I entered PSIA with no precise idea of who I wanted to be next. As many try and sell you the perfect recipe for success, I often felt suffocated by my inability to build some sort of a five-, ten-, or fifteen-year plan for myself. Once I freed myself of all expectations imposed by others, I began opening up to novelty. I found renewed interest in what I was studying, and discovered fresh passions – some of which I will carry with me for a long time.

It turned out I had no strategy at all. Letting no one dictate what worked and what didn’t, perhaps this was the skill that helped me be happy and serene. There was hardly any other key to success at PSIA than finding my way of doing.

At PSIA I learnt to take risks for what I believe in. At times, joining a protest or signing a research piece may expose you to the possibility of losing one or multiple job opportunities in the future. And yet, I have met along the way many mentors and peers who have encouraged me to embrace that risk. 

PSIA is a place where you develop the tools to confront harsh realities and contribute your part in changing them. We may not be able to save the world, and one cannot fight all fights alone. But I learnt that putting my tools at the service of causes I feel strongly about, brings me closer to the professional and human being I aspire to be.

When you get to Paris, you are told that networking will be key. Yet oftentimes, it is how you work, rather than how many people you know, that matters the most. Making valuable contributions – inside and outside the classroom – shapes the relationships you build with both peers and professors.

And still, professional connections and academic success are not all that there is to it. It is the people you surround yourself with that make up your safety net. It is them you turn to, to share joys and struggles. It is your free time, the activities you enjoy the most, that allow you to unwind and thrive. Perhaps, this is the advice I wish I had received when first setting foot in PSIA – for how hard to follow when your mind is set on big goals: build meaningful human relationships, and prioritise taking time off to invest in your life outside the academic walls.