ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳

We sat down with Simon, who took MG110: The Science and Art of Decision Making, to find out what it's like to be a student on this course. 

 

Why did you decide to attend ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Summer School?

One of my friends went to ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Summer School in 2023. I visited him in London that summer and I met some of his friends from his course. They all spoke highly of their Summer School experience, and they told me about their courses at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳. When I got back to Copenhagen, I decided to apply.

Why did you choose your course?

During my time as an army officer in Denmark, I became interested in leadership and decision making. I realised how valuable the ability to make quality decisions is to a leader, and therefore, I chose a programme where decision making was the main topic. As a law student who aspires to become an attorney, I understand that the ability to make good decisions is a valuable asset, when advising potential clients in the future.

Tell us about an average day as a student on your course.

My day started at 10:00 with a lecture in the Marshall Building. The lectures involved our whole class and were conducted by our lecturer. Each lecture contained interactive student exercises, as well as a presentation from our professor. Each lecture lasted for 3 hours with a 20 - 25-minute break. When the lecture ended at 13:00, I would go to one of the nearby take away places or restaurants with my classmates for lunch. In the afternoon, I went to my seminar. For these classes, our wider lecture class was divided into smaller groups in order to create a more dialogue-based teaching environment and do group work. The seminars were conducted by one of the assistant professors and most of our time was dedicated to working on a group presentation, which we presented during the last week of the programme.

What was your favourite part of your course?

Every part of my course was exciting, but my favourite part was the third lecture, in which we covered value theory/utility theory developed by behavioural economist, Richard Thaler. Our pre-lecture readings were really interesting, and our professor had prepared some eye-opening exercises that helped us understand the purpose of the theory and its practical uses. Our professor taught us how we could use our knowledge of value theory to understand the mindset of other people and make the most objective and correct decisions ourselves.

What advice would you give to students considering your course?

Stop considering and apply now! I could not have been happier with my choice of course.

What are your short-term professional goals, and how does your course contribute to these goals?

I am currently in law school, and I have a great interest in private equity and investment banking in general, so my short-term professional goal is to become an attorney specialised in M&A, which means that I will have an advisory and negotiatory role in domestic as well as international business transactions involving private investment funds and companies with a certain amount of financial capital. Through MG110, I learned a lot about persuasion techniques, the mindset of other people making decisions and my own mindset when I make decisions (especially how I avoid decision traps and tunnel vision). All these learnings will become valuable assets when I enter into a negotiatory role as an attorney in the future or when I have to advise a client.

What would be your top tip for future Summer School students?

Say yes! I chose to explore as many opportunities as possible and it made my experience unforgettable. ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ Summer School organises many social events where you can meet Summer School students attending other courses or just have fun with the people from your own course. ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ also offers Spark events where you can develop many of your professional skills and learn more about interesting topics such as how to make the most of feedback, how to start a business etc. Go to as many events as possible.

How has your course helped you in your undergraduate degree/career plans?

My course provided me with the tools and knowledge to navigate my career path by making unbiased decisions. When I begin to consider my next career move, I will use the decision making techniques I have learned at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳. I will also use these techniques in my undergraduate degree when I have to decide what type of law I want to specialise in.

How did you find the course and teaching experience at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳?

I think that all my teachers did a terrific job. It was obvious that they were leading experts within the field of decision making and they had a lot to give to the attending students. The teaching environment was a safe space, where all questions were provided with a qualified answer and all the students got to participate in discussions during the lectures. When I did the preparatory readings, I tried to write down my questions regarding the theories or the practical use of a technique, and the professor always managed to provide me with a quality answer. This helped me develop a great understanding of decision making as a science. It was a really good experience.

Would you recommend your course and why?

I would definitely recommend MG110. There are no prerequisites for entering the course and everyone, no matter their field of work, will benefit from learning how to make good decisions. Humans make decisions all the time and our lives take shape from the decisions we make, so why not make the right ones? If you choose this course, it will affect not only your career, but also your personal life, as the decision making techniques you learn will change your entire decision making mindset. Entering this course also gives you the perfect opportunity to learn about other career paths than your own as the students attending the course come from different educational backgrounds.

 

This interview was written by one of our 2024 students, who are here to share their stories and help you understand the Summer School experience at ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳.