Claudia

Why did I choose my programme (and CBS)?
I chose to study AEF because my bachelor’s specialised in soft skills, whereas AEF offers deep, technical knowledge of economics and finance and I truly believe that both soft and hard competences create synergies that a successful manager needs to have. Moreover, I wanted to deepen my financial literacy and gain perspective of the economic world.

I chose to stay at CBS because of its extensive networking opportunities, applied learning and the modern study environment. 

What do I like the best?
What I like most about my programme is my classmates. They are humble, easy to talk to and very ambitious. At the same time, I find that most of our professors have very impressive backgrounds in both the academic and professional world. Personally, I think that AEF provides us with the space to learn new tools, such as Python, R, Bloomberg terminal and other digital tools, which can become very valuable assets in our portfolios. Finally, I enjoy the social aspect of AEF and the networking events.

How do I experience the difference in academic level between my bachelor and master programme?
My bachelor’s degree mainly focused on how formal and informal aspects of internationalisation affect the global enterprise, along with Chinese language and culture. AEF, on the other hand, provides a more ‘objective’ snapshot of the world we live in. The key difference is in the advanced use of mathematics and the different approach to studying. Studying a master’s requires putting in more hours, but also more self-discipline. In my case, it also meant getting used to a much larger cohort and more competition.



What are the biggest challenges in my programme?
For me, the biggest challenge has been finding a healthy study-work-life balance to ensure that I can perform well at school and at work and still maintain my extra-curricular hobbies and passions. This has been particularly true for the first semester, where there are many classes and you are still getting familiar with the degree. Another challenge for me has been not skipping classes, as it is fairly easy to fall behind and lose track of what you’re studying.

What would I have liked to have known before starting my programme?
I was not quite sure what to expect from AEF in terms of workload, but I wish someone had told me that it is important to study continuously and systematically. I would also want to know that it is normal to feel overwhelmed with exams and that is completely alright to take retakes. I took 4 retakes in my first semester and I turned out just fine. 

What do I want to do after finishing my programme?
Currently, I work as an associate in a Danish investment bank. Yet, I do not know exactly what I will be doing after my studies. I see myself interested in M&A negotiations, consulting, data science and asset management. I still really enjoy learning about Asia, and perhaps I wish to work closely with the Asian financial markets, and eventually I might take a PhD in microeconomics and teach. This is just to say that AEF opens for very diverse careers.

If I could give myself a piece of advice, before starting it would be…
If I could give myself a piece of advice I would recommend creating study groups, because they help sharing and strengthening your knowledge and they keep you motivated. I would also recommend to keep studying every week and do all exercises before the exam time comes. Moreover, I would recommend taking at least one very comprehensive statistics course during my bachelor’s to avoid feeling surprised in the first semester. Finally, I would also tell myself not to be afraid of asking questions.