My First Year at SP Jain Global as a BBA Student

If you had told me on my first day at SP Jain Global that I would end my first year of BBA feeling more confident, independent and comfortable expressing my opinions, I probably would not have believed you.

A shaky start

My first day was, to put it mildly, chaotic. I had missed the first two days of orientation and landed in Dubai on the morning of my first actual day of university. Somehow, despite being exhausted and extremely nervous, I still made it to campus. I was stepping into a completely new country, a completely new environment, and a university where I knew absolutely no one.

First brushes with uni life

Everything felt like a blur. New surroundings, new faces, new professors, and the feeling of having to figure everything out at once. One of the first people I met was Dr Nitin Patwa, who took the time to speak to me and made me feel comfortable even though I was late. That small interaction made my first day feel a little less intimidating.

And that, I think, was one of the first things I realised about SP Jain Global. The people around you genuinely make the transition easier.

From strangers to friends

Between meeting classmates, participating in orientation activities, attending Freshers' events and taking part in Global Learning and Student Life activities, there were plenty of opportunities to interact with people and slowly find your place. From Ski Dubai to experiences at Ferrari World and Atlantis, these activities were more than just fun days outside the classroom. They gave us the chance to get to know each other beyond lectures and group projects. Those experiences helped turn classmates into friends and made the unfamiliar feel much more like home.

Not just your typical classroom: Going from learning to questioning

What surprised me most, however, was the classroom environment.

I have always been someone who has a lot of questions. I tend to challenge ideas, question theories and want to understand the "why" behind something rather than simply accept it as fact. What I didn't expect was to find an academic environment that actually encouraged me to do exactly that.

At SP Jain Global, the BBA classroom isn't simply a place where professors speak and students take notes. Discussions, case studies, debates, presentations and activities are a huge part of the learning experience. Professors are approachable and genuinely open to hearing different perspectives, even when those perspectives challenge what is being taught.

That gave me the space to become more comfortable expressing my thoughts. I wasn't just learning concepts. I was learning to question them, defend my opinions and listen to perspectives that were completely different from my own.

Adapting to a diverse class

And the diversity of the environment made that even more meaningful. With professors and classmates coming from different countries, cultures and professional backgrounds, I was constantly exposed to perspectives that were different from what I was used to. Working with people from varied backgrounds taught me that communication isn't always about simply getting your point across. It is also about understanding how someone else thinks, adapting your approach and finding a way to work effectively together.

This became especially evident through our countless group presentations, case-study discussions and collaborative projects. We were not only learning how to work as a team, but also how to communicate efficiently in a global setting, where everyone may approach the same problem differently.

Going outside my comfort zone: The Regional Immersion Project

One of the experiences that really pushed me outside my comfort zone was our Regional Immersion Project, where my group focused on the FMCG sector in Dubai. What initially seemed like another university project turned into something much more hands-on.

We had to conduct extensive research, compile a huge amount of information and, perhaps most importantly, reach out to professionals for interviews. Getting those interviews was not as simple as sending a message and waiting for a reply. We had to find the right people, reach out through LinkedIn and our SP Jain Global network, communicate professionally and convince people to give us their time.

Once we had the interviews, we had to bring together all of that information with our online research and turn it into something meaningful.

It was one of those moments where I realised that university wasn't just preparing us to answer questions in an exam. It was teaching us how to find answers ourselves.And that is probably what I appreciate most about SP Jain Global. There is a balance between learning the concepts and actually learning how to use them.

Living in Dubai

Living in Dubai was another major part of my first-year experience. Being away from home gave me a kind of freedom that I hadn't experienced before, but I quickly learnt that freedom comes with responsibility too. You have to manage yourself, your time, your decisions and, sometimes, the consequences of those decisions.

It was exciting, but it was also a learning curve. I think living independently in a new country taught me things about myself that no classroom could have.

Becoming comfortable and gaining confidence

Looking back, the biggest change I see in myself is in my confidence and the way I communicate. I have always been someone who has an opinion and isn't afraid to question things, but my time at SP Jain Global has made me much more comfortable expressing those thoughts, whether in a classroom, during a presentation, while working on a project or simply having a conversation with someone new.

What no one tells you about your first year

And perhaps that is what no one really tells you about your first year.
You don't necessarily notice yourself changing while it is happening. It happens gradually, through the presentations, the people you meet, the discussions you have, the projects that challenge you and the experiences that push you slightly beyond what is comfortable.

My advice for the next batch

If I could give one piece of advice to the students joining this September, it would simply be: don't stress too much.

You are probably going to arrive with a hundred questions and a hundred different expectations about what your university experience will be like. Some things will go exactly as planned, and others won't. But give yourself time to adjust, put yourself out there and don't be afraid to ask questions or challenge ideas. That is where some of the best learning happens.

There will be academic challenges, new friendships, unexpected experiences, plenty of fun and a lot of learning along the way.

For me, SP Jain Global has been the perfect balance between academics and experiences. It has given me the opportunity to learn the theory, but more importantly, to apply it, question it and experience it beyond the classroom.

And if my first year taught me anything, it is that sometimes you don't need to change who you are. You just need to find an environment that gives you the space to become more of it.