As my college career is quickly coming to an end, with graduation in just two months, I am growing increasingly nostalgic for the days when I was just beginning my classes, and just beginning to learn what the business world is really about. Being a part of the UConn School of Business has been very important to my success in college. It has taught me so much, and provided me with so many opportunities and advantages that I am so happy I utilized. Of all of the things that have made being a business student so great, here are my top 10:

Opportunities
There are ample opportunities provided by the School of Business just for their students. Among these includes presentations and workshops to earn business and leadership certificates, including GBLSS lecture series and Diversity in Business lectures. I have attended both of these lecture series and really enjoyed hearing from the speakers about their entrepreneurial ideas and what they had to do to get where they are today. Many of the speakers started out with small ideas that they implemented in college and were able to continue their dream and go on to own large, successful companies. Hearing these stories that are so relatable to me as a college student were very inspiring.

Also, there are multiple student organizations through the School of Business to attract the interests of all business students, including co-ed fraternities. Lastly, the Business Career Center has employers of the day, who visit the school often, providing students with the chance to discuss what they are learning and to hear about career opportunities, frequently while eating free pizza.

Taught by Experienced Professors
The majority of professors in the School of Business have experience outside of teaching, and are present to give students advice and work with us as mentors in ways that not all schools may provide. These professors are also able to weave their prior experience into the projects and lectures for students to learn about different industries and about how different aspects of a business are actually executed. The majority of professors are also involved in research projects, and can frequently discuss different markets based on what they have researched and their own publications.

Working with other bright and innovative students
Within the School of Business, we are able to work with a diverse group of equally driven students with similar interests to our own. We are able to hear insights from students with different opinions than our own, and combine many different entrepreneurial mindsets to produce high-quality work.

Hands-on Projects
Classes in the business school, particularly during senior year, are designed to combine all of the information we have learned and allows us to apply it to projects that really prepare us for career-related situations. We are given the tools to properly execute a business plan all while learning concepts that will be used and applied after graduation. Through this, we are allowed to use our own creativity, particularly in marketing related situations, to create projects that we can be proud of and discuss during future interviews as related experience.

Allowing us to be inventive and come up with new ideas gives the students a more hands on way of learning, such as when I was assigned to establish a digital marketing strategy for a local or large business. My team created a marketing plan for Baja Café, focusing on increasing their social media and website capabilities in order to increase their sales. We were given a lot of freedom with this project, and through this were able to learn first-hand how a business markets itself, and how we could use what we have learned and our own creative ideas to make them even better.

Small class sizes
Once a business student begins their major, they are finished having large lectures, and have smaller, more intimate classes that provide more opportunities. We are able to more effectively engage in open discussions, while getting to know the other students that we have classes with. This also gives us the opportunity to work in groups, as you would work in teams in a business position. Lastly, these small classes provide individual attention when needed from professors who are able to actually get to know you and help you succeed.

Networking opportunities with Alumni
The School of Business effectively provides students with opportunities to connect with past UConn business students who have gone on to achieve a lot of success. This is done through in-class lectures and presentations, as well as special networking events where dozens of alumni set aside time to meet with students and discuss their achievements, how the UConn School of Business helped them get to where they are now and to give the students advice based on their own career goals. Many students leave these networking events with business cards and connections that can lead to internships and full-time positions.

Job-Related Courses
As business students, we are provided classes, such as BADM 4072, that are related specifically to getting a full-time or internship position that we are required to take. This gives us even further opportunities to learn about the industry and gain insight into positions we could be interested in. The class also assists in interview practice, where we were asked interview questions and had it recorded to see our interviewing style and to receive feedback. This was one of the most beneficial exercises I have been a part of, and really helped me improve my skills and be more confident during the interview process.

Within our business major, all students are also required to take BADM 4070W, the business writing course that teaches us techniques to properly write in a professional setting. We were taught to write in a simplistic and universal manor that would appeal to all members of an organization. This class was much more beneficial to me than I expected, and I am happy the school required it. As someone with a marketing and communications focus, I have developed a very descriptive writing style that is not appropriate for all settings, which made this class a struggle for me at first. But with some practice, the writing assignments really increased my ability to write in a new style that is more appealing to businesses.

Internship during semester opportunities
Within the School of Business, students are able to take advantage of all the career opportunities given by the School of Business and can have an internship during the semester. We are given the option to earn course credit, as well as potentially making some money, while gaining real-world experience during an academic semester before graduation.

No Friday classes
It may not be representative of real life after college, but I believe I can speak for most business students in saying that not having business classes on Fridays is very beneficial and convenient. This gives students time to catch up on classwork, put in extra hours at an on-campus job, apply for internships and full-time jobs, and just relax after a busy week. Being able to sleep in a little bit and then catch up on any assignments I have before going to work for the afternoon has become a very integral part of my weekly schedule where I can relax while still being productive, without the stress of learning new content for that one school day each week.

One of the Top Business schools in the U.S.
Being a part of the School of Business holds a lot of weight. It means a lot to employers, and can really make a candidate stand out when that employer sees UConn listed under education on a resume. It shows that a student will make a hard-working and dedicated employee, who has received a high-quality education and has learned important skills that will be valuable to their company.

I believe that being a UConn Business Student is something to be proud of. It requires a lot of hard work and hours put in, and with the tools provided by professors and the school itself students who go through these business courses are fully prepared for their futures. Whether a student wants to work for a large business, a small firm, or take a non-traditional path after graduation, they are guaranteed to have the tools and knowledge they need to succeed.

Melanie Higham ’15
Senior, UConn School of Business
Melanie Higham is a UConn senior majoring in marketing, with a minor in communications. As a soon-to-be graduate, Melanie aspires to move to Boston and work for either an advertising agency or a nonprofit, focusing on content marketing, consumer behavior and digital marketing. Melanie also hopes to take part in cause-related marketing to spread awareness of important societal issues. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, drawing and painting, and hiking. View Posts