“Small Steps Lead To Great Success”

Why did you come to Germany and decide to study Business Administration at the University of Mannheim?

In my home country Bulgaria, I attended a secondary school focusing on foreign languages where I learned German and English. I have always been very interested in learning languages and exploring new cultures and the world. When I spent three weeks at a summer school in Berlin in 2015, I realized how beautiful Germany was. So, after finishing school, I applied to several German universities to study Business Administration. Mannheim was my first choice, because the university holds top positions in many rankings – and luckily, I was allocated a study place. What interested me most about Business Administration was the combination of analytical tasks and contact with many different people. Studying in Mannheim has definitely met my expectations. 

Did you also face any challenges?

My start in Germany was not that easy. I arrived in Mannheim only at the beginning of September, i.e., at the start of the lecture period, because I had been offered a place in a residence hall from that month on. Unfortunately, this meant that I missed a lot of the orientation and welcome events. I will never forget the moment when I stood in front of the lecture hall among hundreds of strangers before my first lecture and thought to myself: Will I be able to manage this all by myself? I also had to deal with language barriers as the technical terms were all new and unfamiliar to me. But despite all that, I never thought about giving up my studies. Instead, I went to the library quite often and got to know my fellow students there. I also attended various events to meet other students and make contacts. The International Office and my buddy, who was assigned to me through a program of the International Office also helped me a lot. You really get a lot of support as an international student in Mannheim – I am very grateful for that.

You have already gained a lot of work experience during your studies. What can you tell us about that?

During my bachelor's degree, I was actively involved in the student organization “Marketing zwischen Theorie und Praxis” (Marketing between theory and practice, MTP) and worked as a student assistant at the International Office for one summer. I also participated in the “Model United Nations Conference” and took part in a debate in New York that lasted for several days and simulated the work of the UN. After completing my bachelor's degree, it was clear to me that I didn't want to start a master's program right away. Instead, I took two gap years to gain work experience. During this time, I completed a pre-master's program as well as some internships and got to know areas such as management, business development, and consulting. Since the fall semester 2021/2022, I have been studying the MMM while continuing to work as a working student.

How do you manage to organize all your activities in terms of time?

The Coronavirus pandemic has played a big role in this regard. Many university events took place online or recordings were uploaded – that helped me a lot to manage my time flexibly. I was also able to do one of my working student jobs completely from home, for example.  Since the team was based in Munich, that would not have been feasible if I had to be on site. 

You're expected to complete your master's degree in January 2024. Do you already know what you want to do after that?

In any case, I’d like to start my professional career right away. Ideally, I'd like to complete a trainee program at a large company – but I'm basically open to many things and will let the future take its course. One thing is for sure, though: I want to stay in Germany. Studying at the University of Mannheim has opened many doors for me: I participated in career fairs and numerous events and made important contacts there. People always think that universities are not very hands-on and practice-oriented, but the University of Mannheim really offers its students a lot of opportunities.

What advice would you like to share with other international students?

In short: go for it!  You will always face challenges or receive rejections, but you should never let that discourage you, because it is small steps that lead to great success. I was also afraid that I wouldn't find a job and received many rejections. But you must not stop applying – and eventually you will make it. I would also recommend that students get involved in student organizations or do voluntary work. This is not only an appreciated asset when applying for a job, you can also learn a lot and at the same time develop your soft skills. In my opinion, studying in Germany is a great experience and I would like to motivate future students from my home country, in particular, to take advantage of these opportunities.

Text: Jessica Scholich / June 2023