By Felipe Monge Imedio and Alexia Martinel
About 3 weeks ago, we enjoyed one of the most pleasant evenings since we joined IE nearly two months ago.
As a dual degree student, I was invited – and was allowed to bring my friend Felipe along- to the Dual Degree Welcome Cocktail. It was an amazing opportunity to meet and get closer to my fellow Dual Degree students.
I relished realizing throughout the evening how much all dual degree students have in common: we are all moved by something much deeper than a mere desire to grow; we all have that “other thing” we will delve into from October onwards that we are passionate about.
In my case, I am passionate about digital advances; hence I will be studying a Dual Degree Masters in Visual and Digital Media at the end of my MiM; this possibility IE offers was one of the major driving forces that pushed me to choose this school: IE distinguished itself from other schools by offering the possibility to students to specialize and graduate from two different Masters Degree in 18 months.
The venue chosen for the event was cosy and fashionable; we got to enjoy some amazing tortilla bites, millefeuille of puff pastry filled with pork cheek, a game changing jamon and other wonderful delicacies. I think we all particularly enjoyed the atmosphere, for the space was not too crowded; what made it easier to move around and meet new people. It was a breath of fresh air to make new friends from other sections; compare their workload to ours and come to the realization that a great part of your IE experience will be shaped by your classmates: I realised that section F1; to which I belong, is a particularly close-knit section where all genuinely feel involved and considered. This is perhaps the greatest asset we share.
In hindsight, reflecting on the evening on my way back home, I came to some conclusions worthy of being shared here, regarding what makes IE the perfect place to be at.
Firstly, I really value the length of its courses: it’s a great opportunity to be able to fulfil a Dual Degree in 18 months and attain a MiM in as little as 8. In my home country –France- and in many other Business Schools around the world, a Masters Program takes up to three years, and seldom any less than two. However, neither I nor any of my peers feel that this places us at a disadvantage, on the contrary: the academic requirements are challenging and the workload is hefty, which entails that we are fully prepared for the business world in a shorter time than some of our potential competitors. The fact that we still find time to have fun together and discover all of Madrid’s hidden corners makes the IE Experience even worthier of being lived!
In addition, I am impressed -and so were those I talked to at Thursday’s cocktail- at the specialization opportunities available to us: there is a vast array of subjects and disciplines for us to delve into, and IE has so far proved to be very flexible and complacent with those of my classmates who have sought to switch from one specialization to another. Talking at the cocktail to alumni and students ahead of us –from previous intakes- I am now persuaded to the last that, by the time our specialization period is over, we will have acquired the necessary skills to be thoroughly prepared to succeed in an ever-growingly competitive market. This is no trivial matter, for it is easier -and more fun!- to tread the path ahead of us in the knowledge that everything we do and learn has a purpose, and that given purpose is ultimately in our sole benefit.
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