Application

The application process via MicroEDU went smoothly because I had all the documents and I was able to have them forwarded to the EBSL at Regent’s University via CC. A small note for prospective students who have not yet dealt with applications to private universities or British universities in general: You are expected to write a letter of motivation. This means that you should write why you are interested in the university and the program, how participating in the program can help you with your career planning, and what contribution you can make. Don’t worry too much about the last part, just think about the qualities that characterize you in terms of teamwork, behavior in class or your general attitude towards new experiences.

Accommodation

I rented an apartment in the Nido, a private student residence. The Nido is relatively expensive, but has a very good connection to the tube (King’s Cross) and has the advantage that I don’t have to worry about the Internet or any other formalities. A fitness studio is also available and included in the price.

If you want to look for alternatives, you can get help from the university or look around on relevant portals such as Gumtree. Don’t be put off by the fact that some parts of the city are a little further away from the university. The fact that the underground network in London is excellent means that longer distances can also be bridged easily.

Education

The study itself was the greatest innovation that presented itself to me. So far I had studied at public universities in Germany, which means that some lectures were attended by several hundred students. At the EBSL this is completely different:

My lectures are attended by a maximum of 30 students at the same time, and the groups in the seminars are even smaller. In our introductory week there were numerous events to get to know fellow students from their own pathway. Our pathway leader also introduced himself, immediately gave us his phone number and said we could contact him at any time by phone or Skype. He became a lecturer because he likes to work with people and that includes being available on weekends. As this suggests, the atmosphere is much more personal than at large universities. Read more experience for studying abroad on Top-engineering-schools.

In general, the lecturers are very well chosen. Most of them have worked in business for years and can therefore really relate to “reality”. There are lecturers here too who offer rather average classes, but overall I can’t complain about them as they deal with practical and current topics.

The lectures always manage to create the context for current topics, which is also reflected in the literature list. In addition, you are expected to read at least the headlines of the business news every day and to know common key figures (stock indices, yields on government bonds, commodity prices,…) so well that you at least know the magnitudes and can participate in the discussion. By the way, the point of discussion is very important in the classroom. In lectures and (especially) in the seminars, a lot of emphasis is placed on discussions and arguments. In the events I learned to appreciate that our own opinion is welcome and even challenged as long as we can argue based on facts. The relevance of the argumentation is also reflected in the examinations, which rarely have a clear solution, but often require an analysis of the situation and a logical argumentation towards a possible solution. This is one of the points that I like best, because checklists and clear, empirically verifiable solutions to economic problems are not assumed.

The exams consist of group and individual work. There are usually several exams per module, which either consist of presentations, essays or exams. In the first semester I only had to write one exam, the rest consisted of the other types of exams. I found this type of test very pleasant, because it doesn’t matter that you memorize facts and formulas in laborious work. Rather, it is important to know certain facts, to understand connections and to prove this understanding in the exams.

The workload is quite high in places, but quite feasible if you approach the tasks with the appropriate attitude – which you should be able to expect from master’s students.

University

People who previously only knew mass universities will experience a culture shock at the EBSL: The EBSL’s location – in the middle of Regent’s Park – is unbeatable. The building – especially if you enter it through the back entrance – looks like what you would imagine a traditional British or American university to be.

The space may not be perfect, but in terms of functionality it is the best I’ve seen at universities so far. The computers in the IT area are modern and almost every classroom has modern IT and presentation equipment. For master’s students there is the “Postgraduate Area”, which can only be accessed with an activated access card. This area includes further group work rooms, a common room and a dedicated computer room.

The university also offers a career service, which is standard in England. This offers workshops and individual consultations, whereby the individual consultations are a particularly valuable resource. In the individual consultations, the résumé is optimized and there is help with cover letters and online applications. Advice is also available for people who have not yet decided on a career path. The workshops are rather average as they deal with very rudimentary knowledge, but a few aspects were quite interesting.

As has already been written in other reports, the bachelor students are the prototype of snobbish children from rich parents. Many of these students appear very superficial for the reasons given in other reports. When I read this in previous experience reports, I was unsure whether this university was the right place for me, but then let it depend, as it was also mentioned that this was mostly the case in the Bachelor’s degree.

Now that I’m here, all I can say is that I didn’t notice this problem in the Master at all. Here, too, a few definitely fall into the “rich” category, but the people in my course have nothing of the stereotype of snobbish and pampered children, but are down-to-earth people with whom one can talk sensibly. This is probably due to the fact that a different pace is set in the master’s than in the bachelor’s degree, you have to start with a certain level of motivation and the criteria are stricter than in the bachelor’s degree.

London

In short: I love this city. Local public transport is unbeatable and the city offers tons of opportunities. Whether you just want to see the city or museums or whether you prefer pubs and clubs: there is something for everyone – in a multitude and variety that will inspire everyone.

Life here can be very expensive, but the city offers an incredible number of experiences. I could start listing all the benefits in detail now, but I think everyone should experience this for themselves.

Conclusion

Going to the EBSL was definitely the right decision. After the theoretical content in Germany, I can now round off my training with a practical and up-to-date perspective. The university, the lessons, the environment and my fellow students are absolutely suitable for studying in an international environment and getting to know new mentalities and ways of thinking. In discussions, opinions are regularly expressed that I would never have heard in Germany, because they come from people who live in other countries and therefore have a different perspective on many issues. I can only recommend anyone who has the opportunity to study at the EBSL to take it.