Yaroslav Yashchenko

About you

What work experience/internships did you have before beginning with Imperial College Business School?

Before joining Imperial College Business School, I completed two summer internships. The first one was an internship with rotations, where I mostly worked in the Accounting Department, as well as participating in the firm’s operations improvement and working on the market research regarding the existing products’ entry into new markets. During the second internship, I worked in the Finance Department and gained a great insight of a small firm’s business activity.

Why did you decide to study an MSc Economics & Strategy for Business at Imperial College Business School?

This programme suited perfectly to my personal and professional development aspirations. After obtaining a solid theoretical background, I wanted to undertake a Master’s degree that prepares professionals for the changing business environment. The MSc Economics & Strategy for Business programme is very practical, it stands out from the majority of other programmes offered by different institutions.

Programme

What aspects of the programme do you most enjoy the most?

The programme structure allowed me to learn new topics and broaden my existing knowledge. I found the lectures insightful, they also allowed us to apply what we learned through various group tasks, including presentations, reports, Business Simulation and more. The fact that the programme gives you an opportunity to do a Consulting Project is so beneficial in terms of real-life experience. I feel that it really gives us a competitive edge that we can use in job interviews.

What has been the most rewarding part of the programme?

The most rewarding part of the programme is the moment you look back at the all hard work you did throughout the year.

What has been the most challenging part of the programme? 

I found the most challenging part of the programme to be managing personal interest and aspirations, group projects, exam preparation, networking events with social events. Having a time heavy programme made this difficult, but it also has proven to me that it can be done.

Opportunities

Which workshops, events or guest lectures at the school have been useful in developing your skills and knowledge?

Most of the programme modules include guest lectures, I found that this widens your module experience beyond the theoretical information you obtain from lectures and gives you a taste of the real-world application of what you study.

How have you benefited from being part of the wider Imperial College London community?

While studying at Imperial College London, you will have an opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds. By engaging in various societies and events, you can meet students with a more technical education who have same interests as you do. It’s amazing to see that no matter how different you are from someone, you can still have so much in common.

London Location

Where do you live in London and why did you choose to live there?

I live in the Wood Lane GradPad Accommodation. It is located at the Imperial College White City campus. It is a nice area within a comfortable commuting distance from the South Kensington campus. Around 80% of the accommodation tenants are Imperial College London postgraduates and many students from my programme also live here.

When you’re not studying, what do you enjoy doing?

One of the great things about the programme cohort is the non-academic student interactions – in other words, the social events! For instance, there are many people who like to play football, so we all get together and play every week. It’s a great way to get your exercise in and make new friends at the same time. Also, we had a Business School football tournament which was so much fun!

If you had to move to London for the programme, what have been the benefits and challenges of moving to London?

No matter where you come from to study at Imperial, you would find it different from the experience you had in your undergraduate study. Moving from Exeter to London was a big step forward as London opens more possibilities in every aspect of student, professional and social life. The main advice that I can give you is to stay open to those possibilities, discover new things, meet new people and to enjoy your time in London.

Tips

Looking back to when you were applying for the programme, did you attend any online webinars or on-campus information sessions?

I attended a spring on-campus information session, while already holding an offer. I found it beneficial as I gained specific information about the programme I was interested in, talked to previous year’s students and the Imperial Recruitment staff.

I would recommend prospective students to discover more about the programme and the university through the online and on-campus events. There are plenty which are provided by the Business School throughout the recruitment process.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about applying for the programme?

Since the first day of the programme, the Programme Director emphasised on the importance of becoming professionals and leaving the comfortable student life behind. Based on that, my advice would be to plan ahead because from day one you will have to manage numerous assignments, job applications, careers and networking events. Be prepared for the fast-paced life you will have as a student at Imperial.