Meet Simba, a student on the MSc International Business Management course at Royal Holloway Business School.
Introduce yourself and let us know what you studied here at Royal Holloway?
Hi, my name is Simba and I'm a postgraduate student doing my master’s in international business management.
What was the best thing about studying here?
The best thing about studying here is the diverse group of people you meet. I’ve made friends with people from all over the world - people from different cultures, people who are day people, people who are night people. I’ve met so many different types of people and that’s been one of the best parts of the experience.
The whole diversity aspect of Royal Holloway is what's stood out.
How did you find the staff and the teaching on your course?
The staff and teaching on my course are amazing. I’ve had professors who are so genuinely passionate about what they are teaching, and even when I’ve had concerns, I’ve been able to talk to them personally about any worries I’ve had.
I also like the methods they use to teach. The combination of lectures, workshops and personal tutors has been a really helpful way of learning.
How do you feel Royal Holloway is helping prepare you for your future career?
My ambition is to be an entrepreneur, so I chose International Business Management because I wanted to learn the skills and knowledge to have a managerial role.
You can’t just go and start a business without understanding businesses and how they operate. I think having a strong foundation in business skills is very necessary, and Royal Holloway is giving me that in an amazing way. My course is helping me prepare for the future and showing me how businesses are actually run.
What was the most interesting thing you studied here?
The most interesting thing I learned was my operations management module. It taught me how businesses are run from the inside out, which is something I really wanted to learn.
Even though there are over 300 students on the module, the professor that taught it made us feel like we were sitting in a class and having one-to-one conversations. The module became really engaging, and I was so interested to go to those lectures and attend the classes.
A particular highlight was the five-day study trip to Lisbon in Portugal. We got to visit a range of different companies and saw first-hand how they managed their operations. It gave us really good insight into how businesses are actually run and allowed us to see first-hand how the theories we learned during the course were being put into practice. I’m really thankful Royal Holloway organised that trip.
How would you describe being part of the department and the community?
I’ve taken on various roles during my time at Royal Holloway.
I’m the course rep for the Business School, which means I’m the link between the School and the students, sharing feedback and communicating information.
It’s a good role to have because I can see how the School use the feedback I’ve shared. I saw what steps were taken and the schemes put in place to improve the student experience. There’s always been a strong two-way communication between the students and the staff and they’ve always been very receptive to the feedback I’ve given.
I’m also part of RH100, a focus group of students that gives feedback on any policy changes before they’re rolled out by the University. It’s a very good scheme to have and I’m really happy to be part of it.
What about outside your studies, have you joined any student societies and what were they like?
I was curious about what societies and clubs were on offer when I first came in September. The Students’ Union organise a fair which representatives from all the clubs attend. I went to a few taster sessions after that and ultimately decided to join two – the Sports Society and the Chess Society.
I’m particularly fond of the Chess Society because I’m currently their best player and I even got to represent them at Varsity. It’s been a really good experience.
Have you got anything you’d like to say to future students, any tips?
First of all, I’d tell them to relax – there’s loads of information available on the Royal Holloway website and people to help if they have any worries before or even after they arrive.
University life is amazing here. You’re only 40 minutes from London and the transport amenities are really good. You’ll get to live with a diverse community and have a really enriching experience. Whether you come for undergraduate or master’s, you’ll be made to feel welcome and have an experience you won’t forget for the rest of your life.
My biggest piece of advice is never be shy to take that extra step and just go for it. This university experience is a once in a lifetime opportunity, so just enjoy it!
I would definitely recommend Royal Holloway with all my heart.
