From China to Boston-An International MBA Student Perspective

Post by:
Kira Sargatzke
International MBA 2012

Hello everyone! I am very excited, because this is my first blog. My name is Kira and I am part of the One-Year International MBA Program here at Boston University. Now autumn has finally arrived in Boston and with it, a lot of work (midterms, group projects, etc.). It’s almost like our summer semester in China. As you may know, the IMBA program starts with a three month summer term in China.

Beginning on May 1^st, we spent our first month in Beijing before moving to Shanghai for June and July. Since I had never been in China before, both cities were fascinating in their own way. Beijing is so rich in culture, that it is definitely a must-see on every China trip. If it is the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Art District or the Chinese Wall, everything was worth seeing it.

Shanghai, on the other hand, is totally different. It is the commercial center of China, sort of like New York is the commercial center of the US, and very modern. If it’s the different cultural districts, the amazing restaurants, the nightlife or the shopping areas, Shanghai has a lot to offer to enjoy your stay there.

But besides all these nice leisure activities, the classes kept us very busy. All classes in China are core classes of the IMBA program which means they are required for graduation. While classes in Beijing already required a lot of work, the part in Shanghai was even more challenging. Classes are taught as intensives, which made it a little easier, because you just have to focus on one class at a time. However, at the same time, we worked on our integrated project concerning a business start-up in China which increased the workload a bit more.

Nevertheless, the three months in China just flew by and now we are all in Boston. Starting with the pre-term in mid-August, classes are now already half way done. However, after having studied and lived with all of my 26 IMBA classmates for three months in Beijing and Shanghai, Boston is very different. Now we have different classes, live in different areas of Boston and probably also have different worries than in China. But with all the activities offered by BU (student clubs, cohort cup, cheers with professors) I am really enjoying my time here in Boston. Since graduation is in May, time to explore BU and Boston is very limited. So, we better get started now!