Tips for my younger self

First, I’d say to my younger self not to take academics too seriously and to take more chances. Sure, this may very well be a motto taken from a bumper sticker, yet I feel that so many of my peers-myself included felt they had to fulfil a certain mould laid down by their own expectations and path chosen by their classmates. What is wonderful about studying in Edinburgh is the breadth of area some is enabled to explore. I’d say that being able to genuinely expand my horizons beyond the confines of my discipline and whilst attending lectures on extreme computing or medical ethics may seem to be rather farfetched for a social scientist, one never knows where such a detour may lead. For me personally, being able to take up computer science and mathematics courses has not only helped me in understanding more fundamental concepts in economics such as in game theory or macroeconomics, but it has also enabled me to see that there is no one way of proceeding through my degree and that whilst for some pursuing a career in banking may be the optimal choice (which is overwhelmingly popular at the Edinburgh School of Economics), it certainly does not mean people cannot take more obscure paths towards achieving a greater proficiency in their individual metiers.

Secondly, I’d tell myself to take care of my mind and be mindful of mental health of my friends. I believe that there has been said a lot about mental health both in media and in some of my fellow scholars’ blog posts. Whilst I’ve never been diagnosed with any mental disorder myself, I have had a few friends go through rather hard times because of mental health predicaments some of whom had to quit university altogether as a consequence. Whilst from my experience trying to assess one’s likelihood to suffer from mental health issues may be as accurate as my ability of assessing one’s chances of catching a cold next month, I feel I have had to become more aware of potential symptoms of severe anxiety or depression to name a few and thus now realise the importance of frequent exercise, contact with friends and proper sleep is. I’ve caught myself overlooking all of these on several occasions before exams and in retrospect I have to admit that taking a break, going for a stressbuster exercise session and meeting with friends does surprisingly not detract from my studies as much as it helps me whilst coping with pre-exam stress and to my surprise results in my better results.

Lastly, I’d probably tell myself to lower my expectations of what studying abroad can offer. This by no means is to say that the academic merit of my university is not up to par with its reputation. For me personally, a bit of a challenge was getting used to the pace of many of my classes. In some of them I felt like my zeal to learn was attenuated by a rather slow or not particularly informative subjects. I think that this is a rather common occurrence. My friend, an aspiring behavioural economist, for example, waited for several years to take her dream class in experimental economics- which is very different from more orthodox economic subfields- only to later discover that due to low interest that class was did not even open. This is just to highlight that studying at a foreign university or any university for that matter is not a silver bullet for satiating one’s potential academic endeavours both with respect to covering areas one may prefer and in providing optimal conditions to study in. On top of this, just like anywhere else, there are many good and bad lecturers who for better or for worse may affect the way one sees his or her academic discipline. For such reasons, I’d tell myself not put my interests on hold waiting for an interesting course or lecturer to reignite my interest in a field, but to pursue my interests more vigorously even if they are beyond the scope of the university curriculum or if they are not covered in sufficient depth in class. I regret saying that on several instances in my first years I relied too heavily on my curriculum to guide my learning, perhaps thinking I could not learn more effectively on my own. I’d say that one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned throughout my studies in Edinburgh was that for people driven mainly by their academic interests, unlike those who see university as a key unlocking better employment prospects, should realise early on that whilst university-especially at undergraduate level- can become a great catalyst for one’s academic aspirations, it certainly does not always provide enough to fulfil them.

Without any reservation, I’d like to thank The Kellner Family Foundation for supporting me throughout my undergraduate studies and for providing me with all I could need to experience studying in Edinburgh to the fullest. If you are an aspiring KFF scholar or interested in studying abroad or particularly in Edinburgh, please do not hesitate in reaching out. I would be more than happy to chat.:)