How it turns out

A tradition, it seems, for SSE students to mingle on the Atrium floors after each exam. This recurring buzz slowly torpors in an hour or so as students leave after one another. Whether you get anxiety as exams draw near or leave tingled from the chatter, think about the following...

Jakob Rudberg, BSc. and MSc.

During an Accounting exam, he shares that he has failed in forming the balance sheet and narrowly passed the exam but did understand the overall framework of the subject. He reveals that he later chose Accounting as a specialization, surprising even himself. The decision was not because of grades as he was certain that other specializations would yield higher grades but still chose Accounting for its functionality. He went on to start two businesses with a friend in which accounting is used regularly. Jakob also shared a rather bold move: To qualify to attend a company event at a top-tier consultancy firm, candidates were asked to take their logic exam, and send CV along with grade transcript. Discouraged to submit the transcript, he uploaded a pdf stating “If you believe that an exceptionally high GPA is a better proxy for finding the right people, than my proven ability to deliver results, I would ask you not to select me for your workshop. I am looking for an employer who values my skills, personality, and drive above my grades.” He was invited to attend. Currently serves as the Project Manager at Prins Daniels Fellowship along with other entrepreneurial work.

Karolina Ling-Vannerus, BSc.

Karolina’s grade range was very widespread from A’s to E’s (Excellent to Pass). She worked at both McKinsey and Goldman Sachs and now is running her own successful startup focused on sustainable packaging backed by many known investors.

Alexander Florén, BSc. and MSc.

Emphasized the point that not a single person in EF has ever asked to see his grades. He did show his diploma, but never his grades. Alexander went on to work as the Country Manager in Vietnam at EF Education.

Louise Andersson, MSc.

Took a slightly non-traditional approach upon graduation by focusing on her interest in healthcare and now works in pharmaceutical cancer care as a brand manager. Reveals that the strategy she adopted in studying for exams has translated to how she approaches assignments now: outcome-oriented.

Viktor Karlsson, BSc. and MSc.

Offered the role as CFO at age 29. Viktor today shares that he wishes he focused more on learning instead of cramming for an exam, regurgitating the information, and letting slip the content thereafter.

Gustav Groth, BSc.

Received a couple of E’s including Business Law and Finance 2. While studying he was engaged in several SASSE projects, committees and also the board. Currently works as an Executive Producer in the video games industry, which he describes as a “nerd dream come true”

Advice from the alumni interviewed above:

“No retakes in real life”

There is no clear yardstick for what is expected.

When you perform a certain task in a position, it is not likely that there is someone who has an exact idea of what you are expected to produce. Say you were told to develop a marketing strategy. The plan you develop likely will not be questioned in a way that exams are graded.

What is more important is to take your assignments and exams on time. In real life it’s never about how perfect you can do something with an infinite amount of time and resources, it’s about what you can deliver to a certain deadline with lots of other stuff going on in parallel.

Say you host a presentation for a client. You can’t spend an hour of your client’s time presenting and ask to repeat it again later because you felt underprepared; that’s the one shot you have, prepare the best. Give it your best, but also remember that your best can look different each day.

Some alumni shared that when they review and interview candidates, they look at what previous job and leadership experiences they have had, and the date of their exams, rather than the grades. Through the hiring process and working with people, they have found it more important to deliver and take your exams on time with an OK grade than to have the perfect grade past the deadline.

Acknowledge that it is an orchestrated situation. Great efforts are put into making the test fair to all students, but some people just perform better and worse at different exam formats from MCQ and Essay-style. An alumnus recalled a great discussion with someone who barely passed an exam for the subject but still had a great holistic idea on the matter.

Education at SSE builds a good foundation, a “good and wide” foundation, therefore it is not unforeseen for you to study some contents you don’t deem as your life purpose but also have an open mind and look into careers outside of the traditional sectors of SSE graduates.

Note this difference between high school and university:

This perhaps is not applicable to international students who submitted digital interviews, personal motivation, transcript, along with CV for admission to SSE, but for students who have applied from Swedish high schools with almost only grades, the difference in the level of weight placed on grades seem to be unprecedented.

Bear in mind:

Some alumni stated that “If you want to apply for jobs in the very specific firms who have a tradition of hiring SSE students and know exactly which courses they want their students to have good grades in, then those grades are important but I also know even if you want to work in such firms which have a reputation of certain A students, I know many who didn’t fit that poster-child of an applicant who were still hired. Other ways to ‘get around’ this is to do different things and gain experiences that make you stand out: show what makes your heart sing”

At the end of each interview, alumni were asked if they knew a friend, a fellow graduate who may also be interested in contributing to this article with their story of grades and post-graduation prospects. Quite a few were puzzled before answering: it seems that we know of our own failures more than we

remember that of others’

I would like to thank the Alumni Office for great support in contacting alumni.