Author Archives: maddieholeksa

Nice is Nice

Posted on by under Academic

Earlier this year I wrote about the Exchange Possibilities that the MM program provides you with – and here I am, sitting in Nice, France having just finished mine!

It went by so quickly! I attended EDHEC Business School. It was in such an amazing location, overlooking the Mediterranean Ocean. My experience was great, I took two courses on the European Union and the school had set up many company and city visits. One of the greatest ones was visiting MANE, a perfume and flavour factory that makes all the scents that you find in every daily product you use. That L’Oreal shampoo you use? MANE created the scent for it. The YSL perfume, MANE’s as well. What really elevated this visit was spending time with Monsieur Mane himself, he set aside an hour for us to ask him any question we could think of, and joined us for lunch after. We received such a holistic overview of the MANE organization, from manufacturing to leadership; it was a very well planned trip by EDHEC.

Being on this study abroad also provided me with the opportunity to travel to amazing places. I visited small villages on the French Riviera, as well as Monaco, Cannes, and Barcelona. I also met many other international students. Although our class was only 18 people, everyone had very different backgrounds and we had a great time getting to know each other throughout the course.

I would definitely recommend taking advantage of the study abroad opportunities that the Master of Management program offers. I truly enjoyed the educational experience in another country, as it offers new perspectives – and you get to travel! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Off to eat more croissants, au revoir!

 

Maddie

http://ca.linkedin.com/in/maddieholeksa

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Wait… it’s the last module?

Posted on by under Other

My only thought coming into this final module is “where did the time go?”

Walking into the first day of prep classes feels like one month ago, not nine! It is truly incredible how fast this program goes by. This can be attributed to a few things: how hard we are working, and how much fun we are having! I can say without a doubt that these past nine months have been the most transformative period I’ve ever had. Every module I discovered a new topic or interest and had a chance to explore it.

It’s hard for me to write about my biggest takeaways from this program right now, I feel like I will be able to reflect better a few months after the program is over. What I do know is that I made some incredible lifelong friends, and learned more than I could have ever imagined in nine short months! My thoughts at this very second…sitting here before my Supply Chain Management class are: “I better start working on Capstone” –  “That group meeting conflicts with my other group” – “What should I make for dinner” – “Oh look the sun is out” and “Don’t forget Mother’s Day on Sunday”.

What’s next for me? The day after the end of the year gala I’m off to Nice, France for my summer exchange. So my school isn’t really finished yet – however I’m sure France will feel very much like a vacation.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, and connect on LinkedIn!

Maddie

http://www.linkedin.com/in/maddieholeksa

 

 

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Life in Vancouver

Posted on by under Life at UBC/Vancouver

What makes Vancouver so great? Just about everything. You can kayak and ski in the same day here – seriously. It would be a challenge to find something that you can’t do in Vancouver. Below I’ve outlined the reasons why I like to call Vancouver home:

  1. The food. The food the food the food. I love trying new restaurants, and there is never a shortage of those here. Virtually every cuisine you can think of is represented in some way in Vancouver. We even have a food truck festival in the summer. Throughout the rest of the year there are food trucks dispersed all around the city – one of my favourites is Tacofino (get a fish taco!).
  2. The weather. People might complain about the rain, but I don’t mind it. Living in a city where -5 is a freezing day is my kind of city.
  3. The mountains and ocean. I grew up in Vancouver and I’m still in awe of its beauty.
  4. The culture. Vancouver is a melting pot – there are so many cultures represented and celebrated here. One event I look forward to every year is Italian Day on Commercial Drive. The Asian population is a significant influence on the culture of Vancouver, and there are many celebrations throughout the year associated with different Asian cultures – all of which are fun to attend.
  5. The size. Vancouver is a city, but you still can run into people you know at the grocery store. There are distinct neighborhoods in Vancouver that all have a community feel. In Kitsilano, my neighborhood, I know some of the small business owners just from shopping at their stores.

I like to be a tourist in my own city, so I’ve outlined 5 must-do Vancouver activities below:

  1. Bike the seawall around Stanley Park.
  2. Either hike the Grouse Grind (or take the gondola…I won’t judge you) up Grouse Mountain to see the most amazing views of the city.
  3. Wander around Gastown – our own cobblestone neighborhood! Some of the best restaurants are there, along with some great shopping
  4. Eat sushi! Anywhere! Well, maybe not anywhere, but we have some fantastic sushi restaurants here. If you’re looking for more upscale, try Miku, for the middle of the road: Hapa Izakaya, and for a funky sushi experience: The Eatery.
  5. Finally, one of my favourite things to do (and I do this often!) is to visit Granville Island. There are restaurants, art galleries, produce, flowers, toys, and everything in between. It’s in a gorgeous location and I always find something new there.

Off to eat some sushi…. Maddie 

http://www.linkedin.com/in/maddieholeksa

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Exchange Possibilities

Posted on by under Uncategorized

For me, doing an exchange was a non-negotiable. It was a matter of when and where, not if. I didn’t take advantage of the great opportunity that exchange offers you in my undergraduate degree, so I knew I had to when I started the Master of Management program. Experiencing education in a different country has so much value not only educationally, but personally. You get to meet students from all over the world, to experience a new education system that differs from the one you are used to, and you get to explore! The travel really excites me – I have an insatiable wanderlust. The MM program offers a variety of summer exchanges that vary in lengths from two to eight weeks. A few cities include: Cologne, Copenhagen, Shanghai, and London. Choosing where to apply could be the hardest part for some! For me, because I have already spent a few months in Asia and only weeks in Europe, I wanted to head back to the motherland of croissants, macarons, and cassoulet!

The one potential negative to going on exchange is it may have an effect on your job hunt by extending it longer than you may prefer. This is a risk I am willing to take because I don’t know if I’ll ever have this amazing experience at my fingertips again. In the end, I get out what I put in to my job hunt. So I will be working extra hard, knowing I get to spend June here: 

Nice, France

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kpsiu/5978996674/

Until next post,

Maddie

http://www.linkedin.com/in/maddieholeksa

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