A day in the life of an MSc Business & Finance student

Our MSc Business & Finance student ambassador, Xiao shares his typical day from start to finish.

Preparing for my lectures and seminars

Normally I start my day at 8:00 or 8:30. After taking a shower and finishing my breakfast, I listen to some music and begin to review my lecture or seminar materials. Today is a typical Monday of Term 2; I have 2 seminars at 12:00 and 14:00. I spend some time reviewing my lecture notes, as well as trying to solve some problem sets based on Corporate Finance. I also look at a case study based on Strategic Management Accounting and review my notes to try and clarify my knowledge of these areas. Usually, if I still have some time available before my first seminar I will watch the pre-recorded videos of my lectures in ordered to be prepared for my lectures the following day.

The Strategic Management Accounting online seminar

Due to the impact of COVID-19 and the number of restrictions that are currently in place it hasn’t been possible for WBS to organise face-to-face seminars so far this term. The advantages of online seminars is that I don’t have to spend time travelling to WBS and I can make the most of the recorded seminars by reviewing them as and when I need to.

During my Strategic Management Accounting online seminar, we are separate into groups to discuss our case questions which is ‘to what extent the conventional managements accounting systems might have contributed to Horizon Plc’s poor financial and non-financial performance’. Following our discussion, each group is then asked to do a small presentation to present our thoughts, and usually, our lecturer will give us some tips and advice about how to discuss our thoughts more systematically. I have found my online seminars to be very well organised and in-depth, giving everyone the opportunity to share their thoughts and opinions with the group. I have found that by learning from my classmates I gain great insights by listening to their perspectives.

The Corporate Finance online seminar

After my first seminar, I have a 1-hour break before my second seminar. I always use this time to have my lunch and sometimes I take a short nap to make sure I have enough energy for my next seminar. For my lunch, I usually reheat my meal from the night before or I make a quick and simple sandwich. During the Corporate Finance online seminar, we go through how to solve the problem set, which provides a great opportunity for us to work on our problem-solving skills and build a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.

Relaxing and working on my assignments

Once I have finished all my lectures or seminars for the day I like to relax by watching a TV series, chatting with my friends, or going out for a walk around campus to get some fresh air. I feel really lucky that I am able to live in Lakeside, not only because it is only a five-minute walk to the WBS building, but also because the views around Lakeside are truly gorgeous! After I have spent an hour or so relaxing, I usually review the materials from the week or work on next week’s materials and assignments. I try to spread out my workload when it comes to my assignments instead of working overtime in the days before the assignment deadline which I find to be a lot more stressful.

Making the most of my free time

I always cook dinner for myself at around 18:00. Since arriving in the UK I have tried making various kinds of dishes including Chinese cuisine and also some western dishes. I find cooking healthy and delicious meals helps me to relax after a hard day of studying. Before I moved to the UK and started my journey at WBS I knew nothing about cooking so it has been a great new skill for me to learn. After my dinner, I like to chill out and watch a movie or work on my photography. I also spend time working on job applications as well as catching up with my family on a video call.

Discover more about Xiao’s course and our range of postgraduate courses.