By Valentina Rodriguez Saez, Masters in Finance Full-time Class of 2026
When I received my acceptance letter from London Business School, I genuinely felt my heart stop for a second. On top of that, receiving the Scholarship for Women was a mix of overwhelming gratitude and disbelief. It felt like my imposter syndrome had just been hit over the head with a baseball bat.
Before applying, I was almost five years into my career in Investment Banking in Chile. I had worked my way up to an associate role at a well-known firm, through a lot of hard work, as I was never one of those people who “sneeze and out comes a regression analysis”. By most standards, I was in a great place: stable, comfortable, on a clear path.
Yet, I knew I still had so much to learn. I wanted to strengthen my technical skills and gain the kind of confidence that comes with mastering them. At the same time, soft skills were just as essential, (if not more), for me, both for their growing relevance in senior roles and because I knew I would genuinely enjoy developing them (just ask my algorithm, which insists on showing me endless videos from leadership coaches and public speakers). So, when I came across the Masters in Finance programme, it was an instant crush.
Flash forward: standing in front of LBS, still digesting the idea of actually living in London, I felt the biggest wave of relief. Even though I had left all comfort and certainty behind, I knew I had made the right decision. Orientation Week was the first glimpse of that.
Orientation Week
I arrived at Orientation Week ready to meet a brilliant, diverse cohort, and definitely expecting some of that “first day of school feeling” (scanning the room nervously, wondering who to sit next to, and secretly worrying whether you are wearing the right clothes).
But it turned out to be so much more than that.
For me, Orientation Week was about discovering how quickly strangers can become allies. Group challenges showed us that even if we come from opposite sides of the world, there’s always common ground to uncover. Team building pushed us out of our comfort zones and into laughter, collaboration, and a surprising amount of trust for people we had just met. Inspiring alumni talks gave us hope for what lies ahead, while the LBS staff made sure we felt at home from day one.
Picking Up the Pace
Orientation Week was over, and full-on reality kicked in. Just as I was getting used to the rhythm of “learning outside the classroom”, someone casually mentioned all the coffee chats they had already scheduled for the week. Meanwhile, I was still standing there, trying to figure out what a coffee chat actually was.
Let’s be honest: the programme is intense, but in the best possible way.
- Intense because courses are demanding, but the content is fascinating, tangible, and immediately applicable to real life, which makes you want to rise to the challenge.
- Intense because we’re all pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones. The truth is that no one has it all figured out, but we’re helping each other along the way.
- Intense because you must balance your workload with career events, internship applications and networking activities (often better known as “bonding over beers” with your classmates, which, trust me, counts as real networking when you’re this tired).
Looking Ahead
After just one month, I can already say this: the MiF is not only about academics. It’s about community, growth, and opening doors to new possibilities.
As for the journey ahead, I’m sure it will be intense, but with this community, it promises to be not only challenging but also exciting, joyful and unforgettable.
Explore our Full-time and Part-time Masters in Finance Programmes.