Coumba Niasse
International student at Millikin university, Senior, Bilingual Business management major, love travelling & music.
Did you ever wonder what it’s like to be a business management major ? Anny Itonde is willing to take us with her on her journey for 24 hours.
Before getting into it, I think that you should know a little bit more about her. Anny is an international student from Burundi majoring in business management at Millikin University. I reached out to her because we have the same major and I relate to her as an international student majoring in Business as well. Anny inspires me a lot, we have shared more than a few classes together and we always happen to lift each other up !
On her busiest days, Anny usually wakes up at 7am, eats breakfast and have a cup of chocolate milk to start off her day. Her first class is at 8 am then she has consecutive classes until her lunch time, which is at around 12:30pm. After lunch, she goes to work, if not, she goes back home and take a one hour nap. Anny always finds time during the day to rest or take a nap, she says : “it’s important to take a break, because sometimes our brain doesn’t work properly if we feel overwhelmed. A break does not necessarily mean taking a nap, you can just do something else that helps you relax your mind (watch a movie, go to the gym, etc…)” After her break, she checks her “moodle” and make sure all her assignments due are done. Anny uses a calendar to keep up with her school work and it helps her organize everything that she has to do. Later on, Anny hangs out with her friends; she thinks that it’s important to keep a good relationships with her loved ones, Anny says: “Sometimes you might need your friends more than you know, they can cheer you up when needed, and offer a fresh perspective.” To keep a good balance between school, work and her personal life, she creates a routine where she prioritizes herself, school, and then she can work during her free time.
Some advice Anny has for other students, is to ask questions when needed and to get as much credits during the first two years of College so that they can spend the last two years focusing on the important classes. Plus, nobody wants to feel overwhelmed right before graduation!
I reached out to one of my favorite instructors at Millikin University, Dr. J. Mark Munoz, professor of management and international business at Millikin University, for some more advice regarding my major.
I have been in most of his classes and he never fails to inspire me ! He teaches Business Creation, International Business, Business Strategy, and International Business Consulting.
Dr. Munoz answers a few questions that I had prepared for him, and I am more than excited to share them with you!
He believes that some essential skills needed in the business world are effective verbal and written communication skills, understanding of financial statements, sales and marketing, entrepreneurship, and grasp of technology.
To organize, plan and prioritize his work, Dr. Munoz starts by listing his goals, then identify steps to accomplish them and the desired timelines. From these, he sets the priorities and start implementation.
“Business is an exciting but competitive field.” Said Munoz, “Students need to have strong basic business skills. In addition, they need to be constantly aware of trends and changes taking place and adapt accordingly. There are occurrences that can’t be planned for (ie, pandemic). Students need to be prepared to adapt, reinvent themselves, and strategize to win under changing market conditions.”