Investment Banking to Data Analytics: Leaving My Comfort Zone as an International Student

It's remarkable how much my life has changed in just 18 months. A year and a half ago, I was in Mexico, my homeland, enjoying a fulfilling job I'd held for nearly five years. I regularly spent time with family and childhood friends, relishing the comfort and familiarity of it all.

Nonetheless, in the back of my mind, I thought that perhaps there was a thing as too comfortable. As I approached my thirties, I recognized the vast opportunities for learning, growth, and new experiences that lay ahead.

That’s when I decided to pursue a Master of Science in Business Analytics in the U.S.

Image

Changing My Career Path

I wanted a program that could teach me valuable skills such as programming and data analytics. I had built my professional experience in investment banking, and I dreamt of being able to switch career paths towards analytics.

I also valued a one-year program that could optimize costs and time invested as a full-time student, which I must admit, intimidated me. I had not heard the words homework or final exam in a while. I also thought about where in the U.S. I could see myself living, and California topped the list.

Applying to grad school as an international student easily becomes a year-long project involving researching programs and tuition costs, taking the GRE, obtaining English certification, asking for letters of recommendation, writing statements of purpose, meeting prerequisites, and preparing interviews. It’s a lot. You have to work hard, be patient, persevere, and overcome the occasional self-doubt. However, it is all worth it when you receive letters of acceptance

Image

Why UC Davis?

When I got my admission letter from UC Davis, I could not believe it as it was the most competitive MSBA program I applied to.

All my doubts melted away when I received my acceptance letter offering me to join the UC Davis MSBA program with a Dean’s Scholarship! I felt welcomed and appreciated. It was an amazing opportunity that I simply had to take.

I prepared myself to leave my comfort zone in my beloved Mexico City. I said goodbye to my family and my dearest friends, and I moved to San Francisco to start my MSBA journey. As I returned to life as a full-time student, I found myself in a classroom learning from world-renowned and incredibly caring faculty.

My time is filled with homework and group projects, but also with meeting people from all over the world and making new friends, bonding over our shared interests in data, analytics, and academic excellence. The San Francisco location is also a huge perk of the program. “The City” is beautiful and full of young professionals drawn to the center of technology and innovation

If you are considering an MSBA or other graduate business program, I encourage you to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Take the opportunity to learn, grow, and become part of a new community like the one at UC Davis. After all, there is such a thing as too comfortable.

Follow me on LinkedIn.