Have I eaten my notes?

        Hello everyone! I am sorry I have been out of the blogging world. As I mentioned in my previous post, exams are coming, and now we are on the final countdown. But please: We should not panic, and we should not run, specially because the temperature is low, and the probabilities of a falling-ice injury is quite high. Lets relax and enjoy this last days of good old stress.

         Right now we are facing two subjects that-thankfully-have a couple of topics that overlap between each other. The only difference between European Competition Law and Economics of Competition Law is clearly the perspective by which we face the issues. Whereas in Comp. Law we will be more inclined to discuss EU Guidelines and case law, in the Economic’s subject we try to explain what and how does, (for example) collusion takes place, and what are the economic mechanisms that fuel this type of phenomena. 

          In other words, Economics gives us the engine and component parts of it, and  European Competition Law is how to keep the car running at an optimal speed (say, consumer welfare). I would have used a bike in the analogy, but its just too cold for it.

    These past few days have been quite nice...you can never get tired of spending time at the study rooms in Spinoza, staying there long enough to find out how to turn on the lights when the sun (?) goes down. Of course we did more than just studying: eating almost anything that was on the table. Sometimes my classmates and I wondered if we were actually studying or having a long lunch. This reminds me of the fact that, as students is very important to -at least try- to be healthy and eat properly. Burning your brain will not help, this is a Master in which memory is not vital, but reasoning is. The only way to keep reasoning is to be healthy.

    I promise I will keep on blogging, after the exams everything will be back to normal. Happiness will fill the classrooms and we will try to unlock our icy bikes with a smile on our face. Lets keep ourselves strong and think this is one small step for us students, a huge step for humanity. Future World Leaders, I need to read Guidelines. See you soon!

Whoever left the window open, please close it now...getting chilly around here!

            Hello there! Keep your hats on dear students, we are just getting started! Happy New Year! I know some of you feel you forgot everything we have studied so far, or that you need to read again the first chapters of the Competition Law books again, just to remember what Wilsh, Bailey and Bishop were all talking about. Worry not. We are all suffering from a too relaxing holidays syndrome, so don't be so hard on yourself and just start again...one step at a time.

            Speaking of steps, I hope you all had the chance to submit your thesis topic via scriptiedossier.nl, it was really easier than I thought, and it took me no more than 2 minutes to do it. Having set the goal of finishing by 7th of July is quite exciting, as I feel like I'm getting closer to the finish line. Of course the topics are bound to change or maybe go to another direction, but I am sure we will all be able to discuss it with our tutor's and start writing in no time.

            But before thesis we need to talk about finals (yes ! Again!). In about 2 weeks time, we will have our European Competition Law and Economics of Competition law exams, so I'm already starting to read case law and printing out Guidelines. It is certainly a relief we will be able to count with the legislation during the exam, as it is quite a lot to merely rely on memory. Specially when you have the memory-span of a goldfish, like me.

           Last but not least, and just to keep things clear: before the thesis, and before the finals we are also have to finish a couple of essays for both of the subjects, plus some group presentations about case law to go. So you think you can relax? It took less than a week to wake up from those nice naps and fill up your calendar again. And so we face the 'business oxymoron': The good thing about being busy is that time goes by so quickly, the bad thing is that time goes by very quickly.

Oh, and I would like to say hi to our dear friend winter (same word in dutch, but the 'w' is pronounced like a v), since it finally decided to appear and make us all a little bit koud.