Till, International Economic Policy

Till Eichler has graduated Summa Cum Laude in International Economic Policy. He is currently a Trainee in the European Parliament. 

>What skills and/or strategy helped you to succeed at PSIA?

Most importantly, time management and prioritisation helped me to stay on top of things during my time at Sciences Po. Three pieces of advice: 1) Think about workload when selecting your courses. 2) Plan out all of your assignments ahead of time and try to distribute them across the entire semester to avoid bottlenecks. Prioritisation is not always easy, especially when work-intensive classes catch your interest. 3) Don't get sucked in by the stress. Continue taking your breaks, take time to relax / exercise, and last but not least, stay in touch with your friends and/or family!

What part of your PSIA experience do you think will be of greatest help in your career?

When I look back at my time at PSIA, the friendships and personal connections I forged have and will continue to be the biggest contribution to both my career and personal development. I have never been to a place with a higher density of not only interesting but also interested people. You can meet the world through the people you encounter at Sciences Po, although it is important to note that some world regions are still underrepresented at Sciences Po. I enjoyed the attitude and the outgoing nature of the students I studied alongside. For me, this spirit created community from which I drew inspiration, energy, and resilience. And the great thing is: this sense of community lives on after your studies.

What advice would you give to current and future PSIA students? 

Honestly speaking, my advice would be to stick to your intuition. It starts with the decision where to apply - schools and programmes are very different. It might be tempting to rely on international rankings, on prestige or the advice from your undergraduate university, but you must discern what you want to do, what is right for you, and where is the right place for you. Following what is right for you may mean closing the doors to some opportunities and opening doors to others. 

And the advice remains the same once you are in the programme. Many programmes follow a certain trajectory, attract certain people, and might actively promote certain careers. Try to identify these implicit trajectories and reflect on whether they lead you to where you want to go. If not, do not let the status quo push you into a trajectory you don't want to follow.

• About the Traineeship Programme in The European Parliament
• About the Master in International Economic Policy