Anders

Why did I choose my programme (and CBS)?
I primarily chose AEF because of the subjects, which are all similar to my favourite courses on my bachelor programme. I wanted a more quantitative profile, but where the courses are still applicable to real world problems, and thus I felt AEF was the best choice for me. Furthermore, I had only received positive recommendations from friends and former students, which convinced me that AEF was the right programme for me.

What do I like the best?
What I like the best is the fact that all students have relatively the same interests in finance and economics, and thus pursue somewhat similar career paths. This makes the programme the perfect place to meet like-minded students and creates a great environment for networking and cooperative learning among your fellow students. Furthermore, I think all students are extremely helpful, and we all seek to help each other to become the best version of ourselves.

How do I experience the difference in academic level between my bachelor and master programme?
I definitely feel that the academic level is higher than the academic level on my bachelor programme. I do, however, feel that all of us students are in the same boat, and it is not like certain students are much more ahead than others. As always, a course may seem difficult at the beginning of a semester, but when you go deeper into the syllabus and everything falls into place before the exam, it no more seems as unachievable as it may initially have.

What are the biggest challenges in my programme?
For me, the biggest challenges have been to balance my studies with my student job and a social life, because you need to make compromises somewhere. You should not believe that you can study everyday, work a lot of hours and join all social events on the same time. I still struggle sometimes to find the right balance between studying, working and going to social events, but I do believe that all three things are important elements of a student life.

What would I have liked to have known before starting my programme?
I would have liked to have known that especially the 1st semester can be tough with many lectures and difficult subjects, but that you are not alone with that feeling. Many students find it difficult at first when starting on the AEF programme. I think it is very important to study together with friends and peers to discuss how you feel regarding the subjects, but also because you can learn a lot when discussing the different topics with your co-students.

What do I want to do after finishing my programme?
After finishing my programme, I look forward to a long summer holiday with hopefully a lot of traveling as I enjoy exploring the world. Afterwards, I plan to pursue a career within management consulting in order to support companies with a variety of problems they may face. Furthermore, I am certain that I will stay in contact with many of the friends I have met on AEF, and I look forward to follow them as well in their future careers.

If I could give myself a piece of advice, before starting it would be…
I would clearly advice myself to participate in the introduction week of the programme as I was extremely fortunate to get a network of co-students with whom I can study, both during the semester and when preparing for exams, but we also see each other in our social lives. I have enjoyed many of the acquaintances that were initially formed during the introduction week and which have now become strong friendships.