Being a business major is no easy business. Other students may have misconceptions of what being a business student really means. But, it is in fact much more than wearing blazers and shaking hands. No, people do not just major in business because they failed out of engineering or biology or because they really liked the movie The Wolf Of Wall Street; most major in it because they have a passion for innovation and managing people to create a more productive and convenient tomorrow. Though this road may be paved with many blazers and handshakes, it is also lined with many struggles we face to stay on top of those business classes that will one day hopefully lead us to the top of the business world.
1. Online ClassesIf you are a part of the Heavener School of Business at UF, then you are probably in the process of mastering the art of self-discipline. This self-discipline is necessary because it seems as if every tracking class is only offered online, which leads to the temptation of procrastination. Because most of us do not have to worry about running to and from classes and spending hours in lecture halls, it sometimes takes a lot to sit ourselves down in front of our laptops and “attend” class when we could easily sit ourselves down in front of Netflix instead. You may get away with not watching lectures for one class or so, but trust that even though you may not be watching it, that does not mean the exam is any less difficult or that the grade in the class is any less calculated into your GPA.
2. Heavener HallWhy would Heavener Hall be a struggle, you ask? It’s beautiful and brand new, with a cafe, academic advisers and open study areas all located on the corner of campus with huge windows where you can study and look out at all the people waiting in line at Chipotle (where you’d probably rather be). Except that every time you try to get a study room, you realize it’s already booked for the day. I know I am not the only business student trying to study in quiet who has experienced this. Heavener, you are so pretty but you have too few study rooms.
3. The Walk to TutoringZoneMany students majoring in the sciences and math take advantage of the convenient location of Study Edge. Rain or shine, your packet and review session is conveniently located right in Midtown. Well, for many of us business majors, it is more preferred to utilize Study Edge’s competitor, TutoringZone. Unfortunately, walking there will take about an extra six minutes, and time is precious when it’s raining outside and you have four online lectures to catch up on.
4. The Desire To Study Abroad… But the Lack of MoneyYes, maybe one day we will hopefully be the CEO millionaires we are working toward becoming. But right now, most of us are broke students with champagne taste and a beer budget. We crave the noodles of Rome, but settle for the noodles of Ramen. With over 60 percent of the business school students studying abroad at some point, it is hard to get away from the constant hankering from advisers and administration to study abroad and explore what the world has to offer. Perhaps after hours of painstakingly filling out scholarships and picking up odd part-time jobs during summer, we will all be able to take classes in a more cultured city than Gainesville.
5. Being Told Your Major is EasyThere is a far too common idea that majoring in a business discipline is an easy and relaxing major that attracts only the Greeks and the lazy students who could not handle “more difficult” majors. Yet this is such a subjective comment because what one person is good at does not dictate what another person is. A chemistry prodigy does not necessarily know how to pass a marketing class, just like an accounting major may not know how to be a nuclear engineer. We are all hopefully majoring in areas we enjoy the most and will excel in, so enough with bashing people for their passion. Regardless of major, we all work hard, we all pull our share of all-nighters at Lib West, and we all deserve to complain about the rigor of our classes sometimes.
Financial and managerial accounting will probably kick our butts, and most of us get anxiety over the thought of having to pin down an internship for every summer. We have perfected the art of an interview and know exactly how to write a cover letter. In the end, we are all striving towards the same goal: success. However you define success is based on your visions, values, happiness and probably the amount of time you dedicate to watching online lectures. Suit up, business majors, because we are in this together.
Photo credit:warrington.ufl.edu