As I mentioned in previous blogs, I’m taking part in the five year BS/MBA accelerated program for accounting students. This means I’m taking several graduate level courses even though I’m still an undergraduate senior.

So in addition to having peers in this same program with me in these classes, there is a mix of other students pursuing a graduate degree as well. And this certainly leads itself to a new classroom experience.

Some of these students are graduate students who received their undergraduate degree at The University of Scranton and returned to pursue their master’s degree. Others are staff members who work at the university and come from all sorts of departments and offices. Others are international students who have come to the United States to receive their education.

After having several classroom experiences, I can say with confidence that having this variety of students in the classroom is very positive and adds a lot to the courses.

This is because much of the MBA courses seek input from students for classroom discussion. I haven’t had the opportunity to work as a professional yet, so most of my contributions come from experiences with summer jobs or on-campus jobs. But having other people in the class who know what it’s like to work in a professional setting adds a fantastic component to the class.

Not only do these other students have different work experiences, they also bring new perspectives because of when they were born and where they are from. Sometimes we get to have discussions with viewpoints from members of the Millennial, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations. Plus, international students give an insight into other cultures.

In addition to the students that make up the class, the topics and materials in class are also significantly different from my undergraduate classes. Discussion seems to make up much more of the class time, and more materials come from online articles and videos rather than just the textbook.

All in all, these different classroom components truly complement the subject matter that I’m studying. Furthermore, it prepares my classmates and me even better to be future business leaders.