To put it simple: curiosity, organisation and balance. First, I brought a high intrinsic motivation to better understand the challenges hindering the sustainable transition. Once I arrived at PSIA, I tried to pick the classes I found most interesting and I stayed curious by asking questions when I did not understand something. Seeing assignments as an opportunity to learn about something I was truly interested in helped me to stay focused and motivated throughout the semester. Second, to deal with the high number of assignments and group work, my best friend was my calendar, enabling me to effectively manage my time. Keeping an eye on approaching deadlines, prioritisation and timeboxing helped me to focus on one task at a time without having to worry about all the other tasks on my to-do-list. Finally, and this might be the most important one, I tried to keep a good balance between my academic endeavours and time for friends, hobbies and rest.

Coming from a bachelor’s in pure economics, during my Master’s at PSIA, I discovered new disciplines, and I had to adapt to new types of assignments. I often found myself in a situation where I did not know something (yet). But that’s why I came to PSIA! By accepting new challenges and breaking them into small steps, I realised that it is perfectly fine to not know something (yet) and to learn. I think this adaptability and ability to constantly learn will be of great help in any future job. PSIA also helped me to develop good time management and organisational skills. The career workshops make me enter into the job market with much more confidence. Finally, having the opportunity to choose from a large variety of classes and exchange with professionals from different sectors helped me to narrow down which aspects of environmental policy I am most curious to work on: in my case and for now, it is climate adaptation, climate finance and urban sustainability.

Accept that the start of everything - including this post - is a messy draft and that it is okay to not know everything from the beginning. A draft and even a final product will never be perfect, and that is fine! Also, be not afraid to ask questions – to fellow students, alumni, professors and your academic team. The diversity of students, professors and guest speakers is a great opportunity to find out about potential future employers and your interests. And finally, be gentle to yourself: Sleep, move and don’t forget to have fun!