"All great men have been artists; the man with no imagination may collect facts, but he cannot make great discoveries". This modified quotation by Karl Pearson reflects my own attitude to life, learning and future career. So I would like to make the best use of my creative and critical skills by doing management degree at university.

In music rationality is dictated by rhythm, whereas in management economic theory is responsible for rational allocation of resources, which are then managed. I am a cosmopolitan person: born in Germany, raised in Russia, and educated in the UK. As a consequence I have been keeping up to date with news on a worldwide scale but when I started studying Economics at Moscow State University, I began to focus on business issues. It was obvious to me that people often take ill-considered decisions, which may lead to horrible consequences. This critical view stimulated my interests in economic theories and practice.

My Extended Essay is devoted to a new law passed by the government of Moscow concerning tobacco regulations. When conducting research I worked on my own while scrutinizing aspects of government policy. I investigated possible economic implications of that law, both positive and negative, and suggested solutions to problems that might occur.

My TOK essay is also related to Economics and management. I investigate the knowledge issues and bias that occur in Economics. I analyze in detail decision-making process and how it is determined. It turned out that some economic theories are unsound as they are based on assumptions, which may not by true. Irrationality of agents and their heuristic bias have huge impact on the functioning of markets and are not always taken into account.

I gained work experience in a small firm in Moscow, focusing on imports of Italian furniture. As I developed communication and management skills I had to perform a project manager’s responsibilities, coordinating the activity of several departments (purchasing, finance and business development) for successful completion of projects. I was responsible for communication with business partners abroad, so when I received indications from them I needed to pass those on to the management department. I got myself into my working routine relatively quickly. However, it was a real challenge for me as the people I was working with were more experienced and the responsibility I was taking was great.

In the academic year 2012-2013 I was completing simultaneously the Lower Sixth and the final year of secondary school in Russia. That involved a lot of hard work and application of my time management skills. While getting secondary education in Russia I participated in numerous school competitions. I have been awarded "Star of the New Millennium" by my school in Moscow, as voted by both teachers and my peers.

Reading "Freakonomics", which I find rather entertaining than scientific, inspired me to study Economics in depth as it shows how diverse and sometimes unpredictable this science can be. Looking for economic solutions I came to the conclusion that wise management is the solution to the majority of economic problems and thus read "Operations Management" by Nigel Slack. I also take an interest in psychology, which I think extremely important when managing human resources. My favorite works on that subject include "Games People Play" by Eric Berne and "Thinking Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman.

I do sports on a regular basis. I am possessor of an orange karate belt and midfielder in the girls’ football team. My creative skills are best showcased in the school Choir and at the piano. In 2012 I placed first among pianists at the Godalming Music Festival. I have been able to get such achievements by reaching small goals while aiming higher. I get along with people easily and can work efficiently as in team or individually. I am industrious, critical, imaginative and creative, which I hope fits me well for this demanding course.