Having spent the last five years of my life obtaining both undergraduate and graduate business degrees, I can tell you from first hand experience that it isn't all fun and games. The misconception that a business degree is the easiest degree to obtain is 100% wrong. The employment market has never been more competitive than it is right now, so business students need to make sure their free time is spent gaining valuable experience through internships and attending networking seminars. The old saying, "It's not what you know, it's who you know" is as true now as it was then. Throughout this article I will be giving a first hand account of why I chose business school, the activities I participated in as a business student, and how I managed both my school work and personal life.
The main reason someone would choose business school over something like a technical school has to do with the way the person's mind works. Some people, like myself, focus on issues such as how businesses make money, how businesses can improve their operations to make more money, and what you need to do to start your own business. Business students are often very entrepreneurial and focused on how to make the most money possible. People who attend technical schools are more focused on how things work from an engineering standpoint. They are usually very technical people concerned with how to get the best performance possible out of a piece of machinery or equipment rather than actual financial numbers.
The types of activities business students engage in can vary depending on the student and the opportunities different schools offer. One of my favorite activities as a business student was to participate in stock market challenges. Almost every business school has a finance club, and these clubs compete to stock market challenges with other schools across the country. The top three teams usually receive prizes in the form of scholarships or money to be used towards student loans. Another valuable activity was having the opportunity to listen to and network with guest speakers. These guest speakers provided students with the opportunity to learn from an individual who has real life experience in the business world. Other available activities included the entrepreneurs' club, which focused on how to start your own business, and co-op programs in which business students would go and work for local companies to obtain credits toward their degree and gain some valuable experience.
Managing you school work and personal life is very difficult no matter what type of degree you are working on obtaining. Internships are a very crucial part of a business education because it gives students the opportunity to work for a company, gain experience, and make connections so you can get a job when they graduate. These are often part-time positions because these companies realize you also have educational and personal obligations you need to dedicate time toward. Having good communication with your family, professors, and internship coordinator is the best way to manage your time. These people will understand the type of pressure you are under and will look to help you anyway they can.