If you want to understand the daily routine of someone who studies at ULV, you are in the right place! We talked to our former student Erika Klimke about her experience in the September 2019 class of the Advanced Topics in Marketing Management course.
Check out what Erika experienced:
How was the first day of the program?
The first day of the program was very special. Obviously, I was nervous to know what studying in English would be like and especially who my classmates would be.
I knew that networking would be important, but I didn’t imagine that there would be so many people from different backgrounds, positions and companies. We connected a lot through LinkedIn.
What was your routine on classes days and on the weekends?
IBS suggested that we should share rooms and cars to reduce costs. So I made some friends before the course started and we shared the car even though we were staying in different places. So, every day we would go together to the marketing class in the morning. At lunchtime, we would have lunch in the pantry or in a restaurant nearby. In the afternoon, we would focus on the Business English class, where we met more people. At the end of the day we would go to the restaurants, bars, outlet and Walmart to shop and eat.
On weekends we would wake up early to enjoy the surroundings, such as the Universal Park, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood Sign, Santa Monica Beaches and much more. As we were driving, it was possible to connect and have fun with my classmates.
Why did you choose to study at the University of La Verne? What was your favorite thing in the university?
The marketing program was the reason on why I chose the University of La Verne. I always wanted to deepen my knowledge in this field and ULV had the best program for me.
Undoubtedly, my professors’ professional background played a huge role and made myself become a better specialist in the field. At first I thought it would not bring any new concepts for me, but then I realized that she was actually leveling the class to give us the best encouragement possible, and I also realized that there could be no better person to teach us about global marketing than her. In addition, the classes were very dynamic, which made everything flow better!
What were the professors and classes like?
My professor was called Astrid and I have nothing to complain about her. As I said in the previous topic, she was what I liked most at the university. We can have wonderful campuses, incredible rooms with a lot of technology, but without a trained and involved professor it would be worthless. I believe that it was the biggest differential of the course.
In addition to the course, did you take the opportunity to get to know other places in California? If so, what place did you like to visit the most?
Yes, we went to several famous places like the Hollywood Sign, the Walk of Fame and the beaches. But my favorite place was the Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles. I felt that I was not just a tourist, but someone who was really doing a cultural exchange. The market is amazing, and the food was even better! There are several restaurants and shops with different foods, hands-down the Farmer’s Market is the best place I visited.
How was the graduation day?
I found it very organized, to be honest. I had never attended a graduation that really started and ended at the proposed time. The food was very good, and it was great to see how everyone was having fun. Obviously, after the ceremony we all went to the bar to celebrate even more.
At the end of that experience, what do you believe was the most remarkable for you in the professional field? And what about the personal perspective?
The most remarkable experienced for me was to understand how each individual is important. Unfortunately, companies take too much time to realize that people are the main asset and the ones responsible for the upcoming transformations. The program did very well in teaching me that, and I’m totally great for this experience.
I got to know different careers and lives of people totally different from me! This taught me a lot and today I realize how different perspective and change of environment can make the difference in our life.
Thanks for the interview and the records of your international experience, Amanda! May you be very successful in your professional life.
And if you are reading this post and want to do like Erika, click here and learn more about the short courses available at the University of La Verne! Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your career, sign up for the scholarship selection process. There are more than 1500 students who each year participate in our programs at institutions in the United States and Europe.
