Voices from Abroad: Tommaso Loviscek
London (UK), CEMS, London School of Economics
 Tommaso and other students at Stonehenge |
Some say that only by travelling can you discover who you really are. When I applied for the CEMS Master in International Management, I wasn't exactly looking for that, but my expectations were still quite high.
What is the CEMS? It is a Master that is awarded by a network of business schools around the world and it adds on to your regular Master of Science with seminars, courses, business projects and a term abroad. So by the end of your studies you will have an additional diploma. In addition, and this is a peculiarity of the CEMS, you will have a lot of interaction with companies, which you will meet at events organizes with the "corporate partners".
My term abroad led me to London, at the LSE – London School of Economics. When I got there, at first, I was really blue: I had no house to stay at and finding one was turning out to be really hard. Eventually I was given a room in the university dorm with most of the other CEMSies. The exchange took off with a bang! As with most of these experiences everything was fabulous: the city, to begin with, and then the parties, the friends, the trips... Three months' time flew by in what seemed like a week.
 Students taking part in a block seminar |
From an academic point of view it was very enriching but tough. The courses at the LSE are a lot more theoretical than in Bocconi and you have to read a lot. If you find something you want to do your thesis on this is a great opportunity to see things from another perspective. We were also involved with many skill seminars that taught us useful hints and tips that you don't necessarily get in class.
The CEMS can give you some good help also from the career point of view. Whether you'll get your dream job still depends on you, but you receive a lot more exposure to companies than you otherwise would. The interaction with the corporate partners (some of the largest corporations in the world) is strong, thanks to skill seminars and networking events, and there is also a Career Forum organized specifically for CEMS students. But perhaps what gives the program an edge is the fact that in all the events, and through the CEMS formalities, you start to get the feeling of what it would be like to work in a multinational and this "heads up" is quite valuable in assisting you with making the best choice.
All in all, the experience was terrific. I was fortunate to go to London but all destinations are wonderful also because, in the end, it all boils down to people. And the ones you'll find will be very much like you. Expectations met!
Just a few hints from my experience. Get involved, whether with the Student Board or the CEMS Club: you'll have a lot of fun and companies like it. Never say no to anything: if you do you may regret it and you don't want this. Pick a destination that suits your attitude and that's related to where you would like to work. Speak your native language as little as possible. Live with or nearby everyone else. For any other info, me an email: (tommaso.loviscek@studbocconi.it).