The end of the first term at Henley Business School came quicker than I thought. Looking back, the past few months were certainly eventful, from socials to field trips and of course, the end of term deadlines that will definitely not be missed!

The transition from being a Geography Undergraduate student at Royal Holloway, University of London, to a Digital Marketing Master’s student at Henley Business School was much smoother than I thought. I was initially concerned about the travel as I was commuting to Henley from Slough but I soon became accustomed to the train and bus journey. Whilst the first term consisted of compulsory modules, studying International Strategic Management was a great opportunity to meet students from other Business Master’s programmes. Our lecturer, Professor Rajneesh Narula, was also recently appointed an Honorary Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to business research. I am glad to say I was taught by such a prominent academic whose lectures were always engaging, with the occasional quiz with prizes, which I will miss.

Numerous socials throughout the term provided a chance to meet colleagues from diverse backgrounds. Yes, we don’t say other students or peers, our lecturers refer to us as colleagues in class, which I still find fascinating. Did I also mention the free scrumptious group lunches that we’ve had? Studying Masters comes with more perks than you would think.

As the term went on I found my favourite place to study was at the ARC in Henley Business School, in close proximity to the Henley Café. Caffeine top-ups and lunch breaks have never been more convenient. Moreover, one of my favourite events held at the University had to be the Bonfire Night. Despite the cold, the global food stalls (which are also on campus every Thursday) provided a variety of choice and the fireworks display was absolutely amazing.

Whilst you would expect a Marketing Master’s degree to be full of group work, exams and assignments, I found the Principles of Marketing Simulation game called MixPRO by StratX the most enthralling assessment. A competitive game which leaves you on edge as you develop your marketing mix for 2 products in a technological market. Despite being the only group in the class to start off with a decline in the overall performance, we soon caught up and ended the game in 3rd place, which was quite the turn of events.

The term came to an end with a trip to the Madejski Stadium, where we had the chance to learn about Reading Football Club’s marketing campaign for their sponsor Carabao and got a tour around the stadium. Of course, I did a mini photoshoot and yes that is the inside of the Home team’s locker rooms which are far better than the Away team’s locker rooms! I must say the tour definitely ignited my inner love for football. I hope to be able to watch the next match Reading plays at home, especially as there are buses that run from the University to the stadium, which is not too far away. We also had a Christmas Marketing Social which was a nice way to celebrate the end of term with our lecturers and colleagues.

This term I look forward to learning new things around Business Intelligence and Data Mining. I also have two upcoming events which I’m really looking forward to just before exam season hits. A field trip in February to The Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising in London, and a study visit to Moscow in March. We will be working with students from Moscow State Institute of International Relations, learning about Russian business incubators. Keep an eye out to see how it goes!

To register for the next Postgrad visit day please click: http://hly.ac/pg-visit-reg