Before coming to Ireland, I didn’t know what a 2.1 meant. I knew there were different honors degrees and recognition like magna cum laude, summa cum laude and cum laude but I never heard of the phrases First Class, 2.1 and 2.2. Anxious enough, I was probably the first one to look at my results online and was happy to know I was on the path for a 2.1.

I need to focus on going up from here, but I was quite satisfied with my grades. Spending extra time with my professors and not going out a few nights really paid off. I think I learned that studying for big tests is all about planning and endurance. At the masters level it isn’t about cram sessions 24hours before, it is more about consuming all of the knowledge with understanding over the course of a few weeks, so you can apply it with ease during the exam.

International Law of Business Transactions was my hardest without a doubt. After all I am not a law student, but one must not make any excuses. That was the only class I earned a C in and that is my 3^rd C since I have ever been in school! I knew it was ok once my mom said she understood. I also think I wasn’t as focused because it was the last exam before I went back to the US and there were so many technical points and my adrenaline was pumping.

Either way, I am doing pretty well for a girl with a Bachelors degree in Journalism and an English minor. Who knew I would be in the prestigious MSc International Management and Global Business Program at UL? I was daring and bold enough to take that huge leap from one concentration to another, and I had a safe landing in the first semester.  I’m so glad I picked this course that is preparing me for the real world, wherever I land…even if it is in Cape Town, South Africa. Stay tuned for a photo story of our class trip!