“Moving to a new country and culture, and learning about a new University system was though at the beginning. However I felt reassured right after walking in the doors at ESE Florence on my first day, when I was met by a welcoming staff. I was a bit confused that we were few people in the MSc class, but little did I know that these people would become my best friends in Florence.
I really like the teaching style at ESE. Classes are very up-to-date, and it is easier to learn from Professors that have professional experience and can bring their expertise in to the classrooms. I also liked how dynamic and oral the classes were, even though I disliked this in the beginning. Coming from Norway where it is not common to talk out loud during classes or jump into discussions, it was strange for me and it made me really nervous. At the end of my studies at ESE I learned to participate in class discussions, explain my opinions and have presentations in front of people – I would never have pictured myself do this 2 years ago.
The mix of qualified professors, up-to-date classes, exams, presentations and the different cultures, made me learn a lot. These differences in opinions from the various cultures in class made me understand that it is not always one point of view that is the correct one, and it opened my eyes more.
There were more classes in one semester and more exams at ESE than what I was used to back home in Norway. In the beginning I was worried it was going to be too much, but it never ended up becoming a problem, because the classes and topics were all connected. During both the written exams and oral presentations, I felt like I could use information I had gathered from the other classes, which made me help seeing the bigger picture.
The best part about studying at ESE Florence has to be the connections I have made. Having friends from a lot of different countries, understanding different cultures and learning about daily life from another perspective. But also the connection with the staff and professors at the school. I am currently still living and working in Florence, and I know that if something happened I would know where to go to get help.
As part of my academic path, I completed an internship at Baker Hughes, Nuovo Pignone in Florence, within the Gas Technology & Services (GTS) division. My role was to support the data governance and data quality for a new dashboard that is just released internal in the company. During my internship at Baker Hughes I learned how a global company operates, how decisions are made in complex organizations, and how important communication and teamwork are in a professional setting.
Before starting this internship, I worked for a few days at another company and I quickly understood that it was not the right place for me. It was not an easy situation, but ESE Florence’s Internship Department supported me throughout the whole process of changing company, both with the paperwork and by being there for me when I found the decision difficult. This support made a big difference for me.
Looking into my professional dreams, it has always been an ambition to work within finance, which is also why I chose to Master specialisation in Finance. Even though I have always liked finance and economics in school, I also always found it difficult to understand. In my last semester, where there is a lot of focus on finance subjects, my professors, who all work within finance themselves, really helped me connect the dots.
Starting my internship and stepping into a finance role at Baker Hughes confirmed for me that I was able to turn my academic ambitions into real professional experience. Without the internship opportunity and support provided through ESE Florence, I do not believe I would have had the confidence, contacts or access to find a position within my field of study and within a company that I truly admire and would like to continue working for.”