Finance student insight: Reflections on the first term at WBS

Student bloggers from our range of Finance Master's courses share their insights and reflections on their first term at Warwick Business School.

Luke Jeeves, MSc Financial Mathematics

As expected, my first term here at WBS has flown by. From meeting my course cohort and lecturers, to finding my way around campus and joining societies, there hasn’t been a minute spare. As a new postgraduate to Warwick, this has been great, as it has given me the opportunity to meet loads of people and I’ve not struggled to settle in.

After the whirlwind first couple of weeks, things started to settle, and I found myself getting into a rhythm with my modules and deadlines, getting to know the tight-knit group on my course along the way. This is something I’ve really appreciated on the Financial Mathematics course here at WBS, as we have all been able to come together and share our knowledge from our respective backgrounds. The course is a heavy mix of mathematics, finance and computer science, so it’s only natural that some people have more experience in certain areas. This creates a feeling of camaraderie and togetherness that I didn’t feel so much on a larger undergraduate course. Second to this, the lecturers get to know you personally, which is a massive benefit.

The biggest challenge that I overcame this term was adapting to different delivery styles of module content. Coming from a purely mathematical background, I was only accustomed to one way of learning, but the first few weeks at WBS quickly brought me up to speed, with lecturers offering support hours, and all the necessary learning resources appearing on my.wbs (our internal platform). Now I feel more prepared for the working world after study, as I know information will come at me from all sides in a professional role, and I am better equipped to deal with it.

Celia Greenwood, MSc Business with Financial Management (now MSc Business & Finance)

The first term of school at Warwick Business School (WBS) has been quite an experience to say the least. There have been good days and bad days. Days when I’ve felt lonely (being so far away from home) and days when I’ve realised that I have made a new family here at the university.

I have had the opportunity to make friends with people from all over the world, with different backgrounds and different takes on life. This has truly helped me in seeing the world through the viewpoint of others.

WBS has provided me with unlimited resources and a wealth of knowledge that will carry me on for life. At WBS I have had so many opportunities to learn from experienced business professionals through career talks hosted here at the university and have gotten a chance to speak to a few potential employers via many Career Fairs.

The quality of teaching here at the university has been like nowhere else, with lecturers who are well grounded in their field of study and ready to answer any questions a student might have. Coming into my course I was not prepared for the amount of workload and new information that I had to process. In the beginning, it all seemed very daunting but WBS provides us with tutors who are willing to go through any problems you might have and carefully explain and make things clearer to you.

In all, I have learnt a lot in these first few months, lessons that have helped me grow both academically and personally. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year holds.

Shutong Liu, MSc Accounting & Finance

The first term has been quite challenging and exciting. The curriculum has been fantastic, and we were set a strenuous group project which forced us to learn and practice something new. The lecturers here are so nice and patient that they explained the questions in detail during their office hour if we needed to check anything. There are also lecture recordings for us to review in case we struggle to follow parts of the lecture.

Besides the course work, the School offered us various free opportunities to travel and experience the culture of the UK, such as visiting the University of Oxford, as well as visiting a Christmas Market. I joined the trip to Nottingham Christmas Market and this was a lot of fun!

What has impressed me most is the assistance the School provided with our career and academic development this term. There were all kinds of workshops organised, relating to CV writing, academic assignment training and so on. I even have my own career coach to meet with face to face. I believe this opportunity will be helpful and practical in my future career.

This term has been very meaningful. I learnt a lot and made new friends who are diligent and talented. I made the right choice in coming to Warwick Business School.

Discover more about our range of Postgraduate Finance courses.