Felix Auboeck
International Financial and Political Relations MSc
Felix is a Postgraduate student on our International Financial and Political Relations MSc course.
My lecturers have been very supportive of my studies. I am the only student in my course who is studying part-time because of my swimming career. My semesters look slightly different from the other students, but they know that and designed a plan for me. Whenever I cannot attend a lecture or have a question, I can always reach out to them.
Studying for a Masters degree
While I cannot compare my current postgraduate studies to an undergraduate level in the UK, as I did my undergraduate degree in the United States, something which mainly differs between undergraduate and postgraduate study is the format of studying. We have lectures that are a base for our independent work and the assessments. There is more responsibility for the student to do independent reading and deepen your understanding compared to an undergraduate degree.
I enjoyed many topics in this course, but if I had to mention my most interesting one, I would say it is the module “Critical Perspectives on the Global Financial System.”
My lecturers have been very supportive of my studies. I am the only student in my course who is studying part-time because of my swimming career. My semesters look slightly different from the other students, but they know that and designed a plan for me. Whenever I cannot attend a lecture or have a question, I can always reach out to them.
Extracurricular opportunities
I have been part of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Swimming since August 2020. It is a great group of student-athletes who prepare for the BUCS championships and European, World-Championships, and the Olympics. The coaches and staff are experienced professionals and belong to the best in the world. In general, I have never seen a place where so much science and passion is concentrated on sports, like it is the case at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ. This year has been challenging with the Covid-19 pandemic; however, we all managed to do the best in the situation we found ourselves in and keep pushing every day to represent º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ nationally and internationally.
Combining my athletic and academic life is not always easy, but º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ supports me in many ways to make it possible. I wake up at 5:30 am and have my first swim practice from 6:30-8:30. Then I go home and have a lecture or study before I have lunch. In the afternoon, I will go to my afternoon practice and come home at around 6 pm. There is a lot of time in the day, even though there are probably two lectures for full-time students. There are several talks and seminars where a student can participate outside of their regular classes.
Life after graduation
I knew after my undergraduate degree that I wanted to continue my studies. I was still looking for so many answers and was looking for an opportunity to do some research in the field I am personally interested in. The Masters in International Financial and Political Relations at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ allows me to write a dissertation for an entire semester where I can focus entirely on my research under the guidance of an advisor. While I am not precisely sure where I want to end up working, I enjoy studying the combination of how politics influence our financial markets and vice versa, so I would like to find a job in these fields after graduation.