Home>Mila, 2022 Summa Cum Laude in International Public Management
19.07.2022
Mila, 2022 Summa Cum Laude in International Public Management
dir="ltr">Coming from Italy, Mila has graduated Summa Cum Laude in International Public Management (now International Governance and Diplomacy). She is currently working for the International Rescue Committee in Milan as an Information Assistant.
What skills and/or strategy helped you to succeed at PSIA?
I don’t think a ‘magic formula’ exists to succeed at PSIA, but if I have to say two mottos that helped me push through they would be ‘believe in yourself’ but also ‘don’t be too hard on yourself’. Indeed, my determination and self-discipline definitely helped me a lot in managing all the different courses and assignments I had and doing the best I could even when it seemed too hard or I didn’t feel confident enough. At the same time, it was fundamental for me to also ‘let go’ sometimes, and take time just for myself, especially when the pressure felt very high. For this last part the whole environment at PSIA, especially my Academic Advisor, and teaming up with my friends and colleagues were key to not losing the strength in myself and finding sincere joy in what I was doing.
What part of your PSIA experience do you think will be of greatest help in your career?
Aside from a strong theoretical knowledge, I’m leaving Sciences Po and PSIA with full baggage of hard and soft skills that I am sure will be essential in my future path. With 7-8 courses per semester, coupled with external commitments, my time management and multitasking skills were definitely strengthened. Apart from this, I especially enjoyed group works and team projects where I had the opportunity to meet inspiring and committed people from all over the world and learn more from them than sometimes I did in books, experiencing working in multicultural environments. My PSIA experience has also consolidated my research and analytical skills and I particularly appreciated how practical my courses and assignments were: I learned how to draft policy-style papers, reports, op-ed etc. that I now have to draft in my own job.
What advice would you give to current and future PSIA students?
The experience at PSIA can definitely be overwhelming: dozens of assignments and readings to do and classes to attend, while at the same time balancing your well-being and social life and trying to get the most out of the ‘Parisian’ experience. Dedicate time to yourself and try to find a balance between your commitments and the things you like to do, your interests and your free time, especially because time will go by before you even realize it! For this I recommend you to take advantage of all the services and help that PSIA is giving you, from your Academic Advisor, to the pole santé but also the courses offered by the career service. Ask for help when you need it! Reach out to your professors - getting advice and hearing experiences from the most renowned experts in the field I wanted to work in was priceless. And most importantly, enjoy the campus and Paris with your friends and colleagues - having been fully online for one year I really missed this part and it is really what makes everything worthwhile.
