International Business BA(Hons): What our students say

"Choosing to study at Kingston was not a very hard choice to make. I come from a small town in Norway and wanted to experience the urban life of London without having to be in the middle of it every day. Kingston University was therefore perfect for me. Kingston is a quiet suburban town located only 25 minutes away from London by train, and was therefore the ideal choice for me – which I haven't regretted since.

When I first came to Kingston University as an international student from Norway, I was not sure what to expect, but soon found the University to be a welcoming university with students and staff from all over the world with different nationalities and backgrounds. Working with people from so many different cultures has enabled me to enhance my business acumen.

The Kingston Business School is a well-equipped and modern business school. The Learning Resources Centre (LRC) has a wide range of resources available for students to use: online and offline journals and books, a Business and Law Academic Skills Centre (BLASC) service where students can get help with your assignments from staff and study areas with 24-hour service. We have also had several guest speakers from the business world in a seminar series called Strategy into Practice, which has been really helpful, showing us the practical side of what we study every day.

I believe that the decision to study at Kingston University is one of the best I have made in my life. The International Business BA(Hons) that I am currently undertaking is very interesting and motivating for my future career. I find all the staff to be very helpful and, above all, very knowledgeable. What I particularly enjoy about my course is the wide range of different modules we cover; everything from marketing and accounting to economics and strategy. I feel that after graduating from Kingston University I will be well prepared for venturing into the business world."

"I remember being unsure as to what to apply for during the UCAS application – there were too many courses and too many universities. In the end it came down to which course was most likely to put me in a good position for developing my career. I chose International Business at Kingston as it had the highest post-degree employability of the new universities and was in the top five London business schools.

There is currently a high demand for international and European managers in multinational corporations, which are usually among the highest paid management jobs too. Plus the skills I have learnt throughout the course, such as accounting, law for business and direct marketing, will come in useful in any job and in any context. One day I hope to run my own company and this skill set will be essential.

Over the three years I have been at Kingston, I have helped set up and run a limited company as part of the young enterprise graduate programme, helped develop a real-life marketing campaign for T-Mobile and written many reports and presentations."

"I left school at 16, with 13 very good GCSEs. After working in the pensions industry for four years, I decided I wanted to expand my opportunities by going to university.

Having researched league tables and articles, I found that Kingston Business School was excelling. I wanted to do a course suited to a career in strategy or project management, so International Business was ideal as the modules it offers provide the exact skills I need. I also found that Kingston caters well for students with unconventional backgrounds. Taking all this into account, it seemed perfect for me.

I feel I have grown as a person since being here. There are things I've learned through my course that I would never learn through work. The programme covers many aspects of business, giving you the opportunity to specialise more as the course goes on. This means I can study areas that I may not have thought about previously.

I have particularly enjoyed the tutorials. They give you the opportunity to ask questions and have debates. There are many proactive lecturers who provide resources such as electronic discussion boards and give you the chance to see them on an individual basis. My first year was a steep learning curve. Initially, report writing was quite challenging. But through constructive criticism from lecturers, I can now write my assignments with confidence.

The University has a large international student base and I've made friends from all over the world. This has opened my eyes to cultures that I may otherwise never have known. As well as the great friends I've made, there are also some amazing societies and clubs. You can join anything from the Business Society to the Snowboarding Club. I'm a Christian and the University enables you to keep in touch with other students of your faith. There really is something for everyone.

Something else I am involved in is the IBM University Business Challenge. I'm the leader of a four-person team working for a company as strategy consultants. The aim is to make as much profit as possible while maintaining product image and customer satisfaction. The knowledge I've gained from this has made me consider starting my own company one day. There are lots of opportunities to become involved in challenges such as this and I would recommend them to everyone.

The Entrepreneur Centre works in conjunction with the University and has information about all these kind of events. It can even help you get funding if you want to start a business. I've also found the company information evenings helpful, where you're given details of the opportunities available to you during and after University.

My experiences here have made me consider new avenues of employment, as well as paths within my chosen career. I feel my mind has been opened at Kingston and my aspirations are continually developing. I am so happy I chose to come here. I know that my potential to succeed has increased greatly because of it."