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CEMS Magazine | Summer 2012
Feature: All work and no play?
All work and no play? Striking the work-life balance ____
Interviews conducted by Pavol Dzurjanin CEMS Student Board representative, Rotterdam School of Management
All work and no play? S The CEMS MIM work-life “contract” ____ Being part of CEMS has enabled me to make the most of a unique opportunity to study a world-class and academically renowned Master’s programme that has taken me to study and live in exciting and truly fascinating cities such as Sydney, Istanbul and Barcelona. The experience of living and working in three completely diverse countries in the space of just one year
The fine line between ambition and realism ____ I believe that work-life balance is a very thin line, running in a different place for each of us, depending on our attitude towards life, on which we all try to catch balance with the trial and error method. For me privately it’s a way to somehow juggle three different study programmes (Law, Finance and Management), an international project that I coordinate (social work for a pro bono foundation) while simultaneously trying to have enough time for family and friends.
leads me to say that international mobility, the breaking down of cultural barriers and the forging of life-long friendships is what CEMS is all about.
However, as we all know, nothing is for free in this world and CEMS is no different. Yet the “price” you have to pay to live this amazing lifestyle is symbolic and relatively small. The only “investment” you need to make consists of being relentlessly committed and dedicated to your studies and projects throughout the full duration of the programme. From my personal experience, I can say that the willingness to enter this “psychological contract” is something that takes place subconsciously from the moment you become part of this community of extraordinarily diverse and talented students from all over the world. Jan Wappler University of Sydney Business School
I always enjoyed having a lot on my plate and as I got used to it I can’t imagine a different way of living. The more duties you have the better organised you are and actually the more you enjoy your free time. And since so far I have been pushing my limits quite successfully I believe I will also be able to face the challenge of being the CEMS Club President. I think the worst mistake is being over-ambitious, taking all the opportunities you see and far too many duties on your head. That affects private life but as long as you are sacrificing your sleep, not friendships, everything is fine. If I were to give all the students reading this short interview just one piece of advice it would be – whenever you see a new opportunity, a new path, make sure that when you will reach the place you will be satisfied with what you achieved and you won’t look back and say “God, what do I need it for? I only lost the time and effort”. Jakub Florkiewicz Warsaw School of Economics