MSc Management student Bella Scanio shares her experience of studying during the pandemic...
Bella Scanio began studying for a master’s in Management in 2020. Covid-19 restrictions made for a very different University of Bath experience – one full of online lectures; group work across different time zones; and Zoom quizzes with course mates. Here, she shares some of the lessons she’s learned, in and out of the virtual classroom.
You have more in common with people than you think
“In usual circumstances, you’d make friends with people on your course and immediately have something in common. But the UK lockdown meant we could only see other virtually. I’m lucky to live in Hello Student accommodation with eight people in the flat and we’ve become close.
“I love that we’re all studying different courses and we’re really multicultural – there are students from India and China – and I’m Italian. On the surface we don’t have anything in common, but you find random things. Outside of lockdown, I’ve enjoyed meeting up with course mates and now I have an even bigger friendship group that I might have had before.”
How to get a job over Zoom
“Applying for a graduate job has been a challenge. All the interviews and assessment centres were virtual and it’s difficult to form a bond with someone over a screen. The School of Management’s careers team ran workshops every week to teach us ways of getting across how passionate and engaged we are over a video call, which was really useful. They also gave us tips on how to apply, where to apply and advice for online assessments, so we were helped at every stage of the job search.
“I’m really pleased that I’ve been offered a position at Vodafone in the sales stream. In sales you need to know about every aspect of the company, and the master’s in Management covers everything from marketing and HR, to finance and economics. I chose this course so that I’d be more prepared when I go into the workplace.”
To love the little things
“It’s been strange getting up and being at my desk straight away. It was hard at first, but you adapt. I’ve come to love the things I didn’t enjoy before, like getting the bus or walking up the hill!
“The University has been really supportive throughout – it’s one of things that drew me here, aside from its great reputation for business. I’ve heard other universities take a back step with master’s students because we’re older, but that’s not the case here.
“This year has been incredibly challenging, but the course has been run so well that it hasn’t felt daunting. I think there needs to be more recognition of that, which is why I volunteered to be an Alumni Ranking Ambassador to help spread the word about taking part in the surveys that feed into the School of Management’s rankings and reputation. It’s something I’m passionate about and I’m excited to help in any way I can.”
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