By Lucy Grimes
One of the main reasons I chose to do BA Business Management at Sheffield University Management School was because of the flexibility the course offered, with modules covering every aspect of the field and allowing students to gain a wide knowledge of the business environment.
Although the first year of the course is mostly pre-set, the modules are really varied, giving you an introduction into many business areas from maths, accounting and economics based modules, to human resources and general management themed modules. I found that this year really helped me to understand which areas of business I was most interested in, and which I would not want to pursue in the future. It also helps you to understand where your strengths lie both in terms of the module content but also the assessment methods used. For example, I decided that I did not want an accounting or finance related career, and also found that I performed much better in modules assessed by exams and presentations rather than written coursework. Discovering these things in your first year is so useful and really helps when it comes to choosing modules throughout the rest of your degree.
In year two of the course there is more scope for personal choice, with just four compulsory modules and a wide variety of options for other modules including law, statistics, human resources and enterprise. I chose to take Law for Management and Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, as they were both areas I was really interested in but hadn’t had much exposure to previously. Choosing modules across a range of subject areas really gets you thinking about career options too, as you can gain an insight into various disciplines.
In year three there is even more choice available, with only one compulsory module: Corporate Social Responsibility. Aside from this you are free to choose the other five modules for your final year. At this point I had a clearer idea of what I wanted to do after University, and so I chose my modules based on this, as well as choosing the assessment methods which I thought I would perform best
in. There are so many options at this stage, in areas such as Work related Psychology and Well-being, Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Business Strategy, and there is also more scope to study the International aspect of Business in these various disciplines. Having so much choice in your final year really allows you to focus on your strengths and interests, tailoring your degree to best suit you.
Each year there is also the option to take an unrestricted module, which means that it does not have to be a module from the Management school. Although I did not choose this option myself, many of my course mates used this as a way to study a new language, or build upon one which they had previously studied. It’s a great way to experience another department within the university and to try something new!
It may seem like there are a lot of choices to make, but that’s what makes the course so dynamic. You can tailor your course to your personal interests and strengths in order to get the most out of it. There is lots of support available when it comes to making these decisions- so you needn’t worry! Personal tutors are always on hand to discuss module choices, which I personally found really useful when choosing my modules. There is also the add/drop period at the start of each semester, so if you begin a module and find that it is not what you expected, there is the option to change onto one more suited to you. So make the most of the many options available and try something new- you may find a new interest or career path which you hadn’t considered before!