Bulgaria meets Germany - Monika Florova

"Since 8^th grade I had the desire to study abroad."

In Bulgaria, Monika went to a German private school. Through school excursions and family trips, she had visited Germany several times before she moved there to study. "As the largest economy in Europe, Germany strongly appealed to me as study destination", says Monika. She also wanted to improve her German language skills which she had already acquired at school. With the thought in mind to eventually take over her family's marketing agency and printing house in Bulgaria, Monika decided on a bachelor's program in Business Administration. She got accepted at several German universities. Nevertheless, her choice fell on the FH Münster as it is known for being one of the best Universities of Applied Sciences for Business Administration across the country. Also, Münster as a city seemed very attractive to her. Initially, it was quite a challenge for Monika to move to Münster's district of Gievenbeck as she has lived in Bulgaria's capital with more than one million inhabitants before. But shortly after, she recognized the many perks of living in a smaller city such as affordable housing, quiet places, no long commutes as well as everything being in reach and fell in love with the city of Münster. Today, she has been living in Germany for eight years. "What I really like about Germany is that the people are very helpful and open-minded, and that you can decide to be whatever you want to be", Monika says.

"The IMS master's program was a perfect fit for me!"

"During my bachelor studies, I discovered that my heart beats for marketing", the Bulgarian graduate explains. "I really appreciated that theory was put into practice due to all the projects and assignments in my bachelor studies", Monika says. As the bachelor was already challenging, she knew that she could expect the same quality of teaching in the master's program. The subjects covered and the option to go abroad for one semester sounded very attractive to her. "I finished my bachelor's degree in February which is why I highly appreciated the fact that the IMS program does also start in March, unlike many programs at other universities", Monika explains. What the Bulgarian graduate liked most about the IMS program is its practical orientation. "The numerous projects and assignments helped me to cultivate many skills that are valuable for my everyday working life. The program taught me to work under pressure, to deliver several projects to the same deadline, to get my time management right and to be disciplined. The many group works helped me to develop leadership skills and to enhance my intercultural competences", Monika explains. The greatest challenge she faced was always time management and the management of her own expectations. "You learn to be efficient and that you cannot deliver 100% under those circumstances but that 80% is enough - which is a very important insight for your future work-life-balance", the 27-year-old says. She further appreciates that the professors challenge one to always question the status quo and think about how to improve it.

"I wanted to try something new and get to know a new culture."

Although she spent her entire study period abroad in Germany, in her third IMS semester, Monika chose to study at the James Cook University in Singapore, a partner university of the FH Münster. "After having lived in Germany for so many years, I did not regard Germany as abroad anymore but rather as my second home", Monika says. Up to this point, the Bulgarian student has not been travelling outside of Europe and wanted to get to know a different culture. "My semester abroad in Singapore was probably the best time of my life", she raves and points out: "Singapore is the best place to be if you want to meet and work with people from all over the world!"

"Always be open-minded, otherwise you miss chances."

The skills and knowledge Monika acquired in the master's program helped her to quickly find a job after graduation. Although she originally searched for a marketing position, she now happily works as Management Associate to Senior Vice President Operations in the financial solutions sector. "Even though my position does not sound like it, it contains a lot of marketing", Monika laughs. By taking on a fulltime job in Germany instead of going back to Bulgaria, she wanted to challenge herself: "You can always come back home, and the master's degree made me realize that you grow most when you are outside of your comfort zone."

"I would not replace the master's program for anything else!"

Monika highlights that incoming students should be prepared that this master's program requires a lot of work, commitment, passion, and discipline: "The program is hard, but it is more than worth it! If you are on the lookout for a master's program that challenges you and teaches you a lot, this degree is just right for you!"