Xchanging Perspectives October 2012

Xperience. Xplore. Xcel.

Contact Information:BizX International ExchangeDeGroote School of Business1280 Main Street West, DSB 104Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaL8S 4M4

Sriyani Dissanayake, Program CoordinatorTel: 905.525.9140 Ext. 26534Email: bizx@mcmaster.cawww.degroote.mcmaster.ca/exchange

Note from the Editor: It gives me great pleasure to start our very first newsletter! Every year I hear incredible stories from returning students about their time on exchange. It’s only right to share them with you! Our goal is to not only give you insight into our returning student’s experience abroad, but to hopefully give future students a reason to take the leap and go on exchange! - Jonathan Emmanuel

Classy Night!On September 27th 2012, BizX organized our second annual Classy Night! We invited our exchange students to a social night of cards, conversation, and of course dancing! All proceeds from card games went to Free the Children at McMaster.

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Maarten HenkelmanFrom: Tilburg University, Netherlands

Alison HolmFrom: IESEG School of Management, France

Initial reaction to Canada? I found that the people were more outgoing and friendly. If you need help finding your way or to find a place, ask the Canadians around you, and you´ll be fine. I found that Hamilton and Toronto are very multicultural cities, which is clearly a good example of a welcoming and open place.What surprised you the most? I was surprised to see that you can eat and drink, go to the bathroom, and even arrive late to class!What did you learn about yourself? The exchange experience taught me to be more open, although I already thought I was an open person to begin with. I learned to be more tolerant and more welcoming because those are qualities I found during my Canadian encounters.

Tip from Angelina Bong, Returning from University of Warwick, United Kingdom:“Don’t forget to bring an umbrella with the amont of rain in the UK!”

Living on the other side of the world for five months was a life changing experience. I met amazing people from all over the world, got to tour a spectacular country, and learned a lot about myself. It was awesome to be surrounded by people from so many different backgrounds. Travelling around Australia was spectacular. It is such a beautiful country. Before exchange I wasn’t very interested in travelling but now I really want to see the world. Planning vacations, renting cars and going on planes all without my parents for the first time was very liberating. I really feel like I grew up over my time in Australia. I got to do things that I would never have gotten to do had I not participated in an exchange program. The five months went by very quickly, but the memories will stay with me forever.

Laura GoldhaberReturning from: University of Wollongong, Australia

I would recommend everybody in the position to go on an exchange, mainly because it changes you as a person. First of all, you become more independent. Secondly, you get to know many different people from many different cultures. By doing so you expand your intercultural knowledge. This increase in intercultural knowledge provides you with more respect and understanding in a general sense, which can help and assist one later in business. I also strongly believe that the exchange experience will have positive influences on my career path. Not only because I have became more independent and intercultural, but also because the MBA education is a valuable addition in terms of educational experience in general. Besides, recruiters nowadays are more focusing on extra curriculum than ever before. The most important lesson I have learned is that there is always a way to get things done. However, be fair but stay hungry for whatever that is coming on your path. This exchange has been one of the best experiences in my life. It is definitely one that I will never forget!Casper Verhoofstad

From: Tilburg University, Netherlands

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Andre Janssen & Caleb KenrickFrom: University of Western Australia, Australia

Janine WhittingtonReturning from: University of Strathclyde, United Kindgom

Cost of living? I’d say that it is not more expensive in terms of groceries. I found that the store ALDI was very well priced and that I spent a lot less money on food in Scotland than I did in Hamilton.What did you learn? The exchange program made me realize that the world is not as big as I thought it is. It may seem like Europe is a whole different world, but once you get there, you see how easy it is to get around and to communicate with people.

Do any traveling? Countries I visited included Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong, India and China – pretty awesome!How was the food? Food in Singapore is delicious! You can find cheap eats at hawker stalls, however food and alcohol in bars and restaurants are very expensive. It took time getting used to eating a lot of rice, noodles and the lack of vegetables. Advice to students going to Singapore? The ability to travel easily (and cheaply!) from Singapore is what makes it a great place for an exchange, so future students should try to see as much as they can. This can make school somewhat stressful but most of us were able to work really hard during the week, bring our readings on the plane, and still enjoy our weekends in new countries.

Sarah CampbellReturning from: National University of Singapore, Singapore

The following students participated in the exchange & internship program:Jason Li National University of Singapore, SingaporeCharlie Liu University of Wollongong, AustraliaKatie McKinnon Tilburg University, NetherlandsSetareh Rahimian EDHEC Business School, FranceJanine Whittington University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom

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L-R: Thomas Klinger, Philip Zabel, Mitchell Pittaway, Andrew Doan, Lindsay Brent, Ginella Coutinho, Peter Dawkins, Julia Marcu, Linda Dai, Prabhjot Nanda, Priya Khullar, Kirandeep Leten, Olutosin Ipaye, Sasha Charal, Mary McAuley, Sriyani Dissanayake. Missing: Syed Hyder, Jaganvir Sandhu, Iffat Hossain, Serena Kurkjian, Sadaf Ladak.

Introducing our Outgoing 2012-2013 MBA students!

This year our MBA students are heading to EDHEC Business School, Euromed Management, IESEG School of Management, National University of Singapore, and

WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management.

Winner of the 2011-2012 BizX Photo Contest

Congratulations Katie McKinnon!

Omar SaeedCurrently attending National University of Singapore, Singapore

Hello! My name is Omar Saeed and I’m a fifth-year student concen-trating in Marketing and Operations. This is my first time in South East Asia, and my BizX experience in Singapore and studying at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has been nothing short of incredible so far!

I’m beginning to understand that next to work and studies, food is the most important thing in the life of a Singaporean - I see and smell food everywhere I go and can indulge in all kinds of cuisine for cheap ($5 meals!). Personally, my favourite food so far has been the mouth-watering kebabs and wraps served on Arab Street, which specializes in Middle Eastern cuisine.

Over the next few months, I plan to travel around South East Asia with the friends I’ve made here and explore more of what this beautiful part of the world has to offer.

...And i’m off!