Kristina Fusseder

Experience

Tell us what your greatest academic, professional or personal awards/achievements have been.

The achievements always depend on the stage of life. During high-school the greatest achievement was winning a business plan competition. During university, a great result in my bachelor thesis and a good internship afterwards and now being able to do my master at a good university.

Why did you decide to study your Summer School course and why specifically did you choose to study with Imperial College Business School?

I was thinking about applying for the summer school programme already one year before, but I had not finished my bachelor degree yet and was still writing my thesis. I wanted to take the programme because I was really interested in the strategy lectures at my university. I took a gap year between my bachelor and master’s to find out which master’s programme I want to specialise in. So, I still had time to take the programme this summer before starting my master degree. I decided for Imperial because their reputation is very good and really wanted to spent time in London during the summer.

Programme

What makes your Summer School unique?

There are three things that make this summer school programme unique. First, the structure of the programme: it’s a great mix between lectures in the morning and workshops, guest-speakers and company visits in the afternoon. Second, the broad knowledge and experience of the lecturers. They all have a lot of personal experiences in the field they are teaching which makes it even more reliable. And finally, the people who joined the summer school and also the ambassadors. They all made this experience unique.

What aspects of the course did you most enjoy?

As already mentioned above, I really enjoyed that the programme was never boring. The three weeks we spent at Imperial were diversified. It was also very nice to work in groups during some workshops and also to prepare the final presentation as a team of seven people.

What was the most challenging part of the course?

In my opinion the most challenging part was the group project. It was difficult to get to know the team members from all over the world that you did not know before and to get used to their way of learning and thinking in just one week. I think in the end everybody could present great results and we had a lot of fun but it was very challenging, too.

People

Imperial places a large emphasis on group work, what inspires you the most about working in this type of environment?

Group work is always very exciting, especially because everybody has different study backgrounds and knowledge in different fields. At Imperial we were students from over 20 different nationalities. So with different cultural backgrounds as well. This makes it even more interesting to work together. I think group work is a good way to deliver the best results in the end because everybody has a different perspective of the tasks.

How would you describe your Summer School class?

The Business Strategy & Consulting class was the biggest classes of all offered summer school programmes. So we were so many people from many different countries. It was a great experience to meet so many people who are all interested in the same programme topics but are culturally and personally so different. It was a good opportunity to connect with people from all over the world.

What parts of the social programme did you most enjoy?

The parts I enjoyed the most was first the trip to the Harry Potter studios since I am a huge fan and have been for ages. The second activity was the boat party. We had so much fun and it was stunning to see London at night from a boat, especially the area around Canary Wharf. The organisers and also the ambassadors did a great job during the summer school

Opportunities

What has been the greatest opportunity during your summer at Imperial that you don’t think you would get anywhere else?

I might have already mentioned this before but it was the culture diversity in my class. I also appreciate the broad knowledge and teaching methods of all the lecturers and the phenomenal guest lecturers.

What are your future career goals and how do you think your time at Imperial will help/has helped?

Last year when I was thinking about applying for the summer programme I was not sure about the specification of my masters. Now I decided to do a Master’s at Copenhagen Business School in Economics & Business Administration with the major in Accounting, Strategy and Control. The summer school complements that perfectly and I am very happy about that decision.

Location

Whereabouts did you stay in London and why did you choose to stay there?

I stayed in an Imperial accommodation (Wilson House). I decided to stay there because I was still working when I decided to go to London and did not have much time to look for an accommodation. Especially, since it’s very difficult to find a place to stay in London, I choose a student accommodation.

 What can a weekend in London look like for a Summer School student?

London is one of the greatest cities in the world. As the famous quote says “if you get tired of London, you get tired of life”. So you have so many opportunities in London. A perfect weekend for me would include visiting museums (Natural History Museum and Science museum are both very nice and right next to the Imperial South Kensington campus), go for lunch in a nice restaurant with friends and relax in one of London’s parks. I also liked to explore London by bike even if I was afraid at the beginning.

In your opinion, tell us about the most exciting thing you’ve done in London.

I think London in general is very exciting. But if I had to choose one thing, it would have been the opportunity to enjoy so much time with new people. I was also very happy that I could celebrate my birthday in London as well.

Tips

What advice would you give someone who was thinking about applying for the Summer School?

I can really suggest this programme, it’s absolutely worth it. The programme only lasts three weeks, but I definitely learnt a lot. You are able to gain a lot of knowledge, but also have the opportunity to spend time with great people from all over the world.

Share with us a handy hint or trick that made settling into Summer School that much easier!

Before the programme began, I was afraid of not knowing anyone in the programme and what to expect. But the key is to not be shy, be open-minded and try to grab all opportunities.