VIP Class Notes (Maddie)

I like to think of myself as a person who enjoys dealing with people. As my father is a senior manager of a large company,  I have a strong interest in management and business since childhood under his influence. And  since the business schools in the UK  provide high quality of teaching that combines theory with practice, so I believe it is a good choice to study business in the UK.
Before I entered university,  I had been monitor of the class throughout school years. I assisted the homeroom teachers with various tasks, including organising group activities such as spring outings and preparing for chorus contests. In the first year of high school , I took part in the business simulation competition. I built up a team with several strangers and ran an enterprise together with them. We cooperated with other enterprises to obtain information from the ‘media’ and communicate with the ‘government’. Our company stood out as one of the top 10% among all the teams that participated by making a profit of 20,000 rmb. This experience made me realize the complexity of commercial environment for the first time. Even in simulated commercial activities, there were dangers and deceptions, which deepened my understanding of business management and made me look forward to entering business life.
Besides the simulated business environment, I have also  immersed myself in real world business  by doing an internship at an educational institution: I worked as an assistant manager for 2 months there. During my internship, I was responsible for the enrollment for the new campus and coordination with the teachers. I took advantage of the small age gap between myself and the potential students ; having studied in this educational institution previously helped me better communicate with them. In terms of coordination with other staff, I managed to learn about the needs and preferences of most of them, which facilitated the assignment of work to them from my boss. From these experiences, I came to realise that mutual respect is key in business, and that a close understanding of the staff benefits management to a huge extent.
During my study in SBC, I developed many necessary business skills and learned about some classical management theories, such as Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory in Organisational Behaviour,  and how to regulate informal groups and so on. In addition, two years of all-English teaching has enabled me to have better language skills, and I often read news on BBC and CNN, which makes me confident that I can study successfully in the UK. At SBC, I also developed the ability of independent learning – actually, I learned about psychology by reading relevant books– The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt, The Little Book of Psychology by Emily Ralls, and The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo.
Besides being interested in business management, piano is also an indispensable part of my life. I began to learn piano when I was six years old, and I got good results in the competition in my hometown. With piano learning, I learned other musical instruments very fast, such as guitar. In order to have a healthy body, no matter how busy I am, I will train Muay Thai every week. These extra-curricular activities not only make me physically stronger, but also enable me to be tougher mentally when faced with challenges.
When I finish school, I plan to start my own business. During my study  in Shanghai, I compared the business models of Shanghai and other first tier cities with those of my hometown, and I found some potential business opportunities that have not been explored in smaller cities in China. And the previous business simulation experience made me understand the importance of business management knowledge  – a good understanding of how business works will help me more easily start a business.
A business degree will also help me get more resources and opportunities. I, in addition to helping me start my business life better. Therefore, I am looking forward to continuing my study in this field in the future.

Vocabulary

video call: 视频电话

stir fried noodles 炒面

checkpoint: 检查站