Getting real-world experience is a top priority for Faculty of Management student Kayley Fulton.
"The management program relies on applied learning," she says. "By working on real business models and giving presentations, you build skills that you will actually use in your career."
Many of those skills, she continues, are developed through team-based learning.
"Through group work, you learn how to co-ordinate schedules, become a leader, resolve conflicts and deal effectively with people," says this Calgary native who finds the U of L to be a perfect fit for her, both in terms of education and growing as an individual.
"You learn how to be independent – making dinner and doing laundry – but home is only two hours away."
When she is at the University, Fulton spends considerable time in Markin Hall ("I should pay rent," she laughs). Opened in 2010, the building is home to both the Faculty of Management and the Faculty of Health Sciences.
"Markin Hall has many types of classrooms with lots of audio-visual equipment," says Fulton. "Plus, all my management professors are in one location. It's a collaborative environment with a sense of community."
That same feeling also extends to Fulton's many group-based, extracurricular activities, including the JDC West business competition. She has also expanded her horizons in other ways at the U of L. For example, she completed two co-op placements in the Alberta oil sands, where she had opportunities to work in the areas of human resources and information systems. As a result of those experiences, Fulton now wants to pursue a career in the energy sector.
"Co-op brings classroom concepts to life," she says. "It helps you achieve a deeper level of learning."
International exchanges do the same thing. On that note, Fulton spent a semester in Spain, taking university credits and travelling. The experience was a mandatory component of her program – and one that she credits with helping her grow tremendously as a person.
"Nothing builds more character than living in rural Spain without relying on English," she jokes.
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