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City and country of birth: Jakarta, Indonesia
Latest employer and job title: Country Growth Manager, Jiva Agriculture
How has studying business in the UK enriched your learning experience? Cambridge has provided me with an immersive work and study environment, with a rich history and a passion for future innovation. In this environment, I also benefit from adapting to a work and study culture that has different nuances than my native Indonesian culture. Additionally, seeing how much Justice Cambridge values diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) gave me a broader perspective on understanding many of the issues important to business leadership. The combination of these elements will undoubtedly improve your ability to adapt to the rapidly changing dynamics of global business.
Beyond our learning culture, the UK is a melting pot where so many amazing people from all over the world come to study here. The network I am building at Cambridge Judge, and what I am learning as part of the Global MBA Cohort, is one of the best parts of my experience here at Cambridge.
I also believe that in order to have a rich experience by studying abroad in the UK, you should also try and do other things that you can get in the UK to enrich yourself. For me, as someone who enjoys art, especially going to museums and theaters, the UK offers an amazing range of experiences. We spent many days this semester enjoying beautiful museums and great theater!
What has been the most difficult thing about living in the UK so far? What did you do to overcome this challenge? I’m from a tropical country in Southeast Asia, so the immediately obvious adaptation is the difference in climate, but it wasn’t what I expected. I found that I could easily adapt to colder temperatures if I wore the right warm clothes. It’s amazing how short the days are and how rarely we see the sun. In this country, it’s already pitch dark at 4pm in the winter! I overcame this problem by staggering my sleep and wake times to expose myself to more sunlight. We also have a lamp in the room that can reproduce sunlight even on dark days.
Tip for all tropical people preparing for the British winter: Don’t waste your baggage allowance by buying a jacket in your home country. There are more options here when you arrive, and there are also plenty of student discounts available in the UK. Lots of stores!
What school services were most helpful in your transition to life in the UK? How did they help you adapt? There are two business school services that I have found most helpful. One is the careers team at Cambridge Judge Business School and the other is the counseling service provided by the university.
The main reason many people earn an MBA is to take their career to the next level. Beyond the main curriculum of the Cambridge MBA program, the school also supports us through its Careers Service, which offers a number of workshops and industry events to help students gain a deeper understanding of how best to restart their careers after an MBA. We offer events. I myself learned many useful things from these workshops.
Coping with the study and workload of an MBA course while adjusting to a new life in a new country can be a stressful experience. When I feel overwhelmed, I find that talking to a college counselor is a helpful way to deal with my situation and gain a better perspective. Cambridge University Counseling Services offers consultation sessions where our highly considerate and empathetic staff will listen to you and help you process your thoughts and feelings more clearly.
What is the most interesting cultural nuance of people living in the UK? Why did this surprise you? Lots of pubs! Pubs everywhere you look!
I quickly realized that even in a small town like Cambridge, you could walk in any direction and find a pub within 10 minutes. And the sports that excited people in these pubs are different from my country. When I first arrived, everyone in every pub was excited about the Rugby World Cup. In my country, many people don’t even know what rugby is.
Are you looking for a visa to work in the UK after graduation? If so, what obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them? Yes, this is one of the options I’m considering. What is very interesting in the UK is the graduate visa system. This system allows you to apply for this visa immediately after completing your studies. This visa scheme allows graduates to stay in the UK for up to three years while looking for post-MBA employment in the UK.
With the current visa system, there are not many obstacles. However, keep an eye on the UK government’s immigration policy news. This is a very active topic in the UK, as the situation is changing rapidly.
What did you do in business school to make it easier to make friends with people outside your home country? Food exchange! Introduce delicious food from your country and ask your friends to tell you where to buy delicious food from their countries. Often, your new classmates or friends will invite you to a delicious home-cooked dinner featuring dishes from their own country. The entire MBA class and the dinner with my international classmates turned out to be the most amazing experience I have ever had.
What advice would you give to international students considering studying on a postgraduate business program in the UK? Know what you really want from your experience and learn how to prioritize it.
The most significant difference between UK postgraduate business programs (and similar to other European MBA programs) is the one-year duration. The benefits are well worth it as you can restart your career faster and the cost is clearly lower than a two-year program. However, it is important to note that this also means taking the same number of courses as a two-year program in a shorter period of time (12 months) or four terms, like at Cambridge Judge Business School. This means that university terms can be very busy and the workload can be quite intense. Your time will be very valuable.
You need to be very good at time management and prioritization to face this situation. Whatever you want to do during your MBA program, you’ll find an opportunity to do it, but many interesting opportunities may conflict with your schedule. If this is the case, think honestly about which opportunity best fits your MBA priorities and choose that opportunity. Given your schedule, missing out on something is a reality you have to accept, so manage your fear of missing out (FOMO).
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