Full name: Elitsa Todorova Boyadzhieva
Age: 33
Home country: Bulgaria
Program at BI: MSc in Quantitative Finance
I'm a strong believer in the mantra hard work pays off. The magic happens outside of our comfort zone. That said, I always have been a person that enjoys working, travelling, living abroad. And grabbing any chance that comes by. My friends often laugh at me and say that I like to complicate my life. This by accepting any challenge and task possible. Truthfully, that is how I really enjoy my time and I feel that it gives me a lot in return.
Learning Norwegian in 9 months
I am originally from Sofia, Bulgaria. After living abroad in several countries across Europe. I moved to Oslo, Norway in 2016 to pursue my bachelor’s in economics at Oslo Metropolitan University. To get in I had to learn Norwegian very quickly. I had exactly 9 months to take the Bergenstesten, a Norwegian language test. And the effort paid off. During my undergraduate studies I developed a strong passion for quantitative analysis. I started to be very interested in coding and its different applications.
Why BI and why Quantitative Finance?
After graduating with top grades last year. I got quite a few offers from different universities across Norway and Europe to take my master’s. But I chose to study at BI. I really liked the programme structure and of course, I LOVE Oslo. People often ask me why I chose the MSc in Quantitative Finance. I often answer it’s simply because I am bit of a nerd. I love programming, math, statistics, and all that scary stuff people generally avoid. So, if you like those scary subjects as well, I strongly suggest that you go for it!
I firmly believe that in the future. The world of finance will continue to become more and more quantitative. This master’s programme at BI is giving students a solid foundation to develop their analytical and quantitative skills. I have already applied some of the knowledge that I have acquired. By improving the data management in my current job. The programme is very rigorous. There is a lot of dedication and hard work. But when one enjoys what they do, that is when the magic happens.
Making friends and drinking coffee
The usual place where you will find me is of course the library at BI. Where my day consists of drinking unlimited amounts of coffee. Norwegians have the best coffee ever! Also, reading and programming. I love the library because it’s a great place to make connections and expand my network. Good friends and good coffee make even the darkest winter months brighter.
