the different programs spilt the math, social science, and politics so I resonated most with IBP as I got the right amount of economics as well as the humanities.

What do I like the best?         
I really enjoyed the second half of my degree. I felt like the first half I required many skills for my foundation from how to make lines of argument from political science to being able to analyse data from qualitative methods and finally when I got to do second year project and my thesis, I chose subjects I found interesting and used the skills I’d learnt over the years to create work of my own.

What do I think is difficult?   
I think it’s always difficult knowing how to study “properly”. I’ve learnt over time that different courses demand different requirements and that means I have to adjust my study techniques to work smart and not “hard”. Realistically, you will not be able to know everything about a course and that’s okay since no one expects that from you. But rather I try to enjoy the experience of learning something new and unfamiliarity is naturally difficult in the beginning.

What would I have liked to have known before starting my programme?
I wish I knew how important it was to prepare before the class and analyse the course description. Knowing what is required from you sets the tone for how you should learn in a lecture and what notes to make. For microeconomics, I would try do the exercise before the class even if I can’t complete it but at least there is a sense of familiarity with the question. For Political Economy of Development, I would have rather listened more than writing endless notes that weren’t useable for my exam.

What do I want to do after finishing my programme?        
I’m still pretty undecided and I’m okay with that. The next few years I would like to really explore different industries and see what makes me the most fulfilled in the real world. I’m quite attracted to the start-up world as I think there’s a lot to learn.

If I could give myself a piece of advice, before starting it would be…                         
Not to panic and not compare yourself to others. There will always be moments when someone understands something before you and other times you will get something more quickly. But the race is with yourself and it’s a long marathon. Going into my masters, I’m less concerned with my grades and more focused about how I can use this opportunity to learn and grow.