María Costa
I’m a second-year Bachelor in Business Administration student based in Madrid. I was born in Valencia, Spain; but I have lived in Madrid for 10 years. Although I have never had the chance to live outside Spain, I’ve traveled abroad several times. Thanks to those experiences, I’ve been able to get to know many different cultures.
"IE University has made lots of effort to keep its high-quality learning standards and has managed to adapt quickly to these difficult circumstances from the beginning."
Gaining new perspectives
Maria’s education has always had an international flavor. Having enjoyed getting to know people from other countries and cultures during her studies, IE University seemed like a natural choice for her, offering a diverse environment while living in Spain.
She chose the Bachelor in Business Administration because she was seeking the foundational knowledge of business that would open up different career paths for her. Maria says it offered her a wider choice of roles and work environments from which she could choose with confidence. She’s particularly enjoying the groupwork aspect of her studies, and appreciating the practical methodology that she says is very useful for applying what she’s learning to real-life situations.
Maria admits she has found an entire year of the hybrid study model challenging, but asserts that IE University has made a great deal of effort to retain the same academic standards as always. The university has adapted very quickly from the start of the current situation, she says, and overall feels grateful to have been able to continue taking the classes online through the Liquid Learning methodology. She appreciates the fact that the institution genuinely cares about its community, offering students the opportunity to study from anywhere in the world or attend in-person classes where possible.
Even though she has had to study entirely online due to her personal circumstances, that hasn’t stopped Maria from engaging with extracurricular activities. As well as having met some of her Bachelor in Business Administration cohort, she has taken French classes offered by IE University and says she has truly enjoyed the program, as it’s taught by “great teachers.”
Outside of her studies, Maria is very much into active hobbies. Her love of dancing could be described as more of a passion than a hobby, as she started with ballet at just two years old, following the Royal Academy of Dance curriculum. She’s also taking Broadway jazz classes and drama lessons, recently participating in a production of the musical “Mamma Mia.” Aside from these musical and theatrical pursuits, she also enjoys skiing, sailing, traveling and photography, so she’s a very active person.
Looking to the future, Maria is not certain yet what she wants to do, but knows she’d like to work in a marketing or communications role. She is currently undertaking a month-long internship within the marketing department at IE University, which she’s convinced will teach her a lot that will be very helpful in the coming years.
Asked about a quote that might represent her approach to life, the active characteristic displayed through her hobbies comes to the fore again. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing,” she says. And it’s clear that’s exactly what Maria has done.
