Public Syllabus

Underestimating Business Majors

“You’re a business major!? Oh, so you did not get into engineering school.” That is the reaction most college of business students receive when they tell people they are majoring in the business field. Countless people underestimate business majors. However, there are many things that go into being a business major. Majoring in this field requires adopting numerous skill sets that range from corporate skills to everyday communication, such as balancing funds, managing companies and pleasing customers. This first photograph I captured on my first day at UM-Dearborn College of Business. The glass archway and the revolving doors were a taste of my upcoming experience. I pictured myself opening these for the coming three years as if I am entering my home.  

Business has always been my passion ever since I was in high school. My journey commenced in my junior year where I decided to sign up for business classes to earn my elective credits. Signing up for Personal Finance course was one of the best decisions I made. The course consisted of a ten-hour online application based program sponsored and certified by TCF Bank. This program covered business related topics about banking, mortgage, and debit and credit. These topics were taught in module format and consisted of virtual, application-based activities and scenarios. On completing this course, I received a certificate of completion that read: “This certificate hereby confirms that Wajiha Fawaz has been certified through the Everfi Financial Scholars Program.”  This course boosted my overall skills and sparked my curiosity for business. Class after class, I realized that my interests revolved around business majors and my career choice narrowed down to finance.

Part of what made UM rank among my top choices where I was going to study finance was the diversity of options and opportunities for business students, such as fraternities and sororities available on campus. Of the numerous fraternities that UM offers at the college of business is Alpha Kappa Psi, which enables COB students to engage in various business events as a way to boost their communication skills and aid them in developing connections. One of the many events that were hosted by AKP is their rushing event to encourage and inform students about the benefits of joining their fraternity. The attached picture was taken during their rush event which I attended with my friend. As a result of attending the event, I became motivated to become a part of their brotherhood in my sophomore year.    

Part of what makes business such an interesting field to major in is that it does not focus on the past, but rather, it looks toward the future. To help COB students to look into their future, UM- Dearborn holds career fairs throughout the semester. These fairs are meant to assist juniors and seniors into taking their first steps in the business world. At these events, students are able to approach and communicate with the representatives in the field. As for the freshmen and sophomores, attending a career fair at this point enables them to visualize what a business major requires them to do. The picture to the right is me attending my first career fair. Taking this step was a major stepping stone for me; it gave me a glimpse of corporate life and it solidified my desire into going into business. Furthermore, it made me think more about life after college and the transition between business school and the business world.       

After attending the career fair, I became more ambitious in taking opportunities to get myself closer to my goals. I went above and beyond in my Business Administration class to get the opportunity of meeting the Dean of Business at the end of the semester. I decided to take an advantage of this opportunity by pushing myself hard to complete the requirements of the course in less than a month. Although completing the work was not difficult, it imposed a great pressure on me to get it done in a short time. This picture proves that hard work pays off; I got to have lunch and talk with dean after I strived during the entire semester to meet this goal. While meeting with the Dean, we conversed about the different aspects in the business field.  His words still ring in my ear when he said, “Keep up the hard work and once your name is stuck in my head, I will reach out to businesses and recommend hiring you in higher positions.” With his kind and motivating words, he inspired me to push myself hard even more and look forward to meeting him again. This reinforces the idea that going into business is quite challenging and requires passion and determination.

As a freshman who is still completing unrelated courses to my major, I decided to take a step ahead and climb the ladder of success gradually. I was motivated enough to create a resume and business cards to prepare ahead of time for my future career. One day these are going to be among the most powerful tools that I need to hold high positions in my workplace. Even though I currently play a negligible role in the business world, in the future, I am going to have a position of power.           

Going into business requires far more than just memorizing formulas to build houses, it takes adaptability to succeed in this social industry. It requires creativity and quick thinking to make an impact in the field. I believe that all careers, ranging from engineering to medicine, are tied back to business. It takes hard work to be thrive in this field, and it is not designed for everyone, since it takes a certain personality and skill sets. However, many people who take a chance on business enjoy their careers and impose a greater impact in the entire field of business.