Journalising our journey at the AISTS Master of Advanced Studies: September to October
AISTS MAS 2025 Participant
Nowadays, it is becoming harder and harder to capture people’s attention. But what if we could read something about ourselves?
A letter to my classmates, past and future AISTS MAS participants.
Starting a new journey comes with its own set of questions, doubts, and aspirations. Through this series of articles, I want to put into words the decision-making process, challenges, and opportunities we experience during our 15 months in the AISTS Master of Advanced Studies.
Do you remember that first day, thirty minutes before arriving at AISTS for the first time? A mix of doubts and excitement filled the air. You’re ready for this new adventure but sweating from stress, not exactly sure what to expect. We’ve already achieved the first challenge: moving to a new country, bringing along all our belongings, and arriving on our first day on time, or even early, for that important first impression, as punctual as a Swiss clock. Everything looks grandiose in the Synathlon building. Introducing ourselves to thirty classmates, we repeat our stories at least twenty times and wonder how we’ll remember all these new names. Here we are, here and now. Welcome to Lausanne, the Olympic Capital.
Honeymoon Phase of the Master of Advanced Studies
As the first weeks pass, we participate in many official team-building activities: badminton, trampoline, archery. We meet the previous batch, who tell us how quickly time flies and how amazing the experience is. Of course, the staff warned us about the heavy workload and how challenging Swiss processes can be, but living in such a beautiful city, we feel ready for this. We came here for this.
Moreover, there are countless unofficial gatherings, apéros by the lake, where everyone is motivated and enthusiastic. This is the beauty of living in a community with diverse backgrounds but a shared passion for sport.
By the end of September, it’s already time to face our first technology in sport exam and group projects. This is when we start to truly understand what the word intercultural means. Not everyone is available at the same time, and there are differences in work styles and ethics. How will it go when it’s time for the larger Client Team Project?
Study Time
Revising for management and exams triggers even more questions: Why am I back in school? For some, it’s hard to get back into the rhythm of studying. Many of us studied accounting 5 or even 15 years ago but have forgotten most of it, making this a helpful refresher. The challenging part is beginning.
The feeling after the first exam is very unique, frustration and doubt creep in: How will it be assessed? Did I study the right topics? Will I pass or fail? Once again, for some, the process feels manageable, while others find themselves questioning their life choices even more.
Meanwhile, we dive into the law module: three long weeks filled with articles, codes, and real-life sport cases. The honeymoon phase is officially over, and we’re all eagerly awaiting the much needed and well-deserved fall break.
A Day with Alumni working in the sport industry
As the workload increases, extracurricular activities also intensify. These activities motivate us to seek more opportunities, such as volunteering at sport forums and events, visiting sport organisations, and joining in-school associations like Changing the Narrative. While these keep us energised, they also make us feel like there’s little time left for ourselves. During the first two months of this journey, we begin to uncover AISTS’s identity – its strengths and challenges. The network and connections with people in the industry are of incredible value; they seem to know just everyone. Meeting alumni provides us with valuable insights and the chance to explore various career paths, including what we may not want.
In class, we focus heavily on major international federations and popular sports, but discovering smaller federations, less mainstream sports, and organisations we hadn’t even thought of reveals the true breadth of the sport industry that we are soon to enter. For now, the anxiety of finding a job is like a shadow following us in everything we do—but soon to become an obsession.
Within these first two months, we also elected class representatives and formed a party planning committee. These initiatives give our class a real sense of identity, deepen connections among classmates, and create valuable memories of this whirlwind 15-month programme.
These weeks are a time of self-discovery, forming connections with AISTS staff and classmates, and adapting to our new life rhythm in Lausanne. Reaching the fall break feels like a much-needed relief. The perks of being a student again, including having holidays, are a great reminder of why this journey is so rewarding!
Moving Abroad – Joining the Olympic Capital
Kunal Karanjkar, MAS 2025 Participant
I had already moved from India to Estonia 2 years ago for work. As soon as I decided to study again, AISTS was a certainty. But I wisely questioned myself: Am I ready to change my lifestyle to student again? Am I ready for a long-distance relationship?
There are many unknowns you can expect when you start living in a new territory. I need to be measured with my expenses and the biggest challenge for me was finding a place to rent.
More than being homesick, I felt alone since I was away from my family as well as my partner at times. But adapting is my superpower as I was able to adjust to -20 temperatures in Estonia straight after over 40 temperatures back in India. In that regard, I feel Switzerland has been amazing!
The rigorous 9 to 5 schedule means that you need to plan your life around it and find opportunities where you can exercise, make connections as well as having fun, with friends and classmates always there to help me out.
This series is coordinated by Madeline Coquoz from the MAS Class of 2025.
Read the first article of the series : 0.0. Behind the Scenes of AISTS Master of Advanced Studies: First Step.
