Tim van den Berk, Bachelor student in Psychology
SBB Fundamentals, practical insights in a theoretical university
"The SBB minor was a wind of change for me, a well appreciated breather in an overflow of theoretical knowledge that did not care much for trying to apply the knowledge. The biggest value of SBB in my opinion was that it challenged me, continually asking me to apply the knowledge in the case-based participatory method of studying. I chose SBB because of the practically oriented nature, and the personal smaller groups. The motivated staff goes the extra mile to provide possibilities for students eager to learn. The course allows you to gain insight into why proper application of theory can make a successful business, and why successful companies do what they do.
What I thought was truly awesome in this course was the atmosphere; because of the personal atmosphere you can truly get value back for putting in the extra effort. The teachers are dynamic, insightful, and have also experienced the business world outside of the university. They are motivated, really trying to get you to think for yourself and question everything.
SBB proudly applies the Harvard Business Case method of teaching, meaning you are actively participating in class, discussing the aspects of your study material. If I would have just received a study book regarding the aspects of management I would have forgotten it within a week, but now I’ve gained a fluency in insight along with skills to truly apply my knowledge. They repeatedly offer opportunities to really indulge in the business world on a silver platter. In class you get to experience what thinking like a businessperson is like, but they also bring you into contact with many different guests from exciting organizations.
To finalize, this course offers to experience what the world of business is like. To be fair, you have to work for it, but in the end you really get out of it what you put in. In my case it made me very excited, peeking my interest greatly. It helped me make up my mind, causing me to want to dive deeper into applying the strategies of business management."
By Tim van den Berk, Fall 2016 participant in the SBB Fundamentals minor for Bachelor students, and the New Technology Ventures minor course.