Behind the scenes on the HEC Campus...⛳

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My Campus Experience so far🚄🚄

I arrived on the HEC campus at half past midnight, exhausted. I had been on two different trains for 13 hours but was so giddy with anx-citment that I struggled to sleep at all that night. So much for making a grand entrance to Europe’s top business school.

Fast-forward almost two months, and I have never been busier. The life I am living is a far cry from the long, lazy days of my Italian Summer, but with every opportunity that comes my way, or new skill that I acquire, I become ever surer of my decision to contribute towards the electric energy of this school. The most valuable thing about top business schools is that your learning is channelled through so many different means. Of course, the age-old lecture-style classes live on, but it is not only the teachers that teach. Casual conversations with peers during lunch or parties might shift your perspective on the transition to net zero. Your team member for a marketing project might teach you an invaluable excel trick. For so many talented people with diverse competencies to come together on a campus is a truly extraordinary experience.

And its not only about absorbing information that will be useful for years to come, but also about learning how to create value. Initiatives such as 180 Degrees Consulting and the HEC Investment Club enable students to gain hands-on industry experience which quenches the thirst for impact that we all have.

Never had I imagined that networking would play such a crucial role to an authentic business school experience. There are so many options that I struggle to keep up. Within the space of a couple of weeks, Morgan Stanley, Partner Group, Bain and Company, and McKinsey have all come to visit the campus with a welcoming smile and a keen eye for impressive potential candidates. Just last week, during the International Finance Fair, I struck up a conversation with a board member at Sofina Group and learnt more about the venture capital industry than any YouTube video or company website could have taught me.

And how could I possibly forget the parties! National societies such as HEC Italia and the German Society will ensure that you have ample opportunity to dance the night away in HEC’s very own nightclub or bar. Just last night, I went to Oktoberfest and spent much of the night playing (and losing at) traditional German drinking games.

The beautiful campus, brimming with so many interesting people, creates an invigorating and electrifying atmosphere quite unlike anything else. It makes the grind of getting here all the more worth it. Study hard, HEC Paris awaits…

James from MIM Prep

James studied at the University of Oxford before embarking on a language scholarship in Japan and finally settling at his current university, HEC Paris, where he is pursuing a MiM. He is primarily contributing to MIM Prep as a student manager.

Charge ahead,

The MIM Prep Team