I started my MBA course since October with so many questions for myself. I was anxious about the module and the research methods because I would study in a language that is not my mother tongue. Obviously, the teaching method here will be completely different and much more difficult in comparison with that of my home country. I was also worried about the other difficulties that might occur during this course.
Understandably, the MBA course is mainly for students with senior positions or with the ambition of becoming a manager. Therefore, the programme focuses on management skills. This consists of some modules such as Managing people, managing information systems, managing finance and leadership and management. The first week was such a difficult time. It made me think that I was dropping out of the course. I was unable to understand anything from my lectures. It was this moment that I was reminded about the bad things in my life, and it might be a wrong choice when I made this decision to study in London.
Considering carefully, I realised that my listening was not good enough to follow with my modules. Thus, setting a study plan is essential. I often read books and contents of the modules that my lecturers will mention in the next lesson. This enabled me to understand clearly and also helped me improve my vocabulary. As a result, the second and third week passed with less difficulty, the tension of study, therefore, was released gradually.
However, attending an MBA course is really a challenge for anyone. My class was divided into five groups. Some business games were carried out in the Leadership and management module that required students to finish their business projects and their business strategies under pressure. In the first task we did not know how to start our business in a short time. However, we have gained a great deal of knowledge from this module. For example, we were assigned to set up a business plan and marketing strategies from the EU market to the Asian market. Most interestingly, we were in charge of not only designing our own product but also creating the symbol and brand for the company. In addition, we did some performances to advertise our product. From this, we have learned to do teamwork as well as got used to working in an organized way.
As a result, my group ranked the third out of nine. This time made me more confident about myself and I have realized not only my weaknesses but also my strengths. In fact, I have learnt some practical skills from other members such as managing time effectively, supporting/encouraging colleagues and leadership skill.
Moreover, I also encountered some difficulties in communicating with my group. This has made me wonder about my ability to adapt to a new/ multinational environment. However, the suspicion was resolved when our group had a reflection after a month working together. My contributions were recognised by other members. They also gave me some feedback about my weaknesses and helped me to correct them.
It seems that I have experienced the most difficult time in London Met University. However, I will also have to deal with other missions/tasks. This semester I will have four assignments that require me to write the course work about my own experience that I got from my work. It also asks me to reflect the theories which I get from our modules. In addition, some exams and training sessions which our group have to present this month also need to be practised more and more.
On the other hand, I am thinking about the knowledge and experience that I have been achieving from this course. How/what they can change in my future career? Of course it will. Nevertheless, I know that I should use my effort to learn from not only my lecturers but also my classmates.
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