Stress, plan, relax, write. Repeat.

Well hello there, fancy seeing you again! I was not only out of the blogging world but also the real world, as I was so sick my face told unspoken words to people. Meaning, I had the kind of sickness that makes people put ‘that’ face, like you were a lost puppy that was somehow attending to a Regulation and Supervision of Markets lecture. Anyway, 4 days in bed a bit of cough on a side will not stop me from this Master.

I have been experiencing a bit of anxiety as I submitted my draft for my last paper last Friday, as emptiness is somehow very present in our lives. In other words, we are running out of excuses for starting to write the thesis. Ideally, we should be writing something this week or the next, just a few lines, to get that feeling that we are moving forward. Planning is very important, it is just like a gym routine, we will not get results unless we actually start doing it. Truth is, writing is not such a big burden, as we have been writing 10 pages for essays, and if we divide it and write 3 pages per ‘writing day’ then it’s around 12 days (ROUGHLY ).

Many have started to think what to do after we finish, whether it’s looking for work or internship here in the Netherlands or in your home countries, I’m very confident despite all the stress and thinking, you will all find your way, everything will be FINE! So as I have told you many times before, enjoy this months, enjoy this people that you see, because even though we have made friends, not all are going to live here after we finish.

What I like the most about the Master is the information available for us. What I mean is, there a lot of visits, and guest speakers from different organisations, such as the ACM, AFM, or from the private sector. For a person that had no information regarding the functioning of the EU, this has been very enlightening. These shows me how this institutions work, and it can give you an idea on where you would like to work, given that I am not a fan of law firms, it certainly posted an alternative.

One advice from student to student: When you are sending a paper, do not forget to attach the file. I think that is the most valuable thing I can add now.  Tot laterz

Napoleonic problems: Little people with big ideas.

Hello there! I hope you are enjoying (Yes, I actually believe it is possible) this last weeks of the Master. Trust me, one day you will look back and think those were the good old days. But since we are living now, I am guessing nostalgia has not really kicked in just yet…

Either way, on the 'News Corner' I am happy to announce that one group paper and one presentation has gone by, and even though there are some adjustments to be done, we can say we are almost done. Next week we hand in another draft for our second subject, and really the anxiety is in the air, as many of us are thinking when exactly am I going to write my thesis? Should I wait to the semester is over? Past the exams? Could I do it in a month? Who am I?

After having my first peer group meeting I have come to one conclusion: We are all in this together, and we are all fighting little battle. Each have a different style and approach to their topics, so, this is why I have elaborated some ‘characters’ in my mind that portray the different stages and situations in which students may be going through. Personally, I suffer what I like to call ‘Alexander the Great problem’: I have a good idea, but it can become too broad, and if I am not careful I could even become queen of Persia, Babylon and Asia. There are also Bohr and Rutherford problems: Maybe you have a very specific topic, (perhaps you want to provide a different interpretation or definition) When this happens, working with details can be exhausting and confusing, so why don’t you step a few steps back when you feel lost? Sometimes getting the whole picture can help finding your way.

Of course, we are all going through a Darwinian struggle: Only the fittest of ideas will survive. This is exactly what we should be doing with our thoughts, put them on a test: Write them down, compare them, analyse their strengths and weaknesses, stretch them, narrow them and then choose your way into your topic. Peer groups are a very good idea, by now you know your classmates well enough, and you know who can you work with better, so consult with each other, get opinions, help each other. Be the Beatles before Yoko.

All you need is a thesis, and pass your exams. Sun is shining. This small grain of sand in the universe will say good bye (for now).