Remember: This stressful moment will become a chapter of your Memoirs. Not all is lost.

My dear, dear dearest fellow students: The day that was set upon the Gods for us to exteriorize our valuable and treasured knowledge in the form of a digital document has finally become part of the past that is set on stone. In other words, chances are, that most of you already submitted your thesis, and now life seems to have gained new colours and challenges… like holidays.

A great number of international students have travelled back to their countries, in order to gain some weight with the so called ‘homely calories’ that only your local food can accomplish. For the rest of us who ‘stayed’ behind, there are a few options to consider: Either booking a flight in order to meet up with our forgotten friend (the sun), or enjoy our Netherlands as it is, and relaxing our stressed nerves. I have been craving for a book to read that did not include the words ‘securitisation’ or ‘telecommunications’, but of course this did not happen, as I have enrolled in Summer School, in order to get more background on European Law. What was I thinking? The enrichment of my education? Or glory and power perhaps? I will remain silent on this subject, and leave the door open for any kind of speculation on your behalf.

A general conclusion I can make from this course is that it provided me with guidance, not only in the topics of the courses, but on my professional career. As I finished my bachelor back in Argentina, I was a bit worried-and what I really mean is scared-of what will become of me as a professional. I have had training in almost all the subjects of law-from civil to navigation and aeronautical-but I just could not find my way on regards of a proper specialization. As the classes of Corporate Governance passed by I developed an interest-derived by curiosity- on how undertakings interact within their internal and external organisation. However, the ground breaking subject for me was regulation: I found my field of interest though this Master, and for that I will be forever grateful.

I am aware that some will agree (?)…and other will consider it not to be their cup of tea, but in this differences is where true beauty lies. Bottom line is, whatever you do-study or work-always seek to find the added value of it: No matter how bad your experience or how difficult it became: You might not know better, but just a little bit more.

PS: As I walked in Schipol I realised that NO, I have not yet tried Haring, but in this holidays you are all welcome to do so.

Hey I just met you...and this is crazy,but here is my draft, so call me maybe? No, seriously I need feedback.

A small step for students, a great step for the final version of our thesis...between yesterday and today we have submitted our draft, and I must say...though relieved, there is still some work to do, at least in my case. My thesis as it is lacks introductions and final conclusion, and a paragraph or two in each chapter. 

I am no expert in this topic, and this is my first thesis, but let me tell you a bit about my experience, maybe it could help some of you, and for the rest who have their thesis almost ready-have mercy. As I started writing I kept having the feeling that I was typewriting in the oldest machine ever-scratch that-I meant I felt as if I was typing in those old typing machines while biking uphill...too much? Well you get the idea. As I noticed my spirit running low I decided I would write my chapters separately, in different documents: So I had 4 documents plus bibliography-which I forced myself to complete every time I used a text instead of waiting for the very end. The reason behind this is because if I wrote a single document then the pages were somehow harder to fill, but when I opened a new document, it was easier to write 3 or 4 pages.

There is no need to say it: Writing in this fashion could cause problems with consistency and harmony between chapters, but I prioritized my 'student vitality' because consistency can be solved by re-reading and editing, since you wrote it, you should be able to bind those ideas together. But if you lack energy and spirit, then that can become a much bigger problem. After all, each find their way to 'stay alive'-the Bee Gees style.

Of course I would like my brain to function in a more orderly fashion, but I am a rebel with a cause, and as such, here is my humble advice: Do whatever method you find useful, do not force yourself because a book or someone says this is the correct way. Continuing that train of thought, you do not even have to listen to me, write in the park, during the night, at 3pm, with music, no music, 20 hours concert of Bieber, death metal, you name it... just keep writing. Discuss your ideas with someone, it makes your head think clearly...feedback is crucial! Whereas it is from your supervisor or a friend, talk your thesis away.

Anyway, as I finished work today I was happy that a huge step was over, and as I took the train back home I thought I deserved something special... a treat. That is why, dear students, I did what any other student in the world would have done: I went home and made meatballs. Because…

Today is the day,

What better day than today,

To deliver your draft, and make some meatballs,

Because, what better day than today,

And what better meal than spaghetti with home-made meatballs.

T

Hello...it's me..

I am sorry for the delay in my post but, as you might know, I am in the middle of my thesis writing and two jobs at the moment, so there is a chance that I might collapse or turn into a unicorn, no one knows.

First things first, I do not recommend students to take up numerous jobs, but I happen to find that part-time jobs, even if they narrow your free time, it is a way to canalize your focus and energy. A good and usual job for students is being a waiter/waitress in a restaurant during the weekends, and even if you do not speak dutch fluently, you can always try Amsterdam: It is 30 min away by train and during the summer they are desperate for people who can speak not only English, so your mother tongue might become handy.

Regarding my thesis, well, I feel things are starting to adopt a more coherent shape, and after our second peer group meeting I could include a different input on my topic. The problem with my subject is that when you are studying and reading about a certain regulatory approach most likely you will come across with political and social issues that-though interesting-are not part of the topic itself.

As I mentioned before, this is the first time I am writing a thesis, so I still find it like a new adventure. Personally, I took a paper I wrote for the subject Regulation and Supervision of Markets and used it as a guide-as I was quite contempt with its structure. This was a real lucky shot, as I found it less stressful to write something knowing where I wanted to go. Pretty quickly a conclusion was made: Structure is 80% of your thesis.

As from WHERE do I write my thesis...well it really depends.. it could be on the train, but only if you already know what are you going to write-as I would not trust 100% on the 'internet in the train' from NS: I think it does smell fear, as when you actually need it, it becomes super slow-but allows you to browse through Facebook quite easily. Cafés and trains are nice, buy my personal favorite is the cool, dark (don't get me wrong, I am only talking about the colour of the walls, there is plenty of light to read with) library in the Uithof. You just gotta love a place where you can take your shoes off and not be lynched by it.

Dear students (almost graduates!yay!) see you soon, make sure you are wearing matching and unbroken socks.

Carrots, thesis and things like that.

As always in every student’s life, there are moments where nothing happens, or everything happens at the same time. I like to think I am more in the second type, as the past few days have been extremely busy. Today is King’s Day, and I have all my orange t-shirt prepared… you might need to add a scarf, a sweater and maybe a hat, as it is going to be the coldest Koningsdag in years. I will let you know later what adventures did I live on this day...

To start with, we finished all of our exams. That is a statement on its own, but this was a special exam. Our last subject to be tested was Independent Regulators, and there was a mix of nervousness and melancholy, as many of the students are going back to their home countries to spend time with family and write their thesis. The day before the exam, I was studying in the library at the Uithof, and as I waked back through the black silent shelves, something caught my eye…

Once seen it cannot be unseen, and so I left the library with a sense of confidence, because I knew nothing will be the same after ‘tomorrow’.

Soon after the exam another thought crossed my mind: We had planned a month ago a trip to London, and I have completely forgot about it, because of the early planning. The idea of the trip started as a visit to the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), and then slowly extended to the weekend. Some of us took a plane on Saturday and were there until Monday. It was my first time in England, and with this excellent company, it was very hard to have a bad time. After walking around this huge city, on Monday we had a very interesting talk with some of the members of this authority, and it was very insightful as we managed to see things from a different perspective, as they work in a different legal system, separate from the EU.

On our thesis corner, I am planning to write (at least most of) my fist chapter, in an attempt to speed things up, as it would be nice to have some free days until I present my first draft…but first I need to earn it. A regulator would call it a ‘stick and carrot’ approach. Never underestimate your Master knowledge. Another good advice I can give the people that will enrol for this study or another is that once you know your thesis subject, or at least an idea of it, write your last papers about it. In other words, explore your idea, writing 10 pages of it can help you see more clearly how can it develop.

I must say, I will miss seeing my classmates every week. I knew this was going to be a tough year, but thanks to this fantastic people, it has been an amazing ride.

Reflections & Conclusions: Being epic is the answer.

      Last week was our University’s birthday, and I like to think that all throughout this 380 years of history, students have not changed that much. I mean, sure, 200 years ago there was no social media and so many distractions, but I bet they found ways to stress and worry about their future. And procrastinate about their thesis.

     On a ‘personal history’ note, this past 2^nd of April I celebrated my Dutch birthday, it has already been a year since I am here. Of course I have had a weekend of mixed emotions due to this, and I have been thinking about myself when I first arrived to the Netherlands. Much has happened after that day, in which my mum (and my cat) and I were standing at Schiphol airport waiting for the luggage. I am happy to say I feel completely different, and a big part of that change is due to Utrecht University. It was here were I had to come across lectures and seminars in a different language, writing essays (which I haven’t done in years!) and getting to know this large (and tall) group of humans that surrounded me. I am beyond happy about this experience, especially because of  all this people who came from completely different parts of the world, somehow we got together and happened to have many things in common. I have found friends 12.706km away from home.

      There are many things I can say about this year in the Netherlands. Never have I ever thought I could feel comfortable in such a different culture. Somehow I believe this country awards you with a great gift when you decide to live in it: The opportunity to be free. This is one of the aspects of Dutch culture which I enjoy the most: You are free from labels, as people here hardly care about what and who do you decide to be, as they do not expect you to be anything but yourself. The key to this freedom is eloquently stated in their favourite means of transportation: LE BIKE. This element provides with the solution for traffic and public transportation, but it becomes more, as you no longer are a ‘waiting’ person, but a ‘doer’ when you hop on your bike and manage your speed, your style and your time.

       

What is more, yesterday was my last lecture of the Master, and I can hardly believe it has gone so fast. Two finals and one thesis to go. I hope I can write my final version of the outline by the end of this week, so at least I know how I am going to address my topic. Last but not least, this is the 100^th post of the University blog, and I am honoured to have the chance to write it.

            

    

        Remember: Once a student, always a student. No one can take this experience away from you. Make it valuable. Make it epic.

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).