Brookes Shean - Bachelor of Commerce in Entrepreneurial Management (BCom)
The appealing thing about the program itself is that it is so focused on entrepreneurial skills.
I’m a marketing manager for a telecommunications firm in Burlington, Ont. Prior to that I’d spent three years at Sheridan College in Oakville, and now I’ve come to Victoria to finish my Bachelor of Commerce degree.
Initially I was drawn to a university in Florida, but what attracted me here was the RRU International Undergraduate Case Study Competition. I tried out for the university’s team, was selected as a team member and we actually won. Next year RRU will be going for three straight wins at this annual competition.
In the Case Competition your team has three hours to critique a business plan you’re seeing for the first time. It is a real test of your training and experience. I think RRU has an edge because, unlike other competitors, we were practicing 15 hours a week in addition to our regular studies. That experience strengthened everything I was learning in class and I was able to fine-tune my ability to think critically, implement timelines and come up with ideas quickly.
The appealing thing about the program itself is that it is so focused on entrepreneurial skills. We learned everything from how to develop business plans to structuring a public offering. The professors were second to none. All have extensive experience in many different areas of the working world. That was a major reason I came here: You’re not learning from book-smart professors, they’ve been out in the business environment and can prepare us for what lies ahead.
It is definitely a mentor-based program. During the third and fourth quarters, when we were doing our major business plan, we contacted a lot of professors we’d had earlier in the year for input on finances, marketing and whatever else we needed. I can picture myself staying in touch with the faculty and seeking advice as my career progresses. It sounds like they’re more than willing to help.
This degree has helped me to focus on where I’m headed next. I’d like to move into a larger company where I can apply what I’ve learned here while working with experienced marketing and financial people who I can look to for mentorship. In terms of education, I’ll probably get a project management designation next, which I can do online. Then I’ll be going for my MBA later on. You have to constantly upgrade your education to stay competitive in work force and stay fresh.
My best advice for new learners is to be motivated and ready for a pretty intense course load. You can still have a personal life, you can still work part time. And I definitely suggest people stay active. RRU has a great gym on campus. There’s walking and biking trails all through the grounds. Best of all you’ll make more friends than you ever thought possible – friends from all over the world. We have graduates heading off to places like England and Germany, so you’ll have contacts everywhere.
