Combined degree student in business administration and e-commerce – an interview with Shania

My name is Shania, I am 22 years old and I have completed a combined degree program at BAUR, i.e., a business administration degree with integrated training as an e-commerce specialist. I am now in my final semester and am currently working on my bachelor's thesis, which I have to complete in the next four weeks, as the deadline is at the end of February or beginning of March.

It's a combination of a dual study program and integrated training. I completed a three-year training program and started my studies in parallel from the second year of training. The study program itself lasts three and a half years, so that after a total of four and a half years, I can demonstrate that I have completed both my training and my bachelor's degree.

Since I really enjoyed my first year of training and work, the biggest challenge of the last 4.5 years was starting my studies. At times, I asked myself why I was even "doing this" to myself. I was thrown in at the deep end in the first semester, as I had several challenging exams right at the beginning, which I was a little afraid of or respectful of. However, after the exam period, I realized that the effort and all the studying had paid off. After successfully completing the first semester, I was happy again and had settled into my new phase of life. In retrospect, I have to admit that it wasn't so bad after all and that I shouldn't have stressed myself and my loved ones so much.

I would say that the shop management at the time had the biggest impact on me. That was the department where I learned the most and therefore had the most fun. Despite working from home due to COVID-19, my colleagues integrated me into the team really well, so that I felt like a full member of the team, my ideas were taken seriously, and I didn't just work on my own tasks.

On the one hand, I was honestly very proud because it showed me that my work, time, and efforts, which I had quietly invested in my studies, were being recognized. On the other hand, however, it also put me under a certain amount of pressure, especially when it was shown to the entire faculty in the stream. My first thought when I saw it myself in the stream was: Now everyone knows that I have performed well in my studies, so they will certainly expect better performance at work. Added to this is my own expectation of myself to always meet all requirements and not disappoint anyone, which has also created a certain amount of pressure. However, I think or hope that much of this is just in my head and that nothing has changed in reality.

I am incredibly lucky to be able to stay at BAUR. As soon as I have finished writing my bachelor's thesis, I will start a trainee position in the Digital Marketing & Commerce Platforms department. As part of this position, I will work part-time in various departments within the division and complete a master's degree in Digital Business while working. From the very beginning, my dream was to do a part-time master's degree after my bachelor's, which is why I am all the more grateful that BAUR has given me the opportunity to make this dream come true.

Don't approach your training/studies too rigidly. Relaxed may not be the right word, because of course you have to perform well, but you don't have to stress yourself out as much as you probably do beforehand. Especially at the beginning, I was super excited and thought about everything five times over—what can I say, what can I ask, am I even up to the task? Ultimately, however, you grow into everything and much of it is not as bad as you think. People welcome you and help you settle in, so you are not thrown in at the deep end at work. It was a little different at the beginning of my studies, but you'll find your feet there too, especially with the support of the old hands. Looking back, I would say: don't stress so much—most worries arise in your head beforehand and aren't worth it in the end.

Coffee or tea?

Tea

Early bird or night owl when studying?

Early bird

Home office or office?

Home office

To be honest, if my friends had to describe my studies or me, they would probably only think of one emoji: the nerd emoji with glasses. 🤓

They often say that I invest too much time in my studies, claiming that I am so ambitious that I am the absolute nerd in our group. Secretly, I have to admit—I think they're right.