All across the world, business school students are starting their studies. Perhaps you are one of them.
There is no shortage of practical advice available for you; from how to make the most of finances and classes, to advice on maximizing learning and clinching professional development opportunities.
But what about the bigger picture? Here, we help new business school students by providing some “bigger-picture” advice – tips to help them to truly make the most of their business school experience.
1. Find your motivation
While pursuing your studies, you will come across a number of new ideas which will change the way you see the world. As well as the business and academic ideas you encounter, as your professional and social networks grow, you’ll be introduced to even more new ideas.
You should use this exciting time to learn as much about the subjects, hobbies and aspects of business that excite you. Having the potential to interact and dissect new ideas through academic work and group discussion is a great way of discovering what motivates you, and discovering the foundations of your future business career.
If you find yourself excited by a huge number of subjects which might become unmanageable in the future, you will have to learn to…
2. Accept opportunity cost
It is a fact of life that in making a decision to spend your time a certain way, other possibilities and opportunities are closed to you. Finding what motivates and excites you early in your career can help you to ensure that you are on the right path, and that you put your valuable time to good use.
Making the most of your professional network and relationships with fellow classmates can also help when thinking about opportunity cost. As you are about to enter an environment where fellow students and your professors are exploring their own niche subjects and areas of business, it is invigorating and inspiring to see people you respect pursuing their interests and passions.
If you struggle to find the field you would like to pursue straight away, don’t worry and just…
3. Be receptive to new ideas
A business education is more than just the transferal of knowledge from one person to another – it can be a crossroads for new ideas and exciting discussions with a heterogeneous group of classmates and business professionals.
If you are hoping to develop your own ideas and theories, there are no better starting points than listening to and interpreting the thoughts of others. In a collaborative and explorative business school environment, it is also possible to think about applying and bringing ideas and businesses to fruition. Take, for example, some of the entrepreneurs whose ideas had their genesis during their studies at EU Business School.
With that said, do not become a victim of pressure. People and projects move at different paces according to their priorities; not everybody is expected to launch a successful multinational business before they have even graduated!
Remember that ultimately, it is important to…
4. Make the most of your time
As well as being a fortuitous time to explore new business ideas and forge enduring business connections, attending a business school is also the perfect opportunity to make new friends and enjoy experiences which you will always remember.
The student bodies that make up business schools the world over are incredibly international, and present a great opportunity to learn about cultures, languages and countries from around the world. For example, at EU we have over 100 nationalities currently studying across our four campuses. It is not a rare sight to see students exchanging anecdotes about their home countries, sharing some unique words or debating sporting successes.
Remember to take your time, avoid stress and have a great time exploring your new surroundings.
