Daryna's BBA story: from Exploring Possibilities to Finding my Path

Daryna Savchuk, alumna of Business Administration from Ukraine

When it was time to choose a field of study, I was unsure. One month, it was a designer; another, a biologist; then a financial manager and an event manager. The truth is, I didn't want to focus on just one field. I wanted something that would let me explore the broad spectrum of opportunities in a "world of jobs" and apply my creative and analytical skills. Then I realised many of my interests were related with business, and that wherever life takes me, further building my professional skills in business would open many doors to the next steps in my life.

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About the studies and Tartu

The studies were very intense, interesting and fun. My initial plan was to study business for 3 years in Tartu, but I ended up completing my bachelor’s over 4 years across 3 countries thanks to my exchange studies. BBA was about cool people, lots of useful practical tasks and an up-to-date programme with subjects that actually explain to you what business is. Importantly, we did not get the ready-to-go-for-work guide as many would expect from university education, but something more realistic - an understanding of what skills we need and what jobs we could aim for, the same as what we personally are capable of.

BBA gave me a great understanding of the business opportunities, and now I have a vision of where to move next, which skills I wish to improve, and what interests me most. The programme promotes Estonia and, at the same time, pays close attention to international business, teaching us skills that businesses in any country would need. Given that it was also taught in English, it opens doors to working at international companies worldwide. The programme is also very up-to-date, as it focuses on the modern needs of economies and societies and recognises modern technologies, which makes me feel I won't fall behind in today's world and its challenges. Moreover, and very importantly, BBA taught me to collaborate and build my network, which I can recreate in any environment I end up in.

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I think the University of Tartu and Tartu are GREAT PLACES for students. Our studies emphasised networking and collaboration a lot - most of the tasks were done in groups or discussed. Also, BBA offers classes in Delta building which ARE modern and very cozy. I stayed in Delta more than in my own room!

The town is super easy to commute, has lots of green zones, safe and quite calm but has its special spots for gatherings and even offers nice dorms. Also, what I absolutely liked is that finding friends in Tartu was easy and the town starts feeling cozy very soon.

Erasmus studies

I definitely recommend everyone to go on Erasmus exchange at least once. I have done it twice, because already after 2 weeks on my first exchange I was applying for a new semester in a new country! I would say that Erasmus is a core chapter for building, first of all, your personality and experiencing life. You challenge yourself by moving into a new country, facing different culture and lifestyle, and meeting people from all over the world and it truly can change how you see life. Also, studying in a new institution and covering different subjects give you a new studying experience and help you build more skills. For example, I found out BBA studies in UT were much more practical and collaborative while in 2 other universities they emphasised theory and individual work.

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From ESN Tartu to TEDx

Since my first year, I have been part of ESN Tartu, where I also served as a Financial Manager for 1.5 years. I also joined the International Student Ambassadors programme. I recommend you start as soon as you arrive, since you will meet your friends there, find activities to join or organise, and become more aware of what is going on in student life in Tartu overall. I would say those helped me integrate more quickly and find something interesting to do after classes, or even learn skills useful for work (like accounting and finance).

I also initiated the organisation of TEDxUniversity of Tartu, a major event in collaboration with the renowned external organisation TEDx. There was a lot of work to do, and I joked that I was working part-time on this project. At the same time, I felt this gave me priceless experience in project and event management, as well as HR. Also, I got to work with my friends, and just nice people, and I really enjoyed it. The people at UT played a big role in making this event happen, as they were really optimistic and helpful with organising the process.

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I would recommend Business Administration for people who want to explore different aspects of business and gain core knowledge across them. It's perfect for those who dream of starting their own business or for those willing to work for start-ups. And it's probably not for you if you already have a decent understanding of business, or if you expect more specialised knowledge on a specific field of business. I would say that it's also great if you want to improve your soft skills. I see significant value in this type of knowledge and thank the university and my student life for helping me develop it. Besides studies, it's a perfect place to discover who you truly are and simply live through every moment of your student years. With your best friends, best staff and your best self!

I decided to continue my studies with a master’s degree in Marketing Analytics abroad. I feel like specialisation is the perfect last step I would need before entering the job market. But I also simply want to be a student for one more year, as it has been so enjoyable all this time in Tartu!