Reflective Essay

Student Name

Course

Professor Name

Date: 19th December 2022

 Reflective Essay

My name is Reyan Liaquat, and I am currently enrolled in University of Sterling

pursuing MSc in International Business (Marketing). From the start of my educational

journey, I have always lived by the motto of “Aim for the stars, if you fall short you will land

on the moon.” This aim has helped me choose the hardest hurdles in life because I always

wanted to reach my highest potential. The journey of being a student is not an easy one. Back

in my country, Pakistan when I was doing Bachelors in Hazara University, I came across

many colleagues who gave up. Not only I gathered the courage to not give up during the time

when studies got tough, but I also motivated my friends to continue and take it as a challenge

for personal development.

During my journey as a student, I have learned my hidden skills and talents. Being

around my family, I was always reliant on my family members for my personal tasks.

However, being in Hazara University, I moved to dorms and there I learned the biggest thing

about myself: independence. I had to organise my own schedule, finances, and projects for

the first time ever in my life. It took me a bit to adjust, but once I did, I found it to be a

tremendous source of personal strength. I've mastered the art of multitasking so that I can get

everything done while still having leisure time. Having to rely on my own abilities has made

me stronger and more capable. I have confidence in my own decision and am no longer afraid

to advocate for myself. In both my professional and personal life, I actively pursue

experiences that push me beyond my usual boundaries. Last semester, I decided to take a

math class even though I have never been excellent at arithmetic. Failing the class would

have jeopardised my progress on the course, but I opted to challenge myself and succeed

through hard effort and faith in my own abilities.

 Another major thing I learned about myself during my student journey was my ability

to be resilient. I always believed I cannot adapt to harsh conditions and that I am a spoiled

child who would not be able to take life obstacles. But during my student life, I was resilient

and adaptive to change. I recall this one semester when I could not choose the professor I

wanted for my Business Communication course. It really disappointed me because I believed

that only one specific professor could hone my communication skills. However, after several

efforts, I decided to drop out of the course itself. Until I realized that this is a challenge for

me and I should take this course and adapt to the change life is throwing at me in the face of

not providing me my choice of professor. So, I went for the new professor and developed a

special bond with him. I confessed how I went from not opting for this course to loving it

because I stayed resilient.

Some of my key achievements during my student journey have been winning

scholarship back to back for my initial 4 semesters. The scholarship was awarded to students

who scored a GPA of more than 3.5. Another notable achievement was being in Dean’s List

for those 4 semesters because of my excellent performance during the semesters.

Explore a significant challenge during studies and what learned

The most significant challenge during my student journey was managing time. Having

more control over my own time is a welcome side effect of gaining independence. During my

student journey in high school, I often put off doing homework until the last minute, at which

point I would be frantically struggling to meet the due date. To keep up with my full

academic load, part-time work, and extracurricular interests, I have had to become a master

of time management. I learned that time management is the most important skill if I want to

make the most out of my busy student life. I learned the importance of time management

after first semester when I realized I was juggling with finishing assignments on time just
before deadline while I was not able to work on other aspects of my life such as co-curricular

activities, participating in other societies and organizations and my social circle. From second

semester onwards, I learned to set timeline for my studies. I participated in several societies

at university to have a better social life and feel self-fulfilled.

Another challenge I faced was building a social circle of friends that I deeply valued

and they deeply valued me. I have always made surface-level friends and it will always make

me feel overwhelmed. I learned that student journey is where I can work on building a strong

network of close friends. The wide range of backgrounds represented among students is a

strength of higher education institutions. There are people here from many walks of life and

cultures, each bringing something unique to the classroom. There were a lot of people in my

classes, and at first, I was nervous to study with them, but then I realized that we were all in

the same position. So much of what I know and understand comes from the experiences and

perspectives of my many friends, classmates, and professors. I have also learned the value of

making connections outside of work. Many university teachers have professional networks

that may be used to locate internships and jobs after graduation. I owe my first internship to

my International Business professor.

How can this learning be applied in other aspect of studies/career/life

My time management skill and learning has helped me in every aspect of my life.

Every week, I schedule some time to think about and prepare for the responsibilities and

duties I will be facing in the next week. I have become much better at prioritizing my studies

and avoiding distractions when I need to put in study time. As a Business student, I can

anticipate working on challenging projects that need extensive preparation, coordination of

many individuals, and strict adherence to deadlines. If I can improve my time management

skills today, I will be able to finish tasks on budget and on time. Time management also helps
me in allowing me to give time to my family, friends, and other hobbies. I love working out

at gym as it refreshes my mind and when I was struggling with meeting deadlines, I had a

deteriorating effect on my mental health because of no physical exercise. Thus, time

management has allowed me to give at least 2 hours, 3 times per week to physical activities

such as workout or swimming. This helps me build myself strong mentally and physically

both to face other challenges in student and career life. Time management also has provided

me with a sense of balance and peace. When I would struggle to manage time, my work and

assignments were haphazardly done throughout the day. But now, I have more sense of calm

as time management also gives me free time to also look for new prospects for my career and

plan my life ahead with mental clarity.

Another important lesson was learning to build a social network during my student

journey and the importance of it was realized once I started looking for career opportunities

and internships. Professors were my biggest source of social network as they provide me with

guidance on future job paths and methods for increasing my marketability once graduated. I

learned that teachers are helpful individuals to have on my side since they may be able to

provide as references in the future while I am job hunting. Furthermore, this has practically

helped me as I was applying for internships, I added my professors as my reference who can

vouch for my abilities and skills.

Another way that I learned to build network is connect with teachers on social media.

Teachers and administrators use social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn at

disproportionately high rates. I was advised to add my voice to ongoing discussions and

shape new ideas with the help of these channels. By doing so, I not only have access to fresh

data and perspectives, but also contribute my own insights to the discussion. This almost

never goes unnoticed, and it eventually leads to connections who asked for my advice and

made themselves accessible to me. A personal relationship is essential for gaining

professional advice and guidance and advancing one's career. Maintaining frequent contact

keeps me in people's minds, increasing the likelihood that they will think of me when a

relevant opportunity arises. This learning has been the most important for my personal

development as I am able to build a strong network, work with individuals and develop cross-

cultural communication skills by socializing with people from diverse backgrounds.

 Appendix

Personal Development Plan

SWOT Analysis

Strengths Weaknesses

 I have a strong grip at team  My weakness is I do not delegate

management and cross-cultural tasks to others and try to finish them

communication. on my own.

 My most unique ability in business

world is strategic thinking.

 I manage my team effectively and

ensure timely submissions of tasks.

Opportunities Threats

 Meet new people from different  As International Business is a fast-

backgrounds and build my paced industry, I will have to keep

communication skills. updated with the latest trends and

 I am currently enrolled in an market information.

International University where I can

build professional contacts.

Skills Audit

 Communication skills to communicate across cross-cultural teams and individuals.

 Collecting, analysing, and organizing information and determining what market

information is required.
  Working in teams, understanding needs and respond to them as an individual or with

the help of team.

 Customer focus to help businesses treat their customers as the most important asset.

Personal Goals

 Build a career in Oil and Gas Sector as Business Consultant.

 Have financial stability in the future.

 Increase my savings on the long-term.

Personal Objectives

 Complete my MSc International Business (Marketing).

 Open up a savings account to deposit monthly savings.