Arden University Berlin recently celebrated its first in person Graduation Ceremony in the German Capital.
Bringing together learners from across the world for a day of celebration, we caught up with some of the proud graduates on the day to talk about their experience studying at Arden Berlin and how it felt to have completed their courses.
One of those in attendance on the day was Andrea who graduated with an MSc Data Analytics and Information Systems Management.
Find out more about Andrea's experience with Arden, why she loves Berlin as a city, and how it compares to Mexico City - where she originally comes from.
What kind of things did you learn about on your course?
So, we learned how to handle data and put it out there in a bunch of ways so that people understand it and know what to do with the information for their companies.
What aspects of it did you really enjoy?
It's very interactive and very practical. We learned to do things that will be useful in the industry. We learned about different software including Excel and SPSS and saw different ways of working with the data. We learned about graphics, charts, and things that we see on daily basis. We see them every day, but don't always know where they come from, so we get to understand how it's handled and how it's analysed.
What was it that let you choose to study at Arden University?
So, I was looking to come to Germany, that was my dream, and when I was going through my options I came to Arden University here in Berlin and I thought well Berlin is a great option because its multicultural and open as a city.
I was also looking for a master's that would give me the tools to be useful in the future, and with the technology, the software, and everything coming up, I was looking for something that would give me tools that I didn't have.
What was it like when you first arrived in the city?
I'm from Mexico City: it's a very Catholic old-school country. Coming to Germany, to Berlin, and to Arden, was like a different world. I'd been to Europe before, but living here is a great experience and it's been something I love.
How did it feel to leave your friends and family behind?
It's been hard! I miss them every day. I have a little sister and not being able to be with her all the time, or to talk with her, isn’t easy. But I know this is for my future and I know it was something necessary for me to do. My family is very supportive of me being here, pushing forward, studying abroad, so knowing that they have my back is something that makes everything worth it.
You’ve been involved in a lot of extracurricular stuff, how did you get involved in that?
I started studying when it was still mainly online and it was not necessary to be in the classroom, but I wanted to be there to make friends and to meet people.
The few events that I had at the beginning were a great way to meet new people and to get out of the house, so that was a great opportunity.
There’s an event called Woman for Woman that we do, where women in school can support each other. Especially in the STEM environment, it's really hard to get to know other women, so that was one of my favourite events. It was relaxed and we were able to talk about things that we enjoy or things that we have to work towards and it was a great experience to have those events.
So, you're here today at the end of your studies, how does it feel to be graduating today?
It's great, it's a really nice feeling to see that everything I did and all the work I put in is finally paying off. Seeing all my friends here, my teachers, and everyone else - it is like everything is coming together. I’ve got a lot of feelings coming through, but I'm really happy to be here.
What do you hope to do next?
So, I'm working right now and I hope to continue working and to stay here in Germany. I work for the hospitality industry in the revenue area, so I use data analytics relating to revenue in the hospitality business.
I learned a lot of things that helped me get the interview and the job. The hospitality industry isn’t known as an industry that is big on numbers and data, so being able to present in an easy to understand way, or being able to tell them what the numbers are saying so they can make decisions based on that, that was the best tool I can take away from the Masters and into the industry.
To find out how you could be graduating with a degree from Arden University Berlin, visit our course pages today.
