Stina Trast
“During my studies, I had hoped to learn a broad set of quantitative and personal skills that would help me in the workforce next year. The classes have taught me not only general knowledge about business, but Fuqua has also helped me improve personal skills that are necessary in the job search.”
MMS: Foundations of Business
Industry:
Prior Education:
University of Mannheim
B.Sc. Business Administration, 2021
Why I Chose Fuqua
First of all, Duke University and Fuqua have a great reputation for their superior quality of education. I really liked the focus on team-based learning in all classes and the strong community aspect “Team Fuqua” represents, including the supportive alumni network.
Furthermore, the internationality of the students attending the program was another strong reason for me, because you get to meet people from so many different countries and with so many different backgrounds.
Finally, I have a friend that did the MMS program in the previous year, and she told me about her experience and how much she enjoyed her time at Fuqua. This definitely solidified my decision to attend Fuqua.
Before Fuqua
I had done two internships in the finance industry, one during my undergrad studies and a private equity internship in my gap year. However, I recognized that I do not want to work in the finance industry, which is why I am pursuing the MMS degree to strengthen my knowledge and find out which career path I want to take.
After Fuqua
While I was not sure what industry I would like to work in when I started the program, the insights on the different career paths and industries I have gained at Fuqua have made me want to start a career in consulting.
I feel like the MMS degree has prepared me with the necessary knowledge and quantitative skills to confidently start a career in consulting.
5 Best Places to Study
- Brodhead Center/West Union: WU has a lot of delicious food options downstairs, and if you go upstairs, there are some really nice spots to sit and study.
- Bryan Center Plaza: in summer when the weather is nice outside, this is a great place to enjoy the weather and get some work done.
- Bostock Library: if you really need to concentrate and want to study in a quiet place, the Bostock Library is super beautiful.
- Von der Hayden Pavilion: a glass pavilion inside Perkins Library where you can grab coffee and sit down to do some work.
- Fox Center at Fuqua: a great place to meet friends or your team and do some work together after or in between classes.
My Favorite Professor
Although his class was always at 8am and everyone was tired, Ryan McDevitt made Business Economics super enjoyable and fun. He always used a lot of recent and funny examples and really engaged the class with interesting discussions.
He really cared about the students and that everyone did well in the class and actually learned the concepts. He was super approachable whenever students had questions and was considerate of our heavy workload. He also included interactive exercises in class that we did with our teams, like a trading game and OPEC simulations, which were a lot of fun.