Plans after graduation

It is the time of the year when one application follows another – internships, graduate schemes and master applications. In the final year, the pressure is even greater than usually since most students are scared of the prospects of not having anything to do after graduation. My desire is to continue with education undertaking a master degree immediately after my bachelor studies. I would like to pursue my postgraduate studies in International Development since this is a field that provokes my intellectual curiosity.

I have submitted applications to the London School of Economics, Sciences Po in France and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. Out of these three schools, LSE is definitely my top choice for it is one of the best universities in the world for social science, especially on a postgraduate level. Moreover, its location in London, the cultural and cosmopolitan centre of Europe, promises an unrivalled array of opportunities as well as other extra-curricular activities. The course I applied for is “Development Management”; it combines theoretical development courses with a bit more practical business training. Moreover, its curriculum contains a real-life project with organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The programme at Sciences Po is distinct as it offers a number of regional concentrations such as African Studies, European Studies or Middle Eastern Studies and a number of thematic concentrations such as Diplomacy, International Energy or Human Rights. An opportunity exists to spend one semester studying abroad or interning at a company of one’s choice.

The location of the Graduate Institute of International Development in Geneva, in the heart of world’s trade and diplomatic centre, also offers an unprecedented range of employment and educational possibilities – the number of international organizations present in the city and the quantity of lectures and workshops with world-class experts are really amazing.

I am glad to say that last week I was accepted into LSE, my number one choice! So, while I receive decisions from other schools with a bit more relief, I am now trying to get some funding for the programme at LSE, which, unfortunately, costs almost 20 000 pounds.