'Being an econometrician opens the doors of many places'
Maria Cortes (Colombia), student Econometrics
'I am an economist coming all the way from Colombia. When I finished my bachelor at home and after working some years for the Colombian government, I decided that a Master in Econometrics was the best way to have an integral education for the future. Econometrics opens many different alternatives to explore several areas, not only in the private sector, but also in government fields. It is a subject that can be practical or completely academic, so it fitted me very well.
After searching the web and asking professors about possibilities, the Netherlands came up as a very good option, and UvA was the best possible choice for me. The classes are really tough, they require a lot of time and effort. But the professors are always available to help you as much as they can. Fellow students are nice, even thought breaking the ice is a bit hard. I have to say that coming to Amsterdam was such a challenge at the beginning, new language, new people, biking... but after a couple of months I got to love the city. I see it as my home in Europe.
Now I think I have a promising professional future. I write my thesis as an intern with a Dutch company. It seems that being an econometrician from the UvA opens the doors of many places for you. We are perceived as really smart, well-prepared people, so I expect that finding a job will be successful.'