OUMAIMA HABACH
I STUDIED IN NYC FOR FIVE MONTHS
Last January, I left France to go abroad on a Global Manager Certificate exchange. I studied in New York City at Pace University for a period of 5 months. This academic exchange was one of the main reasons I chose to enrol at EDHEC Business School because it was a goal of mine to experience the American dream.
This once-in-a-lifetime experience taught me a lot, both from a personal and academic perspective.
The lectures at Pace University were very valuable. Most of my courses were pre-determined by the EDHEC-PACE agreement. However, I was able to choose a "fashion marketing" elective class, which became my favourite class to attend. Our professor invited many VIP guest speakers in class to share their knowledge and experience with us. It was a true source of inspiration and motivation to pursue my career in this marketing field.
I also enjoyed our “Entrepreneurship” course. We had the chance and the honour to learn from Professor Bruce Bachenheimer. We learned a lot about taking opportunities, how to see the value in tiny things, and how to take the plunge to build a business.
Our “International trade and business” course was also very instructive. We discussed and worked on real case studies. Teamwork and debate were a big part of the learning approach, which was very enriching.
As part of our Global Manager Certificate, we visited the headquarter of Bloomberg LP in Manhattan. I discovered how to do business in the U.S., and how much American companies give importance to being open-minded and creative.
The PACE University campus is one of the oldest ones in Manhattan. It is very well located, near the Brooklyn Bridge and the World Trade center. Everything was available on campus, including a large cafeteria, a gym, and workspaces. It was a friendly studying-environment and my friends and I spent unforgettable moments together there, until late at night.
During this five-month experience, I also took the time to visit the United States. I discovered a new culture very different from my Morrocan roots and I loved it. I visited some of the most prestigious universities in the country such as Harvard University in Cambridge and UCLA in Los Angeles. I also went to famous museums and memorials like the Museum of Modern Art, the 09/11 memorial, and the White House.
I am very grateful for this life-changing experience and I am thankful EDHEC Business School gave me this opportunity. I will never forget it.
Connect with Oumaima on LinkedIn.
