Study economics at Sophia: tools and methods
Pongiglione Giulia, Italy
25 years old, from Geneva, after the Bachelor degree in Business Administration, she is concluding her Master in Sophia with specialization in Economy and Management with a thesis on the inherent motivation to work. We follow her journey.
“I want my life to be useful, I would like to do ‘good’...” this is certainly one of the reasons that guided me in my course of study, once I finished high school. The impact of the university life and of the study of economy was strong. In fact, I often noted that the major schools of thought were deductive, even if only for practical reasons. I was not convinced by the anthropological foundations of these models because I did not believe they were true. Gradually, I felt more and more the need to understand if my vision was compatible with the economic categories and I started to explore the internet in order to understand the concepts of social economy. One day I came across Economy of Communion (EoC) and then, Sophia. Immediately I noticed the presence of great harmony and month after month, I felt that it was not only what I was looking for, that is, an economy at the service of man and not vice versa, but it was even more than this.
So, full of doubts and completely unaware of "what to do next", I left for the summer school of the Economy of Communion in Paris, a week before the start of Sophia. The first evening, watching a video on the EoC, I no longer had any doubts: even though I still did not understand it profoundly, I strongly felt Sophia was what I had to do. Hence, a day after I returned from Paris, I came to Loppiano where Sophia is located: just enough time to change the bags! Here I found the never ending surprise. The relationship with students from around the world, the desire to enrich one another, the quest of finding balance between study and private life, between theory and practice, the interdisciplinary approach and diversity of vision with which various issues are approached; it seemed to me that consciously or not this is what I was looking for!
In the following months the atmosphere of hospitality and fraternity lived also in the residences of Sophia helped me introspect. From an academic point of view, I will never forget one of the first lessons of management in which we were asked to view major management theories critically and to highlight their strengths and weaknesses. For me it proved to be one of the great moments of maturity, because it made me understand that in order to change the economy I cannot keep myself out of it, but I have to immerse myself in it completely, bringing out the beautiful things that are present there and then try to work on the injustices. This was a moment of strong personal growth for me.
In two years while living with people from around the world one learns a lot, but at some point surfaces also the fatigue. Well, I'm grateful even for this. In fact, I think living the hardships and trying not to let them over come you, is one of the most useful exercises for life. There will be occasions of not being understood but it is important to acquire the right tools to react in a constructive way, nevertheless I still need to learn these methods. I'm finishing the specialization and, thinking about my future, I would like to do many things. I do not fear experimenting all that I learned here even at the workplace.
For those who want to or consider coming to Sophia, my advice is seemingly simple: contact the university and the students, and if possible, come for a few days to experience the academic life and also life in the residences; try to understand, with the professors, students, and also with the kind persons around, if this is the right path for you. I think it's also important not to overlook the various challenges that we may have, and to understand if they could be an impediment for you or not. I think that the path of Sophia can enrich anyone, but I believe that it requires a willingness to get involved. For me it has been a 360 degree laboratory!
