| 2013-07-23 | My next stop is Barcelona! It was the end of the semester. I ran into him in the KKL elevator -- Muntasir Mamun Iqbal. I knew that I once knew him well. I knew that he was supposed to graduate this year. Though, I could not recall his name. Shame on me! OK, I did smile, "How are you doing? Any plan after your graduation?" "I am going to Barcelona," he said. "What for? To see soccer games?" I laughed. He then told me that he was going to study there -- Barcelona Graduate School of Economics. I was going to ask "Why Barcelona" and many more questions. Unfortunately, the elevator ride was short. I thought my other students would benefit from our yet-to-complete conversation. For those who will graduate in future years, Muntasir's decision in the cross-road of his final year can serve as a good reference. For the benefit of future generations (as well as my own curiosity), I wrote to him and asked him to write up a reflection on his reason(s) of choosing Barcelona (aside from the reason of watching good soccer games). Below is his writing to share with you (slightly edited).
------ July 10, 2013 ------
Honestly speaking, I felt that the most nerve wrecking time for me had been the last year, and more so the last semester of my final year in HKU -- because that it truly was the time when I was being pushed out in the real world, with no more school to cushion me!
I was torn. I wanted to take a break from studying, but at the same time I felt I was just not prepared to enter the corporate world. I had job interviews and even had a standing offer for a job from an investment company in HK. But, I feared that once I got caught in the whirlwind of the corporate world, I might not be able to get out. I say so because I have seen my senior friends being employed in similar companies working literally for more than 16 hours a day. I just was not prepared to do so. I wanted to explore more. I wanted to know more, seek knowledge and get a better grip of myself, understanding what I truly want to do!
I had often thought of graduate school, but the high cost of attending a really good school, aside from other considerations, deterred my plans. I did not want to get in just any other place after spending three amazingly intellectually rewarding, albeit extremely difficult, years in HKU. So I set out to research on universities, with financial supports and other opportunities. I wanted a school that would provide me with an excellent education and an exceptional experience -- within an affordable tuition fee. I looked through many universities in Europe and then came across BGSE (Barcelona Graduate School of Economics) -- the answer to my prayers. BGSE provides world class education to Economics professional from all over the world, the part I liked best about BGSE is the fact that it is so specialized and concentrated. It might not be as renowned as many old and reputed schools of the Western countries, but the quality of education offered to BGSE students seemed to be of a very high standing. To top it off, the school is situated in Barcelona, an amazing city in within the exotic Spain. I am sure I will learn a lot from the new culture and customs of this new city, just as I had learned from Hong Kong during the past three years.
All I can say is I have decided to take a chance, of choosing an unconventional place over other safety nets. It might be a gamble, and I would not know the return before I completed my study there. My advice to other students: Go out of your safety zone; explore new options, maybe you will find the new best thing!
Adios :)
Muntasir Mamun Iqbal
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