By Nicola Hodson, MSc Marketing Management Practice
When I first began my Master’s, I expected to learn a lot, but what I didn’t expect is just how much extra life experience I would learn. You don’t just get a degree from Sheffield, you get so much more than that – it sounds cliché, but it’s true. I wanted to share some of the things I have learnt since beginning my MSc.
Time management
Definitely one of the most useful skills I have learnt whilst doing my Masters is time management. As the deadlines begin piling up, staying on top of your work and maintaining a social life can be challenging, but I found that I learnt to do this quickly. This is a skill which will prove incredibly beneficial to have when entering the world of work and will ensure you are able to balance working hard and having fun!
Learning about different cultures
Studying alongside other students who have come from such a wide range of countries is amazing- I find that I now have friends from all over the world! From Ecuador, to India, to China, I have been able to learn about so many different cultures. Some of my friends are currently trying to teach me Mandarin!
Confidence
My Master’s course has given me a huge amount of confidence when it comes to presenting my work to an audience. We are regularly given the opportunity in seminars to present what we have been discussing in our groups. I was terrified of this at first, but the more I have done it, the more my confidence grows and I even enjoy presenting now! Having this skill will be really helpful when it comes to interviews and future careers.
Teamwork
Master’s courses often involve a lot of group work. Whilst you may not always see eye to eye with your fellow group members, teamwork is such a valuable life skill and one which is very rewarding. Listening to other’s ideas can be really interesting, particularly to see the different ways in which everyone approaches the work. One of my favourite moments so far was celebrating a successful group presentation with my team by going out for hot pot at a Chinese restaurant!
You are guaranteed to learn so much at university – sometimes the most valuable things you learn aren’t what you came to study! My Master’s course is not only teaching me all about Marketing, but I have found that it has taught me much more, and I will leave university as a more well-rounded individual than when I first arrived.