Plans for the future

A few years ago, a pandemic was striking, reminding everybody that life could happen despite any plans made, despite any individual control. But this time was also for many a lesson and it taught me two things: first, to enjoy the process and not be disproportionately sacrificing the present for a hypothetical future; and second, to keep investing for the future despite the uncertainty.    

Thus, when I was in my last year of business school, completing a Master’s in International Marketing and Strategy, I knew that I wanted to do another Master's to gain a broader set of skills. So, I undertook a Master’s in Cognitive and Decision Sciences at UCL. 

Therefore, this is my main career plan so far: I want to use the knowledge from my two Master’s degrees to better target research and better address user needs. Then in a few years, I plan to go for a PhD and contribute to global research.  

I would say that having a clear career path in mind while studying at UCL, my Master’s and the opportunities that came to me during my time, have only further confirmed what I wanted to pursue, and ultimately gave me a better vision and network to achieve my goals.

Why UCL

What truly made a difference for me was the exceptional quality of the teaching. We were fortunate to learn from distinguished experts who are recognized leaders in their fields.

They didn't just teach foundational theories; they also shared their own ground-breaking research that contributed to shaping those fields.

Advice for future students

As UCL is one of the most renowned institutions in the world, from day one you must be ready to seize the moment. Many opportunities are available to you, and you should work the extra mile, aside from the challenge of your classes, to get closer to your goal.  

Therefore, I suggest three things:  

1. Firstly, the knowledge from my classes, which not only helped me to better understand human reasoning and the decision-making process but also to better interact with people.  
2. To not be afraid to go to seminars, and other events, to talk with experts and more importantly build a network out of it! 
3. Finally, to take advantage of the proximity with research, to ask the teachers questions - who are the ones actually building the field. But also, to reach out to other departments to help you project yourself and shape your career plans.

Studying in London

Being a master’s student in London is a very unique experience. Diversity is reflected like nowhere else, without mentioning all the fun activities and opportunities. You cannot be bored in London. But to be fair, it is also a very expensive city, so you need to anticipate and plan your budget accordingly.   

My top three things would be:

• Explore museums (National History Museum, British Museum, Hunterian Museum, UCL’s Museums…) 
• Do unique activities (Human size Monopoly, indoor roller-coaster, Fairgame the indoor funfair…) 
• Enjoy parks (Hyde Park, Regent Park, Hackney…)